Page 3413 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 17 August 2011
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Hobart in walking. Canberra has also recorded the highest growth rate in public transport modal share between the ABS census periods of 2001 and 2006. The ACT government is committed to moving even further ahead in these positions.
The government is investing to deliver a program of improvements across the transport network. We have committed more than $120 million to public transport projects, promotion, systems, infrastructure and services in the most recent and the 2010-11 budgets. In combination, these projects will help create more viable, sustainable transport options and reduce parking demand across the city.
Major transport investments include a $21.4 million investment over four years to improve ACTION bus services, including the Blue Rapid trial extension to Kippax and service improvements in Fyshwick, Gungahlin, the inner north and the Canberra Hospital; nearly $3 million for a corridor study for the Gungahlin to city corridor, including investigation of a possible light rail option for Northbourne Avenue and the establishment of a new Dickson public transport station; and $12.5 million over three years for a real-time passenger information system on buses.
The park and ride network—free parking for cars and bikes on rapid transport corridors—will also be an important way to help more Canberrans connect to the mass transit network. There is just over $4 million for a network of park and ride and bike and ride facilities at locations including Exhibition Park, Erindale, Phillip, Cohen Street in Belconnen, Gungahlin, and Tuggeranong, and new park and ride facilities will open at Purdue Street in Belconnen and Exhibition Park in Canberra and the expanded Mawson site by the end of 2011.
The construction program for next year will include new facilities near College Street at the University of Canberra, near Cotter Road at the new Molonglo Valley surburbs, an expansion of park and ride at Kippax to support the extension of the Blue Rapid service and an expansion of the commuter park and ride at Calwell.
Over $1 million, including $255,000 in support from the commonwealth, has been allocated to construct a network of bike and ride cages, with the first of these now open at Belconnen community bus station and Flemington Road, and two additional cages at Phillip pool and Mawson due to be completed by September 2011.
Over $3.5 million over four years has been allocated to construct and upgrade bus shelters across the bus network, and $7 million will be used to construct stage 1 of the Belconnen to city transit way, including bus priority measures on Barry Drive and College Street and a new ANU bus/transit station integrated with the ANU exchange development. Just over $8 million will provide a bus lane on Canberra Avenue by 2013 to support the Red Rapid corridor. There will be nearly $5 million for new bus stations at Gungahlin and Erindale and $2 million for bus stop and station improvements at the Civic bus interchange and, finally, $2 million over four years to improve the ways in which we communicate with Canberrans about public and sustainable transport options.
These transport for Canberra investments will encourage greater take-up of sustainable and active transport modes, such as public transport, walking and cycling, and will help reduce the demand for parking in the city and town centres. Parking fees
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