Page 1975 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 5 August 2014
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We are establishing the framework for a broader transport network for our city. This is a long-term vision to harness real, effective, rapid transit along key corridors across our city. This is a project that delivers a positive economic benefit for our city. It returns more in economic benefit than it costs to build. It provides real and reliable public transport services along those key inter-town public transport connections, which are always envisaged to be the rapid transit corridors in our transport planning, and have been for as long as the city structure has been established. What we also know is that Canberrans and public transport users generally respond very effectively to the provision of that high-quality rapid service.
It delivers a capacity into the future that buses will never be able to deliver along these key corridors.
Mr Hanson interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Order, Mr Hanson!
MR CORBELL: Buses can deliver a very effective service and a very important service in integrating with the delivery of light rail services. We are very focused on making sure that buses and light rail integrate effectively to provide a much better level of public transport service for our city. But as you, Madam Speaker, have previously observed in some of the commentary you have written on this, what we know is that light rail delivers a carrying capacity, a long-term carrying capacity, that cannot be delivered by a bus network. It delivers a quality of service and a quality of ride that cannot be delivered by bus rapid transit along these corridors.
It allows us to integrate public transport into this corridor in a way that bus rapid transit will never be able to deliver along this corridor. If the view of those on the other side of this chamber is that building bus rapid transit with dedicated priority along this corridor is going to work along this corridor, they have to explain two simple problems. The first is: is it acceptable to turn the median strip of Northbourne Avenue into a two-lane road, because that would be the option? Alternatively, is it acceptable to convert the left-hand lane on either side of Northbourne Avenue into bus rapid transit only and reduce the number of general traffic lanes on Northbourne Avenue from three to two?
Those are the two simple propositions that Mr Coe and those opposite need to address if they continue to assert that bus rapid transit is the best option along Northbourne Avenue. Clearly, bus rapid transit does not stack up in either of those two issues. This is the right long-term investment for our city.
Opposition members interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Order, members!
MR CORBELL: It is a project that is supported by a clear majority of Canberrans. The government will continue to pursue this important city-building project for our city.
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