FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
If you have a question, feel free to get in touch
Where can I find out more about trackless trams?
Autonomous Rail Transit (ART – otherwise known as trackless trams) doesn’t require rails, with the battery-powered vehicles running on rubber wheels on the existing roadway, typically in configurations of two or three articulated vehicles. The best-known example of an ART is in the south-eastern part of Sichuan province in China, with vehicles running on a dedicated 17km line.
Recently, the Federal Government announced it was funding a business case for a trackless tram in Scarborough, Perth (a project being undertaken by Stirling City Council).
Where can I find out more about Light Rail Transit (LRT)?
Light Rail Transit (LRT) utilises electric-powered tram vehicles travelling on steel rails, powered by either a ‘third rail’ energising the vehicle as it passes over or via overhead catenary wires.
Sydney, Canberra and the Gold Coast all have light rail systems. A reasonable estimate for an LRT system – including infrastructure and rollingstock – is about $60 million per kilometre.
Where can I find out more about Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)?
BRT has a history In Australia going back to the 1980’s. Delivered in three stages and with the first stage opening in 1986, Adelaide’s O-Bahn Guided Busway operates along 12km of guided concrete track, travelling at speeds of up to 100km/h.
Sydney’s Liverpool – Parramatta T-way, a 31-kilometre long continuous series of bus-only lanes and bus roadways, was completed in 2003.
Brisbane has more than 30 kilometres of busways across the city. The South East Busway is a grade separated, bus-only road running south from the Brisbane CBD to Eight Mile Plains, while the Inner Northern Busway connects the CBD to Kedron.
What is the build-time for each of the three options?
ART and BRT would likely take around two to three years to deliver, and LRT up to five or six years.
What would each option cost?
The cost of BRT has been estimated at between $4 and $6 million per kilometre for rollingstock and stations.
The cost of ART has been estimated at between $6 and $8 million per kilometre for rollingstock and stations
Based on recent experience in Canberra and the Gold Coast, a reasonable estimate for an LRT system – including infrastructure and rollingstock – is about $60 million per kilometre.
Would traffic congestion get worse in Moorabool Street?
Would parking in Moorabool Street be removed?
How would it work when Moorabool Street is closed outside GHMBA Stadium at the end of Geelong home games?
What would happen to the 50 and 51 buses?
If the light rail extends all the way along the Surf Coast Highway, the 50 and 51 buses in Torquay and Jan Juc could be combined into a local loop route with a stop at the light rail. In Grovedale they could be re-routed through Waurn Ponds then back along High Street to Moorabool Street and Geelong Railway Station.
What would happen to the existing bus routes that use Moorabool Street?
All the buses that use Moorabool Street should keep doing that with the light rail.
How have the station locations been selected?
Spacing around 1 km, near landmark destinations such as schools, shops, hospitals, etc and near cross roads so it is as easy as possible to get across the road to the station.
Why 15 mins between services (headway) during the day and 20 minutes at night?
Feedback from consultation for previous light rail and bus public transport projects has supported this as a reasonable trade-off between convenience and cost. We are seeking comments on service frequencies in our community consultation.
What are the current bus headways?
In Geelong, there are about two buses per hour in each direction (30 min headways) on the route and on Surf Coast Hwy and in Torquay about a 40 min headway in each direction.
How do I find out more information about the project?
Visit the scheme website or social media pages.
How do I give my comments?
Go to our survey page, or email us at info@baybeachconnection.com.au