Developing a rapid transit system for the Gold Coast and its integration with a high

density, car oriented urban form.

David Mepham – Coordinator Transport Futures, Gold Coast City Council

Ideas and issues

• Mobility shapes the city.• Rethinking mobility on the Gold Coast.• Gold Coast Rapid Transit project.• GCRT - Route and Stations.• Challenges for transit in an urban context.• Opportunities for transit.• Transit, walkability and great places.

Shape of the City• Sea and beach, • High density urban edge, • Canals and suburbia and

then hinterland.

Implications for accessibility:• Many impermeable edges, • Strong growth on edge but

limited north south capacity.

Main Beach to Southport - 1965

Southport – 1960’s

Looking towards Surfers Paradise - 1967

Surfers Paradise – Broadbeach 1960’s

Burleigh Heads – 1960’s

Rethinking Mobility for Gold Coast City

• Increasing densities on the edge.

• Ageing of the population

• Providing affordability

• Mobility, accessibility and citizenship

A Transit Oriented Future

Responding to the changes in the SEQ region:• SEQ Regional Plan

– emphasis on Transit Oriented Development.• GCCC Local Growth Management Strategy

– developing accessible activity centres and nodes.– A hierarchy of centres.

• Gold Coast City Transport Plan– A public transport solution.– A Beachside Transit Precinct.

Transit Planning for Gold Coast

• Mode needs to have the capacity to meet growing needs of the city – 30, 40, 50 years?

• Route to support development opportunities.• Station locations that act as hub/nodes and

provide connectivity to local areas.• Rethinking the highway mentality.• Supportive of walking and cycling options.• Not just mobility – providing accessibility

Gold Coast Rapid Transit• GCCC Light Rail Study

early 2000’s.• $600 mil announced in

2006 by State with GCCC commitment $100m+ partnership.

• CDIMP - early 2008.• GCRT Services running

in 2011/12.

Route – Station - Place

• Route determined largely by the constraints of the corridor, dependent on highway corridor.

• Stations – spacing and placement.

• Place – tie station into its environment.

Rethinking the highway

• Getting beyond the highway mentality:– drive by signage, poor footpaths, pavilion style

buildings, the drive in restaurants and shopping centres set back from road.

– long continuous blocks, 500 – 700 metres long without crossings - with barriers/fencing.

• Getting beyond the simple solutions:– Need to locate stations where people live and work.– Stations as part of the centre – not the edge.

The Transit StationThe Station Precinct• The desire to develop quality centres.• The 5 minute walk.• Achieving accessibility, permeability, legibility.• Achieving appropriate spacing – balance

between access and efficiency of system.• Fitting stations into a highly developed urban

environment

The Challenge for Rapid Transit

Recognising and resolving design conflicts• Between the provision of transit and the desire

to create a quality place.– Perceptions of stations/stops, tracks, catenaries.– Look and feel of the mode – how sexy?– Noise, vibration, privacy.– Interchanges and locally generated traffic.– Public nuisance, crime/safety.

From Challenges to Opportunities

Achieving accessibility • Within precinct and from station to destinations.• Local traffic conditions.• Legibility to and from station – language,

signage, lighting, landmarking.• Dealing with cars – roundabouts, ped

crossings.• Connection to other modes.• Walk/cycle opportunities.

Light Rail in Strasbourg

Connectivity & walkable environments

Transit and TOD succeed where pedestrian accessibility is achieved.– Pedestrian Access and Mobility Planning – tools to

achieving TOD environment.– Walking distances can be increased in high quality

urban spaces and corridors – research shows up to twice the distance.

– A walkable environment is a product of a pleasant environment – active street fronts, quality footpaths, landscaping/trees, seating, art, traffic calmed.

Tension between transit and place• Moving• Alone with strangers• Fast• Away from home• Discomfort• Unsafe• Placelessness• Anti social behaviour• Bored

• Resting• Social with friends• Slow• Feel at home• Comfortable• Safe• Community• Friendly behaviour• Engaged

Copenhagen

• Emphasis on quality urban design and facilities at transit stops.

• Study of access trips to 15 suburban stations• Walking dominated for distances up to 1 km from

stations – 38 –100% of access trips - 1 – 1.5km –cycling is dominant access mode at 40 % of trips.

• Beyond 1.5km – buses at 40 - 50% and at 2.5km –30% cycling v 19% car.

• Source: Robert Cevero, The Transit Metropolis:150

Tokyo – Tama Denen Toshi

• Private rail development where pedestrians rather than cars dominate the station precinct.

• Use of compact mixed use development around transit with high quality, landscaped walkways radiating into surrounding neighbourhoods.

• High quality bus connections - no park and ride.• Access to transit – 68% ped/cycle & 25% bus.

• Source: Robert Cevero, The Transit Metropolis:200

Bretten, Karlsruhe

• Upgrade of rail – first week of service saw 600% increase in patronage.

• Issues – shorter space between stations – 300 – 400 metres, improved ped/cycle access, removal of car traffic from centre.

• 70% of passengers access station by foot.• Improvement air quality, economy and level of

services near stops.• Source: Robert Cevero, The Transit Metropolis:358

Opportunities for Quality TOD• Helensvale

Westfield/Station• Griffith University/Gold

Coast Hospital• Southport CBD• Surfers Paradise• Broadbeach CBD• Burleigh Heads

Helensvale Westfield/Station

Griffith University/Gold Coast Hospital

Southport CBD

Surfers Paradise

Broadbeach

Broadbeach

Burleigh Heads

Final Comments

• Transit and transport - the DNA of the City• Demographic change – New challenges.• Rethinking access and mobility.• Adapting for global change• From the highway to boulevard.• Visions for the century • Quality transit as a vehicle to place making.