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AUSTRALIAN ELECTRIC TRACTION ASSOCIATION SOUTH AUSTRALIAN DIVISION

PO BOX 8162 STATION ARCADE ADELAIDE South Australia 5000

ESTABLISHED 1955

Advocating the Development of Electric Transportation within a balanced transit network

President: (Mr) R T Wheaton

Internet: www.electrictraction.org.au

Home Phone 08-8331 9043

Email address: aetasadiv@gmail.com

AUSTRALIAN ELECTRIC TRACTION ASSOCIATION

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN DIVISION

To

The Government of South Australia

Submission

on

The Integrated Transport and Land Use Plan

15 January 2014

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INTRODUCTION

The Australian Electric Traction Association South Australian Division (AETA

SA) is a transit advocacy group that was established in 1955. Its goal is to:

Advocate the development of electric transit within a balanced transit system.

Our slogan is - Move People Not Vehicles.

We are politically non-party and not formally associated with other

organisations.

The AETA SA welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the Draft Integrated

Transport and Land Use Plan.

Light Rail Proposals

The plans for a return of trams in form of light rail services on page 46 and 47 should

be subject to a thorough feasibility study which should be publicly available and

should not be seen as a panacea in all circumstances.

However, if a proposed tramline is built, .a defined hub should be its terminus (e.g.

Glenelg, Adelaide CBD, Entertainment Centre and Adelaide Airport). Feeder buses

should be provided to operate from the termini to ultimate destinations (e.g. Magill

University to Paradise Interchange and Adelaide Airport to West Lakes Mall or

Glenelg). An example of a successful feeder bus service currently operates in

Melbourne on tram Route 75 City to Vermont South with a timetabled connection to

Knox City Shopping Centre from the Vermont South tram terminus.

A Light Rail network should provide for a much higher frequencies compared to the

less frequent current bus services of between 7 ½ and 15 minutes but also to the

heavy rail service. Tram services could operate between every 2 and 6 minutes

during the day and every 8 to 12 minutes at other times which is similar to world’s

best practice for operating such a service.

We have noted that some of the proposed tram routes are along existing bus Go-

Zone frequencies and we would recommend as a short term measure to improve the

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frequencies along these corridors in line with the Inner City Rim Strategy launched

by the State Government in 2012.

We recommend the frequencies be a minimum of 10 minutes for buses during the

day and 15 minutes at other times.

Better integration of public transport and community facilities

Public transport planning to community facilities such as shopping centres, schools,

recreation centres appears to be an after thought by many town planners.

Unfortunately there are some who consider public transport to be a hindrance or

nuisance. One developer in the north eastern suburbs was said to have said “Why

should we plan for public transport provision when everyone who moves here will

have a car and drive a car”.

We recommend that public transport provision (i.e. Bus/tram/train routes) be

developed early in the development stage of housing estates and shopping centre

allotments.

Some bad examples of poor public transport provision in housing estates include:

Golden Grove and Mawson Lakes. Some good examples include Blakeview (Blakes

Crossing), Munno Para West (Playford Alive Project) and Northgate (Lightsview).

However, for shopping centre development and main town centre development we

note that Seaford Railway Station is located some 500 metres from the Seaford

Shopping Centre, Mawson Lakes Interchange is located 2 to 3 kilometres from

Mawson Town Centre and Noarlunga Centre Interchange is located 600 metres from

Colonnades Shopping Centre. Whilst there are bus services that link up these

locations once a person who has alighted from these interchanges there is no clear

signage to indicate this and are often seen struggling with shopping on both arms to

get back to the interchange from the shopping centre.

We recommend that bus stops and interchanges be located within 300 metres of the

entrance of a community facility or shopping centre. For example at Blakeview the

bus stop is located outside the front door of the shopping centre. However, we do

note that sufficient parking is always provided within 10 to 50 metres from the

community facility’s entrance.

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Public Transport Route Frequency

A concentrated effort should be to standardise frequencies of public transport

services to operate between 10 and 12 minutes which will solve the problem of

connectivity.

Where a service can only operate hourly or less frequently due to low patronage it

should, where practicable, be able to operate to an interchange which provides

transfers to a much higher frequency service such as an O-Bahn, train or tram

service.

Adelaide’s Bus Go-Zones have been highly successful and could be easily

expanded to provide for feeder services to railway stations as has been proposed in

the plan. However, other Go-Zones to consider in the long term include:

Port Adelaide to Tea Tree Plaza

Flinders University to Glenelg via Sturt and Brighton Roads

Mawson Lakes to Paradise Interchange via Routes 501

Milne Road from Para Hills to Tea Tree Plaza

Golden Grove Village to Salisbury Interchange via Green Valley Drive or

Target Hill Road

Full length of Kensington Road to Wattle Park

Glynburn Road from Glynde Corner to City

North East Road from Holden Hill to Tea Tree Plaza

McIntyre Road to Golden Grove Village or Salisbury via Main North Road and

Park Terrace.

It should be noted that frequencies of more than hourly discourage would be

and existing public transport users onto the public transport system. See

appendix as to what passengers and operators must do to improve frequencies

and what passengers really think of frequencies.

Bus Services

Cross suburban bus routes should be introduced that are not too long to enable on-

time running to be maintained. All cross suburban and circuit routes (i.e. Route 300-

Suburban Connector and City Free services) maps etc. should include details of

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intersecting bus routes similar to what was shown in 2002 Circle Line Route 100..

This will promote connectivity and the integration of Adelaide Metro’s bus services.

Some potential cross suburban services include:

Mawson Lakes to Port Adelaide

Expansion of the Port Adelaide to Tea Tree Plaza (route 361) to service West

Lakes or Semaphore (in summer months).

Glenelg to Port Adelaide

Paradise Interchange to Port Adelaide

Paradise Interchange to West Lakes Mall via Payneham Road, North Terrace,

Port Road, George Street, South and Grange Roads.

Reinstating the Cross Suburban service from Adelaide Airport to Elizabeth

and Golden Grove Village via Adelaide O-Bahn

Golden Grove Village to Salisbury Interchange extension to Elizabeth

Interchange via Lyell McEwen Hospital.

Don’t have through routed bus services having the same route number in both

directions. Examples include M44 and W90/91 In 1993, bus routes 580 and 581

were introduced between The Levels to Mile End. The 580 went from The Levels to

Mile End the return trip was numbered 581 to help with easy identification. This

problem is compounded when the other radial routes currently through routed

through the City change their number in the City.

Multiple bifurcations of bus routes of different lengths can cause delays to bus

services. Examples are along The Parade and Unley Road. For example on Unley

Road bus services are coming from Glenelg to the city via Unley Road thereby

creating late running for services which commence from the upper parts of Unley

Road. On The Parade the situation similar with a bus service coming from Paradise

Interchange via Glynburn Road and St Bernard’s Road which can cause The

Parade’s Go-Zone of a maximum of 15 minutes to have buses bunching up and

negating the aim of a regular reliable service in these instances..

Greater consideration needs to be made to introduce feeder bus services from long

distance locations like Goolwa/Victor Harbor to connect with trains at Seaford

Bus/Rail Interchange following the success of the Angaston/Nuriootpa bus services

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terminating at Gawler Station to provide a timetabled connection between bus and

train at that location. In the case of the Goolwa/Victor Harbor region, this would

enable an improved service to be provided to this rapidly developing area.

Passenger Information Provision

A network map needs to be developed which could be sold at Info Centres and

Metrocard retailers to help those who don’t have access to the Internet, I-Phones, or

I-Pads due to a disability, lack of expertise, or because of costs. Such a map would

also be beneficial to tourists and other visitors and enable them to more easily plan

their activities. We have noted that on subsequent visits to the Info Centre our

members have said staff have been informed not to print such a publication or that

the Info Centres printer does not produce good results for printing of such a large

map.

We find it ironic that Metro Tasmania and ACTION (ACT) can produce yearly an

updated Network map of their system yet their marketing budgets are substantially

much less than Adelaide Metro’s. To use a quote from a spokesperson from one of

those agencies: “We provide a network map for the elderly who use them regularly

and if we start alienating people who can’t access the Internet to get a network map

we are doing a disservice to the general community”.

Bus stop timetables should only display the timetables for services that serve that

particular stop and not other routes that have been included on the printed version

of the public timetable but which are irrelevant to that particular stop. This has been

taken up with both the CEO of DPTI and former Executive Director of Public

Transport Services (Emma Thomas) and both had promised by December 2013

timetable changes that this would be rectified and but there has been no progress to

date.

We recommend that stop specific timetables introduced at bus stops (similar to PTV-

Victoria) and approximate journey times be shown under the timetable to the

respective terminus. The displayed timetables should be for all routes serving that

stop. All stops in the CBD should have their timetables displayed

Bus stops should also show on the blade of the stop (i.e. up top) what bus routes

service that bus stop. Stop numbers should also be reviewed. Some bus stops could

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have multiple bus stop numbers because several different bus routes service that

stop while some routes have stops with the same number due to route changes

while maintaining the historical stop number.

Bus stops should also highlight basic ticketing information such as the basic cash

fare schedule and nearby Metrocard retailer.

Information at Railway stations and tram stops

In the case of train and tram services, information regarding ticket availability etc. is

essential in view of the fact that these services are now operated with only the driver

who is not accessible to the travelling public. This is in addition to timetable

information similar to that recommended for bus stops.

Adelaide Metro Website

The website is in need of fine tuning particularly in planning your journey which at

times does not appear to show the most direct route and the timetables for specific

routes. An example of this is the 144 service which does not include details of the

140 service which is operated in lieu at peak periods but covers a common route on

the outer section.

Adelaide Metro Info Centres

Whilst most of the staff at the Info Centres are helpful, friendly and correct in what

information they provide. However, there have been instances where incorrect or

confusing information has been given. Instances include.

Staff directing a member who wanted to go to South Road Bedford Park to

wait for a bus in Grenfell Street when the correct location for the bus stop is in

King William Street

When asking for maps to be printed from the website the staff member looked

confused and said that a network map was not available on line and, if it is, its

commercial in confidence. Also he was told that if it was to be printed it can’t

be done because the Info Centre printer does not print in good quality.

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Some timetables on the racks date back to before the introduction of the

current timetable.

A staff member directed one of our members to catch a bus route that does

not exist or had stopped running for the day.

One of the oddest situations happened when a timetable change had been

announced staff were not told when timetables would be available. We know

that timetables should be out around a fortnight before the effective date but

staff have told members they will be out “today” when the employee did not

ask his/her supervisor to find out when they were coming out.

We think there is a need for better effort into training of staff and staff a ready

reckoner folder for all types of questions and answers.

Tram and train services

Currently according to our members the tram service has too much time and trams

are regularly stopping for periods up to two minutes to make up time at tram stops.

We would recommend that the timetable be reviewed..

Traffic light sequencing to provide tram priority should be provided especially at

Greenhill Road intersection, King William Street South and along North Terrace.

Adequate information should be provided tram stops and railway stations to provide

basic ticketing information. We also would like intersecting public transport

information highlighted at tram stops and railway stations to provide a seamless

transfer between say bus and tram and train and bus.

Major bus/rail interchange (including O-Bahn) should have a large interchange map

that has a list of suburbs and the relevant bus route number shown and departure

stand shown to help new passengers understand the system and existing ones and

how they can access a variety of destinations without needing to go into the city first.

Suburban rail services should operate half hourly on all lines till at least 10pm and

hourly after that till 1:00am every day of the week.

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In the case where delays occur to tram and train services, drivers should be kept

informed as to the cause and likely delay so that they can pass the information on to

the passengers. In the case of a major delay a disaster plan should be in place so it

can be implemented as soon as possible. The recent bout of hot weather has

revealed a weakness in the system. All infrastructure and rolling stock should be

capable of operating within a temperature range of 0 -50°C.

Level crossings should be in the long term eliminated at the following locations-

Oaklands (Diagonal and Morphett Roads)

Glenalta (Main Road)

Blackwood (Main Road)

Salisbury (Park Terrace)

Parafield Gardens (Kings Road)

Unley Park (Cross Road)

Hove (Brighton Road)

Ovingham (Torrens Road and Hawker Street)

Railway stations need be further gradually improved to improve their physically and

aesthetically appearance. Some railway stations are little more than a bus shelter on

a platform.

If the Northern Connector is built, an opportunity to re-introduce passenger services

from Adelaide to Virginia could be considered as a future option as the interstate

passenger and freight rail services will be relocated to travel in the median of the

Northern Connector. This would enable the Playford Initiative which will be

completed in thirty years from now to have bus services act as feeders to not only

the existing Munno Para Interchange but also to a newly built Virginia station.

The Tonsley Interchange proposal to extend the Tonsley Rail line to Bedford Park

should be implemented as soon as possible..

The AETA SA recommends that in the long term a passenger rail service be

operated from the Barossa Valley to Adelaide. This is important as population

growth in this region was 6.1% compared to 6.2% for the Greater Adelaide Region

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from 2007 to 2012. Source: ABS Regional Population Growth Australia 30 August

2012.

Metrocard Boundary

The Metrocard boundary in the long term should ultimately be extended to cover the

Greater Metropolitan Area with an additional zones being implemented to

compensate for the increased expenditure of operating more public transport

services to these regions.

Rural Passenger Services

It is noted that in other states bus services outside the metropolitan area are

operated under contract to the state rail service and that standard rail tickets are

issued for the journey. It appears that these journeys are therefore subsidised in a

manner similar to rail travel in these states Is this the case in South Australia? If not,

we consider that the subsidising of such travel should be considered.

Provincial Bus Services

Provincial bus services should be rebranded similar to Adelaide Metro services. We

recommend a name change of CityMetro would encompass the provincial cities of

Port Lincoln, Whyalla, Port Augusta and Port Pirie.

This would mean all of these cities would have a standardised livery for buses and

the same timetable and route map format as Adelaide Metro timetables.

In the long term provincial cities bus services could accept Metrocard and this would

be similar to what has been recently implemented in Victoria with the Myki ticketing

system.

Adelaide O-Bahn Services

The opinion of the AETA SA was, and remains, that the development of a

specialised mode of transport for the Modbury Corridor should have been light rail.

Whilst the Adelaide O-Bahn has been largely successful with 20,000 passengers

using it each weekday or 8.1 million passenger journeys per year this is to be

expected in view of the demographics of the area served. The principal problem

continues to be the access to the CBD after leaving the guide way at Gilberton. The

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time savings on the outer portion of the journey are often negated by the time

required to travel from the city to Gilberton. We recommend that a plan be made to

consider replacing the Adelaide O-Bahn with light rail which could be through routed

to the Glenelg tram line or other routes under consideration. The O-Bahn

Infrastructure is nearing its use-by date and is operated very similar to a light rail

services (i.e. a handful of trunk routes with feeder buses operating in non-peak

times). Also buses are now only limited to operate at 85kph compared to 100kph

because of the wear and tear of the track and buses not being suitable for high

speeds due to tyre wear.

With light rail stops could be located in the following additional locations thus

providing am improved service to these areas:

St Peters- Stephen’s Terrace

Marden- Lower Portrush Road

Campbelltown- Lochiel Parklands

Holden Hill- Lyons Road

Holden Hill North- Grand Junction Road

With an extension being implemented as originally planned to Golden Grove Village.

The interchanges along the O-Bahn should also provide adequate seating which was

taken away in the latest refurbishment of Klemzig, Paradise and Tea Tree Plaza

Interchanges and that wind breaks being established at these interchanges

especially at Paradise Interchange.

Road Issue

Road works, except for emergencies such as burst water mains or gas main

leaks/explosions,. should be done at the same time as interstate and that is from

9pm to 6am This would create less congestion and frustration for motorists and in

the long term lessen pollution. That roadwork signs should also not be still on the

roads where roadwork has finished. Many motorists are reporting constant frustration

with no roadwork being done but the roadwork signs are still posted.

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Conclusion

These are just some ideas to improve our transport system. Public Transport in

Greater Metropolitan Adelaide can and needs to be improved to increase patronage

but it needs the will of Governments, transport planners, transport operators and

town planners to work in collaboration to make this happened. Currently, this is not

happening from our observation and this is why Adelaide’s public transport seems to

look neglected by the general public compared to other cities in the world and in

Australia.

D J P Beres

Secretary

R T Wheaton

President

Appendix

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