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.