Infrastructure to drive growth, ACT
A new strategy for transport in Canberra will be a significant boost to the city, according to two government ministers.
An improved bus service timetable and transport corridors have been detailed in a new Tr
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Under the new service, 95 per cent of homes will be within 500 metres of a bus service running at a minimum frequency of 60 minutes.
"The Transport for Canberra Strategy demonstrates how the ACT Labor Government intends to meet the challenges of a growing city and deliver major improvements in the way Canberrans get around our city in a sustainable way," Ms Gallagher said.
The plan will ensure that more areas of Canberra will be opened up, bringing transitways, stations and mass transit options into the territory, as well as bringing in ring roads.
Mass transport systems already under discussion are a light rail for Northbourne Avenue and the Gungahlin to City corridor.
In a fact sheet released recently by the government, it states that the aim is to feed a ‘Frequent Network’ where every home is within access to public transport, which runs every 15 minutes or less through the main corridors.
"A new seven-day timetable structure that moves away from the weekday/weekend timetable and has a consistent and reliable bus network that can be trusted every day of the week is crucial to building community confidence and therefore increasing patronage on public transport," Mr Corbell said.
"We also need to ensure that buses operating within this timetable structure will be frequent enough that people can get around the city in a timely and efficient way and also integrate quickly between regular suburban services to buses that transit between town and group centres."
The government is also aiming to upgrade 600 bus stops by the end of the year and have implemented 12 new major stops at high patron locations by the end of 2012, with a further eight by mid next year.
Thirty kilometres of new cycle paths across ACT are also in the pipeline, as well as consultation on new sites for bike and ride, and park and ride facilities.
These new changes are in addition to over $1 billion invested by the government into transport over the past 10 years, as well as more than $120 million during the last two years.
This new strategy will be rolled out over six to eight years, and by 2016 new bus stations will be located in the Gungahlin, Dickson, Erindale, Barton and City West areas.
"Further future investments will also be required and the Government will evaluate funding to roll out the features of this strategy in future budgets," Mr Corbell said.
The Transport for Canberra 2011-2031 policy draft is currently being prepared based on community and stakeholder feedback.