Page 2741 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 16 August 2017
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electric vehicles, active travel and a mass transit system like light rail, will all have a role to play in moving people around Canberra in the future. However, for the immediate future, many Canberrans—like those doing school pick-ups—will still use their cars. But the ACT government is giving drivers more options to get about town while avoiding congestion.
As part of these efforts, the ACT government has been rapidly expanding our park-and-ride services, building car parks throughout Canberra at key locations along our rapid bus routes, allowing people to take short trips from their house to the bus stop and then ride a bus for the bulk of their journey, saving them from the stresses of congestion and high petrol costs, and allowing them to do that little bit extra for the environment as well.
Bus transit is still the backbone of Canberra’s transport system and will remain an important part of our integrated approach to transport in the future. The government has just announced its new partnership to develop an electric bus trial for Canberra, as part of our efforts to reduce transport-based emissions, which are forecast to soon make up the majority of the ACT’s greenhouse pollution.
The integral nature of buses in our city’s transport future is why the government is expanding our rapid bus routes. The ACT government has also invested in a new green rapid in my electorate, which will take commuters from Woden to the hospital, through the APS hubs of Manuka and Barton, and on to the city every 15 minutes. The first two months of the service will be completely free. To service the growing population in the Molonglo Valley, we have committed to continuing the Weston line 182 bus service, after its initial trial.
Older Canberrans and people with a disability have been able to take advantage of the government’s free flexible bus service, which offers customised taxi-like journeys for Canberrans with mobility issues. This service is particularly useful in taking residents to medical appointments that are a bit too far out of their normal way. Of course, seniors and concession cardholders will also benefit from the government’s decision to provide off-peak public transport travel for free. To cap off all of this, the government is also increasing bus stops along major routes like Athllon Drive, including in Wanniassa and my home suburb of Kambah.
Light rail was resoundingly endorsed at the election last year and at the election in 2012. Our city-wide light rail network will provide a mass transit system for our growing city, taking cars off the road for commuters and linking with other transit modes. The government is now powering ahead with stage 2 of light rail, which was also resoundingly endorsed at the ACT election.
The government has appointed commercial advisers, technical advisers and advisers on communications and engagement. It is clear that things are already underway for stage 2 of the project. We are investing $41 million over the forward estimates to advance the second stage of light rail between the city and Woden by developing a business case following investigations into route selection, design and procurement methodology, along with an urban renewal strategy. Combined with the new bus
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