Adelaide Metro

It's in strife, Adelaide Metro know it, the local government know it and we the passengers and frequent users have been spewing about it for too long...

I have a plan which i've previously sent to both parties of the SA Government which i feel could really work, it involves utilising free space, reducing bus activity in the CBD and will inturn help reduce the peak hour traffic congestion as well as the environment.

Ok, I'm a frequent user of both the G10 and the 222, these buses run on both Prospect Road & Main North Road respectively.

5+ years ago, the G10 ran perfect (known then as 182), its apart of a 15 minute go zone, but back then if you missed your bus it was more like an every 7 minute go zone. So if you wandered up to the stop and just missed it - no worries, one would be not far down the road...

Now the G10 is all about schedule. It is always late and extremely inconsistent. One of the frustrating things is most mornings around 8.00 - 8.15am you will be there waiting for the correct bus to come, instead 3 will turn up. Now, one of these is late, one on time and the other super late. Its the super late one i'm waiting for, but how do you know? Well easy, the super late will zoom past us with the bus driver pointing to the other buses. The early one then comes next with on time just behind it. Early picks us up and proceeds slowly down to each stop then decides to slow down and stop outside the Women's & Children's Hospital for a ten minute stop whilst it catches up to schedule.

So in the above scenario, you have a bus load of extremely angry people who are already late and are now even later because of some moron's idea of scheduling.

Ticket prices have of course increased too over this time even though the steady downhill ride Adelaide Metro's service has gone as well. But this is normal considering all living costs are rising.

Back when i first completed a short study, i estimated approx 45 buses in 15 minutes were coming from both Prospect Road and Main North Road, this may have increased since then but thats a staggering 45 buses pushing through King William Street during the busiest periods.

How can we stop this and ease conjestion?

We part follow Melbourne's excellent public service. Over the past few years Adelaide has re-introduced the Tram system however is currently only doing one line.

My proposal is simple, extend the tram line from the corner of King William Street and North Terrace all the way up through North Adelaide along O'Connell Street. At the end of O'Connell Street are 4 separated parklands. One of these vacant lands fall in between the major roads Prospect Road and Main North Road.

What i think we could do is set up a Tram station and a Bus station, all buses heading down these main roads will head straight to this bus station, tram's can then feed from there and take the waiting passengers via the environmentally safer trams.

So, my idea is then that we can take away over 100 buses from the Adelaide CBD, as during peak hour it takes ages just to progress past Parliament House just to get to Pirie Street....

Yes there are a few downsides...:

1) One trip now turns into dual services
2) Parklands will be used

Thats it for me for downsides cos for me its all positive..

1) Traffic congestion will reduce dramatically, just from these two major roads.
2) Polution will decrease in the CBD
3) Tram stations fitted with ETA monitors can keep passengers up to date on how long til next tram, just like melbourne does it...

So if you like this idea feel free to send the blog link to your local member or get this viral, more trams in adelaide means better, cheaper, environmentally safer and more reliable public transport in adelaide...

Beauty of it is, just the tip of the iceberg...