Vote for none of the above

Doomben Now

Brisbane City Council (BCC) have created an online public vote for the five options to "upgrade" Kingsford Smith Drive. The online voting form can be accessed here until the end of January 2011. The options have previously been mentioned in a previous post here, of which all options are sadly road based. The most expensive option is a whopping $3.2b! BCC have failed to add public transport as an option. This is despite the fact that the Doomben Line could be easily extended to Hamilton Northshore. Bus Rapid Transit could be provided from Doomben or Hamilton Northshore to Australia Trade Coast developments. The Doomben Line's corridor already has space for a second track thanks to the abandoned 1950s electrification works. Post Cross River Rail, there would be sufficient rail capacity through the CBD to run 4 trains per hour off-peak, and more if required in the peaks. This extension could easily handle the projected increase in journeys along Kingsford Smith Drive caused by the Hamilton Northshore development. So why are BCC so blinkered that they cannot see the obvious solution?

Forcing Airtrain to improve it's currently pathetic frequencies and operating hours could also help take airport bound traffic off Kingsford Smith Drive and onto trains.

For the sake of Brisbane's future, and the future of the next generation living in Brisbane, our politicians need to stop their unhealthy road obsession, and think towards the environmentally sustainable future that is public transport. This is the 21st century, not the 1960s! Sadly, we currently have BCC trying to turn Brisbane into a giant road tunnel, and Queensland Government stunting public transport patronage by putting up fares with minimal service improvements.

BrizCommuter urges anyone with any common sense to vote for none of BCC's suggested options, and in the comment box write option 6 - extend the Doomben Line.