2012 April 25 Archive - Love Forty Percent

Apr 25, 2012 7

VOTE NOW! Light Rail for Canberra in 2012

A Civic-Gungahlin transit study draft has been released, stating a cost estimate for both Light Rail and Bus Rapid Transport options. This looks like a re-run of the same old argument for Canberra: ”Light Rail is the best option for our city. But we can’t find a way to make it happen.”

All you need to do to make your voice heard to get Light Rail for Canberra is jump onto the consultation survey and vote! We need your vote!

Vote now for Smarter Transport: Vote Light Rail

You can also head along to your local shopping centre and have your say in coming weeks:

Dickson Group Centre, near Woolworths

11am to 2pm on Friday 27 April; and
11am to 2pm on Saturday 28 April.

Canberra Centre, Ground Floor near Supabarn

11am to 2pm on Friday 4 May; and
11am to 2pm on Saturday 5 May.

The Market Place Shopping Centre, Gungahlin near Woolworths

11am to 2pm on Friday 11 May; and
11am to 2pm on Saturday 12 May.

Or write a submission to tell our leaders why Light Rail is the Smarter choice.

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Why Light Rail is the Smarter Transport choice and why it’s time we Just Build It!

As stated in the Government report, Light Rail is the best option for Canberra.

Vote now for Smarter Transport: Vote Light Rail

Light Rail transforms cities. Light Rail stimulates transport oriented development along the route, allowing new housing to benefit from close proximity to public transport, and new stations to be great places for new small businesses. Bus transit does not stimulate this sort of transformation where it has been undertaken in other places.

Light Rail is clean, quiet and comfortable. Light rail can run on renewable electricity, reducing our emissions and smog. Investing in renewable technology also protects our public transport from diesel price rises. In addition, the Government report does not include the price of new buses in the BRT option, meaning we’ll be using the same old uncomfortable buses.

Light Rail can be paid for in many ways. Light Rail is a significant investment for our city that attracts a range of investment opportunities (note: the current figures in the Government report for Light Rail are very questionable and are well in excess of other similar projects). Public Private Partnerships have been undertaken in other cities where businesses co-invest in the development. The ACT Government has already been successful in securing Commonwealth co-funding for the Majura Parkway. It’s time funding was committed to the first stage of light rail to prove that we are serious to Infrastructure Australia and seek co-funding. If we are going to invest in our city, why would we choose bus transit and build an option that needs much more spending in the future? It would be like completing the Gungahlin Drive extension with one lane, and having so much traffic we send the bulldozers back to start building the second lane a few years later (and we know how silly that would be!!).

Light Rail is transit that makes good cities work. Investing now means we are supporting our city to grow in a way that doesn’t force us to live in our cars. Connecting Canberra with Light Rail will mean we can get from one side of the city to the other quickly, opening up all parts of Canberra to all Canberrans. Starting the first stage of Light Rail now, kicks off this future, and shows that we’re serious about public transport. We can avoid the growth of a city like Sydney where the importance of public transport was ignored and the cost made impossible. We are capable of financing a Light Rail system, and we need to start now to prepare for future growth.

Vote now for Smarter Transport: Vote Light Rail

The 2012 election can be the turning point for Canberra, the year we finally committed to connecting Canberra with a public transport system that works. And it’s one solution to a crucial part of reducing our greenhouse gas emissions for the long term.

Every election, Light Rail is raised by political parties scoring points. This is because Light Rail is a smart option for Canberra’s future. Canberrans want to see it happen, and our leaders know it. But promises have never turned to action. Until now.

We can be the difference in making this year the first step in a public transport system that connects Canberra. It will give us the ability to leave our cars at home, get where we need to go, and have a low emissions trip on renewable electricity powered rail. Until we get serious about a real option for commuters to get to work, and all Canberrans to get around without a car, we won’t be able to meet our emissions reductions targets from transport.

We all know public transport is at the heart of a liveable city. New roads bring more cars, causing the need for new roads. It’s time we invested in the option that sets our city on track.

It’s time to take on big changes to start a shift in our city. We are able to create a Canberra of zero emissions by 2060, by starting now.

Vote now for Smarter Transport: Vote Light Rail

About the campaign

Things are changing in this town of ours. We could be a city with warm houses and vibrant green spaces; of accessible suburbs powered by clean energy. A smarter, greener and more liveable city that we can all be proud of.

Canberra ♥ 40% was formed as a group of community organisations and concerned Canberra residents who secured an ambitious, but achievable, CO₂ emission reduction target of 40 percent for Canberra from the ACT Government. But achieving a legislated target was only ever the first step. Now we need to come together as a community and embrace the opportunities this target presents.