A PLAN to consolidate growth around a series of dense urban areas linked by a $2 billion light rail system is being promoted as the answer to the Sunshine Coast's future. Architect James Birrell, of Maroochydore firm Conlon Birrell, presented the proposal last night at a meeting of the Sippy Downs and District Residents Association. He will continue to advocate the plan to ratepayer and community associations in the coming months.
The plan will be explained to a Noosa Parks Association meeting in a fortnight. Mr Birrell, the son of former Maroochy councilor, town planner and decorated architect Jim Birrell, says the scheme is not only doable but essential if the region is not to be condemned to a traffic gridlocked future. “The urban development form has to densify in conjunction with a transport spine,'' he said. Mr. Birrell said the beauty of the proposal was that it could be retrofitted quickly and, if necessary, with almost zero footprint.
He envisages 26 kilometres of ground level or raised light rail using existing centre island strips and potentially some tunneling to first link Maroochydore with Kawana and then Caloundra to the south, Sippy Downs to the west and Coolum via Sunshine Coast airport to the north. The light rail link would connect a series of Transport Oriented Developments which would consolidate urban growth in areas of between 7500 and 20,000 people each within 400 metres walking distance of 19 passenger stations. The scheme is dependent on generating demand of 1000 passengers an hour in both directions. Light rail would pass stations at eight-minute intervals. Mr. Birrell said such a planning approach would accommodate all the growth projected for the region over the next 20 years.
A light rail system similar to that proposed here, but of half the distance, will start servicing the Gold Coast from 2014. Funded by Gold Coast City Council backed by big federal and state grants, the light rail system will run for 13km, connecting with 16 stations, and have the capacity to move 75,000 passengers a day. It will have an average speed of 35kmh and a top speed of 80kmh.Mr. Birrell said the Belgium city of Gent, with a population of 260,000, used light rail and bus to boost public transport use to 179.2 trips a person a year, an increase of 50.5% over the past decade.
ARCHITECTS