Light rail is reducing hwy traffic

THE light rail is reducing traffic on the Gold Coast Highway by up to 26 per cent, a council meeting has been told.

Council transport infrastructure director Alton Twine yesterday gave councillors a briefing on “the light rail success story” before they went into a closed session to approve funding for Stage 3A from Broadbeach to Burleigh.

Mr Twine said research showed the trams had brought a 30 per cent lift in property values around stations.

The light rail completed more than 9.4 million trips in 2017-18, contributed to a 42 per cent increase in tram and bus patronage, and hosted almost a million passengers each month as the second stage connection to Helensvale proved a winner.

Mr Twine said a detailed business case for Stage 3A was being assessed by Infrastructure Australia after being completed in December.

He said detailed surveying by the council had found nearly seven in 10 respondents agreed that more public transport was needed in the fastgrowing city.

Mr Twine told Mayor Tom Tate that the flavour of the consultation was “to just get on with it” in terms of building the southern section of the track.

State 3A is a 6.7km dedicated dual track with eight new stations and the addition of five light rail vehicles, with the Broadbeach to Burleigh trip to take about 17 minutes.

Cr Dawn Crichlow asked if the stations would have kiosks but was told that level of detail had yet to be determined.

Councillors were shown a map which indicated the 42km route would be down the coast to the Coolangatta. Heavy rail would go south from Varsity Lakes to the airport.

After a closed session, 12 councillors backed the proposed funding deed to the State Government, which remains confidential. Councillors Bob La Castra and Palm Beach’s Daphne McDonald voted against.