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Gold Coast light rail smashes records - but Sunshine Coast stuck at the station
(www.brisbanetimes.com.au)
this post was submitted on 25 Jul 2023
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The arguments against the Sunshine Coast project are truly something. And by something, I mean nothing parading around to stifle action:
-"Busways are better!" Not necessarily, as they require more vehicles, more land and are easier to downgrade.
-"It will ruin property values and wall off the beach!" Because yes, the places with the lowest property values are all near public transport lines and not near massive stroads. It's not like there's a big stroad already walling off the beach for anyone who isn't in a car. Disregarding the ridiculous speculative capitalisation of housing.
-"Polluter! (a GC one I've seen)" ...?
-"Nobody uses the buses, nobody will use this" There's such a thing as induced demand, and there's plenty of valid reasons why nobody (and by this, still a sizeable amount of people) uses the buses here.
Basically, change bad and imagined simulacrum of the past king.
The simple fact of how successful the GC one has been (as well as, I believe, the Newcastle one, despite how insanely limited that is in terms of where it goes and its mediocre frequency) should be enough to kill off most of the criticism.
I tell you what, I've not been to the Gold Coast much recently, but crossing Hunter St, Newcastle today is a hell of a lot less stressful that it was to cross it in 2015.
Oh, I know how it is - I'm from the area. Picture a four-lane car sewer lined in one part with drive thrus and the odd bit of traditional mixed use clinging on like a footpath plant, and a beautiful beach defaced by car infrastructure. That's before Nicklin Way proper, which is a true stroad in every sense. So yeah, the NIMBYs are a bit clueless in that respect.
And yeah, the G:link is a true infrastructure success story. Not to mention the induced demand it has on the wider network!
Oh yeah, I'm very familiar with the area. I don't live there, but I have relatives in Caloundra whom I regularly visit, and have travelled to the Mooloolaba Triathlon or the Sunshine Coast Marathon many times. Nicklin Way is incredibly inhospitable, and Caloundra Road might even be worse. Kawana Way is incredibly unfriendly to pedestrians and cyclists, but is at least a good road, not a stroad.
I would love to be able to travel from my relative's to the start of the race in Mooloolaba early in the morning, and not have to have the stress of driving and figuring out where to park within walking distance. I would be such an amazing boon for the region.