Light rail brought on board multi-trip tickets
Published in The Sydney Morning Herald on 14 June, 2011
COMMUTERS with MyMulti transport tickets will finally be able to use them on Sydney’s light rail line.
The Transport Minister, Gladys Berejiklian, will announce measures today to incorporate the light rail line into the MyZone ticket structure, an election promise made by the Coalition.
From June 27, commuters who use daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly or yearly MyMulti tickets to travel on the bus, train and ferry networks will also be able to use the tickets on the light rail system.
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Pensioners will be able to use their pensioner excursion tickets on the line, and Family Funday Sunday tickets will also be eligible for use on the line.
”This is great news for commuters, tourists, pensioners and families,” Ms Berejiklian said.
We’ll pay up if you put up Light Rail, council tells state leaders
Published in The Sydney Morning Herald on 6 May, 2011
SYDNEY Council has put its money where its mouth is with a $180 million investment to run light rail down the city’s spine and clear cars out for good.
THE City of Sydney council has challenged the new state government to make good on its promise to fix central Sydney’s transport mess and has set aside $180 million to ”transform” George Street – but only if the government delivers light rail.
The lord mayor, Clover Moore, said the council was putting its money on the table to encourage a radical rethink of how the CBD worked.
”Everyone knows light rail is the solution to the gridlock,” Cr Moore said. The council’s plan has gained in-principle support from the Sydney Business Chamber and the Property Council.
Sydney’s $180 million Light Rail plan
Published in The Daily Telegraph on 6 May, 2011
SYDNEY Council has put its money where its mouth is with a $180 million investment to run light rail down the city’s spine and clear cars out for good.
Draft budget plans reveal the council will make its single biggest investment in a decade to give George St to the people and run trams down the city heart.
Its bold plan is to pedestrianise up to 1km of George St from Bathurst St, near Town Hall, to Hunter St, near Wynyard Station.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore yesterday promised the changes would make it easier for motorists who had to drive through the city.
“Many international cities have pedestrianised roads in their city centre and these cities continue to thrive – we only have to look at New York’s Broadway, London’s new West End and our own Pitt St Mall to see evidence of how it works well,” Ms Moore said. “George St will flourish if we remove the traffic congestion currently choking it. We want to open up a network of vibrant lanes and small plazas that encourage shops, bars and other small businesses to thrive.”
Trams on Track for Return to Suburbs
Published in The Sydney Morning Herald on 24 February, 2011
ALMOST 50 years to the day after the last tram in Sydney made its final journey, the Coalition will announce the return of light rail to the suburbs.
The opposition’s transport spokeswoman, Gladys Berejiklian, will today release plans for a light rail line from Circular Quay to the University of NSW. The plan would restore trams to Anzac Parade, which was designed specifically for light rail.
On 25 February, 1961, the last tram in NSW ran from Hunter Street in the city to La Perouse. The Cahill Labor government – cited by the former Labor premier Bob Carr as a model government – had begun ripping up one of the world’s most extensive tram networks in 1953.
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Ms Berejiklian told the Herald: ”We have been strong advocates of light rail, even when Labor was attacking us for it at the 2007 election. We have been looking at the expansion of light rail in North America and believe it is part of Sydney’s future, and not just in the central business district.”
Labor supports extending existing light rail from Lilyfield to Dulwich Hill and a tram line between Central and Circular Quay but the Coalition would go further by restoring the service to the south-eastern suburbs.
Ms Berejiklian is leaving open the prospect of extending the line to Kingsford.