Let the trams trundle through Rundle Mall
A TRAM down the centre of Rundle Mall in harmony with bicycles and pedestrians would enliven the city and reduce dependency on cars.
The idea comes from coordinator general of the Government major infrastructure projects, Rod Hook, who recently returned from a world tour of urban development and renewal projects.
The group of 33 government and industry representatives visited more than a dozen urban development projects in North America and Europe focused on high-density living for a greater understanding of transit-oriented developments.
Mr Hook said yesterday a tram connecting the east end and west end of the city was inevitable. “I think the government will look at an extension of the tram lines, a lap around the city is inevitable . . . and I think a tram down the Mall would be excellent – they can just ring their bell and people will get out of the way,” he said.
“Our focus at the moment is on a coast to coast light rail but inevitably there will be a tram line linking the western part of the city and the eastern part of the city.”
Mr Hook said Adelaide needed to be more open to the idea of trams, people and bicycles operating in the same space.”We don’t seem to really understand it here. There are all of these spaces (overseas) where trams, light rail and people just interact and they just don’t have accidents,” he said.
The parklands and Victoria Square could also be in line for a shake-up with many of the tour attendees praising the vibrant public spaces of overseas cities.
Minister Paul Holloway, who was on the tour, said he wanted Adelaide to reassess the parklands, saying they needed to be made more user-friendly through landscaping and possible development. “What would happen if around the fringe of our parklands we had something like they do in Paris with five or six-level buildings around the fringe and with commerce on the bottom?”
