Support for Adelaide tram loop plan
City business heavyweights have backed Lord Mayor Michael Harbison’s calls for a western tram loop.
Mr Harbison announced last week he would lobby the State and Federal governments for a tram extension along West Tce, Morphett or Gray streets then onto Grote St and back to Victoria Square.
His plan has received the thumbs up from various city precinct groups and business leaders, who say it will boost trade in the West End and encourage more people to move to town, thereby helping the City Council reach its population target of 25,500 people by 2012. nte
Adelaide West End Association president Andrew Wallace said any extra investment in the precinct would be “really helpful” for local traders.
“It’s an area of the city that’s been somewhat neglected,” Mr Wallace said.
“It hasn’t gone through the same regeneration as the East End and this could be a really good chance to link ourselves back to the community and get people walking passed businesses’ front doors.”
Grote Business Precinct chairman Bill Marles said a full city loop was a “darn good idea”, not just for town regulars but visitors arriving from the nearby interstate bus depot on Franklin St.
“We’ve got a lot more residents in our precinct and that’s growing all the time,” he said.
“And for the interstate passengers – it would be brilliant if they didn’t have to walk up to Victoria Square if there was a tram stop right outside the station.”
Business SA chief executive Peter Vaughan said the proposed tram route must be “analysed closely” so parking and traffic flows were not restricted.
“If implemented effectively, a further extension of the tramline could provide a number of advantages to local businesses in the West End, including new development and convenient access for many customers,” he said.
SA senator Nick Xenophon – who has publicly spoken out against the Federal Labor and Liberal parties’ policies to cut immigration numbers in the lead-up to the August 21 election – said boosting the city’s population was crucial and largely relied on extra public transport.
“Population growth is good for the environment. You don’t have urban sprawl and the Parklands could be peoples’ natural backyards,” he said.
“But you need to do a whole range of things and public transport is one of them.”
via Messenger News
Map
