Council pledges $80,000 towards ‘track-free trams’ feasibility study
Council last night approved $80,000 in funding to back a feasibility study to examine the provision of a centre-running Guided Electric Transit System (track-free trams) along Parramatta Road between Strathfield and Sydney CBD.
Inner West Council Administrator Richard Pearson said Council will seek a dollar for dollar commitment from the State Government to jointly fund the study.
“With State Government backing, this cutting-edge public transport project could be delivered within five years - so their joint commitment is vital,” he said.
“We’ll also invite other councils along the Parramatta Road Corridor to contribute.”
Mr Pearson said the project would be a game changer for Parramatta Road.
“Track-free trams would free up the kerbside lanes from loud diesel belching buses, instantly making the footpath a much more pleasant place to be,” he said.
“If you do that, you take a huge step forward in allowing Parramatta Road to be truly transformed into the residential, shopping, and business precinct plugged in the State Government’s Parramatta Road Urban Transformation Strategy.”
Mr Pearson said that the system had numerous benefits over old fashioned buses.
“They’re cheaper to run and more environmentally friendly than buses and can move twice the number of people. And we don’t need to dig up Parramatta Road to install them,” he said.
“We need to act in partnership with the State Government to conduct this urgently needed feasibility study. I encourage them to get on board with inner west councils, who are already embracing the projected benefits of the project.”
The feasibility study proposal comes after Inner West Council jointly with Canada Bay, Burwood and Strathfield councils launched the findings of the Parramatta Road Public Transport Study recommending a Guided Electric Transit System (GETS) along the busy thoroughfare.
Using a scorecard developed by New York’s Institute for Transportation & Development Policy (ITDP) the system rates as world’s best practice
Council’s study was undertaken by independent consultants Bodhi Alliance & EDAB, in response to the NSW State Government’s Parramatta Road Urban Transformation Strategy (PRUTS). That Strategy will see 27,000 homes and up to 50,000 new jobs added to this precinct as a result of the strategy in future development plans.