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$2.2b Brisbane bus network

Lord Mayor has revealed plans for an estimated $2.2b underground bus network in Brisbane

September 20, 2013

Plans for an underground bus loop in Brisbane’s CBD have been released by Lord Mayor Graham Quirk at an estimated cost of $2.2 billion, as the pre-feasibility report for the project has been completed.

The bus loop is to reduce traffic congestion and bus travel times by connecting the existing Queen St and King George Square busway stations with new stations under George and Adelaide streets.

The proposals are part of council’s pre-feasibility study into the Suburbs 2 City Buslink project that investigated a dedicated busway link from Adelaide Street to South Brisbane and a tunnel under Adelaide Street to Fortitude Valley at an estimated cost of $2.2 billion.

“A one-way, underground bus loop would take buses off city streets, give drivers a simple, congestion-free run around this end of the CBD and open up opportunities for new busway infrastructure like layover bays,” says Quirk.

“The CBD and adjacent suburbs will need to accommodate an additional 130,000 workers in the next 20 years and we need to improve public transport capacity to accommodate this growth by improving the network to reduce travel times.”

Quirk says recent announcement the Queensland Government is investigating a Brisbane underground combined rail and bus tunnel was a tremendous opportunity to address the major congestion problems that face the city’s public transport systems.

He says the Brisbane underground proposal would complement his plans for a CBD bus loop to connect and expand existing busway stations at an estimated cost of $260 million.

“Moving buses underground is a key part of the draft City Centre Master Plan that I released this week and a great way to bring more buses into the CBD without filling up city streets.”

Quirk says council would further develop the underground bus loop proposal in consultation with the State Government.

He said the idea of a bus bridge connecting Adelaide Street to South Brisbane was first proposed in 2005 in the Inner City Public Transport Study and again in the City Centre Master Plan 2006.

The pre-feasibility report costed the bridge at $650 million but this would no longer be necessary due to the Brisbane Underground proposal.

The Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads has been provided with the prefeasibility report and supporting information which is assisting them with their own prefeasibility into the Brisbane underground rail and bus connection.

The timing of the announcement came with the completion of the pre-feasibility report, according to a Brisbane City Council spokesperson.

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