Sunshine Coast Mass Transit Project
A mass transit system – whether it be based on bus or rail – can help manage the effects of growth. It can provide an alternative, sustainable mode of travel that is frequent, reliable, convenient and comfortable. Importantly, it can also reduce our dependence on private car travel.
Notes
Sunshine Coast rail, rapid bus plans may be off cards before Brisbane Olympics
Are they reviewing this project as part of the 100-day Olympics review?
they should review completely and choose Light Rail.
BRT was chosen I believe because while both systems can carry the demand capacity, locals don’t want wires and LRT options come with much higher costs.
The capacity numbers for BRT are bogus (or at best achieved like Brisbane does with 100’s of buses) and I firmly believe the public documentation is misleading in this regard. There was no assessment or criteria around passenger and station experience, route legibility and ease of use. It just says the only difference is wires and cost. Plenty of research that shows long-term costs of LRT and BRT are the same too!
Well, the later stages of GCLRT show costs have gone right up for LRT. So there will likely be a big difference between the life costs of both systems, and this will show up in the project BCR IMO.
A key decision will be whether the busway option will be open or closed. If open, you’ll get a wider network implemented faster, realise benefits sooner, which will also reflect in the BCR.
The is also likely to be competition between the DSCL project and Mass Transit Project so further potential for cost escalation on both projects.
I would even so far to say the DSCL should be an LRT as the current alignment isn’t feasible for heavy rail. One line to Beerwah station, and the other line along the SCMT corridor.
Nothing like traveling by train to your holiday/tourist destination and having to change trains/modes half way through the journey!!
Agree with Jonno, I believe the mode choice has already been decided.
6 posts were merged into an existing topic: Direct Sunshine Coast Rail Line (formerly CAMCOS, North Coast Connect)
Minor updates made to the SCMTP page in January this year…. but only to market the wave (a completely separate project serving a different area).
The Sunshine Coast Public Transport project and The Wave are designed to complement each other as no single service or corridor can meet the needs of all customers. Together, these public transport corridors will cater to different travel requirements, providing a comprehensive travel solution that aligns with the Southern Sunshine Coast Public Transport Strategy.
The real status of the project still remains at the bottom:
Community engagement and consultation on the project was undertaken throughout 2023.
There is no further funding to progress the project to design or construction.
Almost 5 years since BRT was chosen as the preferred mode, almost 3 years since the business case was completed and it would appear the SCMTP is still dead in the water for the forseeable future.
Perhaps we’ll get another business case in the lead up to 2032?
lol this could be The Wave stage 3, but alas, here we are
Sad outcome for now. Would it be worth advocating for some funding to progress the project?
The Sunshine Coast Public Transport project and The Wave are designed to complement each other
Yes we should advocate in this space and build on what was said from the Wave presentation and the potential vehicles that they may use going forward.
Sadly I’m not sure if it would achieve anything. The government (and LNP aligned council) are seemingly hell-bent on, at a bare minimum, getting The Wave BRT off the ground by 2032 and right now that seems to be the ONLY priority for both levels of government.
Sunshine Coast Council and TMR can’t even deliver the supposed bus network upgrade that was supposed to launch in December 2025 (according to Kinetic staff), so two seperate BRT projects planned, funded and delivered within the next 5-6 years is a pipe dream.