Troy's tunnel vision won't fix congestion: Greens

The millions Transport Minister Troy Buswell plans to spend on traffic decongestion would be better invested in a metropolitan light rail network to get more cars off the road, Greens MLC Lynn MacLaren said today.

"While The Greens welcome a number of measures announced by the Minister yesterday, the funding breakdown - $57 million for the freeways and only $30.8 million for the CAT fleet and cycling infrastructure – reveals a Minister still fixated on the dead-end road-widening option.”

“Widening freeway lanes to ease congestion has been compared to buying larger pants or loosening your belt instead of exercising, and that’s what we’ve been doing with roads in Perth for far too long.”

“Unfortunately a lot of this package looks like another belt-loosening exercise from the Minister.”

“The proposal to add a lane to each side of the Graham Farmer tunnel raises questions as to where car users will find space to park if they suffer a breakdown.”

“The Minister's car usage projections released yesterday did not factor in the impact of the Riverside Drive diversion on South Perth roads. It's hard to believe that motorists won't bypass the city using Mill Point Road.  I would like to see whether the Minister has indeed factored the potential impact on South Perth residents and commuters into this package.”

“We welcome and support the expansion of the hugely popular CAT bus system, but this is only part of the solution to Perth's worsening traffic turmoil.   The efficiency of the CAT network is being hindered by congestion on the bus routes.”

“In the meantime it is disappointing that the Free Transit Area wasn’t expanded further.”

“To solve congestion problems in the city we will ultimately need a more diversified transport network.”

“In the long term the millions that will be invested in propping up the freeways would have been much better put towards a comprehensive light rail solution for the Perth metro area.”

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For more information please contact the Office of Lynn MacLaren on 9430 7233