Density and LRT: The Case of Canberra, Australia
Canberra, the capital of Australia, is a city with two modes of mechanised passenger travel: traditional bus and automobile. While Canberra is the capital of the country, it is a relatively small city, with a current population of approximately 340,000, and relatively spread out with a low overall average population density. Recently the local government (the government of the Australian Capital Territory) submitted a bid to the Australian federal government to fund a light-rail system for the city. This paper examines the issues of serving low and medium density communities with light rail, using Canberra as a case study. The study sets the scene by qualitatively and quantitatively characterising the socioeconomic and demographic profile of Canberra, with a focus on centres of population and economic density; reviews the literature on light rail transit (LRT) for low-to-medium density areas, focussing on Australia; and analyses what an LRT in Canberra would look like if it is to be financially, operationally and environmentally sustainable.
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Corporate Authors:
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC United States 20001 -
Authors:
- Gordon, Cameron Elliott
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Conference:
- Transportation Research Board 89th Annual Meeting
- Location: Washington DC, United States
- Date: 2010-1-10 to 2010-1-14
- Date: 2010
Language
- English
Media Info
- Media Type: DVD
- Features: Maps; References;
- Pagination: 19p
- Monograph Title: TRB 89th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers DVD
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Demographics; Economic development; Light rail transit; Population density; Public transit; Socioeconomic factors; Sustainable development
- Geographic Terms: Canberra (Australia)
- Subject Areas: Planning and Forecasting; Railroads; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01154776
- Record Type: Publication
- Report/Paper Numbers: 10-0609
- Files: TRIS, TRB
- Created Date: Apr 15 2010 3:03PM