Residents in Gungahlin will have a new Park and Ride facility on Wells Station Drive connecting them to the light rail network.
The ACT Government hopes the new facility will help to encourage Canberrans back onto public transport as the city continues its “COVID recovery”.
Transport Minister Chris Steel said Northbourne Avenue has seen a 27% increase in morning peak-hour traffic, with the new Park and Ride facility to present an additional option for people who can’t connect with the light rail network via bus or by walking.
“It’s really a way of encouraging greater patronage on public transport which is going to be really important, because we’ve actually seen a massive drop during COVID as people seek to socially distance themselves and more people unfortunately have got into their private vehicles and are taking those trips.”
The new facility is expected to be completed in September and will include parking for more than 170 cars, accessible parking spaces, bike parking, and paths linking the facility to the Flemington Road and Wells Station Drive intersection and bus stops.
As well, there’ll be upgrades to lighting, new signage, landscaping and line markings, and road work to create a right turn bay and left turn slip lane into the facility from Wells Station Drive.
It will provide a third Park and Ride for the Gungahlin region, with others already operating at the Gungahlin Town Centre and Exhibition Park, and the 24th for the Territory.
“We’re hoping by giving people these additional options as we come into the COVID-recovery, we might see more people choose public transport by making it more convenient through these Park and Ride locations,” said Mr Steel.
He said in addition to the new Park and Ride, the Sandford Street light rail stop in Mitchell would be complete “in the coming months”.
“This will improve access to workplaces and service the Mitchell industrial neighbourhood as it continues to grow.”
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