The Works

Melbourne Offers Development Rights for Rail Tunnel Build

Plus KC Streetcar makes a comeback after a six-decade hiatus, and more in our weekly New Starts.

A passanger rides the Melbourne Metro. (Photo by Shou-Hui Wang) 

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Our weekly “New Starts” roundup of new and newsworthy transportation projects worldwide.

Melbourne Offers Development Rights for Rail Tunnel Build
The A$6 billion ($4.43 billion U.S.) construction contract for the Melbourne Metro regional rail tunnel through the city center was put out to bid Thursday, and to help finance its construction, the winning bidder will have the right to develop property atop the two tunnel stations in Melbourne’s central business district, The Age reports.

The development rights are being extended on the condition that the buildings have architectural merit.

The two sites being offered are adjacent to the CBD North and CBD South stations. The winning bidder may also be able to develop land around Arden station, which the Victoria state government envisions as the focal point of a new inner-city suburb.

Because the two CBD building sites are near several iconic Melbourne buildings, the development rights offer stipulates that any buildings be “sympathetic” to those buildings as well as recognize that the buildings will be “key visible design elements for the Metro tunnel and as such may be perceived by some as the ‘face of the project.’”

The contractor selected to build the project will also have the right to revenues from retail shops and advertising in the stations themselves.

The total cost of the 9-km (5.6-mile) twin tunnel, which will have five stations total, is A$10.9 billion ($8.04 billion U.S.) The Labor government of Victoria state has announced that the project is fully funded with state money, though the federal government still has the option of chipping in if it so desires. The tunnel, which will relieve congestion on the at-capacity City Loop subway, is set to open no later than January 2026.

Trams Return to Christchurch Tourist District
In another sign that Christchurch is recovering from a February earthquake that caused serious damage to buildings in the city’s New Regent Street tourist district, vintage trams are once again making their way down the middle of the street.

A Christchurch tram (Photo by Maksym Kozlenko) 

Scoop Independent News ran a Christchurch City Council news release May 2 announcing the return of vintage trams to the entertainment zone. The removal of the last barriers on New Regent Street means trams can once again operate on the entire figure-8 loop connecting Canterbury Museum with Cathedral Junction.

“This is great news for city tourists, as well as the retailers on New Regent Street who have borne the brunt of several weeks of disruption,” John Smith, the tramway manager, said in the release.

The removal of the barriers means that the Spanish Mission-style buildings along New Regent Street, built in 1931, are structurally sound enough for service to resume. The city, however, conducted inspections of the buildings’ decorative elements the day after service resumed to ensure that they were also in good shape.

KC Streetcar Makes a Comeback
Fireworks, jubilation and hordes of riders marked the official opening of the KC Streetcar this past weekend as the Midwest metropolis celebrated the return of streetcar service after a 59-year hiatus.

The 2.2-mile line, extending from the River Market district near the Missouri riverfront to Union Station south of downtown, is envisioned as a “pedestrian accelerator” that will enable workers and residents in downtown Kansas City to expand their ability to explore places of interest along the line, from Crown Center to the Crossroads Arts District to the Kauffman Center to the Power & Light District.

A streetcar runs down Main Street in KC. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

The International Railway Journal reported that Mayor Sly James, Federal Railroad Administration officials and other city officials took the first ride on the line at a formal dedication ceremony at 10 a.m. May 6 and that the line opened to the public one hour later.

The next day, May 7, ended with a fireworks show at the Liberty Memorial across from Union Station. KMBC-TV reported that hundreds of people lined up at each of the line’s 16 stations to take a ride on the streetcar; reporter Brian Johnson said that “the wait was worth a ride especially considering that the fare is free.”

While WDAF-TV wondered aloud whether the enthusiasm for the new line would last, business owners along the line reported strong patronage over opening weekend. According to the city, 27,000 riders took trips on the line on its first two days of service — “half the capacity of Kauffman Stadium,” reporter Megan Dillard said.

The Huffington Post took note of another aspect of the line: its role as the backbone of a “smart city,” including interactive kiosks that display information about streetcar arrivals, local businesses and other attractions, and a public WiFi network covering 3 square miles downtown. “The Stone Age is over. Kansas City definitely got the memo,” the headline read. Bob Bennett, KC’s chief innovation officer, said of the kiosks, “It’s gotten people’s noses out of their phones and looking at each other while using 7-foot-tall representations of what they have in their pocket.”

Know of a project that should be featured in this column? Send a Tweet with links to @MarketStEl using the hashtag #newstarts.

The Works is made possible with the support of the Surdna Foundation.

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Next City contributor Sandy Smith is the home and real estate editor at Philadelphia magazine. Over the years, his work has appeared in Hidden City Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Inquirer and other local and regional publications. His interest in cities stretches back to his youth in Kansas City, and his career in journalism and media relations extends back that far as well.

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Tags: transportation spendingsubwaysstreetcars

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