User:Beneaththelandslide/drafts/Metropolitan Adelaide Transport Study

The Metropolitan Adelaide Transport Study (MATS) was undertaken in the 1960's to assess the future transport needs of the city of Adelaide, South Australia.

History

Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia, had experienced exponential growth under the Playford Government post World War II. South Australia achieved the highest per-capita economic and population growth among the states; Adelaide's population increased from 321, 400 in 1938 to 588, 000 in 1961. It was predicted that Adelaide would continue growing to 1.3 million in 2000. In response to the expected growth, the Government comissioned a Town Planning Committee in 1955 to create a plan to streamline the development. The 'Report on the Metropolitan Area of Adelaide', overseen by British planner Stuart Hart and released October 23 1962, was comprehensive; it outlaid a rough linear city from the Town of Gawler in the north to Sellicks Beach in the south. A transport system to service the future population of Adelaide was sought and in particular it advocated for a then unspecified freeway system of 156 kilometers (97mi). The Government sidelined the development plan and sought to complete a transportation study before passing legislation.

On December 7, 1964 the 'Metropolitan Adelaide Transportation Study' (MATS) was authorised. Two American companies, De Leum Cather and Company from Chicago, and Alan M. Voorhees and Associates from Washington were to work with a Sydney firm, Rankin and Hill, to develop the MATS plan. The Government changed hands and the Frank Walsh-led Labor Party gained office in 1965. Walsh was succeeded by Don Dunstan in 1967, and the Planning and Development Act of 1967 saw the 1962 plan become legislation. Once the MATS plan was completed in 1968, Dunstan suppressed it's release despite calls from Opposition Leader Steele Hall to do so, knowing that its publication would not assist the Labor Party in the coming elections.

However, the Labor Party lost the election and its release was now in the hands of Hall. Four months after the election, on August 12, the plan was released to the public for six months of community consultation. The MATS plan was comprehensive, and aimed to satisfy advocates of both freeways and public transportation.

There were to be five freeways: the Salisbury Freeway from Hindmarsh to Salisbury, the Modbury Freeway from Hackney to Elizabeth, the Hills Freeway from Hackney to the Adeliade Hills, the Noarlunga Freeway from Hindmarsh to Noarlunga and the Port Freeway from Hindmarsh to Port Adelaide. Expressways would be built to compliment the Freeways: the Dry Creek Expressway from Port Adelaide to Modbury, the Glenelg Expressway from Richmond to Glenelg, and the Foothills Expressway from Mitcham to Darlington. Three expressways were already buit: Main North Road , Mount Barker Road and the Reynella Expressway (Main South Road).

Adelaide's seperate public transport services; the tram, bus and train networks, were to be amalgated into one government trust authority. The Glenelg Tramline was to be removed to make way for both the Glenelg Expressway and a subway underneath King William Street. All railway lines were to become grade seperated, rolling stock was to be converted to diesel-electric, the Grange branch line was to close, and the Hallett Cove line (the present Noarlunga Line) was to be extended to Christie Downs (preceding Noarlunga Centre). The rail system was expected to satisfy needs until 1986 when further growth would require more lines. Areas not adequately served by rail transit in the northeast and far south were to rely on express buses that would utilise the Modbury and Noarlunga freeways respectively.

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The subsequent onslaught of public criticism was directed entirely at the proposed network of freeways and the effect their construction would have on Adelaide's suburbs. Thousands of property aquisitions were to take place to build the freeways and several suburbs would be adversely affected. Hindmarsh in particular, was to be almost completely removed to make way for Hindmarsh Interchange, which would connect four different freeways in a stack interchange. The Noarlunga Freeway, eight lanes wide from Darlington to Hindmarsh, would cut a swathe through Marion; the six-lane Hills Freeway would see the demolition of hundreds of homes in Adelaide's wealthy south-east; and the Modbury Freeway would adversely affect the fragile Torrens Gorge. Adelaide's residents bombarded the Highways Department with calls, jamming the Department's switchboard in the week after MATS was released. The reaction was somewhat similar to the United States during the freeway revolts.

However, whatever the immediate disruption to Adelaide, no other plans were put forward to satisfy the city's future transport requirements by critics. Over and underpasses were deemed to be insufficent in comparison to freeways, and public transport usage was predicted to decrease from 20% in 1968 to 9% in 1982 without the plan's implementation.

Changes were conceded in the hope that they would go some length to satisfy those opposed to the proposed plans. The King William Street Subway was to be abandoned due to the removal of the Glenelg Tramline and the relocation of the heavy rail lines. The Hills freeway and Foothills expressway, infringing on the Hills Face Zone, saw the greatest changes: the Hills freeway was truncated to Greenhill Road and renamed the City Freeway; the Foothills expressway was abandoned. The Modbury, Dry Creek and Noarlunga Freeways were to see minor changes to their routes. The Government approved the plan in August 1969 with borderline support, relying on Independent Tom Stott to gain ratification in the South Australian House of Assembly. However, construction did not immediately begin.

The Labor opposition, which had earlier supported freeway development, was now veheremently opposed to MATS. Geoff Virgo, Member for Edwardstown, organised community meetings in his electorate to oppose the Noarlunga Freeway; Dunstan dismissed MATS as "A plan for the fifties". While a minor issue at the 1970 election, Labor pledged to shelve MATS if it gained office, while the Liberals pledged to implement it. Labor gained office in a landslide and Virgo became the new Minister for Transport; he suspended the plan and announced the freeze of freeway development in Adelaide for a decade.

In 1972 the freeway corridors were renamed transport corridors; the Highways Department had aquired all the properties within them and were leasing out the properties, tentatively awaiting freeway development. As large-scale property development was forbidden within the corridors, they became succeptible to urban decay; squatters and petty crime were prominent within them. MATS-related development was restricted to the implementation of the 'Metropolitan Adelaide Road Widening Plan', introduced in 1972 as a short-term solution to increasing traffic.

Increasing congestion on North East Road was the impetus for an investigation on the use of the Modbury Corridor. The North East Public Tranpost Review began in 1973 and was completed in 1977; it advocated a light rail line throughout the corridor as an extension of the Glenelg Tram. A change of government brought the David Tonkin-led Liberal Party into office in 1979. A unique type of guided busway, the O-Bahn Busway, was built instead of a light rail line. The Tonkin Government, seeking to increase funds and dramatically reduce a large public service, announced the sale of 60% of the land for the road widening plan; as well as that reserved for the City Freeway and Hindmarsh Interchange. Plans were laid out by Transport Minister Michael Wilson to reduce the width of the corridor for the Salisbury and Noarlunga freeways; this was legislated for in February 1982.

The year brought a surprise change of government, and the John Bannon Labor party gained power. The new Transport Minister, Roy Abbott, announced on June 20, 1983, the abandomnent of the north-south corridor. Reasons stated for its abandonment included the difficulty of encouraging public transport use, and the funds required by the State Transport Authority to construct and operate it. The public response was of disappointment; the Royal Automobile Association labelled the decision a "monumental blunder and a tragedy", whilst the Advertiser editorial stated that "it cannot amount to a valid reason for action... the disposal of land essential to the project... will make it impossible to revive if the need shall emerge". The Liberal opposition pledged to implement the freeway if it was in office; it was not, and could not prevent its abandonment. The land held was transferred to the Housing Trust for sale, and the Labor government stated the clearways and future traffic control methods would be able to handle increased traffic.

Freeways

Hills Freeway

Modbury Freeway

The Modbury Freeway was the second largest route in the MATS plan, extending km (13.2mi) from Elizabeth to Hackney alongside the River Torrens. It's primary purpose was to serve the growing northeast suburbs, carry 'express buses' due to the lack of a rail line, and to act as a city bypass route for freight traffic. However, when the MATS plan was suspended it became obvious to city planners that North East Road was insufficent to continue carrying such a high, and ever increasing, volume of traffic. In response, the Dunstan Government commissioned the North East Public Transport Review (NEAPTR) to determine the best use of the former freeway reservation, now designated the 'Modbury Transport Corridor'.

The Government planned a light rail extension of the Glenelg Tram to Modbury in the reservation, however, public outcry led to its electoral defeat in 1979. The incoming government cancelled the light rail project and instead planned a new and innovative guided bus system. The O-Bahn Busway was completed in two stages: city to Paradise in 1986, and Paradise to Modbury in 1989.

Noarlunga Freeway

Access to the Southern Expressway from South Road in Darlington is limited. The image, facing south, displays the expressway open only to north-bound traffic.

The Noarlunga Freeway was the longest freeway proposed in the study, at a total length of 34.5km (21.4mi). Its route began at Noarlunga (now Old Noarlunga), south of the Onkaparinga River with four lanes. It would continue north, connecting with the Reynella and Foothills Expressway's at Darlington, and subsequently increase to a width of six lanes. Upon reaching the Glenelg Expressway it would increase to eight lanes, connect with the central business district with the Hilton Interchange, and then continue onto the Hindmarsh Interchange. The route would continue north as the Salisbury Freeway.

The Noarlunga and Salisbury freeways together were considered the most important in the MATS plan, as they provided a complete north-south bypass of central Adelaide. With the shelving of the plan in 1970, the freeway reservation was designated the 'Noarlunga Transport Corridor'. However, it was not until 1983 that the Tonkin Liberal Government sold the land designated for the Noarlunga Freeway north of Darlington and the idea of a complete city bypass route was abandoned. Plans for the remaining corridor were put forward in 1983 for a limited-access road to bypass Reynella. This became the Southern Expressway, built as a one-way reversible road in two stages: a Reynella bypass completed in 1999, and a route to Old Noarlunga completed in 2001. The Southern Expressway's primary purpose is to alleviate South Road congestion in peak hours.

Port Freeway

The Port Freeway was the cheapest freeway planned. The existing Port Road, including the large median, stretches to a width of 60m, and was to be easily converted into the Port Freeway. Apart from near interchanges, only a small number of properties were to be aquired. The freeway, with six lanes, stretched 6.3km (3.9mi) from the Hindmarsh Interchange to Old Port Road. Upon the termination of MATS, only minimal changes were made to Port Road.

Salisbury Freeway

Expressways

Dry Creek Expressway

Foothills Expressway

Glenelg Expressway

Main North Road

Mount Barker Road

Reynella Expressway

Public Transport

Aftermath

Notes

References

M.A.T.S. - Your Questions Answered. South Australian Department of Roads and Transport.
Metropolitan Adelaide Transportation Study : A summary of proposals.
The King William Street subway as proposed in the Metropolitan Adelaide Transport Study report. Chief Engineer, South Australian Railways
Current and forward proposals including brief details of the Metropolitan Adelaide Transportation Study. South Australian Highways Department.
Donovan, Peter (1991). Highways: A History of the South Australian Highways Department. Griffin Press Limited. ISBN 0730819302.
Adelaide Freeway Plans. Ozroads.
Urban Planning. Atlas of South Australia.
Report on Metropolitan Adelaide Transportation Study (1968). De Leuw, Cather and Company, Rankine and Hill [and] Alan M. Voorhees and Associates