For those who know me, it is no secret that I love trams! Some people need to feel connected to the water or land, for me, it’s Melbourne’s tram network. From where I live and work, I feel more centered when it is within arm’s reach.
After growing up in the tramless outer east, trams have represented various milestones into adulthood in my life. Initially, it was the journey from Melbourne Central to the University of Melbourne. Later, it represented share houses around the inner north, then the transition to work and the start of my own family (our pram selection was based on its ability to be folded up with one hand and carried onto a Z-Class). These moments were all undertaken with those magical parallel lengths of steel in the middle of the road, always constant, always with a promise to get you where you needed to go.
In 2004-ish, I was fortunate enough to be seconded into Yarra Trams, where under the guidance of people like Les Kulesza, I was able to transition from a Traffic Engineer into a tram aficionado. This was also my first exposure to designing for accessibility, with level access tram stops being a new and exciting element of the transport network. This initial exposure has led to many other amazing opportunities working with trams, from strategy to delivery and even a tram stop on top of a train station.
However, despite this love, we all operate in a world of scope boundaries, limited budgets, and external challenges, which has meant that from time-to-time, my work has also required me to identify specific tram stop upgrades as being “out of scope” or “better delivered” by others (“cough - these are going to be really hard and $$”).
In 2023, Arup was engaged by DTP to develop preliminary designs for a number of level access tram stops across the network. I quickly discovered this included some stops that I had helped “kick down the road” at earlier points in my career. It turned out that despite being the largest tram network in the world, you can’t run away forever; the tram still comes back on its return journey ¯\(ツ)/¯.
I think the fact that previously these stops were “too hard” has made involvement in the delivery of the upgraded La Trobe Street tram stops even more satisfying. It was proof that with the right team and the right client working collaboratively that you can shape a better world. I am extremely proud of the multi-discipline design that Arup has delivered along La Trobe Street and the quality, form, and function of each of the stops (the canopies, layout, and handrail detail make a real difference and are worth a trip to La Trobe Street). I would also be remiss not to mention the amazing collaboration, direction, and lateral thinking of the DTP team across the development and delivery of the project to allow these stops to become a reality.
If you want to know more about the tram stop upgrades, rather than a Transit Dork's love of trams, there is some great extra info in the link below.
We’ve helped make travelling by tram in Melbourne more accessible.
Twelve tram stops along La Trobe Street have been upgraded to provide passengers with a more comfortable, safer experience.
We worked with the Department of Transport and Planning to design improvements to the tram network focusing on accessibility, safety, consistency, maintenance and durability.
We developed a framework, via a ‘kit of parts’, to roll out upgrades across tram stops, improving shelters, seating, wayfinding, lighting and platform accessibility.
The ‘kit-of-parts’ design sets a new standard for improved repeatable tram stop deployment in Melbourne.
Read more: https://bit.ly/3Uj5R5F
#Melbourne #Transport #LiveableCities #Tram
Senior Director
2moAll they need now is some flights and some passengers 😂