Submission to the Light Rail Stage 2A – City to Commonwealth Park

My comment relates to the stop that will be located on Commonwealth Ave near Albert st. Did you consider making access to this stop via an underpass? As a regular commuter on this road, both as a cyclist and a car driver, I am not looking forward to the impact of another traffic light along this stretch of road. Currently as a driver one rarely has to stop, except during Floriade. With the development happening on the foreshore, there will be alot more people in this space in the coming years. The accumulated time of commuters waiting for lights to change is enormous over the lifetime of the project! An underpass would not only benefit drivers, but would also be better for pedestrians. Imagine the crowds of people leaving an event at the lake, and having to wait at the lights to get to the train stop or foreshore, versus seamlessly walking under the road. I am a fan of the underpasses built in older parts of Canberra, particularly in Belconnen were I grew up. They make it safe and easy for pedestrians and cyclists to get to the other side, and keeps the noisy fast traffic out of sight. An underpass would also be more visually appealing from a design point of view, rather than addition traffic lights.
Thanks