Welcome to the New Year and thank you for supporting this petition. This update has news from the Minister for Transport’s office and describes another loss for the residents of Tonsley and Mitchell Park caused by Flinders Link. May 2018 be kind to you and let’s hope that it will bring a suitable outcome for residents of Mitchell Park and Tonsley who fear losing access to public transport and their local community because of Flinders Link. Besides the loss of a station, residents will also lose the pedestrian rail crossing between Birch Crescent, Tonsley and Lynton Avenue, Mitchell Park. LOSS OF PEDESTRIAN ACCESS ACROSS THE TRACKS In the current Flinders Link design, the only pedestrian access between southern Mitchell Park and Tonsley will be at Sturt Road. The next crossing along the line will be at Alawoona Avenue but Tonsley residents who live south of the Tonsley Innovation Precinct (former Mitsubishi site) have no access to the Alawoona Avenue crossing. A pedestrian detour to Sturt Road is not practical for Tonsley families with young children whose nearest playground is at Trowbridge Avenue Reserve in Mitchell Park. They no longer have a safe playground in Tonsley because of the contamination by TCE and other toxic chemicals. The pedestrian detour via Sturt Rd will add between 460 and 620 extra metres to a return trip to the playground for these families who currently use the Birch Ave/Lynton Ave crossing. (Source: Google Maps). Residents have been told that they will lose the Birch Cr/Lynton Ave crossing because of an incline for the rail bridge over Sturt Road. The current pedestrian crossing lets Tonsley residents access neighbours and facilities in Mitchell Park, (like the childcare centre, neighbourhood centre and kindergarten); Before the Darlington Upgrade Project, it also allowed Mitchell Park residents to catch buses on South Road (formerly Bus Stop 26 - not all buses stop at the FlindersMedical Centre interchange) and to visit businesses and neighbours in Tonsley and Bedford Park. Some residents have suggested inclusion of an overpass or an underpass in the Flinders Link plan to provide the necessary crossover access. This seems like a very reasonable solution in light of previous rail developments where the Transport Department insisted on an underpass despite community opposition; e.g. Marion Railway Station 2013. The reason for insisting on an underpass at Marion was to ensure complete grade separation between rail lines and pedestrian pathways on the grounds of safety. Obviously safety is the main priority with any development but the needs of the community must also be met for the infrastructure to be functional for people. Members of the Marion community were concerned that an underpass would attract ‘unsavoury behaviour’ and there were concerns from disability support workers who informed the discussion that elderly clients who used ‘walkers/rollators’ often do not feel secure on inclined paths. They frequently express anxiety going downhill because of a “sensation of falling or that they are going to fall” because they lean forward with their weight on the mobility device. This also makes it easy for walkers/rollators to ‘run away from’ the user when going downhill. The brakes on these devices cannot be ‘ridden’ – they are either ‘on’ or ‘off’. Marion people were requesting a combination of underpass and gated level crossing so that those who cannot traverse long ramps easily or safely, had a quicker, flatter path to access the station platforms. These conflicting needs create a conundrum for planners; e.g. I am a younger person with a ‘walker’ as well as a wheelchair and I cannot use Marion station effectively because of the length of the access ramp (30 m). I cannot get up the ramp without resting for minutes at a time, multiple times. Also, a long, straight downhill run to leave the station makes it easy for my walker or manual wheelchair to pick up speed. It can be scary knowing that there is a brick wall waiting to greet me at the bottom if I cannot stop in time. A gated level crossing removes the distance and the incline hazards but increases the hazard of trains and pedestrians sharing the same space. The Flinders Link proposes a lift to access the elevated walkway at South Road. Maybe consideration can be given to lift access at underpasses too for those members of the community who can neither climb stairs nor easily traverse the distance or handle the incline of long, straight ramps? This may also be useful for people with temporary disabilities who may rely on others to push them in a wheelchair or need to manage crutches etc. It would be great to get more discussion on the petition about these issues too. It will all help to inform planners about community needs and expectations. THE LATEST WORD FROM DPTI This is the latest advice from the office of the Minister for Planning, Transport and Infrastructure about Tonsley Railway Station: • A procurement process for the Flinders Link Project is currently underway. • The Flinders Link Project will create new connections to the health and university precincts, which will provide an elevated shared pedestrian and cycle path adjacent to the new rail line from Sturt Road to the new Flinders Station. • DPTI has commenced a review of the Tonsley Rail Line to complement the Flinders Link Project. • The review will consider improvements to railway station locations, local accessibility, the Tonsley Greenway and integration with the Tonsley Precinct. • We will work with community in relation to the location of stations as part of this project. • DPTI has been working closely with its Senior DDA Policy Officer, during the development of the concept design and will engage with people with disabilities and the local community. • A Flinders Link Project newsletter and community information event is planned to take place in early 2018, with further engagement activities to take place once a successful contractor is announced. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE DPTI'S RESPONSE SO FAR? Feel free to add your thoughts in the discussion area below. Thank you again for all of your support and feedback The petition attracted over 1000 signatures in less than one month. Please remember to keep raising awareness and sharing it. I hope to submit the petition to the State Government soon. TODAY'S PHOTOGRAPH: The signage at Tonsley Station does not include notice of permanent removal. There is no information about Flinders Link anywhere at the station that I can see. REFERENCES Kennett, Heather, "Underpass rethink: community pressure forces plan to be put on hold", Guardian Messenger, Messenger Newspapers, p. 3, 10 July 2013. Adams, Kara, "People speak up: underpass plan back on the table for public comment", Guardian Messenger, Messenger Newspapers, p. 5, 24 July 2013. Adams, Kara, "Marion train station gates option now on the table", Guardian Messenger, Messenger Newspapers, p. 4, 31 July 2013