La Dolce Vita cafe on Park Rd, Milton is almost a second home to me and, given I live close to the Toowong CityCat stop, I’d benefit a great deal from the Brisbane City Council’s planned Milton CityCat stop (see the 2013-14 Budget, p. 58). Previously I’ve posted on how a Milton stop would be a good way to improve access to the river (Park Rd CityCat stop and pedestrian subways are best ideas for River’s Edge Strategy).

But, given the growing challenge of funding public transport across Brisbane, I’m wondering whether the public benefits of the stop justify its cost. Undoubtedly a Milton CityCat stop would boost trade on Park Rd and stimulate the growth of new cafes, bars and restaurants, which are very much needed, given the precinct now looks a bit dated compared with, say, James St in the Valley. But this may simply be a diversion of economic activity away from another part of Brisbane, so it shouldn’t really be considered a public benefit. In terms of improving population mobility, the Milton CityCat terminal may not be a great investment, given Milton is already well-served by trains and buses, and is indeed only a short walk from the CBD. Further, it strikes me as a bit odd the Council would spend $5M on a Milton CityCat terminal that isn’t really essential at the same time it is having to cut back on public transport services more broadly, as reported by Felicity Caldwell in mX this afternoon:

Fewer new buses will hit the road and CityCat services will be reviewed as City Hall battles to fill a $16 million hole in the public transport budget.

It seems like a funny time to be building a new CityCat terminal.

Previous posts of mine on public transport include:

SEQ’s extensive but costly public transport system requires thorough review

Increased train frequency unviable