Work has commenced to expand the Crafers Park ‘n’ Ride, making public transport more convenient and accessible for commuters in the Adelaide Hills.
The Malinauskas Labor Government has committed $6 million to deliver the expansion, which will provide an extra 85 parking spaces.
The new Park ‘n’ Ride facility will be built to the southeast of the existing Crafers Park ‘n’ Ride facility, adjacent the Crafers off-ramp and South Eastern Freeway.
The Crafers site is the closest Park ‘n’ Ride to the city in the Adelaide Hills, and the upgrade will encourage public transport use by allowing more people to leave their cars in a safe and secure location before boarding a bus into the city.
The 85 new car parking spaces will include accessible spaces, and there will also be motorcycle parking – meaning the Crafers Park ‘n’ Ride will feature more than 120 parking spaces in total.
The expansion will also include new lighting and CCTV to increase safety and security, along with new shared use paths and landscaping.
Construction comes as almost 600 new bus services begin operating in the Adelaide Hills. This will include T840 services from Mount Barker, via the Crafers Park ‘n’ Ride, to the city every 15 minutes on weekdays between 9am and 3pm.
The new services and the expanded Park ‘n’ Ride are part of our push to better meet demand for public transport as Hills communities continue to grow.
The existing Park ‘n’ Ride will continue normal operation during the expansion work, with construction expected to be completed by mid-2024.
As put by Tom Koutsantonis
Park ‘n’ Ride sites are a vital piece of our public transport offering, allowing secure and convenient locations to leave the car before jumping on a bus to complete your journey.
I am pleased to see work get underway on this expansion just as new bus services commence in the Hills – it shows how serious we are about improving public transport options for Hills communities.
There are 39 spaces at Crafers currently, so by adding 85 new spaces we’ll be greatly increasing the capacity of the Park ‘n’ Ride, helping make public transport a more attractive option for Adelaide Hills commuters.
