Bungendore to Captains Flat Rail Trail - Construction Costs and Funding Opportunities - Example

Topic: Bungendore to Captains Flat Rail Trail Name Course Name Instructor’s Name Date Rail Trail Feasibility Study Case Study: Bungendore to Captains Flat Rail Trail Executive Summary Rail trails can be defined as paths that are shared by people usually reprocessed from railway corridors that are no longer in use or those that were abandoned a long time ago. These rail trails are usually under the management of the local council since they are categorized under the public facilities. Similar to greenways, rail trails are usually utilized for a wide variety of uses such as pedestrian pathways as well as cycling paths. In this paper, the rail trail under study is the one from Bungendore to the Captain Flat. In this area, there is an old railway line which was constructed across Lake George plain in Australia and also passing through the picturesque Molonglo Valley. This terrain becomes the site for the proposed rail trail. The distance between these two towns, that is Bungendore and Captains Flat is approximately 40 kilometers while the length of the proposed rail trail is 32 kilometers. Rail trails in Australia are used to connect various regions in the country. This is because they help in eliminating traffic and other transportation bottlenecks as people use them to avoid commotion on the roads. Due to their significance for the Australia citizens, they require government funding and management because they cannot be left on the hands of private companies due to the level of activities involved in their development. Another reason why they cannot be privatized is because the returns obtained from their creation goes back to the country because most the land where the rail trails are developed belongs to the government. The revenue also is used by the government for development and growth.(Reis, 2014) Rail trails are popular in Australia because they provide a facility that is free from vehicles where people can cycle and walk or sometimes ride horses to school, to work places or to the shopping centers. These trails apart from providing calmness, they also contribute to health benefits because people are able to exercise.(Rissel et al., 2013) Rail trails also contribute to the highest tourist sites in Australia because people can watch the landscape without using cars. They are also popular because they can be located in any kind of terrain even in hilly areas because cyclists and people walking do not mind the hills and valleys. In addition to this, rail trails provide a process of taking care of the environment because the regions where they are developed results in rehabilitation of vegetation and landscape management, they are monuments in the country whose use is dated from the 19th and 20th centuries being of financial benefits and the users do not have to pay to use them.(Willard and Beeton, 2012) The main objective of this paper is to study the Bungendore to Captain Flat’s old railway line and then conduct a feasibility study on the proposed rail trail, so that the reasons for its development can be understood and the advantages of building and renovating this area. Geographical and Physical Terrain of the Proposed Rail Trail There are various feature of interest along the proposed Upper Molonglo rail trail. First, Captains Flat harbors an old mining town meaning that is town portrays some special characteristics. In terms of tourism, this town consists of several tourist attraction sites such as the Molonglo River Valley, the ancient mining areas where hotels are found that are an adventurous facility for the tourists. Captains Flat is an attractive town as a whole because it has several cottages that belonged to the miners. In addition to this, the town also has an old railway station hence the reason why it fits as a rail trail development. Along the trail, there exists Hoskins town which is composed of a small settlement area located at approximately 4 kilometers from the river valley. This area consists of a community hall and a church that was built a long time ago but is still being used including the pieces of the once present railway line. Another landmark located in the Molonglo rail trail is the University of Sydney Radio Telescope which is a research device for the university. Due to its size and the variation, it serves as an appealing landmark. In addition to this, there is a defense headquarters that is recently developed close to Bungendore town. The headquarters premises are located a few kilometers from the Molonglo River along the rail trail.(Brown, 2014) Bungendore as the upper spot of the Molonglo rail trail offers an interesting point of view. In this town, there are various historical structures and buildings including other tourist attraction sites. Some of these include the Woodworks gallery, hotels and cafes, accommodation region fitted with a swimming pool and a supermarket. Moreover, the Palerang Shire operational center offices are located in this town. The town is strategically located for the proposed rail trail because it is located in the Canberra to Sydney railway line where passenger facilities are frequent.(New South Wales Rail News, 2015) The geographical background of the rail trail is very interesting because arts and other craft works can be found at Bungendore, the old mines can be spotted at Captains Flat, along the trail, hotels and cafes can be found at Hoskins town and visitors can enjoy a serene view of the Lowden Forest Park. All these facilities are located in a 42 kilometers proposed rail trail which is approximately a 30 minutes’ drive starting from Canberra and about 3 hours from Sydney. These characteristics contribute to the reason why the rail trail should be developed. Feasibility Study There are various factors that need to be considered in order to determine whether the development of the rail trail is feasible for this study. Some of the issue that need to be addressed include, the potential users of the trail, the owners and managers of the land where the rail trail is located and how this issue will be addressed, the economic effects of the rail trail development on the local community, the people responsible for maintaining and funding the rail trail development project and lastly another issue that is addressed is on the methods that will be used to build the trail. Due to above considerations, the process of developing this rail trail requires a detailed debate to ensure that all the parties responsible for the project have a common understanding regarding the support for building it or whether it should not be built.(The Canberra Times, 2015) There are various reasons why the Molonglo rail trail should be developed. First, the area is currently unused meaning that the land is sitting idle. Any efforts to reclaim an abandoned land should be given the right amount of resources and consideration. Secondly, the area stands out as a major tourist attraction site as explained above, this means that if the area is developed where activities such as cycling and walking are introduced, this would increase revenues as many tourists will be willing to visit the area as it will be easily accessible and a pleasing scenery. Cycling is one of the activities in Australia that attract a variety of tourists from all over the world.(Davies and Newsome, 2009) Tourists usually use bicycles on the rail trails where they are able to exercise and watch the Australian landscape without driving cars. Many people appreciate this scenery as they experience the view without distractions, noise and other traffic complexities. Related Research There are various rail trails developed in Australia. This is because this project is one of major government-initiated operations because of the benefits associated with their creation. The development of Molonglo rail trail is not the first innovation and its success can be tied to the success of other existing rail trails. Some of the rail trails include the Murray to the Mountains rail trail which serves the people of North East Victoria passing through the Alpine, Indigo and Wangaratta. The other trails include the East Gippsland rail trail, The Warburton rail trail and the Victorian Average. (Beeton, 2009)These trails enhance transport in Australia, they ensure safety, and health reduced congestion and livability. The development of these rail trails offers a blue print through which other trails are developed. There are also other types of trails known as rail-with-trails. These are trails that are constructed along railway lines in areas where it is permissible to do this. They are usually found in suburban areas such as Perth and Sydney. They are also managed by the county council with similar benefits. Challenges in the Development of Molonglo Rail Trail There are various challenges that are likely to be experienced during the development of the Upper Molonglo rail trail. For instance, there is the issue of land through which the rail trail is to be developed. The rail trail is supposed to be between two towns, Bungendore and Captains Flat which are 42 kilometers apart. This means that there is land which belongs to different people where the rail trail is expected to pass through. This is a very huge barrier because some people may be unwilling to allow the construction on their property. Although there is compensation for the pieces used, there is so much paper work to be filed regarding this issue and a lot of time and resources are likely to be used. This means that the construction is likely to experience delays before the commencement of the project. Another challenge is on the need for development of road crossing signs. This is because these signs have to be present and sometimes their construction may act as a barrier. The main challenge experienced is that these signs are expected to uphold safety for the intended users of the rail trail. In addition to this, there is requirement that other signs are placed on existing roads so that the motorists can be notified of the new rail trail. This is challenging and also increases the cost of construction.(Beiler et al., 2015) Another barrier in the construction of this rail trail is soil erosion. This is because, the area that the trail is to be constructed consists of a river valley. In such areas, erosion is one of the challenges in the construction of the site. This implies that additional resources may be needed in controlling erosion which is a barrier to the timely completion of the trail. Such resources will be used to build an embankment which will make sure that the construction is secure and not prone to soil erosion damages. In addition to erosion control, drainage is also needed which will make sure that the water from Molonglo River does not affect the materials used in building the trail. Lastly, there is another challenge that is expected in the construction of the Molonglo rail trail. This is because the area is an old mining site. This means that the ground may be somehow unstable and thus not able to handle massive construction. Being a weak area, a lot of tests need to be conducted to ensure that the construction process is safe and whether the constructed rail trail is safe to be used by people and bicycles. This will be aimed at making sure that the rail trail is not prone to collapsing and hence its utility is for several years. Stakeholders and Support Groups The Bungendore to Captains Flat rail trail is the property of the New South Wales State Government. It passes through local people’s land and the government property. The management of the rail trails however is conducted by the council with a much reduced cost. The users of the rail trail will include families from age 35 who want to save money by cycling as opposed to using motor vehicles. This site is for people who want to enjoy the Australian unexploited sceneries, share a cup of coffee and experience the unique view of mining areas where there is fresh air and less noise from people. Other stakeholders include local private companies that are willing to be involved in the project or other well-wishers not necessarily from this locality but from other regions.(Dwyer, 2014) The other stakeholders involved in the construction process is the overall community. The engagement of the community will ensure that the input people are well informed about the surroundings, they will understand the stakeholders’ issues such as those of the business and the government, they will feel involved in the project and this will ensure transparency because the community is asked for feedback and any comments that they have concerning the construction because they are the beneficiaries of the project. This also creates a consultation base for future expansion of the Molonglo rail trail because the local communities are well informed about the area than the contractors. Construction Costs and Funding Opportunities The central source of funding for the Bungendore to Captain Flats is the central government. The government is divided into local, state and federal branches. The previous rail trail construction for the New South Wales made the government budget for approximately 100 million dollars in the regional tourism improvement docket. This amount of money is set aside to ensure that tourist attraction sites are developed to increase revenue. Since the Molonglo rail trail is such a tourist site, then the government has a part to play in ensuring that the construction is well funded. The local council is responsible for the management and they do not incur any costs. This government money comes in form of grants and contribution from different locations in the arms of the government and the state.(Goldstein, 2015) The costs to be incurred in this process need to be within the set standards by the cost controllers of the Australian rail trails but the money should be enough to build strong, secure and long lasting trails.one way of determining the feasibility of a project is examining the cost that will be incurred in the process. The actual cost of production should be outlined because individual unit costs can be calculated when the rate is determined. When determining the costs, consideration should be analyzed on the expected returns from the recreational facility. This is because the expected revenue will determine whether it is appropriate to go on with the construction or not. In case the expected income is less than the cost to be incurred, then there is no need for proceeding with this endeavor.(Durr, 2015) In this paper, the exact cost to be incurred cannot be provided because it is a feasibility report as opposed to a design paper. This means that the values that can be stated here are only estimates and if the proposal for the rail trail construction is accepted, then the actual cost can be determined when the design is drawn. The following values indicate the estimates for various activities during construction. One of the activities is vegetation removal and clearing the path through which the rail trail will pass through. This is likely to cost 3 dollars per a meter. Fencing cost is approximately 7 dollars per meter, installing security rail and metal to strengthen the construction will require 80 dollars per meter, drainage cost will be 2 dollars per meter, path construction will cost up to 80 dollars per meter, the construction of bridges will cost approximately 1200 dollars per meter. The installation of signs for indicating direction, advising users, warning them and interpreting the landscape will cost 2 dollars per meter. Trail heads will be constructed one at Bungendore and one at Captain Flats. The construction will cost at most 30,000 dollars per meter where facilities will be built where tourists can stop by such as coffee shops, picnic areas, and parking facilities for the cyclists. Trail surfaces contribute the largest amount of cost in the entire construction process together with bridges. In determining the trail surfaces cost, factors such as the amount of people who are going to use the trail are considered. It is also important to account for the types of users who are going to be involved in this process. It also entails the money set aside for this section of the construction and the budget for maintenance. The reason why this section is critical is because a separate path is constructed along the main rail trail. Which is usually a dirt path. This is because the dirt trail has to be constructed for horses preventing them from using the main trail. The side path is important for horse riders because it is harder than the trail and thus it reduces the maintenance cost and also brings distinction in path between horse riders and cyclists. Bridges on the other hand are the most expensive sections in the construction of rail trails. Any trail has a bridge at one point and this applies to the proposed trail in this paper. The bridges are constructed using wood, steel and concrete for enhancing safety. In addition to expensive materials, qualified personnel has to be included to examine the bridges whether they meet the safety requirements. The cost incurred has to be within the set budget and the available funding.(Chamberlin, 2014) The cost estimates are obtained from the cost incurred in other rail trail construction projects such as the Victorian Rail Trail and the Atherton rail trail. However, there are other factors that will influence the real cost of this project such as inflation issues and the economy as at the time of building the rail trail, the money used in trying to reach out to the contactors and other manpower used in the construction process in form of promotion costs and advertising methods. After the contractors are acquired, their competitiveness and availability is considered because it will determine the cost. Other issues include the price of construction materials that are also affected by a number of factors. Finally the materials chosen for the construction process will determine the cist incurred. The type of materials will depend on the type of landscape in the area. Since the path is a former mining site, strong materials need to be used in the construction and thus these materials are more expensive.(Timothy, 2015) Work Cited Beeton, S., 2009. Regional community entrepreneurship through tourism: the case of Victoria’s rail trails. Int. J. Innov. Reg. Dev. 2, 128–148. (The journal explains the impact of rail trails in enhancing tourism.)doi:10.1504/IJIRD.2010.029859 Beiler, M.O., Burkhart, K., Nicholson, M., 2015. Evaluating the Impact of Rail-Trails: A Methodology for Assessing Travel Demand and Economic Impacts. Int. J. Sustain. (This journal illustrates the need for constructing rail trails in the transport industry and overall economy)Transp. 9, 509–519. doi:10.1080/15568318.2013.825035 Brown, N., 2014. A History of Canberra. Cambridge University Press. Chamberlin, S., 2014. The Other End of the Tracks: In the Push to Convert Rail Lines to Trails, Fear Makes a Powerful Opponent [WWW Document]. URL https://www.academia.edu/15863843/The_Other_End_of_the_Tracks_In_the_Push_to_Convert_Rail_Lines_to_Trails_Fear_Makes_a_Powerful_Opponent (accessed 9.29.15). Davies, C., Newsome, D., 2009. Mountain bike activity in natural areas: impacts, assessment and implications for management: a case study from John Forrest National Park, Western Australia (Report). CRC for Sustainable Tourism, Gold Coast, Queensland. Durr, J., 2015. Proposed rail trail Bungendore to Captains Flat: $14,000 raised for feasibility study, now commencing. Dist. Bull. Dwyer, T., 2014. Coordinator for Bungendore to Captains Flat Rail Trail [WWW Document]. Town Ctry. Mag. URL http://www.townandcountrymagazine.com.au/story/2381185/coordinator-for-bungendore-to-captains-flat-rail-trail/ (accessed 9.29.15). Goldstein, N., 2015. Consulting with Public about Undergrounding Power Lines for Downtown Revitalization: The Case of Hockanum Road and Manhan Rail Trail at Pleasant Street in Northampton, MA. Cent. Public Policy Adm. Capstones. New South Wales Rail News, 2015. Rail Trail boost to tourism - and local economy [WWW Document]. Railpage. URL http://www.railpage.com.au/news/s/rail-trail-boost-to-tourism-and-local-economy Reis, A., 2014. Linking tourism products to enhance cycle tourism: the case of the Taieri Gorge Railway and the Otago Central Rail Trail, New Zealand [WWW Document]. URL https://www.academia.edu/2635545/Linking_tourism_products_to_enhance_cycle_tourism_the_case_of_the_Taieri_Gorge_Railway_and_the_Otago_Central_Rail_Trail_New_Zealand (accessed 9.29.15). Rissel, C., Greaves, S., Wen, L.M., Capon, A., Crane, M., Standen, C., 2013. Evaluating the transport, health and economic impacts of new urban cycling infrastructure in Sydney, Australia – protocol paper. BMC Public Health 13, 963. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-13-963 (This journal explains how rail trails encourage cycling which is a major tourist adventure in Australia) The Canberra Times, 2015. Plans on track to convert Bungendore and Goulburn rail lines to cycle trails [WWW Document]. Canberra Times. URL http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/plans-on-track-to-convert-bungendore-and-goulburn-rail-lines-to-cycle-trails-20150521-gh76vy.html (accessed 10.5.15). Timothy, D., 2015. Tourism and Trails: Cultural, Ecological and Management Issues. Willard, P., Beeton, S., 2012. Low Impact Experiences: Developing Successful Rail Trail Tourism. (This journal article emphasizes on tourism and the factors contributing to this endeavor through an example of Victoria Rail Trail in Australia)Tour. Plan. Dev. 9, 5–13. doi:10.1080/21568316.2012.653476  Read More