Light rail on a lawn? You’re kidding, Clover

November 11, 2015 12:00am
EXCLUSIVE Jim O’Rourke
The Daily Telegraph
An artist’s impression of how the turf tramway could look trundling past the Queen Victoria Building.

* Clover Moore determined to remove cars from streets
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* $220,000 ‘Resilience Officer’ appointed by Clover Moore to tackle
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* Light rail construction in the CBD causing resident angst
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IT’S the latest crazy idea for Sydney courtesy of Lord Mayor Clover Moore, and it could be coming to a light rail track near you.

The city’s new $2.1 billion tramway looks set to trade in tar for turf.

Instead of laying the twin tracks on bitumen or concrete, a Paris-based designer, ­drafted in by Ms Moore, is urging those building the Sydney light rail to put the rails down on a bed of luscious kikuyu grass. Or, when the trams start trundling past Central and through Surry Hills, they could be motoring along vast swathes of buffalo.

Even a fine-leafed couch is not out of the question, if French light rail architect Thomas Richez gets his way. Or maybe the builders could lay down a field of clover, in honour of the Lord Mayor.

The internationally renowned tramway designer has been providing his aesthetic advice on the look of the light rail to the City of Sydney.

The council is contributing more than $200 million to the project. It is understood the City of Sydney is keen on the idea of grass beneath the tracks and has already had preliminary discussions with builders ALTRAC Light Rail.

Mr Richez has boldly suggested that sections of the line from Circular Quay to Randwick and Kingsford use his signature grass design feature.

The designer, who was in Sydney last week to speak to stakeholders at an event at Sydney Town Hall, has used grass, and other vegetation, in a number of light rail projects including through the French cities of Reims and Orleans.

A train in Nice, France.

As part of its $220 million contribution to the light rail project, the City of Sydney has called on Mr Richez to also advise on other design elements such as street furniture, paving, lighting, use of trees and the look of the tram stops.

“Vegetation is a social ­demand in the cities of the 21st century,” he told the audience of the light rail faithful.

“Implementing a tramway is an opportunity to enhance vegetation and the greenery of the cities.”

Mr Richez said that in Reims he was able to extend a park by laying turf on a roadway and then turning that road into the tram corridor.

Transport for NSW confirmed yesterday it is in discussion with ALTRAC about the feasibility and cost of constructing “green track” for the light rail.