NEW stops at Sacred Heart Cathedral and the Golden Dragon Museum are seen as high priorities to rejuvenate the Bendigo Tramways, where visitor numbers have stagnated in the last 10 years.
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The draft Bendigo Tramways Strategic Plan has been released for public comment, and highlights ways to remove "traffic conflict" between the trams and other motorists, as well as methods to increase visitor numbers.
Bendigo Trust chief executive officer Ian Hart said more trips could be another solution, and tickets were unlikely to increase in price.
"We envisage the tram network as being a way to further link together Bendigo's tourist attractions," he said.
Listed as high priorities, a new tram stop at Sacred Heart Cathedral could cost $1.3 million and a stop at the Golden Dragon Museum is estimated to cost $1.5 million.
Mr Hart said these projects were long-term ambitions at this stage and would require a combination of funding from the council, state and federal governments, and other funding streams.
"We would love to see these things put in place, but it's hard to see them happening in the short term," he said.
The draft strategic plan also recommends extending the tram route to make the journey longer, increasing the opportunity for tourist packages.
More themed trams are also a possibility, coinciding with major events in Bendigo, in addition to food and wine trams that provide local produce to tourists taking the trams.
The plan states duplicating the track could help to bring forward public transport options for the tramways, as a commuter service could not operate on a single track.
Other high priority items include duplication of the track on Myrtle, Don and Vine streets to resolve traffic issues, and further duplication at McCrae and Chapel streets.
A passing loop on the Midland Highway is also listed as a high priority.
Mr Hart said the report all but rules out the trams as a commuter service, as Bendigo's population is not large enough to sustain a light rail network.
"We hear questions often about why isn't the tram free, and why can't people catch it to work," Mr Hart said.
"It just doesn't follow the required corridors for it to be a public transport tram."
To comment on the report, visit www.bendigotramways.com.
