Post-abandonment Assessment
Attitudes towards MATS in the present day are mixed. The then premier Steele Hall still believed abandoning the plan was a severe mistake and has received mention in The Advertiser about the topic in recent times.
MP Bob Such praised the efficiency of the South-Eastern Freeway, and he stated in parliament, "I found it quicker to get from Murray Bridge to my home at Coromandel Valley (~60km) than to get from my home to the city (~18km). That is an indication of the effectiveness of the freeway." Those in support for public transport reject the plan as it is perceived it would create competition against public transport usage, and lead to urban sprawl.
Others believe varying degrees of the plan were too ruthless towards the environment and would have ruined the character of Adelaide. Some of the issues raised about the construction of freeways can now be seen to have been unlikely to have eventuated. For example, Adelaide has spread north and south instead of the inner areas becoming denser despite a lack of freeways.
Construction and motoring lobbies generally favoured the plan heavily and, periodically, refer to the rejection of the MATS plan as a lost opportunity. Major road lobby groups as of 2007 continue to call for a North-South freeway in particular with the State Government joining calls for funding under the Federal Government's AusLink Program.
Read more about this topic: Metropolitan Adelaide Transport Study
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