There was speculation from some quarters that introducing 10 minute train frequencies would result in long traffic queues at level crossings, similar to those seen in many suburbs during peak commuting hours. I think this was unfounded. Looking around Bentleigh on a recent weekend, it seems no worse than when trains ran half as frequently. ... [More]
Year: 2012
It was like a trip back in time to… last year. All the self-serve checkouts in Woolies were down tonight. A long queue at the express checkouts… surprisingly not at the other checkouts (all credit to management, they did have five non-express checkouts open at one time — rarely seen nowadays). Perhaps the earthquake is ... [More]
Last month the total budget for Myki (over ten years) quietly got increased, from $1.35 billion to $1.5 billion. It was revealed in the Budget Papers, and thanks to the torrent of other budget coverage, barely got noticed: MELBOURNE public transport commuters received little relief in this year’s budget, which revealed the cost of the ... [More]
It used to be that on the weekends, trips by car could safely be assumed to be faster than those on public transport, particularly crosstown trips that required a change of service to complete. I’m not sure that’s always the case anymore. Over the weekend I took two crosstown train trips: Bentleigh to North Coburg ... [More]
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“No … is allowed”
A bit vague, I thought. What does it mean? No swearing is allowed? No Morse code is allowed? No nothing is allowed?
I reckon the better a paving surface looks, the slipperier it is, particularly in the wet. Asphalt: ugly, but grips well, even in the wet. Tiles (as platforms at Flinders Street station have been converted to, but thankfully not ramps) and blue-stone (increasingly common on CBD streets) look nicer, but are more slippery. And some ... [More]
This building looked extra-foreboding last night against the grey sky. It’s the Bank Of New Zealand Australia building, on the corner of Collins and Queen Streets. BNZA is sounds like ANZ backwards, but it’s actually now part of NAB. The building was once known as A.C.Goode House, the original section of which dates back to ... [More]
Spotted at Stanley’s Menswear in Centre Road: UK-made Deer Stalker – a snip at $129.95. (Apart from sleuthing, I guess you could also use it for stalking deer.)
I suppose trains need signals. And perhaps it’s another move to make Melbourne more European: this Cignall tobacconist in Queen Street is a Myki retailer. I’m not sure I have a strong opinion on this, but it does seem like an odd match, given smoking is banned on public transport vehicles, is also banned in ... [More]
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What to see in Perth?
Off to Perth for a brief holiday next month. (As usual I won’t be too specific about dates; this slightly hysterical article in Sunday’s Age, and its accompanying graphics, was a reminder that it’s not advisable to advertise when you’re going to be away from home.) What should we see around Perth and southwest WA? ... [More]
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Pic: Why did the chicken cross the road?
Yeah yeah, it’s not actually a road. Still thought it was an amusing pic though.
A few years ago they fixed what was probably Melbourne’s most confusing bus route, but plenty of others are still running confusing, spaghetti-like routes around the suburbs. Often your trip from A to B travels via the rest of the alphabet. A PTUA report out today tries to measure how much buses meander, by comparing ... [More]