Old photos from March 2012

It’s the end of the month – here’s another in my series of posts with photos from ten years ago.

When McKinnon station had a level crossing, this was a common and slightly unnerving sight – cars driving across just before the booms went down and citybound trains (two of them) came through.

It’s not just those with mobility difficulties who benefit from accessible trams. It’s a plus for people with luggage too.

Tram jams are common in Melbourne, but this is three of the same route (55, now route 58) queued on William Street southbound in peak hour. Since then, the tram stops have been converted to platform stops (and rationalised), and more longer and low-floor trams use the route.

Nobody should pretend that La Trobe Street was a motorist’s paradise before the separated bike lanes were installed. This photo shows bumper to bumper lunchtime westbound traffic.

Speaking of traffic, here’s Punt Road in evening peak. All the people (and more) in the cars could be carried in the bus and the tram – but so often it’s the middle and outer suburban options that result in people driving through the inner-city.

Corner of Swanston and Bourke Streets, lunchtime.

Why hello there Darling! This pic from the Steamrail Open Day, which still runs most years.

A drive in the wet near Nagambie.

Platforms 15 and 16 at Southern Cross, under construction

The transition from Metcard to Myki rolled on. Messages for the end of weekly and monthly Metcards flashed up on Passenger Information Displays at stations.

Advice on how to touch your Myki card on the retrofitted readers on Metcard gates.

Remember kids, when you could buy a ticket on a tram?
(Myki was planned to have tram ticket machines too, but these were removed from the scope in 2011.)