All forms of transport, including gunzelly
I’m working on some more substantive posts, but meanwhile, here we go again: a random claim that the trains used to be faster than today. “In 1955 it took under one hour to travel by train to Spencer St station (Southern Cross). In 2017 it takes 70 minutes. Hmmm. Something is wrong with this picture.” ... [More]
The Gold Coast Light Rail, also known as G:Link opened in July 2014, making it Australia’s newest completed tram/light-rail line. I was very impressed when I rode it last week. As you would hope and expect, they’ve put a lot of thought into the design, and there are a number of things Melbourne can learn ... [More]
Part of what makes Friday’s tragic events in Bourke Street so horrible is that it could have been any of us who got hit. One can only have the deepest sympathy for all those affected. I work on Bourke Street, and often go walking along it at lunchtime. On Friday I was on Spencer Street ... [More]
(One of those posts which I feel like could do with some more polish, but haven’t had time. I know the comments will help boost its worth.) At what point will we have road pricing? Here are some thoughts. The current situation doesn’t make sense The current mix of toll roads and free roads in ... [More]
A couple of weeks ago it was highlighted that, not for the first time, Melbourne Zoo is seeking an additional one thousand public car spaces. It seems they want to turn Royal Park into Royal Car Park. For an organisation dedicated to animals, you’d think they’d understand the importance of the natural environment. They seem ... [More]
As flagged earlier in the month, the long-awaited new rail map, in the works since at least 2014, has finally been officially launched. It’ll show up around the network in 2017. (Click to zoom) There seem to be at least two versions: the plain one above, and a version with a grid and station index. ... [More]
Here’s a thought, via a possibly dodgy analogy: public transport is like a computer. It needs both hardware and software to function properly. Hardware — right of way (tracks/roadspace), signalling, stops and platforms, vehicles, stabling. Software — how do you operate it? Timetables, routes (particularly for buses, which can be easily changed), traffic light priority, ... [More]
The rebuilt Ormond, McKinnon and Bentleigh stations opened in August. Following this, the car parks all opened in November. But what about the bike cages? The answer is that they’re still not open. “Parkiteer” Bike cages around the rail network have proved very popular. Some stations have multiple cages. It was a smart move to ... [More]
I was invited by the Level Crossing Removal Authority to look around the Bayswater station grade separation project. This is removing two crossings, either side of the station: Mountain Highway and Scoresby Road. They’re in the final stages of the major works period, with a rail shut down of 37 days almost over, the line ... [More]
Below you can see the current rail network map. As maps go, it’s pretty useless, because it tells you where the tracks go, but not where the trains go. Looking at it, you might assume that trains run from Sunbury to Upfield — but you’d be wrong, of course. (The latest version does at least ... [More]
Another comment piece in The Age: Myki fare hikes favour some users, punish others and increasingly encourage driving Yes, fares are jumping by about 4% in January. This is a CPI plus 2.5% (eg 3.9%) rise that was devised by the Coalition in their December 2013 budget update, and delivered by Labor. So a big ... [More]
Those of you who follow me on Twitter will know I see a lot of motorists blocking intersections, including pedestrian crossings. Here’s road regulation 128: Entering blocked intersections A driver must not enter an intersection if the driver cannot drive through the intersection because the intersection, or a road beyond the intersection, is blocked. Penalty: ... [More]