My car has a spot in the central console area thingy that looks like it has been designed to store your mobile phone so you can kind of see the screen while driving, for navigational purposes. At least, the manual doesn’t seem to document its purpose, and I can’t figure out what else it could ... [More]
It’s well known that the Free Tram Zone worsened CBD tram crowding, but the package of fare reforms implemented in 2015 (planned by the Napthine government, matched by Labor) also capped zone 1+2 fares at zone 1 prices. This removed a long-time bugbear in the fare system: the huge jump from going over the zone ... [More]
It’s a miracle! Back in 2011, the train information on this Smartbus sign at Bentleigh station was switched off. In 2016 during the level crossing removal project, the bus stop and sign were removed, then put back. For a while the sign wasn’t working, but then the bus times were switched on. But not the ... [More]
I was in Brighton Cemetery on Saturday (long story) and noticed this statue from a distance, so thought I’d have a look. Someone famous? Not really. A young man, tragically drowned off Mornington. The statue was made by his workmates. Thanks to Trove, I found quite a detailed report of the accident. FISHING BOAT OVERTURNS.YOUNG ... [More]
This blew my tiny mind. Speaking of Metro tunnel station names, the project publicity is increasingly talking about (new) North Melbourne station. It’s a shame the old one wasn’t renamed to West Melbourne (as per the plan) last year when all the maps were reprinted for the opening of the Mernda extension. Hopefully they get ... [More]
Yes, sometimes my blog isn’t about transport. If you’d prefer to see only transport posts, you can use this link. Here’s a post where I ramble on about recent upgrades around my house. Wall insulation I had wall insulation installed earlier in the year. The winter gas bill came in recently. It’s down 37.7% from ... [More]
Trouble afoot for the Melbourne Airport rail link? Age: The new proposal would see airport trains use existing rail lines between Southern Cross and Sunshine, and add a new line between Sunshine and the airport, sources close to the project have said. Herald Sun: …while most prefer an express route with only one stop, the ... [More]
It’s nearly the end of the month, so here’s another in my series of photos from ten years ago. Yarraville one afternoon. This hasn’t changed much at all. In Swanston Street, a quirky display of old public benches. Every few years, the tram/train level crossing at Glen Huntly needs renewal. Of course during the renewal, ... [More]
This, the other week, was interesting: In a concerning revelation, researchers have found that myki, in conjunction with social media, can be used to uncover a wealth of information about card users. ABC: ‘Shocking’ myki privacy breach for millions of users in data release Here’s the report and media release from the Office of the ... [More]
One of the tropes of urban planning is that traders think car parking (and car access generally) for their customers is far more important than it might actually be. Here are some live examples in Melbourne right now. Save Inkerman! In Caulfield, traders reckon their businesses will suffer if separated bike lanes, part of the ... [More]
If you follow me on Twitter, you may have already seen this. A man rushed past on the stairs at Southern Cross. He ran down and around the corner, then doubled-back to the V/Line fare gates. My guess is he’d come from the Metro platforms. Here’s a short video of what happened next. (It’s only ... [More]
This went super viral, at least by my standards. It started off as a reply to a Tweet from Tosh Greenslade (from Mad As Hell) – he pointed out a similar slogan, then I realised the BBQ Shapes box design is near identical to the livery on the trams. Someone suggested a look at the ... [More]