So, how has Melbourne’s “boardings per person per year” gone over the years? Thanks to PTV putting out their “Patronage Long Run Series” report of patronage since 1946, we can see it — I’ve plotted the total boarding figures from 1946 to 2011, every five years (in red) against the boardings per population (in green): ... [More]
On Sunday Channel 7 showed this CCTV footage shot at Southern Cross station. A toddler slipped between the train and the platform. I found it quite difficult to watch, but there’s an obvious safety message here which was emphasised in Monday’s followup story: you do need to take the utmost care when boarding and alighting ... [More]
As noted by this post, the figure of “transit boardings per person per year” is something of a simplistic measure (particularly given issues around what’s included and what isn’t, and whether public transport networks are structured to encourage single vehicle journeys, or anywhere-to-anywhere trips using lots of transfers). But still, it does help give a ... [More]
I quite like these adverts. But… The phone screen grabs below are from 8:15am yesterday. My usual 8:29 train had been cancelled, but while this was listed on the Metlink Android app (not yet rebranded to PTV), it was not listed on the Metro web site. By my count, the Metlink app lists nine cancellations, ... [More]
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Tramspotting: B1 and B2 #gunzel
I think it was Lonely Planet that had an entry about transport in Melbourne that bemoaned the fact they are no longer the traditional wooden trams of olde but instead “pneumatic monsters”. They might have been talking about tram numbers 2001 and 2002. They are B-class trams, but with a difference. These two were the ... [More]
This was the scene at Ventura’s South Oakleigh bus depot on Sunday afternoon: This was the scene on-board their 903 service from South Oakleigh (next to the depot) to Chadstone: The 903 is only half-hourly on Sundays, but clearly the demand is there. It’s the same with many bus services across Melbourne — there are ... [More]
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Do you still buy CDs? And why?
This topic came up on social media and in real life recently: do you still buy CDs, and why? I do. I buy some stuff on iTunes and Bigpond Music (which sells MP3s), and buy some stuff (particularly older material) on CD. Why? Because I prefer the softer, warmer, fuller sound of CDs to the ... [More]
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The multi-lingual rhino poster
I quite like these ads: From what I’ve heard, the campaign was originally quite successful, but started to wear off after a few months, so I guess they need to keep revamping it to continue to get the message across.
Because I’m interested in politics, I make it my practice to follow various politicians on Twitter, whether I agree with them or not, including all the local ones I can find. My local federal MP Andrew Robb would have to have the single most relentlessly negative Twitter feed of any of them. Here’s all his ... [More]
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Robot vacuum cleaners
I was chatting to a work colleague about birthdays, the amazing fact that we’re now well into the 21st century, and what happened to the promise of robots who would do the housework? Of course, we have dishwashers, clothes washers, dryers… and then she said she has one of those robot vaccuum cleaners. Apparently it ... [More]
(No, I don’t think this is a big part of the future of urban transport.)
With thanks to my super-cake-baker sister Susannah. If (gasp) you don’t get it, well, you’d better watch this.
There used to be realtime train information displayed on the Smartbus sign outside Bentleigh station (as there is at many other Smartbus stops near railway stations around Melbourne). The information was provided partly for the benefit of bus drivers, so they could see if a train was imminent, and if so wait for passengers (though ... [More]
My recollection is the back of the building at the corner of Little Bourke Street and Little William Street was an old man barber shop. (Pic from Google Streetview.) Over the past year or so it’s somehow transformed into a trendy cafe called Patricia. The kind of place that appears to be wildly popular despite ... [More]
The question seems to keep coming up as to whether it’s legal for Myki machines to not accept 5 cent coins; or indeed whether it’s legal for Metcard machines on trams to only accept coins (not notes). Some people assume that because it’s all legal tender, it must be against the law to demand specific ... [More]
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Why are Twitter messages 140 characters?
Did I post this already? I don’t think I did. Hopefully not. Why are Twitter messages 140 characters? Because they were designed to fit into the 160 characters of a text message, with some characters filled up with header information and so on. So why are text messages 160 characters? Because they fit into 140 ... [More]