Fw: Wed.12.10.22 daily digest archive

[Roderick Smith]

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Roderick

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Wed.12.10.22 Metro Twitter [most missed]
Flinders St: still with a lane closed for tunnel works.
Because of tunnel works, Degraves St subway at Flinders St is closed until 2024. No platform transfer via Degraves St subway. Passengers should use Elizabeth & Swanston St entry/exits.  Campbell Arcade remains closed to 2024. Platform  interchange via that subway was available until mid 2022.
Bell: No lift access to platforms until Oct 2022, while works continue around the station precinct. A shuttle bus will run from Bell to Preston and Thornbury.  [the station opened on 5.9].


Slashing fares on trains, trams rewards all of us.  October 12, 2022
* Public transport.  I am not a Liberal voter but Matthew Guy’s public transport policy, including a $2 cap on metro fares, (“Coalition would halve V/Line fares”, The Age, 12/10) has my support. Public transport shouldn’t be run as a profit-making venture. Free and cheap public transport will take people off the roads, which has to be good for the environment and commuter stress levels. Guy just needs to explain how he will fund the increase in trains, trams and busses and number of services required to meet the expected demand. An increased capacity to take bikes on public transport would be great, too.
* A chance to ditch myki. Instead of proposing a $2 daily maximum fare for using public transport, why not make it free? This would allow us to remove the need for myki, perhaps the world’s worst implementation of a transport charging system.
* A big difference,  While their public transport policy is obviously one the Liberals know they’ll never have to deliver, it’s bizarre that your experts (“‘Gone a bit nuclear’: Experts warn opposition’s $2-a-day public transport fares will worsen inequality”, 9/10) seem blissfully unaware that to a rich person, the difference between $9 and $2 is nothing but to a poor person, it’s everything.
* Target the benefits. The Liberals’ $2 fares for public transport is not good policy. Across-the-board subsidies do not work because those who can afford it should help fund further progress to expand and maintain public transport, particularly to regional growth areas and suburbs currently not serviced by the network. A much better idea was announced earlier in the year by Clifford Hayes, MLC, who sought to give free public transport to those on healthcare cards, students and the elderly. It’s better to target cost-of-living measures to those who really need them.
* Many not paying anyway Matthew Guy has indicated he will lower the cost of public transport fares. With regards to buses, I wonder if he has ridden on one of late. I live in the south-east of Melbourne. I use buses almost daily (not during rush hour). Doing a rough count as I sit on the bus, I notice that only about one in 20 people tap on their myki getting on the bus. So, for approximately 95 per cent of users who are currently travelling for free, they will have to find some way of actually paying those people in order to make it even cheaper.
* Make it free.  Whether you charge $2 or $10 for a trip by rail, tram or bus, there are the same overheads of ticketing staff, barriers, tap on/off systems, inspectors and administration. If the aim is to really benefit everyone, then free travel on all public transport is the way to go, not just the current free tram zone.
* Caught up in ticket cash.  Ticketing was originally introduced to count passengers but quickly became an end in itself. Free public transport would cost vastly less to run. The system is owned by the public and it is logically and morally wrong for someone to pay to ride on their own vehicle.
* Tracking by necessity. It is good that a spokesperson for Qantas has said that the airline “welcomed” their customers using luggage trackers after bans elsewhere. My friend last week was part of a large group flying in from Queenstown whose luggage Qantas lost. After an hour, only with help from airport staff and Border Security and none from Qantas, forms were filled in. One passenger remembered she had a tracker in her case and found that her luggage was still in Queenstown. Apparently, that was the first Qantas knew where it was. Perhaps Qantas itself could update its technology and avoid queues of frustrated customers.
* Flood warnings It’s baffling why neither our state nor local governments help Melburnians prepare for seasonal flooding and now extreme flooding events (“People in flood-risk areas told to brace for isolation”, 12/10). Yes, this is La Nina. But in Melbourne, this is flood season – Wintoonth Woontanbaj-Jumunna, in local language. These known weather patterns should already be built into narratives, planning, processes and oversight. Yet we behave as though we’re surprised.
The government and media warn of flooding but there is a lack of context on the urban risks. They warn of the dangers and illegality of driving through flood waters – no mention of walking, cycling
or scootering.
My organisation, Abbotsford Riverbankers, has footage of people walking into the Yarra River danger zone, ignoring closed gates, eroding the vulnerable riverbank, but there’s nothing from authorities: no community preparation, no warning signs or detour signage along key points. This has to change.
* The proposed Airport Link route traverses some of Melbourne’s worst areas for graffiti. Hardly the first impression one would wish to convey to international visitors.
www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/slashing-fares-on-trains-trams-rewards-all-of-us-20221012-p5bp3k.html

Billions spent on public transport, but car is still king in Brisbane.  Cameron Atfield October 12, 2022.  72 comments
For all the billions of dollars being spent on the city’s public transport infrastructure, Brisbane very much remains a car-loving town.
Peak hour is getting longer, a trip to either coast can be unpredictable, and even the weekend trip to your local major shopping centre has become an adventure.
The census has shown Brisbane is a city of car commuters.Credit:Michelle Smith
And Brisbane residents’ travelling habits, as shown in newly released data, reflect that.
Data from the 2021 census, released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics this week, shows just how much Brisbanites depend on their cars – and not all of it can be blamed on the COVID-19 pandemic.
An overwhelming majority of Brisbane commuters get to work by car, the data shows.
Indeed, just 6.3 per cent travelled to their place of employment using public transport, compared to 60.8 per cent who drove or were driven.
Bus commuters accounted for 2.5 per cent, down from 4.7 per cent in the 2016 census, while train commuters dropped from 3.6 per cent in 2016 to 2 per cent in 2021.
That’s perhaps no surprise, given the city’s car ownership rate.
At 56.5 per cent, more than half the households in Greater Brisbane have more than one motor vehicle. That’s just above the national average of 55.1 per cent.
This dependence on cars feeds a cycle. More cars equals more traffic; more traffic equals more expensive road projects; more expensive road projects equals even more cars on the road; more cars equals more traffic. And so the cycle goes.
Granted, the COVID-19 pandemic no doubt contributed greatly to the declining number of commuters on Brisbane buses and trains – those working from home increased from 4.6 to 17.4 per cent, for example.
But even before the pandemic, ABS data showed public transport use was declining in Brisbane.
New public transport options, such as the Brisbane Metro, will be vital as the city grows.Credit:Matt Dennien
Of the major Australian capital cities – those with more than a million inhabitants – Brisbane was one of just two to see a percentage decline in patronage between the 2011 and 2016 censuses, the other being Perth.
The Queensland government was still pulling out all stops to get more commuters onto the network.
To that end, on Wednesday Queensland Transport Minister Mark Bailey announced a continuation of the rollout of the smart-ticketing system, which has been beset by delays since it was announced in 2018.
The $371 million project, already in operation on the Gold Coast’s light rail and some south-east Queensland train lines, was extended to the Caboolture, Redcliffe Peninsula and Sunshine Coast lines on Wednesday.
“The system will allow commuters to tap on to buses, trains, trams and Translink-supported ferries using contactless debit and credit cards, smartphones and smartwatches,” Bailey said.
The under-construction Cross River Rail will add capacity to south-east Queensland’s rail network.
“Rolling this system out on our train network has happened with great pace, which will continue until the entire south-east Queensland train network is online.”
Deputy Premier Steven Miles, whose Murrumba electorate is serviced by the Redcliffe Peninsula line, was more than a little hyperbolic about the new system.
“The introduction of smart ticketing on these three lines continues the rollout of a ticketing system that will put Queensland on par with major world cities such as London, Singapore and New York,” he said.
Realistically, Brisbane has a long way to go before it can be mentioned in the same breath as those international cities when talking about public transport.
But what this data shows is a need to incentivise public transport use, to make it more convenient, faster and cheaper so all those cars remain in the garage.
The Palaszczuk government’s signature transport project, Cross River Rail, will be a huge step in the right direction.
But it will be just that, a step. It will increase capacity and services across the network, but it will be no panacea.
There needs to be big concepts, and deep pockets, to really get Brisbane moving, and for it to live up to that rarefied title of “Olympic City”.
One such big concept would be the abandoned Brisbane Subway. It wouldn’t come cheap, but it would be a game-changer.
Anything our governments at all levels and of all political stripes can do to shift the needle towards mass transit would go a long way to making Brisbane as liveable as possible.
Perhaps then we could be mentioned along with London, Singapore and New York without evoking eye-rolls.
www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/billions-spent-on-public-transport-but-car-is-still-king-in-brisbane-20221012-p5bp88.html
* Not disputing that public transport usage in Brisbane is diminishing and car travel is increasing, but it's a moot point as to WHY that is the case. Simple explanations about our fascination with cars really don't cut the mustard. Nor do we need the cultural cringe about comparing Brisbane to New York, Singapore or London. We need to look at how the nature of WORK has changed transport patterns, and whether our public transport planning is actually addressing those changes.
Leaving aside COVID and the need to isolate, there is a marked trend towards more people working more from home than in the past. Employers and workers have negotiated deals on spending less time in the office vs more time working from home, and in doing so lessening the commuter demand previously experienced. This shouldn't come as a surprise to anybody, given that telecommuting was the pipe dream of all transport planning education twenty five years ago. At that time we just didn't have the technology or the flexibility of employer-employee relations to achieve that end, but now we do.
Another factor affecting travel patterns is an increasing shift towards the gig economy, where more people are working split shifts or outside of normal working hours. In those circumstances, public transport is less convenient, less available and less safe than car travel, particularly for women. I doubt whether any transport planners have ever worked the kind of hours that shift workers do, nor have they ever had to rely on catching a train after midnight in Brisbane.
Last but not least, much of our public transport routing is based on the outmoded assumption that most workers commute from the outer suburbs to jobs located in the CBD. This may be so for some white collar workers, but the place of work for most of our population does not lie in the CBD or even on main commuter routes. In which case our centralised public transport network is not particularly useful, and car travel is the only realistic option. Ever tried using public transport to drop the kids off to school at Taigum in the morning, travel to work at Mitchelton, then get back to Taigum in time to pick the kids up after work?
In summary, there's not a shred of evidence that more expensive transport megaprojects will address the changing needs of Brisbane's population, either now or in the future. Mass transit is an act of faith by politicians to meet the demands of the transport industry and unions, when in reality we need more relevant, flexible and nimble transport solutions geared to the needs of real people.
Some good valid points in this but no sign of a PLAN.
Indeed you have almost said it's too difficult.
@IanFraser
Correct - but there's no sign of an integrated PLAN involving all three levels of government either. Instead we have had to put up with piecemeal planning and provision of transport services and infrastructure, based political expedience rather than a proper analysis of need. The biggest problem has been the marked absence of communication, boiling down to outright hostility, between BCC, the Qld Government and the former LNP government, largely due to political gameplaying from all three actors. Read between the lines on this story and you'll see it's still there.
We aren't going to see much improvement in integrated transport and land use planning until we completely remove those politics from the picture. A good starting point would be to create an independent Greater Brisbane Transport Commission, funded from all levels of government but removed from direct political control by any. Other world cities have such bodies, which incidentally is the main reason they also have better public transport than Brisbane.
Public transport is unreliable in many areas, too slow (are the buses too big?) and too expensive. Seems to only be suitable for a limited number or routes/suburbs. Oh, and bus stops need
to shade commuters from the hot sun!
Maybe too slow because they're stuck behind cars all the time. The busway is great for having a dedicated system.
Totally agree with the shade though.
When the new corridors out Logan way have more than a 5km walk to the nearest bus stop, for a very limited bus service, and a 15 minute drive to the nearest train station, then there is a problem. Look at the number of homes being built between Flagstone, Jimboomba, and Logan Village. Look at the non-existent public transport. There is going to be wall to wall homes out this way all the way to Springfield in the next decade, and the furthest bus stops at Crestmead. That shows just how unimportant you are if you don't live within 10km of the Brisbane CBD.
Not so much car ownership. But timetabling and costs. Catch a bus or train, if you need to catch both to reach your destination the timetables aren't coordinated, so it takes twice as long. Go to Sydney, wait no more than 5 mins either bus or train to go where you need. Brisbane you need to plan well in advance.
Also costs for single trips are expensive compared to other cities.
yep, its all about timetables. granted a few strands are well supported, but they don't link up, or run to infrequently.
I'm 11 Km's from the city by road, and a trip to cbd will juust scrape under an hour on the right bus, and a train is 1km walk.
All other services take over an hour because of the timetables and routes.
I hope the public review looks at this
Too much carrot not enough stick. Give control of parking fees to the people who control public transport.
And use the funds to improve public transit :)


White elephant projects that failed Victoria.  October 12, 2022.  219 Comments
They were meant to make Victoria great but these notorious projects will go down in history as our biggest white elephants.

From rail to sale: Circa-1917 Red Rattler train carriage the star feature of Pakenham house.  Alesha Capone 12 Oct 2022 Herald Sun
95 Thewlis Rd, Pakenham, has a four-bedroom house and a Red Rattler train carriage which serves as a separate self-contained unit.
A property in Melbourne’s southeast featuring a 105-year-old Red Rattler carriage converted to a self-contained unit is on track to find a new owner.
The four-bedroom house at 95 Thewlis Rd, Pakenham, is set on 11.9ha next to the Urban Growth Zone.
In addition to three bathrooms, a home office, formal lounge featuring a fireplace, dining room and L-shaped veranda with views to French Island and Mt Martha, the property comes with a separate circa-1917 train carriage fondly named “The Red Rattler Retreat”.
One of the house’s owners, Jessica Wade, said her mother had always wanted a train carriage and found someone selling one in Pakenham Upper’s vicinity in the 1980s.
Their family used soil to build up the land beneath the Red Rattler’s wheels while installing it on their property.
All aboard.
Live in a train carriage.
Along with her brother, a carpenter, as a young adult Ms Wade helped her parents restore the carriage.
They even added a covered platform and a courtyard runs between the carriage and the house.
“We’ve had many good times and dinners in the carriage,” Ms Wade said.
Two titles are included in the sale.
The house has plenty of vintage charm.
The carriage’s bedroom.
In 1994, Ms Wade and her husband were married on the platform in front of 80 guests and held their reception in a tent on the property’s grounds.
Their family never formally operated a bed and breakfast out of The Red Rattler Retreat but many friends and relatives have stayed there across the years.
“It’s fully self-contained, there is a little sunroom on one side, a shower and a fully functioning kitchen,” Ms Wade said.
“I lived in it for a bit and my brother lived in it for a bit.”
Enjoy green views while dining.
A rustic kitchen in the house.
Ms Wade moved from London to Australia with her family, including three siblings, at the age of 13.
Her parents ran a farm at the Pakenham acreage with animals including cattle, llamas and horses living there at different times.
The site features a garage, single carport, hay shed, outbuildings and a spring-fed dam with tank or mains water available.
There’s even a platform.
Fantastic views.
Elite Agents & Partners Berwick director Eddie Atahi said the property came with two titles including 1ha of land which has direct access from Peck Rd.
A telecommunications towers on the property is leased by Telstra and AusNet, and powerlines stretch across part of the land.
Inside the house.
One of four bedrooms.
Telstra and AusNet pay $78,000 to the home’s owners every year.
“You can live there literally for free while getting an income,” Mr Atahi said.
“It could be a lifestyle property or future development site, subject to council approval.”
The home has a $3.5m-$3.85m asking range.
www.realestate.com.au/news/from-rail-to-sale-circa1917-red-rattler-train-carriage-the-star-feature-of-pakenham-house

* Our city needs saving.  I WAS pleased to read that the future of Melbourne is a key issue in the state election. Our city needs a new vision because it is slowly dying.
The state government is allowing our great CBD to be destroyed by a council more concerned with employing “chief heat officers”, the date of Australia Day and building empty bike lanes, amid other failures.
The rubbish around the streets is disgraceful, and the graffiti problem needs to be addressed and greater penalties enforced.
And the unsociables harassing tourists and locals while taking drugs, drinking and laying across footpaths need to be relocated or locked up.
The south end of Elizabeth St looks like a war zone.
Bike lanes on key access routes must be removed to get Melbourne traffic moving - the congestion is worse that Sydney.
Our railway stations need a facelift, Flinders St station is grotty and looking tired.
A new vision for Melbourne is needed, one that goes beyond the self-interest of state and council election cycles and which addresses the needs of all Victorians.
* Brisbane streets ahead.  HAVING just returned from a visit to the host city for the 2032 Olympics, it is heartbreaking to witness the contrast between here and Brisbane.
Our northern neighbour is vibrant, bustling, energetic, confident and imaginative. It is building for the Games using its natural attributes without destroying its character.
By comparison, Melbourne is fading into obscurity, overflowing with rubbish, broken roads and footpaths, unsightly commercial developments and out of control e-scooters.
The city is a bleak, deteriorating soulless mess, yet the best the Lord Mayor can do is to trumpet the appointment of two “heat officers” while the homeless now fill the doorsteps of empty shops.
* I have just returned from Sydney, where you tap on and off on all public transport using your personal debit/credit card.
So much easier than buying and using a Myki.