We all know that traffic light control is a major hindrance for tramway operation in Melbourne.

It's just on 23 years since I last drove there, including regularly the route 96 St Kilda to East Brunswick light rail.

I have ridden this line during recent visits, and that route can be seen in my video.

In all those 23 years all I have seen new to assist trams was a few extra '5 second' T lights.

However to hinder trams, traffic lights have replaced roundabouts, which barely delayed trams, in a number of locations including Clarendon Street where the light rail branches off, Fitzroy Street St Kilda where the line leaves the reservation and at least one roundabout in Fitzroy Street down near the intersection with Acland Street.

All of those lights which replaced roundabouts delay trams for varying amounts of time and appear to provide no priority at all.

With so little achieved in 23 years, I doubt if any of us will be alive to see the day when Melbourne trams get anything vaguely like the Gold Coast tram traffic light priorty.

So there's no point postulating on what could be done because the will to do so appears close to non-existent.

Regards,

> On 20 Apr 2017, at 6:36 pm,prescottt@... [TramsDownUnder] TramsDownUnder@...> wrote:

>

> Your comment Richard was a general one that it is impossible to achieve precise running times in mixed traffic, without being limited to Melbourne. Those European systems once suffered (and some still do) Melbourne's problem. The lesson to draw is that it requires an integrated road and traffic management approach to ensure that PT services do run on time.

>

> There is an ongoing theme here of government fining operators for something that is caused by government inaction and contractors should be seeking to better define this issue before signing on the dotted line. Perhaps they're so desperate to win the contract that they're prepared to wear this risk and factor the fines into the contract price.

>

> Tony P

>

>