-----Original Message-----
From: Roderick Smith [mailto:rodsmith@werple.net.au]
Sent: Monday, 16 October 2017 9:53 PM
To: 'transportdownunder@yahoogroups.com'
Subject: snippets, Sun.15.10.17

Attached:
171015Su Metro Twitter - Flinders St, Start a heart Day.

Roderick.

Metro Twitter Sun.15.10.17.
It's Restart a heart Day. We are at Flinders Street station until 8.30 with
tips on saving a life. www.ambulance.vic.gov.com.au/cpr.
Flinders Street station was awash with red hearts this morning.

CBD trams - Public event - Sunday 15 October Service changes will apply on
some CBD trams on Sunday 15 October, from first tram to 12:45pm due to a
public event.
From first tram until 12:15pm
Route 1a trams will divert via Kings Way, William St and La Trobe St,
between Stop 22 Dorcas St and Stop 7 RMIT University.
Route 58a trams will operate in sections, with no trams between Stop 116
City Rd and Stop 21 Bowen Cres/St Kilda Rd.
Passengers may consider diverting Transdev bus routes 216, 219 and 220
between Stop 115 Casino/Southbank and Punt Rd/Toorak Rd to connect.
Kings Way passengers may connect with diverting Route 1a trams between Stop
116 City Rd and Stop 118 Sturt St.
Route 70a trams will operate in sections, with no trams between Stop 7C
MCG/Hisense Arena and Stop 4 Flinders St Station/Elizabeth St.
Passengers may consider trains between Flinders Street Station and Richmond
Station to connect.
From 6:45am until 9:45am
Route 3a, 5a, 6a, 64a and 72a trams will operate in sections, with no trams
between Stop 14 Arts Precinct and Stop 11 Collins St.
From 6:45am until 12:45pm
Route 96a trams will operate between East Brunswick and Stop 132 St Kilda
Station. Passengers may change for a Route 3a or 16 tram in Fitzroy St to
continue their journey.
From 7am until 9:15am
Route 75a trams will divert via Spring St and La Trobe St, between Stop 9
Lansdowne St and Stop D2 Central Pier.
During these changes, trams will operate to their normal frequency. However,
they may not arrive at the scheduled time.
<www.yarratrams.com.au/using-trams/service-changes/service-changes/2017/cbd-
trams-public-event-sunday-15-october>

October 15 2017 Sydney retailers face yet another Christmas of rail
disruption .
Sydney retailers face their second - and some their third - Christmas of
disruption from construction of the $2.1 billion light rail line.
And, near the two-year anniversary of the start of construction, they fear
the disruption along much of George Street in the CBD, and other parts of
the line, will extend well into next year.
More videos Light rail construction hits small business Owners of the Book
Kitchen cafe in Surry Hills say revenue has more than halved since light
rail line construction began outside their premises.
Construction on a stretch of George street between King and Market streets
was originally due to be finished in August last year but retailers, such as
cosmetic store Jurlique, doubt it will be finished in time for Christmas,
their most important trading period of the year.
Jurlique manager Ellie Yu said pedestrian traffic outside her store had
dropped significantly this year, hurting sales.
"This year was worse than 2016. I hope they finish soon - I hope it won't be
affecting our fourth Christmas," she said.
Retailers say noise and dust continue to deter shoppers - especially
tourists - from the well-known shopping strip.
The construction has forced some businesses on George Street, and along
other parts of the 12-kilometre route from the CBD to Randwick and
Kensington, to close or move. Many have seen revenue plunge over the past
year.
The consortium building the line will not give definitive dates on when
civil construction will be completed in the CBD or Surry Hills, other than
to say it has finished the laying of track in seven of the 31 zones along
the entire alignment.
Emanuel Tzirtzilakis says there is no end in sight to construction outside
his Surry Hills cafe. Photo: Nick Moir .
But the laying of track does not mean the civil construction in these zones
has been totally completed, because work such as paving and kerbs is still
needed in many.
Downtown Souvenirs, opposite the Queen Victoria Building, said revenue had
fallen by up to 40 per cent since construction started on the zone outside
its shop in late 2015.
Much of George Street is to remain a construction zone well into next year.
Photo: Mick Tsikas .
Martin & Stein, a jeweller in the QVB, said construction had segregated
pedestrian traffic between the east and west sides of George Street.
The shop's owner, Annemie Stein, said she doubted construction would be
completed outside the QVB this month despite the contractor's suggestions.
The construction zone outside the Queen Victoria Building on George Street.
Photo: Mick Tsikas .
"We are into the second week of October already - there is no way [it will
be finished]," she said on Wednesday.
In Surry Hills, Ouroboros Wholefoods Cafe owner Emanuel Tzirtzilakis said
revenue had dropped at least 30 per cent over the past year at his business
on Devonshire Street due to the construction, which included a deep pit
outside his cafe.
"I call it the Grand Canyon. literally, because it is so deep and big," he
said.
Noise and dust from the light rail site, and barricades on footpaths, have
resulted in people avoiding Devonshire Street, which used to be a popular
thoroughfare between Central Station and Crown Street.
Mr Tzirtzilakis said there was no end in sight to the construction, and
contractors and transport officials could not tell him when it would be
completed.
"They are just finding problem after problem after problem," he said. "The
weekends used to be the busiest time of the week [for business] but now they
are the quietest."
syd light railAccording to the government's original plans, major civil
construction work along the entire route was due to be completed by next
year, allowing testing to start two months later.
ALTRAC, the consortium that won the contract to build and operate the light
rail, said major civil construction including utility work, drainage,
excavation and track installation would be progressively completed across
the CBD and Surry Hills next year.
"There have been significant challenges during light rail construction and
we've been upfront about the fact work in many construction zones is taking
longer than anticipated," it said.
"This has included the discovery of more than 1400 unknown utilities along
the alignment."
ALTRAC said track had been laid in three zones in George Street and one in
Surry Hills, and finishing works to complete paving and footpaths were
underway.
Transport for NSW said it had "worked hard to maintain foot traffic and
vibrancy around the construction areas", which included checking on
businesses, ensuring they had information on works and delivering business
signage and directories.
But City of Sydney councillor Angela Vithoulkas, who owns VIVO Cafe on
George Street, said retailers simply wanted to know how long it would take
to complete construction so that they could plan their businesses around it.
"It will be three bad Christmasses for me instead of one," she said. "There
is still no end date in sight [to construction]."
Related Articles:
More delays dog Sydney's $2.1 billion light rail line .
ost of running Sydney's new light-rail line blows out to $938 million .
<www.smh.com.au/nsw/sydney-retailers-face-yet-another-christmas-of-rail-disr
uption-20171011-gyylzb.html>