-----Original Message-----
From: Roderick Smith [mailto:rodsmith@werple.net.au]
Sent: Wednesday, 13 December 2017 2:26 PM
To: 'transportdownunder@yahoogroups.com'
Subject: snippets / daily digest, Wed.13.12.17

The photo saga is ongoing.
It will help if everyone goes to the yahoo wepage, click on the 'help' button, then go to product feedback.
There are two threads of photos on this. Mine are showing as anonymous, although they are sent through my account.
You can add your own comment to suit: 'I use the web view, and can't get the photos at all' or 'I use direct email, and keep getting the photos as repeats when the poster tries to fix the web'. Then exercise three of your 50 votes to bring this one to the top.

Attached:

171207Th New Melbourne trains (BIV).

171213W Melbourne 'Herald Sun':
- letters, energy, roads, bikes, West Gate Tunnel. with tdu.
- Colonial Tramcar Restaurant.
- Melbourne emojis.
- energy - gas prices. with tdu.

Roderick

Melbourne Express, Wednesday, December 13, 2017
With hot weather forecast please allow extra travel time for your tram journey.
Commuters on the 96 tram will continue to use buses between stop 125 on Clarendon Street and Luna Park because of upgrade works in City Road, Southbank.
The service will return to usual on Wednesday, December 20. There were works for some time a couple of years ago.
<www.theage.com.au/victoria/melbourne-express-wednesday-december-13-2017-20171212-h03jem.html>

7 December 2017 New trains show foresight . [not at all: one bike takes the space of three seats. Foresight was having ceiling hooks, as in Tait trains, country brakevans and parkiteer cages].
Melbourne’s next generation of trains appear set to take transport integration to a new level, with provision for bikes baked in to the design from the outset.
Bicycle Network recently inspected the latest full-scale mock-up of the carriages and came away impressed by the effort to make our future metropolitan trains more bike friendly.
In a warehouse hidden away in an industrial estate in the far south-eastern suburbs, the new train interior layouts are being tested out by the future users—prodded, measured, bumped, and sat on.
Even bikes have been wheeled in and asked for their take: yes, and they like the colour of the seats, apparently.
Sixty-five of the new high capacity metro trains (HCMT) have been ordered and will hit the tracks starting mid-2019, at an all up cost of $2.3B include new stabling and maintenance facilities and training simulators.
The new trains have more capacity, and in particular, better provision for bikes.
The carriages have several configurations, and the first car will have special facilities for the disabled at the first door, but accessibility features continue through the train.
Current design iterations show bike-pram signs on the relevant doors.
At various locations seat layouts will provide areas for bikes to be positioned against fold up seats, and held in position with velcro straps if required.
The preferred bike locations will be signed.
Overall, the interior spaces are very flexible, acknowledging that people with prams, bikes, rolling suitcases, not to mention Eskies, will be regular users.
Such flexible layouts will be best utilised when train travellers get accustomed to the new carriages, and realise that some spaces are better suited to wheelchairs, bikes, prams or typical commuters.
<www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/newsroom/2017/12/07/new-trains-show-foresight>

Hoddle St shutdown to spark Melbourne summer traffic chaos
Herald Sun December 12, 2017.
....THE DELAYS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
ROADS
— West Gate Bridge lane closures for maintenance between Boxing Day and December 30.
— Western Ring Ring (M80) partial road and lane closures expected as part of the CityLink Tulla Widening project. — Monash Freeway will also see partial road and lane closures.
— St Kilda Road will see temporary lane reductions in each direction between Toorak Rd West/Kings Way and Dorcas St. Trams will be unaffected.
— St Kilda Road will be reduced to one lane in each direction for up to four years, as Metro Tunnel’s new Anzac Station is built. — Flinders Lane will close for four days from January 10 and 11 days from January 30 between Swanston and Russel St to allow trucks to safely remove rubble and equipment to build the new Town Hall Station.
— Grattan St will be closed for a number of years from February, in both directions between Royal Pde and Leicester St, as works begin on the new underground station at Parkville.
TRAINS
— Hurstbridge line track duplication works and level crossing removal will see buses replace trains on some sections between January 18-23.
— Cranbourne, Pakenham and Frankston line works will see buses will replace trains between January 2-9.
TRAMS
— Trams will not run on Lygon Street between Elgin and Weston Street from January 3-16 for track renewal works.
More information: vicroads.vic.gov.au and ptv.vic.gov.au.
MELBOURNE ROADWORKS HEADACHE: DRIVERS TO BE STUCK MORE THAN EVER BEFORE.
HODDLE ST TRADERS SAY 24/7 CLEARWAY WILL PUT THEM OUT OF BUSINESS.
WEST GATE TUNNEL TO NOW COST $6.7 BILLION.
DANGEROUS STRETCH ON PUNT RD, SOUTH YARRA TO GET FIXED AFTER CRASHES.
CHRISTMAS TRAFFIC IN MELBOURNE BUSIEST ON FRIDAYS.
SUSIE O’BRIEN: MELBOURNE TRAFFIC IS WORSENING, AND POLITICIANS ARE TO BLAME.
73 COMMENTS <www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/hoddle-st-shutdown-to-spark-melbourne-summer-traffic-chaos/news-story/525d1830229f012845ef5d27528e592c>

December 13 2017 Gas prices have begun to fall and supply has improved since the Turnbull government struck a deal with LNG exporters to secure additional supply. with tdu.
<www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/competition-watchdog-finds-gas-intervention-starting-to-work-20171212-h03bnt.html>

December 13 2017 'It's magical': $30 million for researchers capturing the power of sunshine with tdu.
<www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/its-magical-30-million-for-researchers-capturing-the-power-of-sunshine-20171211-h02u7g.html>