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Subject: Thurs.22.5.22 daily digest
Roderick
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Thurs.26.5.22 Metro Twitter
Flinders St: still with a lane closed for tunnel works? [reopened by July? Closed again by Nov.]
Campbell Arcade (Flinders St station) is closed until 2024. The exit from the Myki gates within the subway will also be closed. No pedestrian access between the arcade & Flinders St. Use Elizabeth & Swanston St entry/exits. Platform interchange via that subway will be available until mid 2022.
Buses replace trains on sections of the Mernda line until the last train of Sunday 29 May (works). When trains return, they'll bypass Preston & Bell for around 3 months.
12.34 All lines: Minor delays (a trespasser near Southern Cross). Trains may be altered to run direct Flinders Street – Richmond/Jolimont. Consider trams.
- 13.07 clearing.
Major delays (a train fault near Upfield). Trains may terminate/originate at Batman.
- 16.36 Consider alternatives for local trips Batman - Upfield.
- 16.49 clearing.
- The crossover on the city-side of Coburg was removed and shifted as part of works to elevate the railway above Bell St and Reynard St in Coburg. It was replaced with a new crossover on the city-side of Batman and as such terminations are now effected at Batman.
- I hope we don’t see that ugly black icon on your app for this disruption and that it’s only red.
Pakenham/Cranbourne lines: Buses replace trains Caulfield - Westall from 20.30 until the last train (works).
22.36 Lilydale/Belgrave lines: Buses replace trains between Box Hill and Camberwell (a person hit by a train). Replacement buses have been ordered, but will take over 60 minutes to arrive
- 22.50 & 23.07 Passengers on the incident train, please follow instructions from emergency services.
- 23.10 & 23.50 Buses replacing trains.
Why is the parking situation worsening in Brisbane? Cloe Read May 26, 2022
Brisbane parking spaces are being rented for up to $1000 a month as sales of apartments and units with only one car spot surge, echoing trends in Sydney and Melbourne.
Now, parking sites and apps advertise car park spaces to purchase for up to $50,000 in suburbs such as Spring Hill.
Some spots were advertised for rent for anywhere from $185 a month for an outdoor lot space on Boundary Street, up to $980 a month for secured, covered and reserved parking on Albert Street.
<www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/why-is-the-parking-situation-worsening-in-brisbane-20220525-p5aoc3.html>
* It is set to become worse in Newstead once Mirvac's 'Build-to-Rent' complex currently under construction on Skyring Tce. is completed. It has a number of units with no parking spaces, based on a premise that its proximity to the city and other facilities will make owning a car unnecessary.
* Would be cheaper to rent a car when required. Plenty of bus options to get around the inner suburbs of Brisbane. A lot cheaper and more time efficient than driving around looking for parking too! Yes, I own a car and yes I use buses. Makes sense
Public transport fares set to rise as people return to trains, buses. Sean Parnell May 26, 2022
Public transport patronage has increased to more than two-thirds the level it was before COVID-19 hit.
Bus, ferry, rail and light rail patronage dropped to 20 per cent of pre-COVID levels in early 2020. Even in mid-2021, during lockdowns, it had only increased to 47 per cent of normal levels.
More people are taking buses and trains than earlier in the pandemic.CREDIT:LUCY STONE
However, the latest figures show patronage has increased to 68.4 per cent. The figures, for the week ending May 22, do not include ferries due to the disruption caused by the floods.
Gold Coast light rail is back to 77.6 per cent pre-COVID levels, while bus services in the region are at 70.5 per cent and rail services 62.0 per cent.
“We saw a steep drop in the number of customers at the height of the pandemic, but we continued to operate services for those essential workers who relied on our networks to get to work, school, medical appointments and essential services,” Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said.
“Combine the pandemic, with floods in February and March, and recent heavy rainfalls, it’s been a challenging time for commuters.”
Public transport patronage plummeted during the COVID-19 pandemic.CREDIT:ROBERT SHAKESPEARE
Earlier this year, Bailey extended a suspension of the regular fare increases however that will end on July 4, meaning fares will go up by 2.5 per cent.
“Queensland’s public transport is an increasingly price-competitive option for many people and we’re committed to continuing to provide accessible, efficient, customer-focussed services for the people of Queensland,” Bailey said.
“Research has shown that most of our customers are travelling again on public transport.“
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story said fares would increase by 1.7 per cent, when they will actually increase by 2.5 per cent. Brisbane Times was provided with incorrect information.
RELATED ARTICLE The new central business district at Maroochydore is the destination for the passenger rail from Beerwah. Rubber hits the road: What the election means for SEQ major projects
<www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/public-transport-fares-set-to-rise-as-people-return-to-trains-buses-20220526-p5aoon.html>
Letters to the Editor May 26 2022
* Barr has little chance of scoring federal funding for light rail. The Chief Minister's hopes of obtaining federal funding for light rail stage 2B are just wishful thinking.
The dodgy business case for this project was heavily redacted to prevent public scrutiny of the details. It drew scathing comments from the Auditor-General. Excluding the so-called "wider economic benefits", the real benefit-cost ratio is not high enough to justify Commonwealth funding. When borderline projects like this were funded by the previous government, they were heavily criticised.
The feds have already recognised a dud when they see one. The possibility of a $200 million Commonwealth contribution has already been abandoned. The ACT taxpayers would be left to carry the burden of a project that has been estimated to cost as much as $3.8 billion.
The Chief Minister's claim that the Commonwealth stands to benefit the most from "an efficient public transport system" are ridiculous. There is nothing efficient about a tram which takes nearly twice as long as the current City to Woden express bus. Electric buses would come in at around one-tenth of the cost.
The incoming federal government is not going to make the mistakes of its predecessor.
The Chief Minister's hopes of obtaining Commonwealth light rail funding have been dismissed as wishful thinking. Picture: Keegan Carroll
* Light rail waste. I refer to Graham Downie's letter of May 19 about light rail. In Canberra we are irrefutably on the wrong track by bulldozing ahead with stage 2. What a waste.
This is how it should be done. From the Brisbane City Council: "As part of Brisbane Metro, Brisbane City Council will introduce a new fleet of 60 battery electric, high-capacity metros. The metros will integrate seamlessly into busway operations, sharing the busway with existing bus services."
And: "Council is working with world-leading vehicle manufacturer HESS, electric infrastructure experts Hitachi Energy and leading manufacturer Volgren to design and build the battery electric metro fleet and state of the art flash charging infrastructure."
Google it. Can someone please show the Greens how to do that?
* SCRAP THE TRAM. So Barr wants Albanese to waive $100 million of housing debt, according to Tuesday's The Canberra Times. If worried about debt, maybe Barr could abandon the next tram to nowhere as a start? He could then ask for financial help to provide an excellent electric bus system.
<www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7753048/barr-has-little-chance-of-scoring-federal-funding-for-light-rail>
Police say fire at abandoned Goldfingers site not suspicious. Laura Placella May 26, 2022
Police say the inferno at the ex-Goldfingers site is not being treated as suspicious - and they have confirmed there were no human remains found in the building.
The former landmark Melbourne strip club caught on fire in the early hours of Tuesday.
The major CBD intersection remains closed. Picture: Ian Currie
It took 50 firefighters 90 minutes to bring the blaze under control.
Firefighters appear to have saved most of the facade of the more than 100-year-old building, but the interior was largely gutted.
A temporary fence was erected around the site as a safety measure on Wednesday, while authorities have not yet ruled out a possible structural collapse of part of the facade.
Demolition crews began tearing down the most damaged sections of the facade around 2pm, in what has been described as a “delicate deconstruction”.
It comes after a small drone was flown through the building’s side door on Tuesday morning to assess whether it was safe for crews to head inside.
King St has reopened northbound and southbound.
Lonsdale St remains closed between King and Spencer streets.
Motorists are being urged to use Spencer or La Trobe streets as alternatives, allowing extra time through the area.
There are also disruptions for bus and tram services through the CBD.
<www.heraldsun.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-victoria/abandoned-goldfingers-strip-club-erupts-in-flames/news-story/4557c75ded37ad757d8b7d61b73165ac>
Australian attitudes toward cyclists ‘out of step’ with the world. David McCowen May 26, 2022 [with ATN]
<www.heraldsun.com.au/motoring/motoring-news/australian-attitudes-toward-cyclists-out-of-step-with-the-world/news-story/d947dc48dcc2f9640382e1c4622f8c38>
Thurs.26.5.22 Melbourne 'Herald Sun'. Letters.
* WE have to go into Melbourne CBD next week. Absolutely dreading it. The filth and emptiness isjust so depressing. Long gone are the days when a trip into Melbourne was a wonderful day out. So sad.
* Bring in the sisters. I PRAY that Zoe Daniel has sisters and girlfriends who might consider offering themselves for election to state parliament in November. As the $50bn Suburban Rail Loop degenerates into an overpopulated high-density infill noose around Melbourne’s neck, we desperately need these women who listen and understand our priorities. And just like that once unassailable blue ribbon seat of Goldstein — red or blue, we the people will ensure that teal are elected to represent us.