Sydney congestion tax (scrapped), 30km/h speed limits (scrapped), high speed rail too (scrapped - fed election result?)

[g-boaf]

So no 30km/h speed limits in suburban areas and almost certainly no high speed rail.

I normally ride faster than 30km/h along the flat. It'd be schadenfreude for cyclist hating motorists if police started giving out speeding tickets to bicycle riders going a couple of k over 30km/h in quiet back streets.

I used to do that too, but I could also be happy doing 30km/h. And my Garmin could probably beep if I get to that speed I suppose.

[human909]

You might as well be putting some Zipp wheels on a Kmart Huffy.

But that is exactly the model that has driven our “congestion busting” freeway building craze for the past few decades.

Build a bit; discover you can’t drive at 100kph; demand more freeway.

Be it more lanes; more length; more connection; or out-and-out duplication, this model has worked.

There’s always a “shovel ready” project available to regardless of the electorate; the timeframe; or the amount of pork available. If you’re really short of time, here’s a plan for some car parking.

Meanwhile over the same period proponents of rail have proposed multi-billion dollar decade-long projects. Which despite much better triple-bottom-line values have rarely gotten the go-ahead.

Maybe it’s time to learn from the road builders?

No arguments there. I'm a huge fan of more rail and of the East Coast high speed rail proposals. However g-boaf's notion we should be getting faster trains in the hope that suitable rail is built just doesn't make any sense whatsoever.

At present we don't have ANY high speed rail in Australia.

[g-boaf]

You might as well be putting some Zipp wheels on a Kmart Huffy.

But that is exactly the model that has driven our “congestion busting” freeway building craze for the past few decades.

Build a bit; discover you can’t drive at 100kph; demand more freeway.

Be it more lanes; more length; more connection; or out-and-out duplication, this model has worked.

There’s always a “shovel ready” project available to regardless of the electorate; the timeframe; or the amount of pork available. If you’re really short of time, here’s a plan for some car parking.

Meanwhile over the same period proponents of rail have proposed multi-billion dollar decade-long projects. Which despite much better triple-bottom-line values have rarely gotten the go-ahead.

Maybe it’s time to learn from the road builders?

No arguments there. I'm a huge fan of more rail and of the East Coast high speed rail proposals. However g-boaf's notion we should be getting faster trains in the hope that suitable rail is built just doesn't make any sense whatsoever.

At present we don't have ANY high speed rail in Australia.

The type I was proposing has another benefit - safety. In a crash the cars are less likely to jack-knife due to the way they are coupled together.

[Thoglette]

However g-boaf's notion we should be getting faster trains in the hope that suitable rail is built just doesn't make any sense whatsoever.

One needs to stop thinking like a rail or road user

The lessons from the road builders on just buying rolling stock are:

1/ it’s something that the pollies can announce will happen “now”, and for only a small, well estimated sum.

2/ once you’ve bought it, you then have a reason to complain about the existing rail & signalling.

3/ you then develop a cupboard full of “shovel ready” projects ready for the pollies to “fix” some problem.

I.E. If you continuously upgrade the Huffy, eventually you can slip in the new (Colagno) frame. And a mechanic or two. And a velodrome.

[Thoglette]

Looks like a bit may have survived

NSW matches Commonwealth's $500 million pledge for fast rail link construction
Sue Daniel, ABC

Sydney to Gosford upgraded to get a 25minute journey. Sydney and Newcastle reduced from two and a half hours down to one hour.

The funding will allow construction to begin on the first stage of the Northern Corridor, including two new electrified rail tracks between south of Tuggerah and north of Wyatt, new platforms and station upgrades at Wyong and Tuggerah, and new bridges.

[bychosis]

Yeah, but with no date for completion. $500M focussing on 10km section.

This govt is making announcement after announcement starting and election campaign early.


Edit: also coming from a fairly cynical viewpoint having watched a couple of episodes of Utopia today.

[g-boaf]

Yeah, but with no date for completion. $500M focussing on 10km section.

This govt is making announcement after announcement starting and election campaign early.


Edit: also coming from a fairly cynical viewpoint having watched a couple of episodes of Utopia today.

I'll believe it when I see it. Surely they need another two or three consultancy reports then same number of reviews, then two more reports then decide it's not viable and cancel the project.