RAIL - Back On Track Forum

https://x.com/ozbob13/status/1734223536007582037?s=20

 

https://x.com/abcnews/status/1734132236465607135?s=20

So they are going to freeze the cost of regos from 01 Jul 24. Why not Public Transport fares as well?

https://twitter.com/tamhus8/status/1735195577368142250?t=o0W5C8s0EuraDWSZnoJx7A&s=19

In a fixed space, there is only so much that can be allocated to roads. If car use is growing in a fixed space, at some point the space will exhaust, and saturation reached.

This isn't political. It's geometry.

QuoteAdding in hyper-partisan politics means there may be no way to form a consensus that will get us out of this traffic mess.

What hasn't been widely discussed is simply to cease funding new roads, allow the road network to congest further and at the same time invest heavily in public transport. It is probably cheaper to make public transport free than to build new roads.

Real solutions to this dilemma appear to be long-term and painful. That is something for motorists to ponder as they face that merge from three lanes into one.

We're running out of road in Sydney, so think twice about that new car
 https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/we-re-running-out-of-road-in-sydney-so-think-twice-about-that-new-car-20231217-p5erzy.html

Interesting comment:

QuoteKevin Cobley
8 HOURS AGO
I've been posting for a number of years on this site, quoting the geometry issues of road capacity.
Metro rail transport is the only transport option that should be considered the space requirements of cars are just too vast, every car that is travelling at 60kph requires 57 meters of roadway.
The reason traffic moves at between 10-20kph in peak hour is to save space, a car only requires 80sqm of space at a speed of 20kph.

At 60 kph a Toyota Corolla occupies 49.4 meters on a road lane, 4.375 meters being the length of the car, 25 meters being the reaction distance, 20 meters the braking length, therefore one kilometre of road can hold 20.3 cars, 60 kilometres of road can hold 1200 cars (all Toyota Corollas). or 1200 cars per hour.
At 40 k/ph the number rises to 1,317 cars per hour. At 80 k/ph it's only 1,090 cars per hour.
Planning for cities in the "Millions" class is about ending car use, the price for the space requirements of cars is just too high.
Metro rail line can carry 30,000 passengers per hour at its most efficient speed 80kph. For the cost of 1 kilometre of 3 lane road tunnel with a carrying capacity of 3,600 vehicles per hour travelling at 20kph, 5 kilometres of Metro Rail can be built.

The western harbour tunnel project along with the proposed beaches road should be cancelled and a new metro built continuing from the new Hunter St Station, there is more than enough clearance to go under the harbour in a hard rock tunnel on the eastern side of the bridge.

Spot on reply to a tweet of the article!!

https://x.com/eric_doherty/status/1736480596808130857?s=46&t=EDszjTErsxTIqAna7yuP-w

And video reply to that

https://x.com/eric_doherty/status/1736481276084080928?s=46&t=EDszjTErsxTIqAna7yuP-w

Building Beautifully---> https://youtu.be/FwR_iHCpt8c?si=x-8GB_iadozmnQKi

• Parramatta Road transformation
• Why we need road tunnels in our cities
• Traffic Calming
• New urban transit opportunities
• Increased housing density opportunities
• Reverse Tolls
• Street Scaping

Couriermail --> Elimbah residents are battling to save their homes and community $

QuoteMore than 1000 Elimbah residents have banded together in an effort to save their homes after two option for a Bruce Highway alternative were finally revealed.

Option 1 for the Stage 4 path of the Bruce Highway Western Alternative runs west of the North Coast rail line, while Option 2 travels east of the rail line. Both options, residents say, will devastate their community and lead to the resumption of hundreds of properties. ...

Australian homes in firing line of state's new project | A Current Affair

QuoteIt's been dubbed 'the highway to living hell'. The Queensland Government wants the road built, but there's 120 homes in its firing line. (Broadcast 26 December, 2023)

Government Statement: Concept plans released for next Bribie Island Bridge

12th January 2024

https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/99476

https://x.com/BrentToderian/status/1750218676123656208?s=20

Couriermail --> Elimbah residents fight to save their homes $

QuoteResidents of a rural community north of Brisbane have just hours to plead their case to have their homes spared from the Bruce Highway expansion.

Faced with the prospect of losing their homes to a highway, Elimbah residents have united, with the slogan "homes before highways" in front of almost every home.

This display of solidarity isn't just for show: it's a concentrated effort to plead their case to Transport and Main Roads (TMR) before the consultation period ends this Friday.

With more than 300 individual feedback submissions received by TMR, community representative Jason Smith believes hundreds more submissions will land in the TMR inboxes by the 5pm Friday deadline. ...

 

Government Statement

Funding flows for Queensland road safety projects

11th February 2024

Minister for Transport and Main Roads and Minister for Digital Services
The Honourable Bart Mellish

Queenslanders are set to benefit from over $500 million in road safety treatments across urban, regional and remote roads, footpaths and cycleways.

Under the Road Safety Program, the Australian Government has committed $255.7 million, with Queensland Government providing joint funding of $255.7 million, sourced through the Camera Detected Offence Program, bringing the total investment to $511.5 million.

This funding will deliver 71 projects for safety upgrades on Queensland's state-controlled roads to address identified road safety issues that contribute to vehicle crashes.

Of this $511.5 million, $434.2 million has been earmarked for projects in regional and rural Queensland, demonstrating both governments' focus on supporting our regional communities. ...

More > https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/99689

Another 2.5 billion is likely to be allocated for the M1 around the Gold coast. It will be mainly for interchange upgrades. (Gold Coast Bulletin, 2024). Coomera Connector not enough says MP! More work needed on the M1.

^^The Coomera Connector should be a toll road I reckon. All these road upgrades on the Gold Coast are sucking the transport budget dry, resulting in cuts to vital public transport infrastructure elsewhere 

Quote from: verbatim9 on February 13, 2024, 19:05:29 PMAnother 2.5 billion is likely to be allocated for the M1 around the Gold coast. It will be mainly for interchange upgrades. (Gold Coast Bulletin, 2024). Coomera Connector not enough says MP! More work needed on the M1.

^^The Coomera Connector should be a toll road I reckon. All these road upgrades on the Gold Coast are sucking the transport budget dry, resulting in cuts to vital public transport infrastructure elsewhere 

You could maybe put the toll gates in such a way that it would only toll those travellijg greater distances and using it as an M1 alternative, but keep the local options free. The northern gold coast really does need another road option, it just didn't have to be a quasi - highway thats being built under the current design. should just be a basic local road

When will this madness stop!! It is bankrupting the state!!

Gold Coast Bulletin --> Revealed: State and council put up $2.5b plan with overpasses and link roads to Pacific Motorway $

QuoteThe green light is being given to about $2.5 billion worth of transport upgrades around the M1 in the next four years because the Coomera Connector alone cannot fix congestion.

In an unprecedented move to rid red tape road blocks, City and state bureaucrats have agreed to work on a transport network development plan.

The key road infrastructure being fast forwarded include:

* An additional interchange on the M1 with a nominal location between Exits 49 and 54.

* Additional crossings of the M1 (overpass or underpass) for local east-west movements that do not have the M1 as a destination or origin.

* Establishment of new local link roads to provide alternative routes for motorists and "traffic pressure relief valves" during peak times. ...

Maybe the GCCC should start looking at funding operational PT.

Ultimately tackles the same issue, and would avoid or delay the need for large expenses like this.

They already do, and specifically services in this part of the city (unlike BCC which appears to have no target for its funding at all).

Gold Coast Bulletin --> State and council $2.5b plan 'too slow' amid calls for review into transport department $

QuoteGold Coast Mayor Tom Tate has demanded a review into the Qld transport department saying a $2.5 billion plan to upgrade the M1 over four years isn't quick enough.

A $2.5bn plan to upgrade the M1 over the next four years has been slammed for being "way too slow" to keep up with worsening Gold Coast congestion.

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate has called for a review into the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) and demanded a construction brief of planned upgrades be made available to council. ...

🤦🏽🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🏽🤦🤦

That's right, there is a local government election coming up. Someone is fishing for votes among the motorists caught in the traffic jams.

So, they spending $2.16 billion on the Coomera Connector (allegedly to reduce congestion on the M1), and they STILL want more M1 upgrades???!!! This state is verkakte!

Heavy Rail to OOL instead!

The M1 is a permanent project. It's difficult to remember a time when there wasn't some sort of project going on.

The are about $10 billion in proposals for this corridor, if you include proposed future stars of the second M1.

That sort of money is enough for fast rail to the GC IMO.

This will continue to be the case until there is a genuine faster rail option capable of achieving 160 km/hr along most sections. The current LGCFR doesn't really achieve this.

Rail can be competitive with cars but only if it is designed so.

This will continue until elected representatives and candidates stop Lying to the Public.

On road wireless charging for eBuses and eTrucks in Australia

Brisbanetimes --> Why there is no end in sight for traffic congestion in Brisbane's north $

QuoteThe news

Fourteen Queensland road projects that are dependent on federal funding will now cost an extra $2.2 billion – and the state government has yet to receive any commitments from Canberra.

The projects – all still in the planning and pre-construction phase – were caught up in a national infrastructure review and did not receive any funding in the Albanese government's midyear budget update. ...

Priced out of existence...

Any mode that requires the construction of new Priority A ROW whether cars (motorways) or PT (railways/busways) will be impacted.

These ~ 2x general cost escalations don't seem to be mode selective.

The medium to long term response to continuing 2x cost escalations is going to be doing 1/2 the projects.

Couriermail --> 'Nightmare': Queensland's school-zone highways create gridlock $

QuoteQueensland's congestion has reached critical levels with average speeds across key motorway sections dropping to below school-zone limits, a shock new report has revealed.

Drivers on Queensland's busiest motorways are now travelling below school-zone speed limits during peak times, with one major road slowing by a staggering 60.4km/h, a shocking new congestion report has found.

Extensive new research by the RACQ shows congestion has reached critical levels in the South East, with popular commutes now taking double the time during morning and evening rush hours.

The motoring body was provided with Bluetooth average speed data collected by the Department of Transport and Main Roads on state-controlled corridors throughout Brisbane and South Coast areas in 2023. ...

https://x.com/ozbob13/status/1772307007917203856?s=20

Sent to all outlets:

Another Day, Another Congestion-Busting Road Blow Out

26th March 2024

RAIL Back On Track frustratingly notes the $1 Billion ($1000 million) blow out of the Coomera Connector ( https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/99975 ) on the same day as the RACQ shows congestion is choking the life out of the Queensland economy, its people, its communities and no doubt its environment ( https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/nightmare-queenslands-schoolzone-highways-create-gridlock/news-story/77c202ca43f0470300902f69a89815f6 ).

Queensland is addicted to the Congestion Merry-go-round with congestion-choked roads and communities being used to justify more congestion-busting road projects to fix the problem created by the last congestion-busting road project.

It is as crazy as it sounds!



https://transformative-mobility.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/The-Vicious-Cycle-of-Predict-and-Provide_1302023-640x640.png

When is Queensland going to break this vicious cycle of "predict and provide" transport planning and wean itself off the congestion-busting merry-go-round?

If they won't listen to Engineering Australia, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nor the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) then who exactly are they listening to?

1. Engineering Australia - https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/sites/default/files/2022-06/urban-transport-systems-discussion-paper.pdf

2. OECD - https://youtu.be/TkNmv6LHVrI

3. PIA - https://resources.heartfoundation.org.au/images/uploads/publications/Moving-Australia-2030.pdf

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track https://backontrack.org

Facebook ...

https://x.com/railbotforum/status/1772466366966104226?s=20

https://x.com/ozbob13/status/1773099401424113999?s=20

ABC: Why are Brisbane roads so congested?

https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/brisbane-breakfast/brisbane-road-congestion/103635096

https://x.com/9NewsQueensland/status/1776523362992320762

Government Statement: Easing Bruce Highway Congestion

https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/100086

A $662.5 million Bruce Highway expansion is complete thanks to the Queensland and Australian Governments.

More than 600 workers delivered a massive 11-kilometres of expanded highway between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, and now Queenslanders are experiencing the benefits.

Interchanges and exit ramps were also improved, and 10 new higher, wider and safer bridges were built to withstand a 1-in-100-year flood.

This was put to the test during heavy rainfall in February 2024, which could have closed the highway at King Johns Creek if the new structure at this location had not been built.

Queenslanders travelling on the Bruce Highway between Caboolture-Bribie Island Road and Steve Irwin Way at Elimbah are now saving time on their trips and travelling even safer on the state's longest and busiest highway.

More than 65,000 vehicles (average) travel this section of the Bruce Highway each day.

The project is the 466th upgrade delivered on the Bruce Highway.

Sections of the upgraded 11-kilometre roadway have opened progressively to motorists since 2022.

The $662.5 million upgrade was jointly funded by Australian and Queensland Governments, to which the Australian Government committed $530 million. ...

More > https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/100086

around we go again

RACQ: Congestion grind on Centenary corridor continues

https://www.racq.com.au/latest-news/news/2024/03/ns250324-congestion-grind-on-centenary-corridor-continues