17 Nov 2007: Federal Funding Fizzers ? Ramp up rail!

[ozbob]

Media Release 17 November 2007

Australia: Federal Funding Fizzers ? Ramp up rail!

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport has called for massive funding for environmentally sustainable transport solutions for the entire nation, namely railways.

Robert Dow said:

?Australia's cities are struggling with backlogs of infrastructure investment ignored for the last decade. Foremost of these is investment in urban passenger rail.

?The Sydney Morning Herald highlighted this problem in its lead editorial on Friday 16th November.

?RAIL Back On Track calls for Federal intervention to fund the massive investments needed to prevent our cities from grinding to a halt.

?No major party has any plans for supporting urban investment of any kind, except roads. The last time the Australian Government funded urban railways was during the Better Cities era of Minister Brian Howe, during the Hawke government.

?The Howard government has refused to fund urban rail or any other sustainable urban infrastructure. The regions represented by the National Party have been pork-barrelled in many ways, but not for the infrastructure needed in regional towns.

?Rudd has 'me-tooed' his way around urban issues, and has failed to promise urban rail development funds, even though he has promised lots of money for extravagant road projects and even more extravagant desalination plants, probably the worst public policy decisions that could be made.

?Most Australians live in metropolitan cities. They are getting tired of congestion in these cities and also realise that more roads don't solve anything. Massive public transport and rail investment is urgently required for cities and country. Only the Federal Government has the money to do it.

?Metropolitan voters will remember who neglected their cities!? said Robert Dow spokesman for RAIL Back On Track.

Contact:

Robert  Dow

Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track
http://backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Editorial Sydney's problems pile up and up Sydney Morning Herald 16th November 

click here!

Sydney's problems pile up and up

November 16, 2007

AS THE Herald's series on the troubles of central Sydney has shown, this city finds it difficult to manage changes which would make the central business district more convenient and more liveable. One example will serve for many.

As part of the works associated with the Cross City Tunnel, a special lane was built to take buses from the inbound carriageway of the Western Distributor to a special lane of the outbound carriageway. The purpose: to direct some buses into the city along Druitt Street, and ease the pressure elsewhere. It was a fine idea, but its designers reckoned without Sydney's impatient pedestrians crowded at busy Druitt Street crossings. Citybound buses tended to hurtle across Sussex Street and up Druitt Street at unexpected speed, from an unexpected direction.

Thirteen accidents involving buses and pedestrians showed the flaw. Something had to be done - but what? The city council, the Roads and Traffic Authority, the Ministry of Transport and State Transit are thinking about it. Buses have been diverted into Bathurst Street for now, but a full solution is yet to be found. And that is one problem with one bus lane. Multiply it by a thousand or so separate small but important issues and you have some idea of the complexity and of the effort required to bring a little more life and vigour into the city's heart.

The key to any change in the city is transport. There seems little point in declaring the CBD car-free, even one day a week, as some have suggested. Car-free days may have publicity value, prompting people to think of other ways to commute, but they do not solve the underlying demand. That may be reduced by increasing charges on parking in the city - or with no government involvement by rising petrol prices. The point of any change should be to make trips around the city - all trips, made by whatever means - faster and easier. Public transport within the city therefore has to be improved. Buses obviously will be part of this, but only one part.

The present bus strategy does not help. It sees the city as a giant terminus for trips in from the suburbs, not as a region within which trips are made. At peak times, certain streets are clogged as buses get into position for morning and evening runs.

To alter that will take improvements in rail transport, which, by going underground, will take some burden from streets and street-level services. Yet rail developments of all types - heavy rail, light rail or metro rail - appear to be beyond the State Government, as its recent prevarications and changes of mind over needed suburban and cross-city projects show. Here, the missing piece of the planning jigsaw becomes apparent: the Federal Government. Only Canberra has the wherewithal to effect change on the scale needed. It is alarming, then, that neither of the two main parties has set out a cities policy worth the name. Climate change and population growth are setting the agenda: whoever wins next weekend will have their attention turned to the problem of our cities, like it or not.

[GMS]

It seems the problem here is even if funding is pledged during an election campaign it doesn't always happen.  This seems to apply to both sides of politics and both State and Federal.  I believe funding from Auslink was promised for the Townsville - Cairns rail corridor.  Maybe someone can tell me if anything has happened.  I do know the Tully River Bridge has had its rail speed reduced due to its poor condition, with no repairs in sight.  While this is outside the real world for most people ( capital city inhabitants ) it is also out of mind.  Most capital city residents also own a car, so better roads appears a better solution for them, and these people also vote.  Both political parties are very well aware of this. 

GMS