Public, active and rail freight transport policy polls - pre election. Week two.

[ozbob]

Which political party or candidate has the best public, active and rail freight transport policy at this time?

This poll will be done weekly until the election.

[ozbob]

Have your say on policy / non-policy as you see it!

[Cam]

The Daylight Saving Party can be removed from the poll.

DS4SEQ has decided not to contest the 2012 state election. Whilst this may be a disappointment to some, it is a decision that the Executive has taken very seriously and this decision does not mean that the party will be inactive. We believe this election will be a hard fought campaign between Labor & the LNP, and we have focussed our efforts on direct lobbying of both major parties, rather than running election candidates.

http://www.facebook.com/DS4SEQ

[achiruel]

Greens' public & active transport policy is a bit vague:

http://qld.greens.org.au/content/public-and-active-transport

• More cross-town transport links rather than all radial - good idea
• Ensure development along transport corridors - good idea

Problem is there's no detail about how they would achieve these aims or fund them.

Sorry Greens, you fail (for now).

[Stillwater]

Maybe they have planned it that way, maybe the haven't, but the scheduling of the Flood Inquiry and the state election campaign in parallel could result in the available media resources that otherwise would have gone to scrutinising political parties and their policies being devoted to the flood inquiry instead.  The timing of the flood inquiry report release date so close to the election will be an unwelcome distraction.  No wonder Anna Bligh wants the inquiry to proceed at the same time as the election. 

We are to blame here.  Who wants to read the story that 'LNP Has No Transport Policy' when the alternative is 'Engineer Cries Amid Claims Inquiry Was Misled'?

Think of all the pages of newprint and electronic media airtime devoted to the Flood Inquiry and its report in the final week of the campaign, when a significant percentage of voters traditionally make up their mind about who to vote for.  You could release a policy that the firstborn in every family will be executed and it would be swamped by floodmania.

The last week of the election campaign would be the perfect time to release half-baked and ill-conceived policies.  Standby.

[Cam]

Greens' public & active transport policy is a bit vague:

http://qld.greens.org.au/content/public-and-active-transport

• More cross-town transport links rather than all radial - good idea
• Ensure development along transport corridors - good idea

Problem is there's no detail about how they would achieve these aims or fund them.

Sorry Greens, you fail (for now).

Yes, good ideas. Similar ideas are contained in publications by the current government but there is little to show for it.

Regarding the first point, The Greens could be more specific e.g. Darra to Garden City via Coopers Plains/Salisbury & Redbank Plaza to Loganlea via the Logan Motorway & Browns Plains.

Regarding the second point, most of Brisbane's shopping centres have been built at the intersections of major roads & therefore along bus routes, rather than along railway lines. Apart from the two shopping centres in Logan Central which are about a 15 minute walk from Woodridge Station, there are not even mid-sized shopping centres near stations on the Beenleigh Line between Fairfield & Beenleigh. I believe this highlights a real failure in planning in Brisbane's southern suburbs & is part of the reason for a lack of patronage on this line.

Moderate sized shopping centres, possibly even a large shopping centre, should be built adjacent to, or on top of, a few stations on the Beenleigh Line. The surrounding areas should be rezoned for high density housing & areas around the other stations zoned medium density. There would be a dramatic increase in rail patronage as a result & far less reliance on road based transport.

The railway line was lowered, & built over, to create Box Hill Central in Victoria. A railway station is to be built between Highett & Cheltenham stations adjacent to Southland Shopping Centre on the Frankston Line. Many medium sized & large shopping centres are located near railway stations in Melbourne & Sydney & therefore many people catch a train to go shopping in these cities. Very few people who live near a Beenleigh Line station catch the train to go shopping at a suburban shopping centre.

[aldonius]

The Greens have another, much more detailed policy, but it's hard to find and out of date. I know they've been redrafting.

The policy I refer to is http://qld.greens.org.au/content/transport-1
I went through it here: http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=7482.msg84582#msg84582

[Jonas Jade]

IMO, it's the ALP at this point in time, but they have the advantage of CRR et al.

[Fares_Fair]

IMO, it's the ALP at this point in time, but they have the advantage of CRR et al.

My only concern, given the grand plans for the Sunshine Coast that never eventuate, but how much money has/will the State ALP put towards CRR?
Is it an unfunded promise that they know they cannot afford?

Regards,
Fares_fair.

[#Metro]

I think I'd be skeptical. Stick to the bread and butter I think for me at least.

* Just because someone promises X doesn't mean that it is going to happen, be funded or progress beyond a report.
* I'd look at what they are promising and also the likelyhood of them having capacity to deliver it

As I see it, completing the Core Frequent Network on buses, followed by rail is the first priority. That get's service level considerations dealt with.
Frequent buses and trains where possible now. And they're aren't many to finish the CFN either - BUZ 245 (=227), BUZ 230, BUZ 359, BUZ 400 and then
some pruning of the bush plus frequent rail where possible.

Cross River Rail and Sunshine Coast are important.

Beware of vague statements, and thing that are undeliverable

   More cross-town transport links rather than all radial - good idea
   Ensure development along transport corridors - good idea

More cross town links - where, when, how, what's the frequency? Where will is stop --- not enough detail = FAIL
Ensure development - how? Regulation? Grants? Reducing red tape? Rapid Transit services? Can you really "force" people to build stuff where you want it?

[Stillwater]

In answer to your question, FF, the Queensland government will not be putting a brass razoo of public money into Cross River Rail.  It wants all the money to come from the feds.  Everything is spelled out in this letter from Paul Lucas to Anthony Albanese.

http://www.dlgp.qld.gov.au/resources/infrastructure-funding/letter-transmittal-minister-albanese.pdf

See wording beneath the 'Financial Considerations' heading.

[Fares_Fair]

Wow, it won't contribute anything until the budget is brought into surplus !!!
It's an ALP pipedream also, another glossy brochure that may never occur.

No wonder Andrew Fraser has delayed the $26m CoastConnect program by 12 months, just to create a small surplus that will last a year before heading back to deficit.
Politics !!!

No one can build it unless the Federal Government pays.


Regards,
Fares_fair.