Victoria State Election - 2014

[ozbob]

The next State election for Victoria will be held on Saturday, 29 November 2014, or possibly sooner.

--> https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/Government/government-next.html

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Twitter

NickMcCallum7 ‏@NickMcCallum7

State ALP launches first ads for election year. Transport will be key campaign issue. 6pm #7NewsMelb

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Twitter

Daniel Andrews ‏@DanielAndrewsMP 16m

If elected @VictorianLabor will deliver #Homesafe: 24-hour public transport on weekends. #springst #thisislabor http://t.co/MfvCBL3RHA

[ozbob]

Twitter

Daniel Bowen ‏@danielbowen

Metro/PTV looked at 24hr weekend trains http://www.danielbowen.com/2013/11/22/melbourne-24-hour-trains/ ... ALP now pledging to trial them http://www.news.com.au/news/victoria/labor-pledges-24hour-weekend-public-transport-for-melbourne-if-it-wins-november-election/story-fni0fit3-1226805009743 ... #allweekendtransport

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Melbourne Age --> Napthine rejects all-night transport

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Melbourne Age --> Labor needs protective services officers for 24-hour public transport plan

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Melbourne Age --> Fares 'up 22%' in Labor's trains plan

[ozbob]

Victorian state election, 2014

The next Victorian state election is scheduled for 29 November 2014. The incumbent centre-right Liberal/National Coalition minority government, currently led by Premier Denis Napthine, will be challenged by the centre-left Australian Labor Party opposition, currently led by Daniel Andrews.

Victoria has compulsory voting and uses preferential ballot in single-member seats for the Legislative Assembly, and single transferable vote in multi-member seats for the proportionally represented Legislative Council. The election will be conducted by the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_state_election,_2014

[ozbob]

Victorian Electoral Commission --> https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/

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Melbourne Age --> This excuse doesn't stop here any more

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Melbourne Age --> Infrastructure is the new Victorian election battleground

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Melbourne Age --> Labor retains lead over Napthine government as job woes hurt Coalition

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Melbourne Age --> The sad truth about Melbourne's transport future

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The Guardian --> Victorian election: this time, can we please talk about public transport?

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The Courier --> Alstom "stand-out" candidate for new train contract

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Melbourne Age --> Victorian state election: Labor pledges $2m for a Bendigo rail service

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Melbourne Age --> Politicians bank on good weather, as train passengers' votes swing with service

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Melbourne Age --> Victorian state election: Coalition reboots train promises with $3.9 billion

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Melbourne Age --> Trains: Running faster down the line

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Melbourne Age --> Universities' analysis shows East West link bill to reach $17.8 billion

[#Metro]

Just kill off this moronic project now!

18 km at 18 billion is $1 BILLION per Kilometre. All I can say is that is a $#&* HUGE amount of money. They may as well just pour gold as the road surface!

East-Waste Link!!

You could get 36km of gold class metro at that cost ($500 million/km)

[ozbob]

Crikey (Alan Davies) --> Is it time Melbourne got a rail line to the airport?

[ozbob]

Just kill off this moronic project now!

18 km at 18 billion is $1 BILLION per Kilometre. All I can say is that is a $#&* HUGE amount of money. They may as well just pour gold as the road surface!

East-Waste Link!!

You could get 36km of gold class metro at that cost ($500 million/km)

How cancelling the #EWLink can fund better transport alternatives for Melbourne > Study here: http://mams.rmit.edu.au/eupxwm692zjq1.pdf ...

[Llib]

In my opinion the article does not address the underlying issues in poor transport services in the middle and outer suburbs and that is that many of those middle and outer suburbs are not designed to allow adequate public transport service in those areas. Extra buses will only result in more empty buses that need to be paid from subsidies. 

The plan required to improve PT service IMO in these areas is listed below

- Increase densities in central activity centres.
- Redesign from cul de sac designs to grid like streets.
- Improve pedestrian and cycling amenities.
- Allow more mixed use development.

Until the state government changes the design of these suburbs they will never be conducive to better PT services. 



 

[riccardo]

So you gonna pay to acquire the houses at the ends of culs de sac to demolish them?

[Gazza]

Llib calling bull.

Basically the entire Melbourne metro area bounded by the western ring and Eastlink has main roads in a grid no more than 1.5km apart, so a very large portion of the population could and should have a high frequency east west/north south bus nearby.
The  density of the rail network means you'll always pass close to several stations.

The cul de sacs in the middle of the grid don't impact the ability to do this.

[#Metro]

In my opinion the article does not address the underlying issues in poor transport services in the middle and outer suburbs and that is that many of those middle and outer suburbs are not designed to allow adequate public transport service in those areas. Extra buses will only result in more empty buses that need to be paid from subsidies. 

There are cases of this. Caroline Springs, Sydenham spring to mind. The Melbourne bus network is horrible and the sooner PTV get stuck into it, the better. SmartBus is a step in the right direction, but again, bus network needs to be fixed up.

[Llib]

Its a question of urban design,  the buses will remain empty despite an increase in services because the catchments of these buses have an inadequate population base to support these services without excessive subsidies.

Cul de sacs are bad for bus services because pedestrians (potential bus users) have to circumnavigate winding and dead end streets to get to bus stops. Creating little pedestrian paths to penetrate the cul de sacs usually does not help as there is little surveillance of these paths and can be perceived as dangerous in the evening.

As these designs began during the late 1960's up till today, it will be very expensive and politically difficult to redesign these streets, especially if it means turning a cul de sac street into a through road.
Another issue is the attempt to increase density and allow mixed use development in the middle and outer suburbs. Most people not only oppose apartments but also subdivisions and will not tolerate mixed uses in residential areas. 

This means that many middle and outer suburbs will have poor PT services for many years or decades into the future.

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Napthine versus Andrews. Road versus rail is anything but simple

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Melbourne Age --> State election 2014: Labor promises $100 million to get Victorians on their bikes

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The Australian --> Rail an issue in the Frankston corridor to power

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Melbourne Age --> State election 2014: Coalition promises dozens more V/Line services across state

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PTUA --> PTUA delivers transport verdict

PTUA delivers transport verdict

by admin · November 24, 2014

The Public Transport Users Association has delivered its verdict on party policies going into the state election.

While the PTUA recommended the Coalition over Labor in the 2010 election, PTUA President Tony Morton said they could not do so this time, because the unwanted, unmandated East West Link was a spectre hanging over the Coalition's policies and budget.

"No matter how much the government denies it, the East West Link will be a drag on transport budgets for the next quarter century. Stage one alone will cost well over fifteen billion dollars in up-front costs and availability payments. And it will entrench car dependence in Melbourne, most likely reversing the recent reductions in driving per capita.[1]

"East West Link is a betrayal of the Victorian people, who elected the Coalition in 2010 on the back of fixing public transport, not building more roads."

Election 2014 scorecard

The PTUA rated the Coalition a D. "They have some good rail policies, but given the near-dumping of Rowville and Doncaster Rail, and years of delay on Southland station, we remain skeptical that those policies will be delivered.

"And the Coalition's rail tunnel plan is flawed. Apparently designed on the back of an envelope, it makes no sense to connect a line from the south-east to a line from the east, and in the process miss the busy Parkville precinct."

Labor scored a B, for solid policies around level crossing removal, a trial of 24-hour services on weekends, and its declared position that the East West Link will not go ahead under any circumstances.

"Grade separations will improve travel for motorists, public transport users, cyclists and pedestrians alike.

"Of the two major parties, Labor scored better on public transport.

"To address Melbourne's congestion issues it is vital that public transport is improved through operational reform and increased funding. But they will need to make sure East West Link is scrapped", said Dr Morton.

The Greens scored an A, for a good range of public transport upgrade policies, including relatively affordable tram extensions that will fill network gaps, and upgraded signalling for more trains, and a firm commitment to stop the East West Link.

Dr Morton said that public transport had swung the 2010 election, and it looked like doing the same this time.

"The people spoke in 2010: they want better public transport, not more big roads. Surveys indicate that's still what Victorians want[2] – but are the politicians listening?"

* * *

[1] Vehicle kilometres per capita. BITRE report 127, figure 2.13 (page 18)

[2] Recent polls include:

    Herald Sun 18/8/2014: 62% said Labor's plan to remove 50 level crossings is more important than Coalition's East West Link (28%)
    Herald Sun 3/3/2014: Which project should have priority? 34% said Airport rail, 30% said 50 Level crossing removals, 15% East West Link, 15% Metro rail tunnel.
    The Age 2/3/2014: Which project should have priority? 42% said Metro rail tunnel, 27% said 50 Level crossing removals, 24% said East West Link
    The Age 28/11/2013: 74% said improving public transport was more important than East West Link (23%)

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Public transport user group slams Napthine government, calls for Greens vote

[SurfRail]

I genuinely hope we do not go down the path of recommending any candidate or party over the other.  The die is already cast down there, but I think it probably contributes to the negligible pull they have with any government.

[ozbob]

Yo, Melbourne/Victoria elections are very much influenced by public transport issues.  PSOs sprung out of the last election for example.

We have never ranked in the way PTUA does, we have always highlighted the policy failings no matter who, but importantly have always come up with suggestions and ways to do it or fix the issues eg. fare reform and network reform.

It is kind of reassuring to be called an 'LNP stooge' when ALP was driving the bus, now called an ' ALP stooge ' with LNP driving bus ....

[Llib]

Both state ALP & LNP cannot be trusted to make decent investments in PT and chances are that labor will go forward with EW Link if they are elected. Promises of investment in PT are just preelection stunts that are quietly forgotten once in government. I think it is important for the PTUA to highlight the promises made and broken and who is and who isn't genuine about prioritising PT investment.

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The Conversation --> Victorian election spending spree shows a deficit of caution