Interesting infrastructure plans and such ...

[ozbob]

The planning lament .. 

[ozbob]

May 2014

No music! >  Dead'un !!   

[ozbob]

June 2013

[ozbob]

April 2014

[ozbob]

April 2013

[ozbob]

... But She Couldn't Find How To Push Through ...

[ozbob]

 

October 2008

BRISBANE - Plans for a $14 billion subway system

Back to the beginning  ...   

[ozbob]

ball is still rolling ..   

[ozbob]

Actuality:

Nothing is going to be built team for years, if ever..  I will be direct, no point in beating around the bush, or suggesting the ball is still rolling  ... 

There is no money, no capability, no real motivation up on high to build anything much. A federal government that is lurching around in the 18th Century, a state government situation that is virtually in stalemate, going around in circles, chasing tails.

The correct path for now is investment in the existing infrastructure.  The best you can hope for is improved signalling for the existing rail network and extensions underway (MBRL, track amplifications)  More judicious placement of stabling.  Incremental service frequency improvements.

Bus network reform is necessary and will be delivered eventually as things continue to get worse.  Service frequency increases for bus and rail is about the only thing that is within the capability of the mediocre transport authorities. 

Just look at the bullsh%t in this thread.  It is amazing that some things have actually been done, the majority is just nonsense.

But, we were rather pleased with the roll-out of the ' blue ' water bubblers hey?   

Onwards!



^ infrastructure highlight in SEQ   

[SurfRail]

We should be encouraging them to do the "little" things given the lack of intention to do anything bigger.  Manly-Cleveland duplication and station upgrades, Sandgate to Shorncliffe and lengthen the Shorncliffe platform a la Cronulla, raise the platforms at Central etc.

[Arnz]

Glasshouse to Beerwah and/or Beerwah to Landsborough are also "easy" projects, for the most part require very minimal resumptions (only 1 block of land at Glasshouse Mtns).   Beerwah is also the current timetabled 'crossing' station for most off-peak services (The southbound service is usually scheduled to dwell/wait 3 minutes for the outbound Nambour service at Beerwah).

Apart from the resumption of 1 private block of farm land at Glasshouse Mtns, the majority of the duplicated alignment between Glasshouse and Landsborough only requires the new track to be laid next to the existing track for the most part.

[ozbob]

The Sunshine Coast Line upgrade could still get some federal funding to help it proceed.  That is if the feds were fair dinkum, but they seem very determined to lose electoral support in Queensland (and Oz) at present.

A good thing in the Sunny Coast Line's favour is that there is no fly-through animation that I can find.  This can only be good news, animations usually mean pipe-dream in the Queensland context. 

[ozbob]

Until then ...   

[Stillwater]

Should this be the state government's Transport Plan? .... Jackie Trad slipping out every Friday lunchtime and going to the newsagents with $50 of taxpayer's money in her pocket and buying a fistful of Lottery tickets.  Some of the jackpot prizes get into the tens of millions.

[ozbob]

March 2015

[Stillwater]

The Queensland Government doesn't have $6b-$8b for Cross River Rail, but it could cobble together $500m for duplication to Landsborough North - a project with a higher benefit-cost ratio than CRR.  As revealed elsewhere in this thread, it is a 'shovel ready' project, with all approvals in place.

[#Metro]

Sadly, CRR is not shovel ready. There is no money. It is only ATM-ready.

Didn't CRR require houses to be demolished? Isn't that land now back with the homeowners?

I fully expect the costs have exploded massively since the last pitch. They always do. BCR will require recalculation.

Sunshine Coast is a goer, good case for fed funding also.

[ozbob]

April 2012

Knock knock? 

Who's there?

Sunshine? 

Sunshine who?

Sunshine Coast Line upgrade ...   

[ozbob]

[ozbob]

October 2011

[ozbob]

[Stillwater]

Quote from the Premier: "We (Labor) are looking to 2020 for this duplication, as funding becomes available."

To the person in the street, this means the state government will make available funding over four years to complete duplication (to Nambour) by 2020.  They better get cracking to complete their own self-imposed deadline.  That means $500m in 2016-17, $700m in 2017-18, $800m in 2018-19 and $1b in 2019-20.

If $500m not allocated in financial year 2016-17, deadline not met ... fail for Labor on promise to duplicate the railway line serving the seat of Mr Peter Wellington, the man who keeps Labor in power.  That is a dangerous game the Premier and Ms Trad are playing.

If state Labor wants to show up the feds, they should stop sending Ms Trad to Canberra every few months to stand outside the PM's office and shout 'give us some money' (seriously, that is their current strategy).  Instead, they should announce funding to build one of the new railway stations on the new SCL alignment, then stand in front of that building and say 'see PM, we have done our bit, when are you going to build the railway track to this new building?'

It is high-risk strategy, but just might work in the lead-up to a federal election where the LNP would be looking to hold crucial seats on the Sunshine Coast.

The deal that needs to be done is for the feds to build the duplicated railway line to a new alignment, while the state builds the railway stations and commuter carparks.  Under this scenario, state could argue it is doing its share of the heavy lifting, consistent with the Coalition's policy stance of not funding 'urban rail'.

[ozbob]

Yo, they will have to stand o'er deliver!

[ozbob]

November 2010

" The price of progress ... "   

[ozbob]

September 2010

[ozbob]

[Stillwater]

"Work will start in 2016."     What does all this uncertainty mean for city development?  How many city blocks have the risk of demolition of buildings ever present?

The way this city works, BCC could approve a multi-million redevelopment, only to have, when the structure is substantially complete or opened, a compulsory resumption order served, on behalf a state government that requires the property for a rail tunnel.

Imagine being the owner of one of those 66 houses at Yeerongpilly.  Yes we want your house, no we don't, yes you can build that swimming pool, err you better not ..... 

[ozbob]

I think the ' Yeerongpilly ' option is gone gone gone ..

Reminds me of another song .. oh wait .. we have had that one already ... 

how about  ... past the point of rescue ..   

[ozbob]

Hey Albo,  no one has a plan ...

June 2013

[Stillwater]

Very appropriate theme music ... the lament of the hapless SEQ commuters and the PT system that serves them -- past the point of rescue.

Asked what he would do, Valdimir Putin didn't speak, but a pained expression came over his face:

[ozbob]

The mayor's vision - the role of rail in Auckland

March 2011

Could you imagine LM Quirk doing this speech?  No?  I didn't think so either ..

Stock up:

[ozbob]

July 2014

[ozbob]

Better times ahead in Auckland,  sorry not Brisbane     

[verbatim9]

Actuality:

Nothing is going to be built team for years, if ever..  I will be direct, no point in beating around the bush, or suggesting the ball is still rolling  ... 

There is no money, no capability, no real motivation up on high to build anything much. A federal government that is lurching around in the 18th Century, a state government situation that is virtually in stalemate, going around in circles, chasing tails.

The correct path for now is investment in the existing infrastructure.  The best you can hope for is improved signalling for the existing rail network and extensions underway (MBRL, track amplifications)  More judicious placement of stabling.  Incremental service frequency improvements.

Bus network reform is necessary and will be delivered eventually as things continue to get worse.  Service frequency increases for bus and rail is about the only thing that is within the capability of the mediocre transport authorities. 

Just look at the bullsh%t in this thread.  It is amazing that some things have actually been done, the majority is just nonsense.

But, we were rather pleased with the roll-out of the ' blue ' water bubblers hey?   

Onwards!



^ infrastructure highlight in SEQ   

Are they filtered water bubblers ?

[Stillwater]

^^

Why didn't they install the water bubblers where the excess water that drools from a human as they drink runs down into a doggy water bowl for Fido and Rex to drink at the same time!  They are all over the place.  Was there any public consultation?  http://mostdependable.com/categories.php?id=102&cat=Pet%20Fountains

[ozbob]

The colour was given, seeing it was a  ' blue ' mob time ...

Filtered?  WTF, this is Goodna,  drinking water is reserved for special occasions ...  shame they couldn't put a XXXX dispenser on the platform .. would save mad sprints to the pub and/or razzle dazzle ..

Water bowls for the security dogs would be handy Mr Stillwater ... agreed.

Do you think there is a case for painting the water bubblers red? 

[ozbob]

There is no pipeline or plan.  Sad reality for Queensland.

But there are PipeDREAMS!

Really glad bus reform is built to withstand zero budget funding and zero new infrastructure. Winner!!
It's the only thing that looks like it will survive.

Everyone could be a winner hey?   

[Stillwater]

When the transport system and all else fails, we have shanks' pony to get around town.  Walking in Brisbane is the only reliable mode, and it is cost-effective.  Just guard against getting the delta blues.

[ozbob]

Archaic train system drives housing inequality 

> http://www.news.com.au/video/id-c3dzlqczp5D2bzGN1dZdBMisgbRwQXQn/Archaic-train-system-drives-housing-inequality

"Chronic lack of investment in public transport ...  "   this is a surprise   

[ozbob]

When the spirits are a little dampened, what better than to get the blood flowing once again ...

Can you guess?  ' HIGH SPEED RAIL '  you say, spot on ..     You have studied well ...

October 2014