Roads - articles and discussion

[dwb]

Um, well the operator is hemorrhaging money at a lower rate than previously, the average daily friday take has gone from a little over $63k up to more than $111k. So clearly for a double in cost, and a fall in patronage of 10%, those who are using aren't that elastic.

Bit weird to qv myself, but here goes...

Further, I wonder what implications this has for PT fares. To me it might indicate that those who are fundamentally/philosophically/emotionally against using the tunnel [aka bus] will not be heavily influenced by price sensitivity, just as those who are fundamentally philosophically/emotionally supportive of PT will continue to use it.

Furthermore, those who feel they have no alternative other than using the tunnel [bus] will in the most part continue to do so, while making the finances stack up much more favorably.

I would wonder then at the appropriate level of offpeak discounting that should be applied to public transport fares. Let's assume it will not switch many people TO/FROM public transport, however that is not to say that pricing offpeak fares at say half the level of peak fares won't SHIFT existing users (be they the philosophically supportive or 'no choice' type commuters) to change their travel TIME... ie seek more flexible work hours, do/don't go to they gym/pub/shops on the way home to miss peak etc etc.

Half I think is a good cost differential for offpeak... for example look at the standard electricity use and the offpeak hot water tariff... our bill says 19.41 vs 7.92c/kwhr, which means the hot water tariff is actually ~41% peak cost!

Comment here http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=6262.0

[Emmie]

Interesting article here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-13924687 from the BBC on ridiculously expensive roads. A pity nobody in power in Queensland will probably read it.

[dwb]

Interesting article here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-13924687 from the BBC on ridiculously expensive roads. A pity nobody in power in Queensland will probably read it.

Yes, interesting article

[dwb]

Interesting article here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-13924687 from the BBC on ridiculously expensive roads. A pity nobody in power in Queensland will probably read it.

PS, and now, 43 years later, Brisbane has its very own spaghetti junction

[ozbob]

Transport and Multicultural Affairs
The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk
09/07/2011

Road safety can get better with age

A new specialist advisory committee will examine the rules around older driver safety in Queensland, Transport Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk announced today.

The Older Driver Safety Advisory Committee would review research relating to older drivers including crash statistics to provide evidence-based recommendations to government.

Ms Palaszczuk said while older drivers weren't over-represented in crash statistics, the community needed to have confidence in the licensing rules surrounding older drivers.

According to the Federal Government's 2010 Intergenerational Report over the next 40 years the ageing of the population will see the number of people aged 65 to 84 years more than double and the number of people 85 years and over more than quadruple.

"Our population is ageing and this is a good opportunity to review the system and make sure we're getting it right," Ms Palaszczuk said.

The advisory committee will be made up of:

·the Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety Queensland (CARRS-Q);

·the RACQ;

·General Practice of Queensland;

·Older People Speak Out;

·Council on the Ageing;

·Queensland Health; and

·The Department of Transport and Main Roads.

"The number of drivers aged 75 and over, as a percentage of all drivers, has increased year on year over the past three years, but their involvement in fatal crashes has decreased during the same period," Ms Palaszczuk said.

Ms Palaszczuk said older drivers had a wealth of driving experience, and were likely to be more tolerant and confident on the road.

"Age can diminish some of our senses, but that's why it's mandatory for all drivers aged 75 years and over to have regular medical condition tests," she said.

"Under Queensland laws older drivers - aged 75 and over - are required to have a current medical certificate on them whenever they're behind the wheel."

Ms Palaszczuk said CARRS-Q would undertake research that would encompass interstate data and world's best practice.

"I've asked the panel to review the research and make any appropriate recommendations later in the year," she said.

===============

An aging population with a loss of mobility has significant implications in terms of public transport access.  Something that has not been well handled of late, new thinking needed ..

[ozbob]

Split off posts on aging population and implications --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=6348.0

[Jonno]

QLD Government Web site - Department of Local Govt and Planning - www.waytogrow.qld.gov.au/bruce-highway-strategy

For over 80 years, the Bruce Highway has been one of Queensland's most important roads, linking major regional centres to one another and the south east.

The Bruce Highway is part of the daily lives of thousands of Queensland who live and work along it. It is the transport backbone of the state, moving tens of thousands of people and tonnes of freight every day.

As our regions grow and strengthen, a safe, reliable and efficient transport system is essential. The Bruce Highway is the cornerstone of this transport system.

Through the Bruce Highway Upgrade Strategy, the Queensland Government is providing a comprehensive long-term masterplan to improve the safety, reliability, capacity, transport efficiency and flood immunity of the Bruce Highway.

The plan outlines over 50 short, medium and long-term priorities spanning the length of the Bruce Highway from Brisbane to Cairns. Collectively, these priorities demonstrate how the Bruce Highway can support the growth and prosperity of regional Queensland over coming decades.

The Bruce Highway Upgrade Strategy is closely aligned with both the Queensland Regionalisation Strategy and Queensland Infrastructure Plan, for a holistic approach to strengthening Queensland's regions.

View an interactive map for details of each project of the Bruce Highway Upgrade Strategy.

Have your say

The Bruce Highway Upgrade Strategy is open for consultation until 9 September 2011.

When will they learn?  More deaths, more $ on road trauma and bigger subsidy of road transport.  Carbon tax is just small chnage compard to this willfull waste of lives, taxes and potential economic growth.  May the submissions on the stupidiyty of this plan begin. Draft Press Release to follow.

[Golliwog]

Not sure about all, but at least some of those were already existing TMR projects. Some I think are already underway or about to be so. I feel at least a big part of this is to combat the media hype about the State Government not doing anything about the Bruce Highway. Still would like to see another document about similar upgrades on rail.

[ozbob]

Courier Mail --> Clem7 tunnel traffic slumps further after 'heavy-handed' approach to speeding fines

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Transport and Main Roads staff fail road rules

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Bottleneck worries for Legacy Way

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Motorway toll evasion a $7m headache

[Golliwog]

Brisbanetimes --> Bottleneck worries for Legacy Way

So basically BCC is saying, we're going to cause a problem, but the problem will be on teh Centenary Motorway, which is a State Government responsibility, so fixing the problem is their responsibility? 

[Stillwater]

What's most interesting is that you have a State Government agency responsible for collecting from people fines imposed through the courts etc also collecting unpaid tolls on behalf of a private company.  Does the state government charge a service fee?

[awotam]

"There are four lanes outbound from Milton Road merging into two lanes to travel along the Western Freeway."
Huh? Where do these four lanes come from? Any time I've driven outbound on Milton Rd I've only noticed two 

[Gazza]

I thought it was 3...The two from Milton Rd, plus the extra lane that comes from the Rouen Rd flyover.

[Golliwog]

"There are four lanes outbound from Milton Road merging into two lanes to travel along the Western Freeway."
Huh? Where do these four lanes come from? Any time I've driven outbound on Milton Rd I've only noticed two 

I thought it was 3...The two from Milton Rd, plus the extra lane that comes from the Rouen Rd flyover.

I think the 4th would be the exit from the roundabout.

[brismike]

RE Milton Road Lanes .. There are 2 from Milton Road joined by the one from the Frederick Street Flyover making 3 lanes .. These very quickly merge into 2 lanes just before another lane joins that has come from the Roundabout on Mt Cootha Road. This makes 3 lanes again for a short distance where there is another merge and back to 2 lanes again. At no time is there ever 4 lanes all together. The max is 3 lanes. 

[Golliwog]

It's been a while since I've been over that way and looked closely at the lanes. But either way, there are still four lanes there and they all merge down to two in the same area. IIRC, its actually the 2 lanes that come from Milton Rd that have to give way in each merge (so first the left lane from Milton Rd has to merge into the right lane from Milton, then that lane has to merge into the lane that came from the flyover), which probably isn't ideal.

[dwb]

It's been a while since I've been over that way and looked closely at the lanes. But either way, there are still four lanes there and they all merge down to two in the same area. IIRC, its actually the 2 lanes that come from Milton Rd that have to give way in each merge (so first the left lane from Milton Rd has to merge into the right lane from Milton, then that lane has to merge into the lane that came from the flyover), which probably isn't ideal.

That is not accurate. Travelling from Milton to Indro via the Western Freeway there are two lanes on Milton Rd from before Croydon St that continue through the roundabout with Mishkin/Frederick that are joined on the right by one lane from the flyover (making three lanes). Further up, just before you enter the freeway, the very left lane merges, leaving two lanes from Milton which are then joined by one on the right from Bardon/Mt Coottha (Botanic Gardens). There are three lanes on the freeway for a distance and then the left lane merges leaving two lanes. The lanes have been like this for donkeys years. These lanes are not currently affected by Northern link construction, so just hop on Google maps or nearmap to confirm.

[Golliwog]

Yeah, I know that, but for the sake of traffic due to merging, those two merges aren't really far enough apart for traffic from one not to impact on the other. And my main point from my previous post was that if you're coming outbound on Milton Rd (which in the PM peak is where one would assume msot traffic heading onto the Western Freeway is coming from) you can't just stick to your lane to get onto the freeway, you have to merge at least once if not twice.

[dwb]

Yeah, I know that, but for the sake of traffic due to merging, those two merges aren't really far enough apart for traffic from one not to impact on the other. And my main point from my previous post was that if you're coming outbound on Milton Rd (which in the PM peak is where one would assume msot traffic heading onto the Western Freeway is coming from) you can't just stick to your lane to get onto the freeway, you have to merge at least once if not twice.

I don't quite get what your point is?

[Golliwog]

In the merge, the two lanes that come in with the least amount of traffic are the ones that have right of way.

[dwb]

In the merge, the two lanes that come in with the least amount of traffic are the ones that have right of way.

That is a big assumption that a local familiar with traffic volumes on route 20 probably wouldn't make.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> New six-lane bridge for Gympie Road

" ... 'It's exciting to now see traffic travelling along the final alignment of Gympie Road, which is part of the permanent design of the Airport Link project,' Mr Fraser said ..."

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/new-sixlane-bridge-for-gympie-road-20110725-1hwru.html

[ozbob]

Main Roads, Fisheries and Marine Infrastructure
The Honourable Craig Wallace
26/07/2011

Motorists asked for patience during Goodna ramp closure

Motorists are being asked to prepare for changed conditions when an exit ramp off the Ipswich Motorway is temporarily closed at the end of July for six months.

Main Roads Minister Craig Wallace said complex construction requirements for the motorway upgrade meant the eastbound exit ramp at Goodna would need to be closed.

"From July 31, eastbound motorists wishing to exit at Goodna will need to turn off earlier at Mine Street, Redbank and use Smiths Road, or use the Logan Motorway exit at Gailes and detour back to Goodna via Brisbane Road," Mr Wallace said.

The ramp will be closed to enable construction of the permanent Brisbane-bound motorway alignment. The Ipswich-bound works were recently completed and the start of Brisbane-bound works through Goodna mark a major step toward completion.

Mr Wallace said he appreciated the temporary change would cause a slightly longer trip for motorists approaching Goodna from the west.

"We've tried to minimise any inconvenience to drivers but the detour is necessary so we can complete this much-needed upgrade," he said.

"It's taken extensive planning to be able to keep motorway traffic flowing while these works are carried out.

"The good news is, the start of the Brisbane-bound carriageway puts the end clearly in sight, pushing us over the halfway mark for this section of the motorway upgrade."

Advertisements, flyers and road signs will signal the change in the days leading up to the exit closure, to give motorists time to plan ahead and make adjustments to their travel plans.

The motorway upgrade remains on track for completion by the end of 2012.

=================

Don't buy it Minister, the way Goodna has been treated during the whole saga is a shocker!  Still a mess ....  the stoic residents have long memories ..

[ozbob]

This Government is a joke.  Panic over aged drivers (who statistically are much safer than younger cohorts)  but incapable of doing anything about irresponsible clowns at level crossings ....  must be time for a new broom!

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

28th July 2011

Goodna and the forced isolations ...

Greetings,

Goodna was impacted with the floods.  My observations of Goodna is that it is still struggling.  St Ives shopping centre is still very quiet and is of concern to local businesses and residents.  Closing off direct access to Goodna eastbound from the Highway is not going to help matters.

It is already not easy to access Goodna, this closure is probably going to be the businesses death knell for some sadly.

Goodna railway station has had some recent improvements. A shelter was finally placed at the kiss n'ride / FlexiLink point, and some new bus station shelters.  The lifts are still not operational, but hopefully will be in a few more weeks.  Access to the railway station has been difficult and remains so.  (  http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=5712.msg64053#msg64053 ).

State and Local Government needs to consider the impacts of this Goodna ramp closure and provide support as needed.

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

======================================

http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=75805
Main Roads, Fisheries and Marine Infrastructure
The Honourable Craig Wallace

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Motorists asked for patience during Goodna ramp closure

Motorists are being asked to prepare for changed conditions when an exit ramp off the Ipswich Motorway is temporarily closed at the end of July for six months.

Main Roads Minister Craig Wallace said complex construction requirements for the motorway upgrade meant the eastbound exit ramp at Goodna would need to be closed.

"From July 31, eastbound motorists wishing to exit at Goodna will need to turn off earlier at Mine Street, Redbank and use Smiths Road, or use the Logan Motorway exit at Gailes and detour back to Goodna via Brisbane Road," Mr Wallace said.

The ramp will be closed to enable construction of the permanent Brisbane-bound motorway alignment. The Ipswich-bound works were recently completed and the start of Brisbane-bound works through Goodna mark a major step toward completion.

Mr Wallace said he appreciated the temporary change would cause a slightly longer trip for motorists approaching Goodna from the west.

"We've tried to minimise any inconvenience to drivers but the detour is necessary so we can complete this much-needed upgrade," he said.

"It's taken extensive planning to be able to keep motorway traffic flowing while these works are carried out.

"The good news is, the start of the Brisbane-bound carriageway puts the end clearly in sight, pushing us over the halfway mark for this section of the motorway upgrade."

Advertisements, flyers and road signs will signal the change in the days leading up to the exit closure, to give motorists time to plan ahead and make adjustments to their travel plans.

The motorway upgrade remains on track for completion by the end of 2012.

[ozbob]

" World Class " ?

=========================

Premier and Minister for Reconstruction
The Honourable Anna Bligh
31/07/2011

The Gateway to free flowing traffic

Drivers can now enjoy more than 80 kilometres of six or eight lane motorway all the way from Nudgee to Nerang along the Gateway and Pacific motorways.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said the $2.5 billion investment in the Gateway corridor had reached a major milestone with the completion of the entire 24 kilometre Gateway Upgrade Project between Nudgee and Eight Mile Plains.

"The final stretch - the four kilometre southern extension of the Gateway Upgrade Project from Mt Gravatt-Capalaba Road to the Pacific Motorway - was finished yesterday after only kicking off last year," Ms Bligh said.

"After more than 700,000 tonnes of asphalt, 174,000 cubic metres of concrete, 6 million tonnes of fill, 23,000 tonnes of steel and 650,000 tonnes of road base, the Gateway Upgrade Project and southern extension is complete."

The only remaining piece of the State and Federal Government's $2.5 billion Gateway corridor investment is the $385 million Port of Brisbane Motorway upgrade, which started this year.

Ms Bligh said the progressive upgrade to the Gateway Motorway had already made a huge difference to people's lives.

"Over the last few years we've been bringing the Gateway up to world-class standard. Today we have a world-class motorway, and we've boosted capacity, tackled congestion and improved safety," she said.

"There are now eight lanes between the Port of Brisbane Motorway and Old Cleveland Road, with 12 lanes across the Brisbane River on the Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges.

"Already the Gateway Upgrade Project - including the twin Sir Leo Hielscher bridges opened last year - has resulted in peak travel time savings of up to 12 minutes.

"Peak morning traffic travelling northbound will be benefit by up to 12 minutes and southbound by up to five minutes," Ms Bligh said.

"In the afternoon, motorists heading south during peak times will find themselves saving up to five minutes, while northbound travel to the airport is estimated to have improved by about two to three minutes with the provision of the new motorway and airport interchange.

"And we expect further benefits now the southern extension is complete."

The fast-tracked works included increasing the motorway from four to six lanes, widening the bridges over Mt Gravatt-Capalaba Road and Prebble Street to three lanes in each direction, as well as localised intersection works at Mt Gravatt-Capalaba Road.

It has provided better connections for business, industry and tourism, and is estimated to have added more than $600 million to Gross Regional Product, including over $400 million to employment.

"We have improved travel between the Gold and Sunshine coasts, and have created better access to the Australia TradeCoast precinct, making a major economic impact at a state and national level," Ms Bligh said.

In March, the Australian Infrastructure Awards recognised the Gateway Upgrade Project as the project of the year, for its "iconic status, its engineering brilliance and sheer scale."

The Port of Brisbane Motorway upgrade is expected to finish in mid-2013.

Construction will begin next year on the $150 million Gateway Additional Lane between Sandgate Road and the Deagon Deviation. A wider planning study, Gateway Upgrade North, investigating an extension of works is also under way.

The Bligh Government's $2.5 billion investment in the Gateway corridor includes:

·Original $1.88 billion Gateway Upgrade Project

·A $240 million southern extension to the Gateway Upgrade Project widening between Mt Gravatt Capalaba Road and Miles Platting Road as well as pavement resurfacing through to the Pacific Motorway

·extension of the Port of Brisbane Motorway between Lindum Road and Pritchard Street and upgrade to four lanes

Statistics for the Gateway Upgrade Project

·More than 5000 jobs

·713,000 tonnes of asphalt

·133,500 sq m of bridge decking

·174,600 cu m of concrete

·6.0 million tonnes of fill

·1000 super tee bridge beams

·136,200 sq m of geotextile fabric

·23,200 tonnes of reinforcing steel

·650,000 tonnes of road base

·4625 concrete noise barriers

·22km of fauna fencing

·1289km of wick drains

·300km of conduit

·230 electronic signs

·87 CCTV sites

·136 emergency telephones

·3 weather monitoring sites

·890 street lights

==============================================================

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

31st July 2011

Rail, not roads ...

Greetings,

Apparently much jubilation in some circles with the grandstanding about roads, an increasing failing solution in terms of congestion costs, environmental impacts and costs, and runaway health sector and social costs associated with road trauma.  There is no jurisdiction in the world that has solved their urban transport issues by building roads.  Many places are now ripping up freeways and the like and moving forward with proper sustainable mass transit solutions, particularly rail - light and heavy.

Have a look as these videos of a Santa Fe steam locomotive powering down a freeway in Los Angeles --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=3130.msg64482#msg64482  a poignant point in time ...

The problem with southern part of Gateway corridor is the failure to include a freight rail line in the corridor.  Again a manifest sign of the mediocre transport planning processes that will condemn Queensland and Australia to much transport related grief in the years to come.

A further sign of the  'car-capture' that Government is bound with, look at the statement on the closure of the ramp off the Ipswich Highway into Goodna for the next six months (below).  A great fuss is made of the impacts on motorists, but no mention of the effects social and economic on Goodna and district.  Not good ...

Peak oil is a reality folks, as is a carbon price by the looks of things.  It is time we joined the global rail revolution, time is fast running out ...

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

================================

http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=75889

Premier and Minister for Reconstruction
The Honourable Anna Bligh
31/07/2011

The Gateway to free flowing traffic

Drivers can now enjoy more than 80 kilometres of six or eight lane motorway all the way from Nudgee to Nerang along the Gateway and Pacific motorways.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said the $2.5 billion investment in the Gateway corridor had reached a major milestone with the completion of the entire 24 kilometre Gateway Upgrade Project between Nudgee and Eight Mile Plains.

"The final stretch - the four kilometre southern extension of the Gateway Upgrade Project from Mt Gravatt-Capalaba Road to the Pacific Motorway - was finished yesterday after only kicking off last year," Ms Bligh said.

"After more than 700,000 tonnes of asphalt, 174,000 cubic metres of concrete, 6 million tonnes of fill, 23,000 tonnes of steel and 650,000 tonnes of road base, the Gateway Upgrade Project and southern extension is complete."

The only remaining piece of the State and Federal Government's $2.5 billion Gateway corridor investment is the $385 million Port of Brisbane Motorway upgrade, which started this year.

Ms Bligh said the progressive upgrade to the Gateway Motorway had already made a huge difference to people's lives.

"Over the last few years we've been bringing the Gateway up to world-class standard. Today we have a world-class motorway, and we've boosted capacity, tackled congestion and improved safety," she said.

"There are now eight lanes between the Port of Brisbane Motorway and Old Cleveland Road, with 12 lanes across the Brisbane River on the Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges.

"Already the Gateway Upgrade Project - including the twin Sir Leo Hielscher bridges opened last year - has resulted in peak travel time savings of up to 12 minutes.

"Peak morning traffic travelling northbound will be benefit by up to 12 minutes and southbound by up to five minutes," Ms Bligh said.

"In the afternoon, motorists heading south during peak times will find themselves saving up to five minutes, while northbound travel to the airport is estimated to have improved by about two to three minutes with the provision of the new motorway and airport interchange.

"And we expect further benefits now the southern extension is complete."

The fast-tracked works included increasing the motorway from four to six lanes, widening the bridges over Mt Gravatt-Capalaba Road and Prebble Street to three lanes in each direction, as well as localised intersection works at Mt Gravatt-Capalaba Road.

It has provided better connections for business, industry and tourism, and is estimated to have added more than $600 million to Gross Regional Product, including over $400 million to employment.

"We have improved travel between the Gold and Sunshine coasts, and have created better access to the Australia TradeCoast precinct, making a major economic impact at a state and national level," Ms Bligh said.

In March, the Australian Infrastructure Awards recognised the Gateway Upgrade Project as the project of the year, for its "iconic status, its engineering brilliance and sheer scale."

The Port of Brisbane Motorway upgrade is expected to finish in mid-2013.

Construction will begin next year on the $150 million Gateway Additional Lane between Sandgate Road and the Deagon Deviation. A wider planning study, Gateway Upgrade North, investigating an extension of works is also under way.

The Bligh Government's $2.5 billion investment in the Gateway corridor includes:

·Original $1.88 billion Gateway Upgrade Project

·A $240 million southern extension to the Gateway Upgrade Project widening between Mt Gravatt Capalaba Road and Miles Platting Road as well as pavement resurfacing through to the Pacific Motorway

·extension of the Port of Brisbane Motorway between Lindum Road and Pritchard Street and upgrade to four lanes

Statistics for the Gateway Upgrade Project

·More than 5000 jobs

·713,000 tonnes of asphalt

·133,500 sq m of bridge decking

·174,600 cu m of concrete

·6.0 million tonnes of fill

·1000 super tee bridge beams

·136,200 sq m of geotextile fabric

·23,200 tonnes of reinforcing steel

·650,000 tonnes of road base

·4625 concrete noise barriers

·22km of fauna fencing

·1289km of wick drains

·300km of conduit

·230 electronic signs

·87 CCTV sites

·136 emergency telephones

·3 weather monitoring sites

·890 street lights

==============================================================

Greetings,

Goodna was impacted with the floods.  My observations of Goodna is that it is still struggling.  St Ives shopping centre is still very quiet and is of concern to local businesses and residents.  Closing off direct access to Goodna eastbound from the Highway is not going to help matters.

It is already not easy to access Goodna, this closure is probably going to be the businesses death knell for some sadly.

Goodna railway station has had some recent improvements. A shelter was finally placed at the kiss n'ride / FlexiLink point, and some new bus station shelters.  The lifts are still not operational, but hopefully will be in a few more weeks.  Access to the railway station has been difficult and remains so.  (  http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=5712.msg64053#msg64053 ).

State and Local Government needs to consider the impacts of this Goodna ramp closure and provide support as needed.

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

======================================

http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=75805
Main Roads, Fisheries and Marine Infrastructure
The Honourable Craig Wallace

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Motorists asked for patience during Goodna ramp closure

Motorists are being asked to prepare for changed conditions when an exit ramp off the Ipswich Motorway is temporarily closed at the end of July for six months.

Main Roads Minister Craig Wallace said complex construction requirements for the motorway upgrade meant the eastbound exit ramp at Goodna would need to be closed.

"From July 31, eastbound motorists wishing to exit at Goodna will need to turn off earlier at Mine Street, Redbank and use Smiths Road, or use the Logan Motorway exit at Gailes and detour back to Goodna via Brisbane Road," Mr Wallace said.

The ramp will be closed to enable construction of the permanent Brisbane-bound motorway alignment. The Ipswich-bound works were recently completed and the start of Brisbane-bound works through Goodna mark a major step toward completion.

Mr Wallace said he appreciated the temporary change would cause a slightly longer trip for motorists approaching Goodna from the west.

"We've tried to minimise any inconvenience to drivers but the detour is necessary so we can complete this much-needed upgrade," he said.

"It's taken extensive planning to be able to keep motorway traffic flowing while these works are carried out.

"The good news is, the start of the Brisbane-bound carriageway puts the end clearly in sight, pushing us over the halfway mark for this section of the motorway upgrade."

Advertisements, flyers and road signs will signal the change in the days leading up to the exit closure, to give motorists time to plan ahead and make adjustments to their travel plans.

The motorway upgrade remains on track for completion by the end of 2012.

[ozbob]

From ABC Environment click here!

The cars that didn't eat Paris

The cars that didn't eat Paris
By Sara Phillips
ABC Environment | 27 Jul 2011
Trams and pedestrians in summer

It seems everything is peaking these days. You've heard of peak oil - the point at which our global oil extraction starts falling. There's also discussion of peak food, peak wood, peak phosphorous, peak water and peak rare earths.

Now here's a new one for you: peak cars.

Australians Peter Newman and Jeff Kenworthy write in the latest issue of World Transport Policy and Practice that we have hit the point of maximum car use. (pdf)

Since the 1960s, they say, the increase in the amount of kilometres travelled in a car per person each year (vehicle kilometres per capita or Vkt) has slowed each decade. In the decade to 2005, in some European cities the use of cars actually went backwards.

The trend is not isolated to the urbanised and urbane European cities. Showing data from US and Australian cities, they demonstrate that this is a widespread phenomenon.

In Australia, car use per capita peaked in 2004. Melburnians were the most motorised with just under 12,500 km travelled in a car per person. Brisbanites used their car the least at about 10,500 km per person. But since 2004, all cities have eased up on their car use.

Perth people (Perthlings?) have dropped their car use the most; down more than 500 Vkt per person in 2008 compared with 2004.

Newman and Kenworthy suggest that there are several factors that have led to this point. The most obvious is the price of petrol, which has skyrocketed in recent years. They also discuss improved public transport plus an ageing population of empty-nesters and younger urban hipsters for whom the inner, rather than outer 'burbs are more attractive.

But an interesting point is something they call the Marchetti Wall.

They write: "Thomas Marchetti was the first to recognise that all cities have a similar average travel time budget of around one hour. This seems to be biologically based in humans - they don't like to take more out of their day than an hour just getting to their work and back home. Thus we have applied this to the technology of city building to show that cities always hit the wall when they are 'one hour wide'."

Back in the day when we all got around town by walking, villages maxed out at about five or eight kilometres wide. Then when we invented trains, towns grew to about 30 km wide. And with the rise of the automobile, our cities expanded to more than 50 km wide.

Right now, Australian cities sprawl for about 70 km in any direction from the CBD. Accordingly we have fast freeways to funnel us quickly to our destinations. Most people travel for no more than an hour in any direction. But with increasing population, the absolute number of cars on our roads is similarly increasing. Cars are holding up the traffic.

They argue that as we hit this Marchetti Wall, public transport and higher density suburbs become more attractive than urban sprawl and driving to work. It becomes a reinforcing cycle, with inner city suburbs growing in appeal as they become increasingly vibrant and well-serviced by public transport.

The implications for our future cities are clear, they say: we need to prepare for higher density living, with increased spending on public transport. Our highways need not be engineered for future growth as car use levels off.

High-density living has interesting implications our our ability to connect with nature, and may see a rise in 'nature deficit disorder'. But from an environmental perspective, fewer cars is a good thing. Cars contribute to climate change, air pollution, oil extraction, and resource use. The land needed for roads and parking is considerable, and, as noted by Newman and Kenworthy, cars facilitate urban sprawl.

Cities shaped by cars are a new thing, relatively speaking. Herr Benz only invented his 'motorwagen' in 1885, 126 years ago; a period which coincided with massive population growth and the movement away from the land because of the industrial revolution. Our cities, therefore, became car-shaped.

But while many American and Australian cities were founded in this period, most European cities were not. Those cities were shaped by walking and horses. Consequently they are best placed to embrace the decline in car use.

It is certainly too early to sign the death certificate of the car. No one can deny the convenience of a car when you want to get from A to B quickly, in comfort, with large objects, or a blancmange. Even with peak oil, air pollution and climate change, electric vehicles hold promise. Developing countries are following close on the heels of the West and snapping up new cars as fast as they can be made. Cars will be with us for the conceivable future.

But just because we've had car-shaped cities for as long as any of us can remember, does not mean this is the only way.

New Yorkers, Londoners and Tokyo residents (Tokyovans?) have very low levels of car ownership relative to the rest of their compatriots, but these cities are some of the most exciting in the world.

Australian cities have only known the car, but as they have started bumping up against limitations to growth, we may have to look to Europe for inspiration.

While the car will certainly be part of our lives in the foreseeable future, if Newman and Kenworthy are right, its glory days may be numbered. Our way of life will need to adapt to keep up with the changing times. Like Europe, the cities of the future will be dominated by trains, trams, bicycles and walking paths.

It's either that, or a new technology will arrive to stretch our Marchetti boundaries once again.

[Stillwater]

This government seems to be on a mission to include the words 'world class' in every media statement.  Now we have a Gateway Motorway that is 'world class', according to Ms Bligh.  Is it 'world class' to have something akin to the Great Wall of China (a widened Ipswich Motorway) dividing Goodna? 

The average citizen, Ozbob included, needs a mountaineer's ticket to scale the overbridge to the railway station, now divided from the town it serves.  A stroll to the river is out of the question.  The river zephyrs on a hot summer's day expend thenselves against the hot, concrete paraputs that support the whizzing traffic, never to stop, but always going somewhere else.  The motorway will move a traffic jam from where it was to where the changed order dictates it should occur.  It doesn't disappear.  And, all the while, the social fabric and connectivity with each other locally diminishes ever so slightly.  We become soul-less zombies to a city with metal and gears coursing through its asphalt veins; all the while dreaming of the sighing whoosh and sway of the gentle train cocooning us to journey's end.

[dwb]

I'm pretty keen on public and active transport as most would be aware and I'm a strong supporter in tipping the "balance" much more in the favour of those forms of transport over solely road based transport "solutions".

However, I also think it is naive to think that inter urban roads are not important and do not require investment. In fact in many areas it is poor road design that itself is a leaving factor in road trauma - high speed environments should be made as safe as possible and low speed or urban environments should be made more for mixing.

Urban transport of course should focus more and more on a mix of modes including mass transit (tube/metro/light rail), busways, buslanes, green links, bike paths and lanes, footpaths, crossings etc etc. However for interurban travel, the car is not ever going to disappear, it will be there in some format and we'll want the flexibility it provides.

[O_128]

This government seems to be on a mission to include the words 'world class' in every media statement.  Now we have a Gateway Motorway that is 'world class', according to Ms Bligh.  Is it 'world class' to have something akin to the Great Wall of China (a widened Ipswich Motorway) dividing Goodna? 

The average citizen, Ozbob included, needs a mountaineer's ticket to scale the overbridge to the railway station, now divided from the town it serves.  A stroll to the river is out of the question.  The river zephyrs on a hot summer's day expend thenselves against the hot, concrete paraputs that support the whizzing traffic, never to stop, but always going somewhere else.  The motorway will move a traffic jam from where it was to where the changed order dictates it should occur.  It doesn't disappear.  And, all the while, the social fabric and connectivity with each other locally diminishes ever so slightly.  We become soul-less zombies to a city with metal and gears coursing through its asphalt veins; all the while dreaming of the sighing whoosh and sway of the gentle train cocooning us to journey's end.

While the infrastructure itself is world class, it doenst operate like one. In germany the ipswich,gateway and south east motorways would have 200kph speed limits.

[ozbob]

An interesting report ..

Big Roads, No Transport-
Community Mapping for Transport
Improvements

http://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/81398/infrastructure-19-johnson.pdf

Despite these efforts very little has actually translated into action ..  it is still about cars, cars and cars ...
One good outcome has been Smiths Road extension, which allows better access for bus and cars to Redbank Plaza, independent of the Ipswich highway.

I know from local meetings at Darra, the plan for the Ipswich car-park upgrade Darra to Rocklea is worse in some ways than the isolation being generated at Goodna.  The attempts at community mapping are laudable but with the blunder and bumbling up on high manifest in the road planing processes,  real community impacts just gets pushed aside.

This study helps to understand why the botched Flexi-Link effort at Ipswich was so wrong and misconceived, still working on Goodna recovery ..

Big Roads, No Transport-
Community Mapping for Transport
Improvements
Laurel Johnson
Griffith University
Email: laurel.johnson@student.griffith.edu.au

ABSTRACT
The transport system is generally designed by experts such as engineers, transport providers, and
planners. The transport plans and proposals are then made available to the community as a draft for
consultation. The process can be characterised as: experts-plan-consultation. This paper reports on
recent studies in 3 marginalised communities where residents were engaged through community
mapping to design their preferred transport system. The community mapping process inverted the
planning process stated above and instead generated transport plans from consultation. The plans
were then delivered to experts for their response. This process was: consultation-plan-experts.
The community mapping technique applied in these 3 communities responded to the consultation
fatigue and frustration expressed by residents who had been involved in over a decade of
interventions in their communities with limited resultant transport improvement. Community
mapping drew on local knowledge and allowed residents to identify solutions to transport issues.
Consultations had previously focussed on residents identifying transport issues, not transport
solutions.

The community mapping technique also explored the link between transport access, transport
disadvantage and social disadvantage through documentation of the stories and experiences of
transport users. In addition to the classic indicators of disadvantage (such as poverty), the research
provided evidence that transport disadvantage manifests as social disadvantage in these
communities. Transport disadvantage (the result of unmet transport need from relatively low rates
of car ownership, inaccessible public transport services, unresolved road and pedestrian/cycle
networks and poor quality transport infrastructure) like other forms of social disadvantage, limits
the potential of residents and the areas. Residents' stories of the impact of the transport system
and poor transport access on their lives provide powerful evidence of the link between transport
disadvantage and social disadvantage.

The studies' community mapping process and the creative presentation of findings and
recommendations resulted in Commonwealth, State and Local Government and local and state-wide
media interest. Many of the 3 community's recommendations for transport improvements are being
implemented by Government and non-Government organisations.

[ozbob]

http://www.ptua.org.au/myths/petroltax.shtml

Common Urban Myths About Transport

Myth: Motorists pay more in taxes and fees than is spent on roads

Fact: Part of the problem here is the underlying premise: just as we don't expect all money collected from gamblers to be spent on casinos, or all money collected from liquor excise to be spent on pubs, so we shouldn't expect all money collected from motorists to be spent on roads. But in any case, the smallest credible estimate for the total cost of the road system in Australia is $52 billion a year, of which $35 billion a year is collected in taxes and charges on motorists, leaving a 'road deficit' of at least $17 billion a year.

It's often claimed by the RACV and other road lobbyists that the cost of roads is only a small percentage of what Australian motorists pay in fuel tax, registration and other fees. This is untrue: in fact, taxes and charges on motorists fail to cover the cost to the public of car use. The confusion arises because of the peculiarities of our federal system, where the Federal Government collects most of the tax revenue, but state and local governments are responsible for most of the spending ....

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

Ipswich flood victims on Struggle Street

Ipswich flood victims on Struggle Street

    by Michael Madigan
    From: The Courier-Mail
    August 01, 2011 12:00AM

RESIDENTS of Goodna, still struggling to find their feet more than six months after the January floods, want some practical solutions for dealing with the next deluge ...

The closure of the off ramp (arguably necessary?) is just another bit of pain.   

Sent to all outlets:

28th July 2011

Goodna and the forced isolations ...

Greetings,

Goodna was impacted with the floods.  My observations of Goodna is that it is still struggling.  St Ives shopping centre is still very quiet and is of concern to local businesses and residents.  Closing off direct access to Goodna eastbound from the Highway is not going to help matters.

It is already not easy to access Goodna, this closure is probably going to be the businesses death knell for some sadly.

Goodna railway station has had some recent improvements. A shelter was finally placed at the kiss n'ride / FlexiLink point, and some new bus station shelters.  The lifts are still not operational, but hopefully will be in a few more weeks.  Access to the railway station has been difficult and remains so.  (  http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=5712.msg64053#msg64053 ).

State and Local Government needs to consider the impacts of this Goodna ramp closure and provide support as needed.

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

======================================

http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=75805
Main Roads, Fisheries and Marine Infrastructure
The Honourable Craig Wallace

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Motorists asked for patience during Goodna ramp closure

Motorists are being asked to prepare for changed conditions when an exit ramp off the Ipswich Motorway is temporarily closed at the end of July for six months.

Main Roads Minister Craig Wallace said complex construction requirements for the motorway upgrade meant the eastbound exit ramp at Goodna would need to be closed.

"From July 31, eastbound motorists wishing to exit at Goodna will need to turn off earlier at Mine Street, Redbank and use Smiths Road, or use the Logan Motorway exit at Gailes and detour back to Goodna via Brisbane Road," Mr Wallace said.

The ramp will be closed to enable construction of the permanent Brisbane-bound motorway alignment. The Ipswich-bound works were recently completed and the start of Brisbane-bound works through Goodna mark a major step toward completion.

Mr Wallace said he appreciated the temporary change would cause a slightly longer trip for motorists approaching Goodna from the west.

"We've tried to minimise any inconvenience to drivers but the detour is necessary so we can complete this much-needed upgrade," he said.

"It's taken extensive planning to be able to keep motorway traffic flowing while these works are carried out.

"The good news is, the start of the Brisbane-bound carriageway puts the end clearly in sight, pushing us over the halfway mark for this section of the motorway upgrade."

Advertisements, flyers and road signs will signal the change in the days leading up to the exit closure, to give motorists time to plan ahead and make adjustments to their travel plans.

The motorway upgrade remains on track for completion by the end of 2012.

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Freeway congestion calls for desperate measures

Freeway congestion calls for desperate measures
Clay Lucas
August 2, 2011

VICROADS has considered using the emergency lanes on the most congested parts of the Eastern Freeway in a bid to cater to rising traffic levels.

The plan, detailed in reports released under freedom of information, indicate that traffic problems on the Eastern Freeway have worsened since EastLink opened in 2008.

And the options the road authority looked at earlier this year to squeeze more cars onto the freeway included one proposing widening it by 1.8 metres in Bulleen and Doncaster.

To use the emergency lanes for traffic on a section of the freeway, even only at peak times, a ''managed motorway'' system of above-road signalling would have to be installed.

This would be similar to those operating on the West Gate and Monash freeways, which have no emergency lanes in sections (although lanes can be shutdown in the event of an accident).

VicRoads acknowledges in one briefing note that the use of emergency lanes for part-time traffic has previously been disregarded ''as it usually results in sub-standard lane widths, and no safe facilities for broken down vehicles''.

Despite this, VicRoads officers - aware of the reluctance of the federal government to provide extra money to fund the construction of new freeways - began work in 2009 on ways to squeeze more capacity out of the most congested roads.

In 2010, the British government signed a £2 billion ($A3 billion) contract with engineering firms to implement ''hard shoulder running'' - the use of emergency lanes - at peak times on six major motorways.

The use of emergency stopping lanes as part-time traffic lanes is increasingly common across Europe, as governments move to expand road capacity without building new freeways.

A VicRoads memo, dated February 2011, recommends seeking funding for ''part-time hard shoulder running'' in both the right and left emergency service lanes of the freeway, for the out-bound half of the road only between Bulleen Road, Bulleen, and Elgar Road, Doncaster.

A separate report notes that similar treatments could be considered on sections of the Calder Freeway.

North Balwyn resident Mary Harnan, part of a group that has tried to convince VicRoads to act on rising noise levels from the Eastern Freeway, said squeezing more traffic onto the freeway would hurt residents.

''The effect on our community will be horrible, because we have no noise barriers,'' she said.

Ms Harnan's group worked with the Baillieu opposition to campaign against Labor for not erecting noise barriers in their area.

''Before the election, the local MP (Attorney-General) Robert Clark was having a go at the former government about doing nothing about increasing noise levels and no noise barriers. Since they've won, they've done nothing,'' Ms Harnan said.

A briefing note from VicRoads chief executive Gary Liddle to the former roads minister Tim Pallas says that creating an overhead lane-management system, ramp signals, message signs and emergency bays for broken down cars on the Eastern Freeway would cost around $42 million.

A spokeswoman for Transport Minister Terry Mulder said that any adaptation of emergency lanes for traffic on the Eastern Freeway would mean a major investment in new technology, and that an application to Canberra to jointly fund the project had been rejected.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/freeway-congestion-calls-for-desperate-measures-20110801-1i8at.html#ixzz1Tna2Yc7d

[ozbob]

Police, Corrective Services and Emergency Services
The Honourable Neil Roberts
02/08/2011

NEW DIGITAL SPEED CAMERA DETECTIONS START TODAY

New digital fixed speed cameras will be switched on at midday today, Police Minister Neil Roberts and Acting Commissioner Ian Stewart have announced.

The new sites include:
- combined digital speed/red light camera systems at the intersections of Waterworks Road and Jubilee Terrace in Ashgrove, and Beaudesert Road and Compton Road in Sunnybank Hills
- digital fixed point speed cameras on the Pacific Motorway at Loganholme and the Gateway Motorway at Nudgee
- two standalone fixed speed cameras on the Bruce Highway north of Brisbane.

"The new technology has undergone comprehensive testing and police will formally activate the sites at midday today, meaning motorists detected speeding at these sites can expect to receive a fine," Mr Roberts said.

"The QPS is organising additional temporary signs at these sites to advise drivers the cameras are becoming operational."

"Prior to the signs being erected, the trial indicated a great number of speeding vehicles, but the QPS was not enforcing at that stage.

"On May 21, about 168,000 vehicles travelled through the six trial fixed camera sites each day (four percent of these vehicles were speeding). On July 5, 2011, after signage had been erected, only one percent of vehicles were speeding.

"A digital point to point speed camera system that had been trialled on the Bruce Highway north of Brisbane will also commence operation today, however it will operate as two standalone fixed speed cameras.

"The cameras will be switched to include point to point mode later in the year after further work on the technology is completed."

Mr Roberts said the government was committed to ending the carnage on the state's roads.

"These new sites will take the total number of fixed speed camera sites in South East Queensland to 16," he said.

"These sites combined with overt and covert mobile speed detection and hand-held LIDAR speed enfo rcement mean there's an even greater chance that speeding motorists will be caught which should provide more motivation for motorists to slow down. This will improve road safety."

"The Queensland Government and Queensland Police Service policy on speed enforcement is based on the concept on Anywhere, Anytime."

Acting Commissioner Stewart said the sites selected for the new digital cameras had a history of crashes which resulted in either fatalities or serious injuries.

"Fixed speed camera locations are generally chosen where there is a history of speed related crashes or demonstrated risk factors which are likely to result in more serious crashes," Acting Commissioner Stewart said.

"Within a five year period there was a combined total of more than 100 crashes at these five sites which resulted in four fatalities and 60 crashes requiring hospitalisation.

"Far too many lives are lost on our roads every year through dangerous driving prac tices, especially speeding. Speeding is a factor in around 25% of road deaths every year."

==============================================================

[#Metro]

It always AMAZES me how much money is CONTINUALLY poured into the LOWEST CAPACITY MODE
when there are capacity issues! Hello logic anyone?!

I thought engineering was about EFFICIENCY!