Roads - articles and discussion

[Jonno]

Crane rollover shuts down the Pacific Highway causing traffic chaos
by: Heidi Braithwaite, Albert & Logan News From: Quest Newspapers November 14, 2012 9:27AM

Truck rollover on the Pacific Highway at Springwood. . Picture Heidi Braithwaite Source: Quest Newspapers

A crane crash on the Pacific Highway southbound is causing traffic chaos around Springwood.

The crane caused a complete closure of the southbound lanes on the highway when it rolled over prior to 9am.

Only one lane southbound is now open.

One of the three northbound lanes is also closed as a result of the rollover.

Fire trucks, police and ambulance crews are on the scene.

QFRS station officer Paul Simmons from Woodridge Station said the driver of the crane, a 20 tonne articulated vehicle, was removed at 9.15, after being encapsulated in the cab.

He had lacerations to his head due to broken glass and was taken to the PA hospital.

No other vehicles were involved.


Truck rollover on the M1at Springwood

Truck rollover on the Pacific Highway at Springwood. Picture Heidi Braithwaite Source: Quest Newspapers

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> BrisConn doomed from the start: Bolton

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Buying roads to financial nowhere takes a toll on BrisConnections and Airportlink

[ozbob]

Media release 18 November 2012

SEQ: Road Revolution highlights failure with State and Local Transport Planning

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport passengers says South East Queensland's (SEQ) 'Road Revolution' highlights failure with State and Local Planning Laws and failure with transport planning generally.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"All the pontificating over better traffic projections, lower bidding costs and minimising over-bidding will not change the underlying reality that building more road capacity only encourages the existing population to drive more."

"The American economist Anthony Downs put forward this hypothesis more than four decades ago.  He called this idea the 'fundamental law of highway congestion'."

"Two Canadian economists, Gilles Duranton and Matthew Turner (1), recently empirically analysed the relationship between road building and traffic volumes and came to a very sobering conclusion 'A one percent increase in roads leads to a one percent increase in traffic within less than ten years. In other words, if you double the road infrastructure, car traffic also doubles very quickly'."

"It is important to note that the economists made sure that their results were not driven by regional economic activity, population growth or other socio-economic factors."

"Duranton and Turner also addressed the question of 'What exactly causes the additional traffic?' and noted 'the most important factor is that people change their driving behaviour'. A better road network induces people to drive more. That areas with better roads attract new residents turns out to be less important."

"Given the SEQ Regional Plan (2), SEQ Transport Plan (3) and BCC City Plan Strategy (4) all seek to 'reduce car usage' the construction of the toll roads was in direct contradiction of these plans as will be any future toll roads".

"The funding failures of the tunnels and toll roads pales into insignificance when compared to their actual construction delivering the exact opposite outcome than those stated by both Brisbane City Council and the State Government."

References:

1. The Fundamental Law of Road Congestion: Evidence from US Cities - http://www.aeaweb.org/articles.php?doi=10.1257/aer.101.6.2616

2. SEQ Regional Plan – Page 11 - http://www.dsdip.qld.gov.au/resources/plan/seq/regional-plan-2009/seq-regional-plan-2009.pdf

3. Connecting SEQ 2031- Page 7 - http://www.connectingseq.qld.gov.au/

4. BCC City Plan 2000 – Chapter 2, Page 11 - http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/bccwr/lib181/chapter2.pdf

Contact:

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

[awotam]

My "Legacy Way Newsletter" appeared in my mailbox earlier this week. Normally, all such junk mail goes straight in the yellow wheelie bin, but given the topicality, I thought I'd at least read it.
Among other propaganda;
"BCC's plans to tackle congestion on the city's roads continues to deliver, with construction on the Legacy Way tunnel well underway".
Continues to deliver? I wasn't aware it had started to deliver
"When it opens... will allow...travel from Toowong to Kelvin Grove in just four minutes while reducing traffic congestion on alternative routes such as Milton Rd and Coronation Drive"
Hmm... we'll see
"Tunnel provides economic boost
Legacy Way will have significant benefits, not only for motorists and our transport network but also for the local economy.
With more than 3500 staff and workers....now inducted on the project, Brisbane is starting to see the strong economic benefits that the project delivers.
(Really? Where?)
In total, Legacy Way will create more than 5000 jobs and $10.5 billion in flow-on economic benefits from travel time savings, vehicle operating costs, environmental outcomes and improved road safety"
Now I'm no engineer, but even at the height of construction, will there really be 5,000 people working on this? It's surely automated / mechanised to the extent that this is unrealistic? Or are we still buiding tunnels using picks and shovels? And how many of these jobs are permanent? Once the tunnel opens, no more jobs, surely?
As to the economics, $10.5 billion? Can someone who is more qualified in this area confirm if this is feasible?
"As employment, population and economic growth continues to rise at record levels, Legacy Way serves as a key part of Council's balanced approach to tackling traffic congestion in Brisbane, which could cost business and residents up to $3 billion by 2020, if not addressed" (Better start addressing... soon...)
Balanced? Build more roads and tunnels while ignoring all other options hardly counts as balanced.
Also, traffic congestion could cost up to $3 billion, but Legacy Way is going to provide $10.5 billion in economic benefits? Something doesn't add up.
"It is the fourth of five Trans Apex projects designed to relieve congestion on Brisbane's arterial roads..."
And we all know how building more roads eases congestion... 

[ozbob]

This is what I thought as well --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=7798.msg112559#msg112559

[#Metro]

"When it opens... will allow...travel from Toowong to Kelvin Grove in just four minutes while reducing traffic congestion on alternative routes such as Milton Rd and Coronation Drive"
Hmm... we'll see 
"Tunnel provides economic boost
Legacy Way will have significant benefits, not only for motorists and our transport network but also for the local economy.
With more than 3500 staff and workers....now inducted on the project, Brisbane is starting to see the strong economic benefits that the project delivers.

I think that Legacy Way will reach its forecasts, as the forecasts are rather low. It would have considerably higher benefits if BUSES were allowed to turn into the INB as speed reduces operating cost and increases patronage. The cost of doing that would only have been 1-2% of the total project cost, and as I said, major reduction of operating cost for Coro Drive and Milton Road Buses.

In total, Legacy Way will create more than 5000 jobs and $10.5 billion in flow-on economic benefits from travel time savings, vehicle operating costs, environmental outcomes and improved road safety"
Now I'm no engineer, but even at the height of construction, will there really be 5,000 people working on this? It's surely automated / mechanised to the extent that this is unrealistic? Or are we still buiding tunnels using picks and shovels? And how many of these jobs are permanent? Once the tunnel opens, no more jobs, surely?

I don't think this is a "benefit" to the economy, any more than handing $300 to your neighbour is a "benefit". If you look at the accounts for the project you will surely find that the benefits are (a) toll revenue and (b) time savings and that project costs (i.e. wages) etc are listed in the COSTS (not benefit) section. And that they also want to keep labour costs down. If they wanted more such "benefit" they could just double everyone's pay on the project for more of this so called "benefit", which of course they won't do because reality would bite...

Furthermore, someone may have had to leave their current job to take up a job on the project (unless they descended from heaven in some kind of miracle with all the skills and no prior employment) so "create" is also not quite right anyway.

As to the economics, $10.5 billion? Can someone who is more qualified in this area confirm if this is feasible?
"As employment, population and economic growth continues to rise at record levels, Legacy Way serves as a key part of Council's balanced approach to tackling traffic congestion in Brisbane, which could cost business and residents up to $3 billion by 2020, if not addressed" (Better start addressing... soon...)
Balanced? Build more roads and tunnels while ignoring all other options hardly counts as balanced.
Also, traffic congestion could cost up to $3 billion, but Legacy Way is going to provide $10.5 billion in economic benefits? Something doesn't add up.
"It is the fourth of five Trans Apex projects designed to relieve congestion on Brisbane's arterial roads..."
And we all know how building more roads eases congestion... 

The projected traffic usage is around 24 000 per day, which is TINY when compared to what a decent train line can do in one hour. Of course, BCC will not fund trains, even if the new services wholly ran inside the BCC boundaries. BCC is quite happy to fund bicycles, cars and buses and ferries however.

Do I really care about Legacy Way, probably not. It's spent now, dead horse really.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Brisconnections bouyed by small rise in Brisbane's Airport Link tunnel traffic, still 40 per cent below forecasts

[ozbob]

Financial Review --> Brisbane tunnel moves goalposts on traffic

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Abbott drives home road pledge

[ozbob]

From Transport and Logistic News click here!

Tony Abbott is on the wrong truck: ARA

Tony Abbott is on the wrong truck: ARA

In response to Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott continuing his truck drive from Brisbane to Terrigal, Australasian Railway Association (ARA) CEO Bryan Nye has invited Mr Abbott to travel by rail instead.

Mr Abbott's journey is expected to emit almost 500kg of additional carbon dioxide emissions that would have been prevented had he travelled by rail.

"I invite the Leader of the Opposition to come see the advantages of moving freight on rail rather than on our already congested road networks, and to also see where more investment in rail needs to be prioritised," Mr Nye said.

"The average freight train takes 110 trucks off the road, reduces carbon emissions by a factor of 10, dramatically increases road safety and is the most efficient mode of transport for journeys over 500 kilometres.

"Whilst efforts to highlight road safety are to be commended, in some sections of the Brisbane to Sydney road corridor trucks make up over 30% of the traffic- clearly what our roads need is less trucks, not more."

And yet rail investment continues to be at a disadvantage to roads in terms of overall funding and cost recovery.

"Remarkably, on some sections of the Brisbane to Sydney rail line, the track still follows the same out-dated single track corridor alignment designed for steam trains," continued Mr Nye.

Sadly though, were Mr Abbott travelling the same corridor with a rail freight operator, he might have to finish his journey even further from Sydney, due to congestion resulting from an historical lack of investment on that area of the rail network.

"During peak hours, rail freight into and out of Sydney grinds to a halt when the overcrowded passenger rail network takes priority," said Mr Nye.

The priority investment required to free up freight capacity on the north-south corridor is further funding for the Northern Sydney Freight Corridor (NSFC).

"Whilst I congratulate the Federal and New South Wales Governments for joint funding of over $1 billion dollars for the initial stages of the NSFC, more is needed to fully realise the potential benefits of further stages of the project."

"Clearly, in the Brisbane to Sydney corridor an investment in rail is more sorely needed than additional trucks going through regional centres up and down the coast."

[#Metro]

PUT TONY ABBOTT ON SUNSHINE COAST LINE!!

[mufreight]

PUT TONY ABBOTT ON SUNSHINE COAST LINE!!

Would you use him as a sleeper, I doubt that wormwood would hold the dogspikes.   

[ozbob]

Couriermail Quest --> Call for State Government to scrap T2 transit lane at Rothwell and others

[somebody]

I say add more 680 and 682 buses - ease the parking strain at Petrie.

[SurfRail]

God, there is going to be so much stupid in the air during the term of this Parliament.

[Jonno]

God help this Region!!!

[ozbob]

God help this Region!!!

+1 * 10^13001300

[ozbob]

Crikey --> Who got the facts on traffic forecasts wrong?

[ozbob]

Deputy Premier, Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning
The Honourable Jeff Seeney

$800 million boost for Bruce Highway

Queensland and the Commonwealth have committed almost $800 million to fast-track construction of another stage of the Cooroy to Curra upgrade of the Bruce Highway.

Construction will start on the upgrade in the middle of next year.

Acting Premier Jeff Seeney and Federal Transport Minister Anthony Albanese announced the go-ahead for the Section A works while officially opening Section B of the highway upgrade today.

The State and Federal Governments will each contribute $395 million to fund continuation of the much-anticipated roadworks.

"This is fantastic news for Queenslanders and all motorists who travel on the Bruce Highway and after years of campaigning, Section A, from Cooroy southern interchange to Sankeys Road, will go ahead," Mr Seeney said.

"This announcement is a critical part of the Queensland Government's Bruce Highway Action Plan aimed at improving safety and increasing capacity on one of our nation's most vital freight arterials."

The joint funding will build an additional 13.4-kilometre section of the highway which will greatly improve safety and travel times for the 20,000 motorists who use the road every day.

Mr Seeney said the now completed Section B upgrade was delivered on time and significantly under budget.

The Acting Premier and Federal Minister inspected those works today.

Mr Seeney said he was pleased that the Federal and State Governments were partnering up to now see work on Section A progress as quickly as possible.

The next stage of the Cooroy to Curra roadworks will be a major improvement to infrastructure in the region, and will play an important role in helping to save lives and boost the Queensland economy.

The Cooroy to Curra Section A project, involves the upgrade and realignment of the Bruce Highway south of Gympie and includes:

·          Duplication of the existing two lane highway between the existing Cooroy Southern Interchange and the proposed Cooroy Northern Interchange;

·          Construction of a new four lane highway to be located west of the existing Bruce highway between the proposed Cooroy Northern Interchange and Sankeys Road;

·          An upgrade of the Cooroy Southern Interchange;

·          Construction of a new grade separated Cooroy Northern Interchange;

·          Replacement or the provision of new bridges/structures at six locations; and

·          Provision of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) consistent with the Managed Motorways Policy.

The $790 upgrade of Section A between Cooroy to Curra will be funded on an equal basis by the Federal Labor Government and the Queensland LNP Government.

Tuesday, 18 December 2012 

[WTN]

LOL, let's smother this whole state in nothing but bitumen and concrete. Eradicate everything else but the car. Shave footpaths and building awnings completely clean. Convert rail to roads, even if they're under construction. Banish buses. Banish cyclists. Banish pedestrians. Get rid of malls and have drive though shops. Make every road a grade sep freeway. Have roads so big and wide that they put LA to complete and utter shame. No one will complain their home will be demolished for a motorway.

Let's start with a trial shutdown of public transport for 1 month.

[#Metro]

There is only one transport budget/pile of money.
In city areas, PT is the way to go. Anyone in doubt can buy shares in toll roads, and good luck to you.

Outside urban areas, I think roads are the way to go. None of this is to say that the rail lines are not worth upgrading - given the terrible state of the NC rail line they do need funding just to meet BASIC standards - but over large distances and low population PT serves a coverage function (i.e. slow, not so frequent). Unless you are on a commercial tour operator service and pay those kind of prices.

[HappyTrainGuy]

LOL, let's smother this whole state in nothing but bitumen and concrete. Eradicate everything else but the car. Shave footpaths and building awnings completely clean. Convert rail to roads, even if they're under construction. Banish buses. Banish cyclists. Banish pedestrians. Get rid of malls and have drive though shops. Make every road a grade sep freeway. Have roads so big and wide that they put LA to complete and utter shame. No one will complain their home will be demolished for a motorway.

Let's start with a trial shutdown of public transport for 1 month.

Morayfield has a drive thru ATM... sort of on the way there

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Extra lanes for killer Bruce Highway go to hell

[Golliwog]

LOL, let's smother this whole state in nothing but bitumen and concrete. Eradicate everything else but the car. Shave footpaths and building awnings completely clean. Convert rail to roads, even if they're under construction. Banish buses. Banish cyclists. Banish pedestrians. Get rid of malls and have drive though shops. Make every road a grade sep freeway. Have roads so big and wide that they put LA to complete and utter shame. No one will complain their home will be demolished for a motorway.

Let's start with a trial shutdown of public transport for 1 month.

Morayfield has a drive thru ATM... sort of on the way there

Warwick has a drive through Zaraffas Coffee shop?

[ozbob]

Road rage madness --> http://au.news.yahoo.com/today-tonight/latest/article/-/15669247/road-rage-madness/

[Jonno]

Ahhhh What a society we have created. Yep no need to change our approach. all is well and under control.  This is poor transport planning at its worse.   All hail the balanced transport approach!!!

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Naked driver causes road-rage chaos on Brisbane's M1

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

Road safety - who me?, weak road rule enforcement e.g. level crossing breaches and bridge strikes - token responses, is leading to a wider sentiment among many that they are above the law and general rules of society.  The road mantra and isolation in cars is one of the factors.  Society has created this mayhem indeed Jonno.  Response by our failing governments?  We need more roads ...   

[ozbob]

Queensland Times --> Speed, alcohol factors as car of teens crashes onto tracks

[Gazza]

Ahhhh What a society we have created. Yep no need to change our approach. all is well and under control.  This is poor transport planning at its worse.   All hail the balanced transport approach!!!

Talk about a tenuous link? Do you have to push the anti road wheelbarrow at every possible occasion?
Blaming a guy going crazy with his car on 'roads' is like blaming a ferals disturbing passengers on 'trains'.

No! Some people are just mindless, and the place that they decide to go nuts is not determined by anything really.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Ten people involved in four-car crash on Bruce Highway north of Sarina

[ozbob]

Queensland Times --> Woman dies as car and semi crash at Plainland

[Golliwog]

Let me start by saying I mean no disrespect to any of the dead or their families on either side of this comparison.

So 20 kids aged 5-10 years old is what is hopefully going to finally turn the USA around on gun control. Yet in 2009, 10 kids aged 0-4 died on QLD roads alone, 9 aged 5-11 a further 8 died on the roads who were aged 12-16 and a massive 36 between the ages of 17-20. They represented 19% of the road toll in QLD that year. Why isn't there anywhere near as much shock and outrage that this happens year on year with no change?

Source: http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/~/media/Safety/Transport%20and%20road%20statistics/Road%20safety/Road_traffic_crashes_in_qld_2009.pdf
Also contains the same splits for the years 2004-2009.

[Jonno]

Let me start by saying I mean no disrespect to any of the dead or their families on either side of this comparison.

So 20 kids aged 5-10 years old is what is hopefully going to finally turn the USA around on gun control. Yet in 2009, 10 kids aged 0-4 died on QLD roads alone, 9 aged 5-11 a further 8 died on the roads who were aged 12-16 and a massive 36 between the ages of 17-20. They represented 19% of the road toll in QLD that year. Why isn't there anywhere near as much shock and outrage that this happens year on year with no change?

Source: http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/~/media/Safety/Transport%20and%20road%20statistics/Road%20safety/Road_traffic_crashes_in_qld_2009.pdf
Also contains the same splits for the years 2004-2009.

+1 but I am sure someone will tell us it "Time to Live in Real World" and just accept the death and trauma on our roads as "Just part of Life"

[Jonno]

http://www.drdriving.org/youth/james1.htm

The Formula for Road Rage:

more driver interactions (more cars, less space), greater diversity of drivers
+
cultural norms of disrespect condoning hostility
=
aggressive driving and road rage battles

[ozbob]

A few years old, but interesting ..

Stuck in Traffic and Stuck for Solutions:
Brisbane's Congestion Crisis

--> http://www.racq.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0013/9022/Congestion_Paper_Nov06.pdf

[ozbob]

Twitter

131940_Metro ‏@131940_Metro

Ipswich Motorway, Oxley - Congestion: Inbound - Medium delays expected. Motorists are urged to show patience.At http://131940.com/i=345122

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Newman Government is considering an extra toll on the Gateway Motorway to pay for an upgrade to its northern end

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Trucking industry body says drivers will strongly oppose any new toll on the Gateway

[curator49]

The trucking industry is becoming like the NRA in the United States a powerful lobby group. Truckies do not pay their fair share of registration fees as governments have previously tried to implement. Their protests are so loud and threats to blockade roads and slow down traffic have forced such decisions to be withdrawn.

Drivers (both truck & car) seem to think once a road is built that that is the end of it. However, there is a constant need for resurfacing sections of ashphalt, replacement of lighting and numerous other maintenance tasks then there are necessary road improvements which may be just lengthening an emergency stopping bay or it could be the building of a better off-ramp or on-ramp whatever it all costs mega dollars. It is best that user pays.