Roads - articles and discussion

[Stillwater]

Is there anything stopping Mr Emerson spending Queensland's extra $1 billion up front while still seeking the remaining $4 billion from the feds?  Apart from the politics.

[Stillwater]

Former U.S. President Ronald Reagan goes to Berlin and shouts: Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall!  Something happens.  Mr Emerson shouts: Julia Gillard, fix this highway!  Nothing happens.

Perhaps it is in the presentation, or the authority of the person doing the shouting.

[somebody]

Come off it.  Qld has received oodles of Federal money recently, for flood funding, Kippa-Ring, Legacy Way and probably the other TransApex roads.

Sometimes I think that Qld would only be satisfied if other states received nothing at all from the Feds.

[Stillwater]

It knows the drill ... work up the project or plan and put it through IA.  Qld has stuffed up CRR Heavy/Lite.  It's gone from 'shovel ready' to lost in the works.  The state is trying to get away with not having to do a revised business case and BCR for CRR Lite.  Queensland is having a row with the feds over roads funding, also over health funding, and it doesn't give a Gonski for education.  Most of it is drama for the sake of it, to make a political point and to distinguish LNP/Labor. 

Federal Labor is not blameless.  It sets aside $100 million for flood mitigation works and half of it goes to Western Sydney (wall to wall Labor seats), where the PM happens to be campaigning.  Nothing to Gympie, which has been flooded five times in two years and which votes conservative.  Some money for Ipswich, which votes Labor.

The prize still goes to Mr Emerson whose line that Labor didn't put seats in the new Sunlander, but the LNP did, must be the best bald-faced politicking seen for a while.  No doublt there will be more of this in the lead-up to a federal election .... state ministers running all around the place, calling on the feds to fix this hospital or that pothole -- mostly in areas where the state has the primary responsibility.  When Labor doesn't rise to the bait, the call is 'see, Labor gives nothing'.  It is all a game and it is all pathetic.

[ozbob]

http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2013/3/4/gillard-snubs-queensland-again

Minister for Local Government, Community Recovery and Resilience
The Honourable David Crisafulli
Monday, March 04, 2013

Gillard snubs Queensland again

Community Recovery and Resilience Minister David Crisafulli is challenging the Prime Minister to join him on a driving tour of the Bruce Highway.

Mr Crisafulli said Julia Gillard had chosen to buy votes in marginal Sydney seats for the second time in a week instead of supporting Queenslanders.

"Last week Julia Gillard pledged millions to protect western Sydney residents from flooding while parts of Queensland were still mopping up, and today she's offering a billion dollar bribe to save motorists a few minutes travel time," Mr Crisafulli said.

"I call on the Prime Minister to join me on a tour of the Bruce Highway to experience first-hand the appalling condition of Queensland's most important road.

"This is a matter of life and death for thousands of motorists who rely on the highway every day.

"How many more families have to lose loved ones before the Federal Government finally realises it's time to step up and fix the Bruce once and for all?

"We are prepared to pour $1 billion into the Bruce and are once again appealing to the Federal Government to help as part of our Bruce Highway Action Plan."

Mr Crisafulli said Queenslanders had every right to feel short-changed.

"People in regional Queensland don't ask for much but they do expect to be treated fairly," he said.

"The Bruce Highway is not a national highway, it's a national disgrace and it's time the Prime Minister stopped the pork-barrelling and started governing."

[ENDS] 4 March 2013

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

[Stillwater]

 

[Fares_Fair]

http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2013/3/4/gillard-snubs-queensland-again

Minister for Local Government, Community Recovery and Resilience
The Honourable David Crisafulli
Monday, March 04, 2013

Gillard snubs Queensland again

Community Recovery and Resilience Minister David Crisafulli is challenging the Prime Minister to join him on a driving tour of the Bruce Highway.

Mr Crisafulli said Julia Gillard had chosen to buy votes in marginal Sydney seats for the second time in a week instead of supporting Queenslanders.

"Last week Julia Gillard pledged millions to protect western Sydney residents from flooding while parts of Queensland were still mopping up, and today she's offering a billion dollar bribe to save motorists a few minutes travel time," Mr Crisafulli said.

"I call on the Prime Minister to join me on a tour of the Bruce Highway to experience first-hand the appalling condition of Queensland's most important road.

"This is a matter of life and death for thousands of motorists who rely on the highway every day.

"How many more families have to lose loved ones before the Federal Government finally realises it's time to step up and fix the Bruce once and for all?

"We are prepared to pour $1 billion into the Bruce and are once again appealing to the Federal Government to help as part of our Bruce Highway Action Plan."

Mr Crisafulli said Queenslanders had every right to feel short-changed.

"People in regional Queensland don't ask for much but they do expect to be treated fairly," he said.

"The Bruce Highway is not a national highway, it's a national disgrace and it's time the Prime Minister stopped the pork-barrelling and started governing."

[ENDS] 4 March 2013

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

Yes, and the State Government could save some of those loved ones by extensions of the short rail passing loops and duplication of the rail line so that the freight spillover of massive trucks on the highway is reduced ... 

[SurfRail]

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Newman Government accuses Prime Minister Julia Gillard of neglecting the Bruce Highway while funding roads in Sydney

[ozbob]

Twitter

Penny Cameron ‏@Pennycopter

Morning! Motorists on the Bruce Hwy becoming acquainted with the rear end in front of them #bnetraffic http://t.co/sZBfU8UGkk

[ozbob]

Twitter

Penny Cameron ‏@Pennycopter

Centenary Hwy at Mt Ommaney. Zzzzzzzzzz #bnetraffic #needcoffee http://t.co/vjXwf0WNeu

[HappyTrainGuy]

Twitter

Penny Cameron ‏@Pennycopter

Morning! Motorists on the Bruce Hwy becoming acquainted with the rear end in front of them #bnetraffic http://t.co/sZBfU8UGkk

Tis where the new bridge over the bruce highway will be for the MBRL.

[ozbob]

Twitter

Penny Cameron ‏@Pennycopter

Ipswich Mwy misery...hits the skids from Wacol to Oxley #bnetraffic http://t.co/xYJWmDym0e

[ozbob]

Twitter

Penny Cameron ‏@Pennycopter

Ipswich Mwy misery...hits the skids from Wacol to Oxley #bnetraffic http://t.co/xYJWmDym0e

[ozbob]

Twitter

Penny Cameron ‏@Pennycopter

M1 madness through Slacks Creek #bnetraffic http://t.co/fzugcRiTxt

[ozbob]

Couriermail Quest --> Park Ridge Connector corridor approval signals grim news forenvironmentalists and residents

[red dragin]

Look for the reflectors and/or white dashes on the side of the road - gives away where they can be.

[minbrisbane]

... or don't speed?

[HappyTrainGuy]

Look for the reflectors and/or white dashes on the side of the road - gives away where they can be.

Also the different coloured lights that work with the flash

[red dragin]

... or don't speed?

Exactly, our car has a speed limiter.

I am not a speeder, just pointing out to anyone curious about how to find the secretive cameras.

Didn't know about the different lighting (is it mid tunnel as well or just at the toll points?)

[ozbob]

Twitter

Penny Cameron ‏@Pennycopter 13m

Bald Hills bank up on the Gateway southbound from broken down semi at Boondall #bnetraffic @robinterrybob #bbbfest http://t.co/TWlfXtNTba

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Traffic flow gets boost as Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson scraps T2 lanes

[ozbob]

http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2013/3/28/t2-free-for-easter-traffic

Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Scott Emerson

T2 free for Easter traffic

The T2 lanes on the Pacific Motorway are free from restrictions following the removal of signage between Klumpp Road and the Gateway Motorway merge.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson said the removal of the transit lanes on this section of the motorway was the first step to increase traffic capacity.

"To have these lanes open in time for Easter traffic is fantastic news for holiday motorists," Mr Emerson said.

"Removing these under-utilised lanes has been a common sense and cost-effective solution to provide better use of one of our major roads.

"By converting T2 lanes into general traffic lanes, it will also provide the extra space to add an additional lane in each direction.

"The final design for this project is due to be released next week as part of the Newman Government's plan to provide eight lanes on one of Queensland's busiest roads."

Mr Emerson said motorists should remember that while the existing line markings were still in place, lane changes outside the designated break areas were not permitted under the Queensland Road Rules.

"This means you can enter the lane in the designated area but must continue to travel in the lane until the next designated break point," he said.

"This is part of our commitment announced in October last year to remove the T2 lanes on the stretch of road between Exit 11 to Exit 16 and tackle congestion concerns on our motorways."

For the latest updates on road works and closures across the state go to www.131940.qld.gov.au

[ozbob]

Twitter

Penny Cameron ‏@Pennycopter 2m

Car into a ditch on the Gateway northbound after Nudge Rd...delays! #bnetraffic @robinterrybob http://t.co/3vA07xOcsZ

[red dragin]

So southbound, 4 M3 lanes, Logan road on ramp and 2+ gateway lanes into 3 M1 lanes, through roadworks.

That should work fine 

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Cheap option: $1m a kilometre to widen motorway

[aldonius]

All else being equal it's a sensible move in this location - it was under-utilised and with the SEB next door there's no PT there.

[HappyTrainGuy]

All else being equal it's a sensible move in this location - it was under-utilised and with the SEB next door there's no PT there.

Tend to agree. T2/T3 lanes have their place and purpose but when there is PT infrastructure nearby - in this instance a busway - the nearby motorway should be set up for normal vehicle traffic rather giving priority to a select few.

[SurfRail]

The M1 T2 lanes are actually fairly pointless.  Closer in to the city and on the CCB would be more useful, or like RTT said doing them from Springwood all the way to town, but neither of these outcomes is likely to be adopted.  I think they were largely a solution looking for a problem in their current form.

While I initially complained about the cessation of T2 lanes on the Gold Coast Highway from Southport to Biggera Waters, I am probably not that inclined to worry because there was only one general traffic lane, there aren't presently enough buses to worry about it and there are unlikely to be enough for many years.  Best case scenario post the current network review appears to be 9-10 buses per hour (an even 4 buses per hour at 15 minute headways each on routes 703 and 704, plus 1 or 2 extras on their proposed route 733).  Even with the RTS in place I do not see that changing for a long time.

If somebody proposes anything whatsoever about the bus lanes on Smith St, the Gold Coast Highway between Broadbeach and Nobby Beach or the ones on Nerang-Broadbeach Rd, I will be very shirty because these actually have a benefit on roads which get serious congestion (Smith St/N-B Rd) or which have a lot of left turning traffic and on-street parking to interfere with bus operations (GC Hwy).

[red dragin]

T2 lanes where pretty pointless, got the police some fines (speeding/one person) that's about it.

Those that think their removal will solve the traffic through there -> 

Travelled through at 2.20pm recently, traffic was back to Garden City. 1 hour later, it was back to the uni hill!

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Pacific Motorway pain for motorists while extra lanes are added

[ozbob]

Twitter

Penny Cameron ‏@Pennycopter 1m

Ok, so no actual reprieve for the M1 through Slacks Creek. Whodathunkit? #bnetraffic http://t.co/VIcJNUOy14



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

LOL ...

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Light at the end of Legacy Way tunnel work

[ozbob]

Couriermail Quest --> Chance to can Rothwell T2 lane

[Jonno]

Ground hog day!

Provide more road capacity followed by increase in congestion Provide more road capacity followed by increase in congestion Provide more road capacity followed by increase in congestion Provide more road capacity followed by increase in congestion

[ozbob]

Ground hog day!

Provide more road capacity followed by increase in congestion Provide more road capacity followed by increase in congestion Provide more road capacity followed by increase in congestion Provide more road capacity followed by increase in congestion

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Airport Link toll rise up in the air since February, but decision has now been made

[mufreight]

Couriermail --> Airport Link toll rise up in the air since February, but decision has now been made

25% increase in revenue, hopefully it doesn't see a loss in usage that equal no change. Maybe they should have spoken to the Qld govt about what happens when you over charge.

Odds on for a patronage drop of between 10% to 18% perhaps even greater, the toll hike will kill off any growth in patronage

[HappyTrainGuy]

Couriermail --> Airport Link toll rise up in the air since February, but decision has now been made

25% increase in revenue, hopefully it doesn't see a loss in usage that equal no change. Maybe they should have spoken to the Qld govt about what happens when you over charge.

The interesting thing about toll rising is how much patronage can they afford to lose but at the same time make more money with fewer cars. I read a great article at work about how the clem7 lost a few thousand cars from using the tunnel but they had actually made more each week with fewer cars and higher tolls. The scary thing is that it can be applied to public transport in a similar matter.

[ozbob]

Couriermail Quest --> Some of Logan's most dangerous intersections have not been made a priority by Logan City Council