Letters to the editor - Published

[ozbob]

Published South West News 1st September 2010 page 9

The start of a rail revolution

[ozbob]

Published South West News 8th September 2010

Put transport back on the rails

[ozbob]

Published South West News 15th September 2010

Next stop, the future

[Golliwog]

Published South West News 15th September 2010

Next stop, the future

Good letter. One small nit-pick though: You say increasing the share of active and public transport will reduce congestion (which it will if it happened overnight) but in Connecting SEQ they point out that once you also factor in population growth, even if the mode share of the car is lower, compared with the actual number of those driving today, theres still an increase in car traffic. Although off the top of my head, I can't remember what the split they were predicting was (other than 14% for PT) compared to your target of 50% for active and PT, as that could change it.

[ozbob]

The targets in Connecting SEQ 2031 are far too low IMHO.  Much better to aim higher and resource public and active transport options properly so that is first choice, not last choice ....

CRR alone will drive a significant increase ...

[Jonno]

Congestion (usually measured by traffic speed) itself is not reduced by transit as it is a factor of the available road space and the number of cars. Unfortunately we know that any road space is quickly filled with cars. 

What transit does do and is the only mode that can is reduce the number of cars on the road and thus the need to provide massive amounts of road space.  What is reduced is the total cost of congestion. 

I'll add dome links tonight but London for example has not reduced congestion because the city has reclaimed road space for pedestrians and cyclists.  This is a fantastic outcome but overall congestion remains the same.

Not suggesting letter was wrong at all just discussing the topic.  The case for change is growing indeed!!!

[Jonno]

Links as promised.

http://www.humantransit.org/2010/07/what-does-transit-do-about-traffic-congestion-1.html

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/congestioncharging/6723.aspx There is more details in the Annual report which is a link in the web age.

Since the general public believe that congestion is the enemy of a growing economy, our freedom and the great Australian way then to highlight that that transit does reduce congestion because there are less people stuck in congestion is fine by me!!!!  Call it artistic license!!!!

[ozbob]

Published South West News 22nd September 2010 page 8

Rail investment will get people off the road

[ozbob]

Published City North News 23rd September 2010

Extend Airtrain timetable

RAIL Back On Track is calling on the operator of Airtrain to improve its service. The Airtrain cuts back to a 30-minute frequency between 9.58am-3.28pm on a weekday, departing the Domestic Terminal.

There is a need for the 15-minute frequency to run through between the AM and PM peaks and to extend operation to at least llpm.

Proper use of the Airtrain would go a long way to relieving road congestion and community cost impacts.

Robert Dow,
administration,
RAIL Back On Track

[ozbob]

Published South West News 6th October 2010

Parking problems need fixing

[ozbob]

Published South West News 13th October 2010

Brisbane airport rail is world's worst

[ozbob]

Published Westside News 13th October 2010

Buses stagnating on the drive

[#Metro]

 

RailBOT has 'traction'.

[ozbob]

Published South West News 20th October 2010

Callous drivers a danger to all

[ozbob]

Published South West News 27th October 2010

No Airtrain after 8pm is a joke

[ozbob]

Published South West News 3rd November 2010

Let state run ferries buses

[ozbob]

Published South West News 8th December 2010

Hats off to QR timetable staff

[ozbob]

Published Queensland Times 8th December 2010

Bus users group would be helpful

The events concerning the changes of bus at Ipswich have been very disturbing for all.   Why did it occur?

Since 2007 there have been vague promises of fixing the western region bus around Ipswich. The fundamental issue was that the timetables did not match need or traffic situations.

As a consequence the service became increasingly unreliable and many times we received feedback and comment from citizens caught out with no shows and very late running buses.

It is no real surprise that patronage suffered.  Rather than just imposing route withdrawal it would have been preferable to give a warning period with a properly constructed timetable that would have allowed bus patronage to build again.  The proposed route withdrawal could have been flagged.  It is not too late to do this.

I have personally and we have publicly raised the suggestion that TransLink need to establish Bus Community Reference Groups.  

Queensland Rail has had now for a number of years Community Reference Groups for all railway lines. These are very successful and is to Queensland Rail's credit.  

The Minister for Transport has referred to the Go card Community Reference Group and the role that group has played.  The Go Card Community Reference Group is a Ministerial level group run by TransLink.

So, again we call for TransLink to establish Bus User Community Reference Groups for all bus regions.  This would lead to a more constructive relationship.

It would help to avoid the sort of situation that has developed in Ipswich.

[ozbob]

From the South West News 15th December 2010

Fair price for a ride

[ozbob]

Published South West News 22nd December 2010 

Catch up on new go card changes

[ozbob]

Published Courier Mail 4th January 2011

The road toll for 2010 has fallen - a good thing. The focus on fatalities is understandable, but it ignores the mounting injury toll and the cost of lifelong management of the maimed.  If any other transport mode had the death and injury toll of road transport it would be shut down tomorrow. It is about time that governments became serious in providing safe and sustainable mass transit systems.

[Fares_Fair]

  well done Bob.

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[ozbob]

From the South West News 26th January 2011 page 15

Hoons ought to be taken off the roads

[ozbob]

From South West News 9th February 2011 page 9

We're on track for a bright rail future

[ozbob]

From the South West News 23rd February 2011 page 8

Train beats the traffic tangle

[ozbob]

From the South West News 2nd March 2011 page 9

Nolan was a rail good Transport Minister who listened

[mufreight]

From the South West News 2nd March 2011 page 9

Nolan was a rail good Transport Minister who listened

Then did nothing of benefit to commuters, how about we start a list of those positives that occoured while she was Minister and the a list of the negatives just for comparison and now she is the Finance Minister, heaven help us.

[somebody]

Then did nothing of benefit to commuters, how about we start a list of those positives that occoured while she was Minister and the a list of the negatives just for comparison and now she is the Finance Minister, heaven help us.

It's not so much the negatives that she did, more how little positive change occurred in her time.

I find it unlikely that she had anything to do with the stupid changes which were done on the opening of KGSBS as she hadn't had the job long enough.  However, if I am incorrect on that point, then ok, the negatives are looking pretty severe.

[ozbob]

Published Courier Mail 12 March 2011

Weekend travel being hampered

Increasing car congestion at weekends in Brisbane is partly because of poor public transport options.  The great circle line (bus 598/599) links a number of shopping centres and hospitals but doesn't run on Sunday and has a limited timetable on Saturday.

A 30-minute frequency should be the minimum, with a 15-minute frequency to coincide with shopping hours.

[mufreight]

I find it unlikely that she had anything to do with the stupid changes which were done on the opening of KGSBS as she hadn't had the job long enough.   However, if I am incorrect on that point, then ok, the negatives are looking pretty severe.

No matter how long she was in the position it was too long as far as Public Transport and Transport overall were concerned.

[somebody]

 
I never had the impression that she was interested in public transport.  But that era is over, let's look forward!

[ozbob]

Published Courier Mail March 26

Record overrated

[somebody]

Well done.

[ozbob]

South West News 30 March 2011  page 9

Plea for Springfield service

[ozbob]

Published Queensland Times 5th May 2011

Routed opinion

I welcome the implementation of the 514 bus route and a modified 503 bus route in Ipswich from the 3 May 2011, along with many other citizens who successfully campaigned for this.

The FlexiLink trial in Ipswich was not successful in some roam zones, namely Zones A and B.  The Minister for Transport and TransLink therefore acted to restore bus services which is welcomed. Thank you.

The FlexiLink trial is ongoing for another 3 months in Roam Zones C and D.  Roam Zone C which includes Goodna needs more bus support. People in Roam Zone C have the same issues as was experienced by people in zones A and B.  I encourage citizens impacted by the withdrawal of the 523 bus route particularly and with concerns about FlexiLink to give feedback to TransLink.

Local bus transport is becoming more critical as road congestion and fuel price rises start to seriously impact.  Changes to bus routes need to go through a proper community consultation process.  This helps avoid the unhelpful angst and grief which developed in Ipswich. As the population ages equitable mobility is increasingly important, not everyone can continue to drive a car.

FlexiLink services could be implemented jointly with bus in some low density areas as an off peak option to peak bus services. One does not necessarily exclude the other.

[ozbob]

Published South West News 11th May 2011

Brisbane Ekka on the wrong track to attract more patrons

[Fares_Fair]

It's a good letter, well worded and it gets the point across clearly. 

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[Fares_Fair]

Published: Sunshine Coast Daily
Wednesday 11 May, 2011

Lobby government

[Fares_Fair]

Published: Courier-Mail
Wednesday 18 May, 2011

Boom gates.
Late services.

[Fares_Fair]

Published: Nambour Weekly
Friday 18 May, 2011

Bus seat is just the ticket

This is a (clearly) tongue in cheek letter about the quality of the new ?? bus seat in Currie Street, Nambour.