Re: [Melbourne Australia] Mont Albert to Box Hill and Docklands tramway extensions

[Vaughan Williams <ender2000@my-deja.com>]

The PTUA has been trying for a while to have the terminus located in
the pedestrianised Market St at the doors to Box Hill Central so as to
make tranferring between the tram and the trains and buses as easy as
possible.

Otherwise, people from places like Balwyn and Kew trying to go further
east (who would take a tram then a train) will have to cross the three
lanes of Whitehorse Rd traffic and then walk several hundred metres
along Market St to the train station. This is a safety issue too with
infrequent evening trams and trains and pedestrian lights that take a
long time to cycle.

Didn't that line used to go to Box Hill, and some idiot decided to
shorten it??

Oh, and by the way, a safety zone is a sub-optimal solution to safety
problems. Far better would be a raised pavement and a lower speed limit
to reinforce the law requiring drivers to stop behind the tram, give
way to pedestrians, and not drive faster than 10km/h going past trams.

Vaughan

> Clive, it's interesting to see there still seems to be confusion as to
> where the new terminus will be. The Melway map you publish mentions
> "proposed tram extension to Station Street" but seems to show the
> extension ending at Elgar Road which is well before Station Street!
>
> However everything I have read suggests the line will end at Market
> Street which is the access road to Box Hill Station and immediately
> before the Station Street intersection. Personally I would have the
line
> turn into Market Street and go right to the station.
>
> I will most certainly be travelling to Melbourne for the opening of
that
> line -- I was brought up in Box Hill and many was the time I walked to
> and from the Mont Albert terminus to catch the tram there, often
wishing
> the line would be extended to its logical destination of Box Hill. The
> extension is 40 years overdue, but of course, 40 years ago, nobody was
> extending tram lines.
>
> The extension will also improve safety -- that stub terminus at the
very
> busy Union Road intersection is probaby the most unsafe tram terminus
in
> Melbourne -- not even a safety zone there for passengers or to shield
> waiting trams.
>
> David McLoughlin
> Auckland New Zealand
>


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