Re: (QLD) Brisbane Light Rail Plans

[Ken Duncan <kaduncan@gil.com.au>]

in article 3A330CFA.5CF3BC49@enternet.com.au, Chris Brownbill at
cbrnbill@enternet.com.au wrote on 10/12/00 2:56 PM:

> David McLoughlin wrote:
>> 
>> I'm having an argument over here with a virulently anti-transit
>> newspaper columnist. He wrote a column on Friday that said Brisbane had
>> just scrapped a half-built light rail system that had been causing chaos
>> in the streets where the tracks were being laid, and that the scrapping
>> of this half-built system was because people had realised train lines
>> don't work.
>> 
>> Now I have responded that he has completely invented this fiction, but
>> he seems to be standing by his story.
>> 
>> Before the last Qld election, the previous government had its Briztram
>> plan which was opposed by the opposition. The opposition came in and
>> canned it, but there had been no construction work.  Ditto with a much
>> watered-down scheme of the new government. Not a metre of track laid, or
>> even tenders called IIRC, before this scheme too was canned, quite some
>> time ago.
>> 
>> All that went ahead from my memory is a busway.
>> 
>> Am I right? Or is he?  Has Brisbane just scrapped a half-built
>> light-rail system that never featured on my horizon despite me following
>> these things closely? And never featured in "Tramways & Urban Transit"
>> the monthly magazine of the UK Light Rail Transit Association which
>> certainly covered the Briztram debate and the busway.
>> 
>> The same guy the week before said the US had opened 10 light rail
>> systems and all had been dogs and no more were being built. In fact the
>> US has 19 systems with 10 more on the way. All but one (Buffalo) has
>> been a success and are being extended. But these car fanatics never let
>> the facts spoil their lies.
>> 
>> David McLoughlin
>> Auckland New Zealand
>> 
>> - God created New Zealand so Tasmanians had something to laugh at.
> 
> 
> What columnist in what newspaper?  Maybe a few well-penned letters to the
> editor
> from people such as ourselves (who are in possession of some facts) pointing
> out
> errors might help get the soapbox kicked from under him.
> 
> Do you have copies of what he's written?  Any of it on-line?  I smell easy
> BLOOD!


Perhaps he's getting his transport systems confused... Brisbane's Airtrain
(rail link to Brisbane Airport) is nearing completion (more than half way?).
However there has not been any talk of scrapping it, although a week or so
ago a comparison to Sydney's airport railway was made in the newspapers
(perhaps it was in this newsgroup).

Apparently Sydney's airport railway is under patronised and losing money;
the same fate was predicted for the Brisbane version. I'm on the fence on
this matter...I don't think enough locals will use it, but this may be a
good thing for the tourists (Brisbane is hosting the Goodwill Games in a
year or so).

Agreed...Briztram never got further than ink on drawing paper!

KD