Re: Bus-train integration (was Free Ride (Victoria))

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

It provides a reasonable service during the day (though the walk into
the centre of campus, especially to the law school which is on the far
side of the campus, is quite a long one).

But if I don't finish until late at night, the tram is not good enough
for me, who has a choice, to use it. The car is quicker, safer and more
comfortable.

Even during the day, I think twice before using it - in the morning
peak, the tram is severely overcrowded. I have sometimes been unable to
get on two trams in a row meaning a wait of 20 - 30 minutes. I could
drive to uni in less time than that.

Don't get me wrong, the #86 is good by Melbourne standards and on the
good side of mediocre or the mediocre side of good by world standards.
It does the job for people who don't have an alternative, but still few
people would use it *by choice* to go from Northcote to Latrobe.

It could be made better by:
* Tram priority at traffic lights and assorted Zurich-style priority
measures. At present it is much quicker to drive at any time,
especially at night or in peak hour.

* Better frequencies of 5 - 10 minutes day night and weekend. My
tolerance of waiting doesn't increase at night or on weekends, and I do
not like having my life run by timetables, and I have no control over
the time I finish what I need to do there

* Reliable service (see priority above)

* Connection to buses that go into the uni rather than dumping me half
a kilometre away in Plenty Road.

<flame>

No offence David, but you might as well be on the moon saying that
Australian cities (Melbourne in particular) have excellent public
transport or that the #86 is so fantastic. The timetable does not
correlate with reality. A five minute frequency is to no avail if in
fact one waits for 15 minutes for three trams to arrive at once, or two
packed full trams pass before I can get on one. I'm not suggesting this
happens with every trip, but often enough for me to think in the
shower, can I be bothered waiting for the tram and walking into the
centre of the uni today? Or will I just jump in the car?

Writing with all the restraint I can muster after being denigrated as a
troller, if the #86 is fantastic and Melbourne's public transport is as
good as it can be, we might as well give up the fight and pull up all
the rail lines to replace them with freeways, because Melbourne's
public transport system is forever doomed to carry at most 8% of all
trips like it does now.

</flame>

Of course, if I was going to Monash, I'd really have something to
complain about, but thats another story for another time.

Vaughan

> If you really live just 20m from High Street and have to attend
Latrobe
> University for whatever reason, I really can't see how you can
complain
> that the 86 tram is not good for this purpose. It is one of the best
> tram services in Melbourne and provides a frequent, fast direct link.
I
> can't fathom what more would make it better for you? If it rains
> occasionally from tram to home or university, can't you get an
umbrella?
>
> Just checking the latest online table for the 86, it runs around every
> seven minutes off-peak and even less in the morning and evening peaks,
> at least every 20 minutes late at night and even every 12 minutes
during
> daytime hours on Saturdays and Sundays.
>
> I've ridden the 86 hundreds of times over many years, even before it
was
> the 86 and just ran to Tyler Street. By world standards, by ANY
> standards, the 86 provides a fantastic service and I can only assume
> your claims to the contrary are a troll.
>
> --
> David McLoughlin
> Auckland New Zealand
>
> Where am I going, and why am I in this handbasket?
>


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