Re: New form of rail transportation

["Alex Pout" <alpout@optusnet.com.au>]

Anthony Morton <amorton@mullian.ee.mu.oz.au> wrote in message
8unmi8$8u8$1@mulga.cs.mu.OZ.AU">news:8unmi8$8u8$1@mulga.cs.mu.OZ.AU...
> Peter Berrett <pberrett@optushome.com.au> wrote:
>
> >For example I live in Boronia. To get to work I would have to catch a bus
to
> >Boronia station then train to Box Hill. The slowness of the bus,
infrequency
> >of service and the fact that it stops often turns me off using it. It
takes
> >me twice as long (and longer) to get to work using public transport as it
> >does by car.
>
> Actually, this is what I would call a radial journey.  And all you need to
> make it feasible by public transport is a reasonably frequent feeder bus
to
> Boronia station by the most direct route, with priority over car traffic
at
> intersections, and timed to meet the train at Boronia so waiting time is
> minimised.  The train for its part should run express from Ringwood to Box
> Hill, with an interspersed Ringwood train picking up intermediate
stations.
>
> There is no technical or financial barrier to making this work, just
> bureaucratic inertia.
>
> Cheers,
> Tony M.

Around Newcastle (and I presume Sydney and the Illawarra) there are
dedicated bus lanes at some intersections.  From memory of Melbourne roads,
particularly in the eastern suburbs (Boronia Rd being a good example, at
Stud, Scoresby, and Dorset Rds, and Mountain Hwy) the road widens up giving
an extra lane.  Why not turn that into a dedicated bus lane, if running
busses is the best thing to do.  (I still reckon it isn't.  Would you count
Boronia to Oakleigh as a radial journey?)

Al