Re: Travel patterns (was Re: New form of rail transportation)

["whitehat" <whitehat@alphalink.com.au>]

"Michael" <usenet.spam@gunzel.net> wrote in message
8FEE8C858gunzelT333@139.130.239.94">news:8FEE8C858gunzelT333@139.130.239.94...
> Ben <smithb@alphalink.com.au> wrote in article
> <3a13bef1@news.alphalink.com.au>:
>
> >> Unfortunately, the idea of a railway extended from Williamstown under
> >> the bay to Dandenong sounds a little absurd.
>
> >What about a half decent ferry service that connects Williamstown,
> >Footscray, Southgate, Port Melbourne and St Kilda or even Frankston. Not
> >one of those touristy things but a proper ferry service using
> >"Rivercats" (Yarracats/Baycats) like in Sydney and Brisbane.
>
> Funny you bring this up. I was discussing with another aus.rail member
last
> night, the idea of a ferry network possibly integrated into the Met fare
> system.
>
> Without looking at a Melways, my idea was to have services as follows:
>
> (Assuming a ferry terminal to be setup on Northbank, at Flinders Street
> Station - which can be done at relatively minor cost).
>
> * Northbank - Docklands - (few stops) - Marybyrnong - (Keilor??). [How far
> can a boat go up the Marybyrnong river?]
> * Northbank - Williamstown - Corio - Queenscliff - Sorrento - Mornington -
> Black Rock - Northbank.
> * Northbank - Black Rock - Mornington - Sorrento - Queenscliff - Corio -
> Williamstown - Northbank.
>
> A service upstream on the Yarra River would be useless, since, for the
> distance you can travel - there are already a number of public transport
> options.
>
> At the same time, you could possibly integrate Geelong rail into the Met
> fare system, hence becoming Zone 3 beyond Werribee.
>
> There is genuine need for public transport in many of the areas mentioned
> above, and is still keeping to the mostly radial model outlined by other
> people. (With the exception of Sorrento-Queenscliff - anyone expecting
> people to go via Melbourne is total lunacy).
>

I don't know much about ferry design, but it seems unlikely that you can
design a ferry that can negotiate the outer reaches of Port Phillip Bay at
good commuter speed and still fit under the very low Spencer street and
Queen Street bridges.

Any boaties out there care to comment?

whitehat