Re: $4b transport plan to ease petrol heat

["Chris Downs" <cvdowns@ozemail.com.au>]

Tezza <tezza2000@dingoblue.net.au> wrote in message
39f255ab$0$11636$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au">news:39f255ab$0$11636$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au...
>
> "Chris Downs" <cvdowns@ozemail.com.au> wrote in message
> KznI5.3219$SF5.69972@ozemail.com.au">news:KznI5.3219$SF5.69972@ozemail.com.au...
> > Are these the roads we have to walk on the negotiate cars that block
> > footpaths (that is park completely across the footpath)
>
> Yeah, there's a dozen of them on every street. I haven't had to do that in
> recent memory.
>
> > or avoid the driveway ruts on unmade footpaths
>
> You're kidding right? You walk out onto the road cause someone didn't want
to
> pay the councils ridsiculous charges and there's a couple of 6 or 8" tyre
> tracks?

I'm not a vampire so I don't fly by night - these driveways are bad and
street lighting is poor.

>
> > - come for a walk down Winbourne Road
> > Hazelbrook one day Tezza and see exactly why everyone walks on the road
> > where I live.  Hey, who can knock the generous souls that obey no
standing
> > signs by not parking on the street (might get booked and cop some road
> > rage), they just park on the footpath instead that way evvveeeeryone
(that
> > they empathise with) is happy.
>
> That is also a bookable offence - Not Park Close And Parallel.

Says it all, many motorists are too selfish to be compliant (or think of
others) and Oz culture exacerabates the problem.

> >
> > Or are these the roads we walk on in the CBD because the footpaths still
> > aren't wide enough
>
> How fat are you? I haven't seen any footpaths that aren't wide enough for
> someone to walk down.

I'll use your rationale to suggest all CBD streets have one lane for traffic
in each direction and give the rest over to the pedestrians, but I know
that's not really what you meant?

>
> > and the RTA designs traffic signals purely for the
> > benefit of managing motor vehicle flow
>
> That's why they're there.

Motorist-centric thinking.  Signals exist for all traffic (that's why most
signals have little red and green men).
>
> > and inhibiting pedestrian movement (to improve motor vehicle flow of
> course).
>
> Again, that's why they're there.

And that's why they're ignored.
>
> >  Again come to Hazelbrook and use
> > the Great Western Highway pedestrian lights.
>
> I can think of better pasttimes.

Like loading spell check?
>
> >  A peak hour train arrives half
> > the people cross on the first change and the rest wait the best part of
two
> > minutes
>
> Two minutes? So? There's another 1,438 in the day.

That's why you ring the RTA for slow changing signals of course.
>
> > regardless of vehicle density and speed of vehicle flow
>
> I agree with you on that one. I often ring the RTA fault number and report
> lights that take too lomng to change when there's no crossflow.

You think the RTA listens to you.  If your lucky it's a rooted presence
detector and they'll fix it,  more likely RTA "managing" the flow.
>
> > (again the RTA caring for all).  These lights are so widely ignored by
> pedestrians
>
> Like the cars parking on footpaths? Jeez you're a disobedient bunch up
there.
> Maybe the cops should be there to hand out a few tickets.

I agree, pedestrians have far more to gain from consistent enforcement.
Redress some of that imbalance.
>
> > because pedestrians are treated like shit.
>
> I can sympathise, motorists pay exorbitant taxes and have to drive on
shitty
> roads.
>
Motoring has an exhorbitant social and environmental costs (and huge
benefits), that's why we pay.........

>
> >  And once in a blue moon when the
> > signals change cars and trucks still run the red (a 15 second delay for
the
> > benefit of pedestrians at a pelican crossing is just 14.5s too long to
> > wait).
>
> While you're waiting, pass around a petition to the council/RTA/SRA for an
> overhead bridge.

The RTA would squeal at the cost of having to divert the road over the
footpath, those expensive approach ramps, inadequate sight lines etc..
However, I'm sure the RTA will give us a 3km pedestrian ramp and bridge when
they duplicate the carriageway in the not too distant future.
>
> >
> > Many motorists only understand the needs and rights of pedestrians that
> > carry a ten pound sledge hammer over their shoulder - must be time to
> > upgrade to a rocket launcher.
>
> Got a pushbike too have you?

And a car, but you can't read and drive so it stays home much of the time
(and I let you do the chauffeuring, ta).
>
>
> > (And don't sweat it, I know there's vague
> > wandering pedestrians out there, apart from twits however this group
often
> > contains some very young, very old and mentally ill people).
>
> The last catagory shouldn't be allowed to wander anywhere, they should be
> locked up.
>

You're right tezza, I withdraw the Hazelbrook invite and I'll leave your
last bait to rot.