Re: Trams in Newcastle again?

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

Ted Gay <tedgay@bigpond.com> wrote in message
PDah6.21815$65.110406@newsfeeds.bigpond.com">news:PDah6.21815$65.110406@newsfeeds.bigpond.com...
>
> "Alex Pout" <alpout@optusnet.com.au> wrote in message
> 3a8504de$0$16404$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au">news:3a8504de$0$16404$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au...
> >
> > Trig Lycerides <Trig.Lycerides@bigpond.com> wrote in message
> > _4vg6.20268$65.102085@newsfeeds.bigpond.com">news:_4vg6.20268$65.102085@newsfeeds.bigpond.com...
> >One reason why so many people drive here is because if you live more than 5
> > minutes from the train line (or bus route) then it's unfeasible.
>
> You can't walk for more than 5 minutes?
> How pathetic are you?

No, that's a five minute drive.  For me to walk to the nearest station takes
over an hour.  Besides, how about instead of bagging me for stating an opinion
(which is fairly common here) then why not address the issue?

> > The only
> > decent PT axes around Newcastle are trains to Maitland (better live near
> the
> > line) and busses to Port Stephens, Belmont and Wallsend.   Anywhere in
> between
> > is a big black hole, so if your planning on doing anything in those areas,
> > you'd better drive.  Not to mention frequency of service.
> >
> > And I'm a believer in public transport.
>

When I lived in Melbourne, I always carried a 10x2 hour zone 1 metcard with
me.  Whenever I went out, I'd use trains and trams as much as I could.  Even
here, even now, I use them as much as I can, but when services are infrequent,
and only serve certain areas, with not a lot in between (ie all on axes
radiating straight out of the city, no cross suburb connections), but the car
wins hands down time wise every time.

Example: I can drive straight to uni in 15 minutes (or ride my motorbike in
about 10), depending on traffic.  To use the 2 PT choices available to me:
Option 1: Drive to station (5 minutes if I'm lucky, no traffic and red lights,
10 more likely).  Then 10 minutes on train to Warabrook, followed by 10
minutes walk from station to uni buildings.  Total: 30 minutes (minimum).
Option 2: Blue Ribbon bus from home to Wallsend (90 minutes).  Bus from
Wallsend to uni (at least 15).  Walk from one side of uni to the other in
another 10.  So almost 2 hours there.

I do favour PT, but not at the expense of so much time.

Now, if you'd read my post and the issues I raised in that, then maybe you
would see why PT isn't used that much.  I also posted a suggestion which would
increase the public transport usage around here quite substantially, but you
didn't seem to think that was fit to reply to.  So if I'm against PT, then why
would I be making suggestions to improve it?

> Oh yea, sure!
>
> > Have a nice day,
> > Alex
> >
> Not after reading so much drivel!!!

Try reading what's actually written next time.