Re: [Sydney] Light Rail into the CBD?

["Ted Gay" <tedgay@bigpond.com>]

"James Shugg" <jshugg@westpac.com.au> wrote in message
c4c98596.0105220936.6c7e7777@posting.google.com">news:c4c98596.0105220936.6c7e7777@posting.google.com...
> There's a piece in the Wednesday SMH about Metro Light Rail upping
> their efforts to get the SLR into Pitt and Castereagh Streets, along
> with discussion of some of the objections to the proposal.
>
> See http://www.smh.com.au/news/0105/23/national/national8.html

See the last paragraph:
 "The executive director of the NSW Property Council, Mr Mark Quinlan, said
its chief concerns related to the safety of pedestrians in Pitt Street Mall
and access to parking stations."

What a load of hypocritical bullshit!!
Ever tried to cross an entrance to a parking station? motorists will block
the footpath, blow horns etc as they drive at pedestrians, they never wait
at the building alignment or curb until there is a gap in the traffic on the
footpath or street.  Can Dave P comment on motorist's obligations when
crossing footpaths, i.e. the parts of the Traffic or Road acts that apply?
>
> I lived in Melbourne for 8 years and recall seeing a few near misses
> (tram/pedestrian) in Bourke St Mall; the concern raised here about
> Pitt St Mall has some validity I suppose, given that Sydneysiders
> would be much less tram aware than Melbournians.

 On the last night of the sports carnival last year a pedestrian was flatten
in Hay Street when he stepped in front of a tram. Broken windsreen,
fractured skull and broken jaw when hitting footpath. It was reported in
'Transit Australia' as     "Trams 1  Pedestrians 0"

Ted