>The government is considering the privatisation proposals prepared by a USA
>consultant. "No USA city of this size has such an overprovision of urban
>transit", the consultant stated. "A radical overhaul is required to bring
>this into the 21st century as a set of profit-making entities, and not as a
>system". The consultant's radically-innovative report proposes:
>* Splitting the suburban rail system into two: one to be based at Spencer
>St station, the other to be based at Flinders St station.
>* Demolishing Flinders St Viaduct. "This will remove a century-old
>eyesore, and will link the city to the Yarra and casino with vistas of
>Enterprize Park. It will further enhance the views from the casino".
>* The remaining portion of the underground loop would be sold to one of the
>private tram operators, allowing tram lines to be removed from many
>streets. These would then be upgraded to city-bypass routes, operated as
>toll roads.
>* To facilitate workshops transfers, and the operation of the few remaining
>freights east, the consultant has identified a potential "belt line" route
>from Royal Park to Merri, linking with a combination of existing routes and
>new construction Clifton Hill - Fairfield - East Camberwell - Alamein -
>East Malvern - Hughesdale, with a further link from there to a point half
>way between Glen Huntly and Ormond.
>* Although the basic theme of the report is to contract lightly-used
>services, the consultant sees merit in two inner-urban rail extensions: a
>line from North Fitzroy to Fitzroy would tap the immense market of this
>now-trendy area, where so many former warehouses have been converted into
>apartments; a line from Windsor to St Kilda would serve the Albert Park
>Grand Prix site, ensuring that there would be competition for the
>privatised tram operation to the area.
>* The tram network should be split into smaller units, based in Footscray,
>Essendon, Brunswick, Northcote, Hawthorn and Prahran/Malvern. The
>consultant believes that business-oriented mega councils would invest in
>such units, reducing the cost to state government.
>* Again, lightly-used services should be closed down. However, in the
>densely-trafficked inner suburbs, a high-tech radical transport system
>should be built by private enterprise. LRVs would be propelled by
>nonpolluting underground cables along Rathdown St (Carlton), Johnston St
>(Fitzroy and Collingwood), and from the casino via City Rd and Bay St to
>the recently-transformed Port Melbourne area.
>* Transport officials have been delighted by the boldness of the proposals.
> "This shows the same scale of vision as does Federation Square. By the
>year 2001 Melbourne commuters will be proud of the fact that they have a
>transport system designed for the future".
>--
>Roderick Smith
You forgot to mention their proposal to close Flemington race-course
and utilise the redundant live-stock to power low-energy,
lead-free-emission railed vehicles.