Re: [AUS] Radio forum on public transport

[netguru@powerup.com.au (netguru)]

On Wed, 30 Jun 1999 15:26:03 GMT, qldspeed-spamsevil@geocities.com
(qldspeed) wrote:

>
>On Wed, 23 Jun 1999 17:26:57 +1100, David Bromage
><dbromage@omni.com.au> wrote:
>
>>ABC Radio National's Earthbeat presents a radio forum -
>>----------------------------------------------------
>>T H E   C I T Y :
>>motorised nightmare or green dream?
>>---------------------------------------------------
>>
>>Alexandra de Blas and a panel of Australia's leading transport
>>thinkers debate the issues
>
>Gee, if only they had invited someone WITH a clue!!!!
>
Don't worry they won't be asking for someone like you.
>
>>
>>Saturday, June 26, at 7.30am on ABC Radio National
>> repeated at 2.30pm on Monday, June 28.
>>
>
>
>Hmmm. perhaps the problems with public transport are just too
>insurmountable? It hasn't been through lack of trying to force people
>to use it, and in spite of all this.....
>
>>Australians have abandoned public transport in droves since the 1950s
>>and traffic congestion is worse than ever, despite massive
>>road-building programs.
>
>....that have been more oriented towards buses than cars, because
>transport planners have been preoccupied with public transport that
>clearly nobody really wants to use, and have neglected their duty to
>"the other 85%" who either can not or will not conform.
>
>Now Brisbane is indulging in a monstrous set of  BUSWAYs - a huge
>waste of funds that could have been better spent solving the real
>problems of the city.

Yes the busways is a waste of money and that is why they should be
building light rail instead of the bus way and what is the real
problem, could it be the amount of cars on the roads.

 When was the last time they built a bridge over
>the Brisbane river?

They are building a bridge over the Brisbane River, a pedestrian/bike
bridge good isn't it.

But then again when was the last time governments of the state and
federal level spend more money on public transport then on roads.>
>>
>>"The problem is lack of public transport planning - due initially to
>>competition between multiple, rival operators competing with each
>>other rather than the car and exacerbated by the technology-fetishism
>>of engineers and 'economic rationalist' attempts to promote
>>competition." Paul Mees, Melbourne University
>
>Hang on... we've had nothing BUT public transport planning - at the
>expense of sensible integrated  'transport planning' for all users of
>the road network.
>
By saying the road network is a sensible intergrated 'transport
planning' then you have shown you live in a world of make believe.
>> "technology-fetishism of engineers"
>
>if we call it a fetish, I suppose it MUST be bad eh?
>
>It is bad, when you have a fetish for roads, cars etc
>
>>"To manage a city with traffic problems is a big challenge . . . . the
>>process must begin with a dream that is fostered by a city's people
>>until the insistent solutions of traffic engineers are quietened and
>>the commonsense of the common good is heard." Peter Newman,  New
>>Internationalist, June 1999
>
>** see below
>>
>>
>>The panellists:
>>
>>>From Perth: Peter Newman, transport consultant and Professor of City
>>Policy at Murdoch University.  He's also been a council member for the
>>City of Fremantle. His latest book "Sustainability and Cities :
>>overcoming Automobile Dependence." was launched in the White House in
>>early 1999, by the US President's Council on Sustainable Development.
>>
>>From Brisbane: Maureen Hayes is Chair of Transport and Major Projects
>>on the Brisbane City Council - a council that sees itself as
>>Australia's leading city in the delivery of public transport.
>
>and the city with the greatest rate of growth in traffic congestion in
>Australia over the past 5 years!

And this is proof why we need more money to be spent on public
transport.>
>
Hardly surprising when the council is closing off streets and
>narrowing (yep that's right folks!) arterial roads (e.g. Latrobe Tce,
>Brisbane 1999)

Hardly surprising that you still don't get it and that is the council
is telling you should not be using your car.>
>>
>>From Melbourne: Paul Mees,  teacher of Transport and Land Use Planning
>>at Melbourne University. Since 1992 he's been President of the Public
>>Transport Users' Association in Victoria. Among his achievements he
>>lists that he is currently being sued by the proprietors of
>>Melbourne's City Link tollway.
>
>Splendid achievment!
>
Not for you that is for sure.
>>
>>From Sydney:  David Hensher: Professor of Management and Director of
>>the Institute of Transport Studies at Sydney University. He has
>>advised both the government and the private sector on transport issues
>>and ....  has  written books on cars, buses and coaches. 
>
>Which probably explains his eratic thinking and poor handwriting :-)

So how much of your brain do you use, if any.>

>> He's particularly
>>interested in transport economics and productivity measurement,
>>privatisation and deregulation.
>>
>>Christine Laurence: from the Reclaim the Streets movement and Critical
>>Mass - a monthly cycling celebration. Christine has worked in local
>>government as a landscape architect.
>
>.... representing the lunatic fringe of even the public transport
>movement.
>
So what lunatic fringe society are you part of and at least they know
what they are talking about, where someone like you.>>
>>"The car is the technology which involves the biggest number of
>>employees, the highest advertising budget, the largest annual
>>accidental death rate and the biggest contribution to global warming.
>>How do you begin to approach managing something so popular and yet so
>>destructive? "    Peter Newman, The New Internationalist, June 1999 
>
>(see below **)
>
>Hmmmm ... perhaps 10 million people know something that Peter Newman
>clearly doesn't.
>
Are you tired now, asking all of those 10,000,000 people what they
think.
>
** Looks a bit left wing if you ask me? **
>>New Internationalist Publications is a communications
>> co-operative based in Oxford with editorial and sales offices
>> in Toronto, Canada; Adelaide, Australia; Christchurch,
>> Aotearoa /New Zealand; and Lewiston, USA. It exists to
>> report on issues of world poverty and inequality; to focus
>> attention on the unjust relationship  between the powerful and the
>> powerless in both rich and poor nations; to debate and 
>>campaign for   the radical changes necessary if the   
>> basic material and spiritual needs of  all are to be met. 
>... by better transport economics?
>
>Gimme a break!

Have a Kit Kat.>

>Qldspeed  kills