Re: Melbourne Trams

["Michael Walker" <walker@hotkey.net.au>]

>It has long been recognised that trams play a very important part in moving
>passengers relatively short distances compared to rail. Just look where a
tram
>goes past a major shopping centre. People use them. Of course there are
always
>the lazy people who will drive even extremely short distances and will
probably
>argue that they have to get all their groceries home somehow. Well they
could
>always have them home delivered, most supermarkets deliver free of charge.


Actually most supermarkets charge about $1 or so for home delivery. Having
said that, I am sure it would be cheaper in many cases to tram it to a
supermarket and back and pay for home delivery. Or do what my parents used
to do and take a shopping jeep, although admittedly we did it by train -
much easier than up and down tram steps although occasionally to avoid the
Apollo Parkways hill we would cart it up and down bus sateps and it wasn't
too much of a problem.

>Places like Knox (mooted sometime ago), beyond Bundoora RMIT to South
Morang
>thus serving the shopping areas out that way plus providing a cheap
transport
>system for those who do not have a car or don't wish to drive.


Knox I agree with, South Morang at present I'm not so sure. I think the line
should have gone to Childs Road Mill Park as originally planned and probably
further to Centenary Drive, there are a few things there like shops and
police station and a few other things I think. Whilst it is growing, there
is still not a lot in South Morang (the pub has even burned down!), probably
not enough to justify a tram line except as a form of property development
or to encourage use early before it is highly profitable, much like the
early rail lines were. The difference is the rail lines were built on more
or less virgin land, Plenty Road would need to be upgraded as well past
Centenary Drive and I doubt Vicroads or the PTC/Yarra Trams would pay for
it.

>There are plenty of examples, I'm sure we could all name some. Box Hill
might
>become a reality oneday with the Mont Albert tram extended. If that is not
to
>feed into the station as much as anything else, I'll go he.


Highpoint, Knox, Airport / Gladstone Park, Box Hill, Doncaster, East
Doncaster, Freeway light rail, etc etc.

>Long Live the Melbourne Tram. World-wide famous icon.
>We should put those so called experts into a museum and see how they like
it.
>Stuffed and mounted for all to see.


Now now David, I'm sure they don't need encouraging...8^)