Light rail brought on board multi-trip tickets
Published in The Sydney Morning Herald on 14 June, 2011
COMMUTERS with MyMulti transport tickets will finally be able to use them on Sydney’s light rail line.
The Transport Minister, Gladys Berejiklian, will announce measures today to incorporate the light rail line into the MyZone ticket structure, an election promise made by the Coalition.
From June 27, commuters who use daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly or yearly MyMulti tickets to travel on the bus, train and ferry networks will also be able to use the tickets on the light rail system.
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Pensioners will be able to use their pensioner excursion tickets on the line, and Family Funday Sunday tickets will also be eligible for use on the line.
”This is great news for commuters, tourists, pensioners and families,” Ms Berejiklian said.
36 Reasons Streetcars Are Better Than Buses
If you want a system that really attracts riders and investment, many transit experts will attest that streetcars are the best dollar-for-dollar investment a city can make.
Of course, there are plenty of situations where old-fashioned bus service or newfangled bus rapid transit (which usually has dedicated lanes) are just the thing. But for cities facing a choice between building a streetcar system or high-end BRT–and the cost difference can be smaller than might think–it’s handy to know that transit riders overwhelming prefer streetcars. Well, overwhelmingly if the comments section from a recent story on this site can be taken as a fair sample. One reader posed the question, “buses or streetcars?” and the responses–from laypeople and transportation experts alike–came fast and furious. In the end, we were left with dozens of reasons why streetcars are superior, ranging from the obvious to the wonderfully creative.
As the comments added up, we became more and more intrigued. So we’ve edited the various reasons into a proper list. Did we miss anything? Do any of these not hold up? Disagree entirely? Let us know in the comments section and we’ll update the story–and the headline–as worthwhile additions come in.
- New streetcar lines always, always, get more passengers than the bus routes they replace.
- Buses, are susceptible to every pothole and height irregularity in the pavement (and in Chicago we have plenty). Streetcars ride on smooth, jointless steel rails that rarely develop bumps.
- Streetcars don’t feel “low status” to transit riders. Buses often do.
Bring back trams: mayor makes a pitch for Anzac Parade
The mayor of one of Sydney’s highest density municipalities has backed the introduction of light rail along Anzac Parade to serve one of the country’s biggest universities and a host of health and recreational sites.
Bruce Notley-Smith, the Liberal Mayor of Randwick, which includes the crowded suburbs of Coogee and Maroubra Junction, believes buses along Anzac Parade will soon become inadequate for moving tens of thousands of students and residents.
He told a public meeting last night at the University of NSW – part of the independent public inquiry into public transport backed by the Herald – that only 15 per cent of people commuting to Randwick used public transport, while 57 per cent used cars.
Anzac Parade, he said, was one of the busiest bus routes, with patronage growing every month. It was the backbone of Randwick and ”one of the widest boulevards in Sydney”. Read more »
John Della Bosca had secret plan to save Sydney
Fallen Labor minister John Della Bosca had secretly drawn up a 100-day action plan he planned to unveil on his first day as Premier of NSW.
The policy blueprint was designed to turn NSW around from the policy doldrums it has been suffering since the demise of former premier Morris Iemma and represents the platform from which Mr Della Bosca intended to lead NSW and end the infighting within Labor ranks.
The Sunday Telegraph has seen the plan which draws on Mr Della Bosca’s considerable experience across several key government portfolios, the result of a shared vision with former premier Bob Carr. Read more »
Moore bypasses NSW on rail funds
Frustrated at what she sees as the NSW Government’s sluggish record on public transport, the Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore, has appealed directly to the Rudd Government for help to build a light rail to one of city’s fastest growing areas.
Cr Moore, who is also an independent NSW MP, needs about $300 million for a tram service to Green Square and the surrounding neighbourhoods of Zetland, Alexandria, Beaconsfield and Waterloo, which will house up to 33,000 new residents and create 22,000 jobs by 2020.
Seven thousand jobs and 5500 residents are slated for the Green Square town centre alone. ”We’re massively expanding high density in those areas and the transport will not cope,” she told the Herald. ”I believe we now need Federal Government engagement on this issue as a matter of urgency.” Read more »