Monday, November 22, 2010

Bankstown Group Featured in Local News

Members of the Bankstown group, Transport for the Local Community, were recently featured in an article in the local paper. The article discusses the need for a lift to access Panania train station and for a bus route to link Panania with UWS.
Click here to read the article
You can find a link to their group on the left menu of this WSPTU blog page you are now viewing.

M90 Metrobus - Bankstown, Liverpool

From the Transport Minister's press release, 22/11/2010
For the full release click here

The new Metrobus route M90 - connecting Liverpool, Moorebank, Bankstown, Chullora, Strathfield and Burwood – will begin on December 6.

The new M90 service will run seven days a week, every 10 minutes in the weekday peak, every 15 minutes during the day and every 20 minutes in the evenings and on weekends. The M90 will replace the route 900 and provide more frequent services for commuters in Burwood, Strathfield, Bankstown, Chullora and Liverpool.

http://www.sydneybuses.info/metrobus/metrobus.htm

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

News From 'Crude Oil Peak'

25/10/2010
Sydney's RTA about to pull down public transport infrastructure
http://www.crudeoilpeak.com/?p=1992

11/11/2010
Tollopoly on Sydney's orbital
http://www.crudeoilpeak.com/?p=2131
9/11/2010
M2 widening increases Sydney's oil vulnerability
http://www.crudeoilpeak.com/?p=2039
28/10/2010
Quick risk analysis for M2 widening (Part2)
http://www.crudeoilpeak.com/?p=2012

10/11/2010
IEA World Energy Outlook 2010: Global crude oil production will never grow again http://www.crudeoilpeak.com/?p=2060
Regards

Matt Mushalik (MIEAust, CPEng)
Epping 2121

Monday, November 15, 2010

WSPTU Policy Forum Decides on Policies

On Saturday November 13, the Policy Forum of the WSPTU met to make some important decisions. Members representing public transport users groups in Liverpool, Bankstown, Fairfield, Parramatta, The Hills, Mt Druitt, Penrith and the Blue Mountains attended. The following are the main ideas that the WSPTU has decided to promote over the next year and during the upcoming State election.

A full policy discussion paper will be developed soon and released showing the full Policy Forum discussions on these topics.

1. Local Integrated Transport.
Including Community Transport and Health Related Transport.

WSPTU asks that Transport NSW research ways to improve access to the public transport system for older people, people with young children and people who have difficulties walking to the nearest transport pick-up point. WSPTU says that this research should include recommendations about the role that community transport, taxis and other models of flexible transport can play to solve this problem; the problem of the 'accessibility gap'.

On a related topic, WSPTU says that many people are having difficulty getting to medical appointments and regular treatments. WSPTU says that the current system that helps people to get to their appointments and treatments - often called “Health Related Transport” - needs to be improved and made coherent. WSPTU believes that a system for ‘Local Integrated Transport’ may have an important part to play in helping with this problem.

2. Bus Stops
WSPTU asks that all Local Governments report publicly about the state of the bus stops in their area: what proportion of stops have a shelter and seating, are connected to the walkways and meet the Disability Standards for accessibility. WSPTU members are particularly concerned about getting improved signage and timetable information at bus stops and interchanges.

WSPTU also says that all Local Governments should have a transparent financial accounting process for their spending on bus stops and associated infrastructure so people can see what is being done and what is being spent on bus stops.

3. The Cumberland Line
WSPTU asks that Transport NSW investigate the latent demand existing for the increased use of the Cumberland Line and the possibilities that the Cumberland Line offers to relieve congestion in peak hour inter-urban trains between Penrith and Parramatta as well as providing valuable cross regional connections between Penrith, Blacktown, Parramatta, Holroyd, Fairfield, Liverpool and Campbelltown.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Bins Return To Stations

From the Media Release of the Minister For Transport.
New ‘safer by design’ bins will be installed at major Sydney train stations including Wynyard, Central and Town Hall from today, announced Minister for Transport John Robertson.
“Almost 200 new bins will be installed across 28 of the largest stations on the CityRail network starting today,” said Mr Robertson.
“This is great news for commuters who have been crying out for bins to make a comeback on stations".
For the full release click here

WSPTU Policy Forum meeting, Nov 13

The next meeting of the WSPTU Policy Forum will be on Saturday Nov 13 from 1pm to 4pm in Parramatta.

At the Policy Forum, representatives from various local action groups meet to discuss what they think the WSPTU should be working on and what policies should be promoted.

If you are involved with a local group that works on transport issues and would like to make contact with the WSPTU Policy Forum please contact Hugh or Amy at Western Sydney Community Forum and they will be able to put you in contact with someone or provide you with some advice: hughw@wscf.org.au or amyw@wscf.org.au; phone 02 9687 9669.

If you would like to find other people working on transport issues in your local area look in the list of local groups on the left-hand side of this blog page.