Taxi Council Survey - You can even complete!

Here is a link to a taxi council survey you can complete
http://mountdruittcommuters.blogspot.com/2011/09/suvey-nsw-taxi-council.html

Pre-plan Public Transport in New Estates

This opinion peice was sent to WSPTU by Kimberly Howell, a Master of Architecture student at UTS.

Can I have a train with that?

New housing is supplied to house the city’s growing population, that’s great. But what about the other factors involved in taking care of the city’s growing population leading to a sustainable Sydney?Transport, Culture, Design, Environment, Community and Governance.

Governments need to pre-plan public transport. But how do they do that?

See the full article here:
https://sites.google.com/site/wsptublogspot/kimerbly-howell-opinion

Minister Announces Change to Penrith Shuttle Bus Route

This is great news for Sue Day and the people in the South Penrith Residents Action Group who have been asking for a change to the Shuttle route to make it more useful for local people.
http://www.westernweekender.com.au/index.php/local-news-content/134-shuttle-bus-re-route

Chaos at Crowded Blacktown Station

Another entry from our WSPTU Facebook:

OMG!! Chaos at Blacktown train station, Lack of signage coming in from city services!! Express service signage does not mean express service. The Poor station staff not given right equipment to manage crowds.... Not very impressed customers.....no wonder people choose their cars.. I feel bad for the people who have no other option...

Parliamentary Inquiry Into Public Transport Infrastructure Pricing in NSW

This post from the WSPTU Facebook group:

This inquiry is the biggest victory that was won out of the state election by community groups. We need to make the most of it as there is something rotten in the state of NSW - and changes of govt won't fix that- only public scrutiny and action will fix it.

One of the most significant factors preventing adequate public transport investment in Sydney is the inflated costs of rail projects. There are two basic aspects to this: on the one hand there's the mega-crazy Treasury overestimates designed to kill off rail projects and then there's the gold-plated project factor.

PLEASE MAKE AN EVIDENCE-BASED SUBMISSION BY WEDNESDAY. It only has to be short.

http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/committee.nsf/0/226DCE7655B83DB2CA2578E3002AE363

Excess Demand on the T80 Bus Transitway Service Into Parramatta

This comment from the WSPTU Facebook group:
Something has to be done about the number of buses running on the T80 during the morning peak. I feel sorry for all the commuters that have to either stand for the entire journey or watch one full bus after another travel past their stop!

Ferries Into the Heart of Parramatta Proposal

Interesting story in the Herald regarding bringing ferries up to the Lennox Bridge in Parramatta, renovating the riverfront and making a "Quay" for ferry commuters in Parramatta. At different times, WSPTU members have talked about ways to improve the route, timetable and stopping pattern of the ferry to transform it into real public transport.
http://smh.domain.com.au/design-and-living/ideas-floated-for-river-citys-revamp-20110927-1kvi7.html

Real-Time Shuttle Bus Tracker in Parramatta

Parramatta Council is introducing mobile parking tracker and mobile shuttle bus tracker - apps for mobile phones which show people real-time location of vacant parking spaces and the location of the shuttle bus.
http://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/?a=94491

New NCOSS Transport Newsletter - "Interchange"

The Council of Social Services NSW (NCOSS) has started a new transport newsletter called Interchange. The first edition has an interesting article about changes to the way in which people can pay their transport fines and a report from the National Transport Commission conference.
Interchange
We will archive the link to Interchange on our Transport Links menu on the left of this page.

Bus Issues For North-West Rail Link Requested!

Edward, from Stanhope  Gardens, a young gentleman  that travelling with me home today advised that although he hasn't seen the proposal for the North West Rail Link - he would need to travel by car to Rouse Hill train Station, unless the NSW Government places more frequent bus services on the T-Way between Blacktown to Rouse Hill. Currently he catches trains to Blacktown so the He finds the North West Rail Link will provide him with better service


My comment is that if he goes onto the North West Rail Link website on the following:

.http://northwestrail.com.au

he will find there is a closer train station at 'Samantha Riley Drive' nearer to his home.

On this train link, I personally would like to see it linked to  Riverstone/ Schofields train stations - so there could be more trains looping around!

South West Rail Link - Glenfield

The work at Glenfield Station and the South West Rail Link junction is progressing. A lot of heavy construction work is being undertaken there at the moment including building the new station, a track junction and train flyovers. Construction for the Southern Frieght Line is also going through there at the moment.

NSW Budget 2011/12

The NSW Budget was delivered this week and was the first budget since the change of Government last March. Here are the transport highlights taken from the Budget papers:
Rail Services
$314 million to develop the 23-kilometre North West Rail Link
$292 million to continue the $2.1 billion South West Rail Link
$103 million to expand light rail in central Sydney and the inner west, integrating it with other forms of transport
$51 million to start building the Wynyard Walk
$159 million for the Country Regional Network
$198 million for the Rail Clearways Program
$106 million to improve infrastructure to meet the needs of new Waratah trains
$152 million to buy and upgrade rollingstock
$7.5 million for a new program to boost Easy Access upgrades and $22.5 million on programmed Easy Access station upgrades
$16.9 million as part of an increased commitment to spend $40 million over four years for Park and Travel Safety improvements
$102 million over four years to provide more express rail services
$2 million to conduct a study of North Coast rail services.
Bus Services
purchase 261 new buses, worth $118.8 million
$45 million for new bus depots
$7.6 million over four years to increase Nightride bus services
$9.2 million over four years to continue support for free bus services
$3 million for studies into a bus rapid transit system for the northern beaches.
Ferry Services
continuing the Fixing Sydney Ferries program, by franchising Sydney Ferries, restoring and expanding services, upgrading wharves and looking at fleet replacement an additional $7.5 million over four years to improve ferry wharves.
Transport Interchanges and Commuter Car Parks
$76 million on interchanges and car parks.
Ticketing, Concessions and Community Transport
$110 million to deliver a fast, convenient and integrated electronic ticketing system for greater Sydney
providing concession schemes for pensioners, tertiary students, people with disabilities and others using public transport, estimated at $438 million
subsidising travel under the School Student Transport Scheme, estimated at $550 million
an extra $12 million over four years to boost community transport services
$1.6 million over four years to deliver free seniors’ photo cards to eligible Seniors Card holders and older people receiving a disability support pension.
You can find a link to the budget overview here . And for the keen people a link to all the budget papers here.
WSPTU will provide some commentary over the next few weeks.

Suggestions For Barriers at Parramatta Train Station

Jeanette from St Claire - travels to and from St Marys to Parramatta on working days has suggested an easier way of ensuring there id less commuter congestion entering and leaving the concourse of the train station.

It is such an easy idea, simple and yet it can work and should work. What the suggestion is will make less commuters bump into each other accidentally. That is,  at the barriers on the western side only have one section of barriers "Entering' (left or right side) and the other side for existing.

At present we have sometimes 2 barriers  'Entering' on the right side and the other four to five other barriers going out, in the afternoon. Sometimes one breaks down or one commuters loses ticket in the machine and then they are calling the station assistants to locate them ,we are then down to one barrier. Jeanette's idea is a good idea and  a lot of good people from Western Sydney have a lot of good ideas as well.

Liverpool Transport Taskforce at the WSPTU Transport Symposium

Here's a nice picture of the people from Liverpool Transport Taskforce at the WSPTU Transport Symposium in August 2011.