Underground rail with a linear park is better that overhead Skyrail

The Victorian government has announced plans for "Skyrail" overhead rail along sections of the Dandenong line.  Daniel Bowen provides a good overview of the proposal.

Murrembeena Station concept drawing Source

Community consultation by the Victorian government regarding this proposal seems to be "we are providing elevated rail and we want feedback on the details".

An underground rail option is not being publicly canvassed by the government.  Underground rail would probably cost twice as much as the overhead rail so it has apparently already been ruled out.

While underground rail would cost more it would have much less long term impact. A linear park can be built above it with bike and pedestrian paths and a mix of some residential and commercial buildings. 

Cities around the world such as London, Paris, Stuttgart, Naples and Tokyo all have underground rail. 

If you want to see how overhead rail ends being a disruptive divisive eyesore visit the Canterbury Railway station or have a look at the wasteland under Flinders Street viaduct in Melbourne's CBD.

Flinders St viaduct source: Wikimedia

The "Skyrail" proposal includes:

"an extra 12 km of cycle paths will be added, linking existing sections to make a single stretch for bikes from Caulfield to Dandenong, with local councils contributing additional links to Monash University and the Gardiner Creek trial, which provides an off-road path all the way into the city."

Bike path near overhead infrastructure

However, bike paths on the surface need to cross roads like the current train line does. This is a poor outcome for cyclists, less so for pedestrians. 

Here are some pros and cons of underground versus overhead rail for grade separation.

	Pros	Cons
Overhead rail	Achieves grade separation between roads and rail Cheaper to build Bike and pedestrian paths can be built under gantry that can provide overhead cover	Creates an eyesore Divides communities Propagates noise further Space under the gantry has low sunlight and low amenity - three or four tracks cover a lot of area No opportunity for residential buildings along rail easement Bike path road crossings impede cycling
Underground rail	Achieves grade separation between roads and rail Provide linear park above with mix of residential and commercial buildings and bike and pedestrian paths Less noisy, low impact on  local communities Can include bike and pedestrian underpasses in tunnels (next to rail tunnel) under busy roads.	Expensive to build Separate overhead cover required for bike and pedestrian paths Diesel fumes from regional and freight trains need to be dispersed

The Level Crossing Authority should provide the best transport outcomes for motorists, public transport, cyclists and pedestrians with all grade separation projects.

So far the track record for grade separations is appalling.  For example, feedback to provide good pedestrian and bike underpasses at Springvale and Rooks Roads was ignored even though the Box Hill to Ringwood Rail Trail was an approved project when they were planned and built.

More recently, the need for a tunnel under Burke Rd for pedestrians and cyclists during the grade separation was also ignored with the usual litany of excuses such as "there isn't room for it" and "it would cost too much".

I provided feedback that a bike and pedestrian underpass should be included during consultation for the Middleborough Road grade separation.  A pedestrian underpass was belatedly provided but bikes cannot use it.

The plans for Blackburn Road grade separation show now indication of a bike pedestrian underpass

Blackburn Road separation concept [source]

Pedestrians and cyclists are forced to use pedestrian crossings at all these locations - they must press and wait for pedestrian crossing lights that then impede the traffic - that the grade separation is supposed to have prevented!  This is an absurd outcome for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists.

Tunnels should be also be provided for pedestrians and bikes next to train tunnels - its is much cheaper to do this during construction.

Linear parks over underground rail with covered solar bike paths and a mix of residential and commercial buildings provide the best amenity for all users and the lowest impact on local communities.

Linear bike path in Hungary

Linear bike path concept in Sydney

Links

• Skyrail! – Daniel Bowen dot com
• Sky rail more an eye opener than an eyesore, The Age
• Berlin Radbahn - A Paradise for Cyclists - AllesGerman
• $1.6 billion elevated rail project to replace level crossings on Dandenong line, The Age 
• Proposed designs unveiled for Caulfield to Dandenong corridor, Level Crossing Removal Project 

Another bike crash, another driver that "didn't see me", more injuries

I was cycling to work on 9 September 2015 on my back streets route attempting to avoid traffic on my way to the Gardiners Creek Trail when disaster struck again.

I was cycling along Somerset Road approaching the small roundabout at the intersection with Denman Avenue.  A brown Ford Territory was slowing down approaching the roundabout on my left as I entered it apparently "giving way" to me.  I was moving at around 10-15 km/h.

The roundabout in direction of my travel

Suddenly, the vehicle sped up and was coming right at me.  I braked hard and avoided going under the front of the car and getting run over and possibly killed.

However, I couldn't slow down enough to avoid the car and hit the rear passenger door and bounced off it and hit the road yelling.  I was on the road screaming. Both my hands took the brunt of the impact and my left leg was very sore. The driver stopped. The woman driving the car was apologetic and said "she didn't see me".

A schoolboy walking along Denman Ave saw the whole thing and called 000.  An ambulance came promptly.  My injuries were quickly assessed and another emergency hospital visit was required.

The police came shortly after the ambulance and assessed the situation. I spoke to them briefly.  They advised the driver she would get an infringement for failing to give way.

Injuries and surgery

X-rays were taken at Epworth.  My left little finger was broken (malate fracture) and required surgery.  My right wrist and thumb were very sore but no fracture was evident in the x-rays.

I was unable to see a orthopaedic specialist while I was in the emergency department so I went home bandaged.  I visited an orthopaedic surgeon the following day.  She sent me off for an MRI and later confirmed that ligaments were torn off my right thumb and that it had been nearly dislocated. Surgery was required to re-attach the ligaments otherwise my thumb function would be compromised.

I had two operations on Friday: a wire was inserted in the tip of my left little finger to assist the bone healing correctly and the torn ligaments on my right thumb were stitched back to the bone.

I had the following week off work as I was not very mobile or able to use either hand much and was taking pain killers.

I returned to work the following week as I was keen to resume "normal life" as much as possible. The bandages were replaced with plastic splints by the hand therapist which improved my very limited dexterity a bit.

After 2 weeks the cumbersome right splint was reduced in size which improved my dexterity further.

The wire in my little finger comes out on 23 October but it will take some time to get the joint moving properly again.

The right wrist ligament surgery needs even more time to heal, possible until the end of November. So no cycling or kitesurfing for me until then, which is extremely frustrating.

PTSD

I have been feeling terrible however since the crash.  Personal interactions at home, out and about and at work were very difficult for me.  I have been feeling extremely angry about getting hit yet again, 8 to 10 or more weeks out of action (no cycling or kitesurfing), the total lack of action on providing safe separated cycling infrastructure in the City of Boroondara and the Victorian government, and motorists who drive around at excessive speeds and don't look for pedestrians or cyclists.  This anger is washing over me most of the time now.

I have had trouble sleeping and get flashbacks of the car coming at me followed by me hitting it and ending up on the road bruised and broken.  This was a near-death experience.

Blackness and anger has descended on me like a cloud that will not lift.  Everything seems wrong. I was nearly killed.  I don't trust any motorist on the roads now. Every car is a lethal death machine that can easily kill.  I flinch on trams when cars hoon past. I am hyper vigilant of all cars while driving and walking.

Going through the Citylink Domain tunnel in a taxi with the driver sitting 3 metres behind a truck and cars all around, I visualised brake lights, a huge crash, carnage and flames everywhere and felt panicked and sweaty.

I am seeing a psychologist who advised me I have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms - he referred me to a neurologist.  The neurologist confirmed I have severe PTSD and has prescribed me medication. He is referring me to some else for further treatment to deal with the PTSD before it gets worse.

I wasn't expecting this.  I thought my bones and ligaments would heal quickly and I would bounce back, but the trauma associated with the crash (and the previous two recent bike recent crashes and hospital visits) is proving to be a big issue.


Cycling on Melbourne streets and roads is now unsafe

Our roads are rivers of deaths - cars maim and kill on a daily basis.

Main roads are now unsafe for cycling. Some motorists squeeze past cyclists while travelling at 60 km/h leaving little gap. Quite a few are distracted looking at their phones or GPS and could run up the rear of any cyclist.

Side streets are also unsafe as drivers rat run down them to avoid congested roads and sail through roundabouts at speed with only a cursory glance.  Small roundabouts have high rates of bicycle-car crashes and are unsafe at any speed.

I now feel that cycling on any road with cars is an unacceptable risk to me - its not worth dying for. What am I trying to prove?

I have cycled over 100,000 km during my life, including 1200km in 69 hours on the Paris Brest Paris Audax event.  I raced on the roads with the Southern Vets for 12 years.

I have regularly commuted by bicycle to the Melbourne CBD since 1983 but I am not riding on any roads with cars any more. The only option I have left is to drive to Gardiners Creek with my bike on the car to get to the bike path where I can cycle in relative safety.

Bike crashes, injuries and deaths appear to be rising rapidly across Melbourne and on country roads. Some recent crashes and deaths:

• Police hunt for driver after cyclist injured in callous hit-run crash, Carlton, 1/10/15
• Is it worth it? – An open letter to all drivers, Kate Perry
• Cyclist injured in hit and run at Toolern Vale, 3/10/15 
• Cyclist dies in crash in Sunbury, 8/10/15
• Deadly hit and run driver in Geelong 'harassed other cyclists', 11/5/15 
• Cyclists urged to avoid 'dangerous' Melbourne city streets, 8/10/15  

There are still no safe east west cycle routes through Boroondara

The Vicroads Principal Bicycle Network (PBN) map designates the following roads as east west  "cycling routes" through the City of Boroondara: Riversdale, Whitehorse, Mont Albert, Canterbury, Burwood and Toorak Roads.

All these roads are very unsafe for cycling.  There are narrow painted bike lanes along Mont Albert Road (but cars are allowed to park obscuring the bike lane) and on a short eastern section of Burwood Rd (lane is in the car door zone).  Neither of these provide effective protection to cyclists.

There are high bicycle accident rates on all these roads that illustrate how dangerous they are.

There is no point producing the "PBN" if no safe separated cycling infrastructure ever gets built along designated routes.  The PBN is quite simply a waste of time and money.

The solution is: safe separated cycling infrastructure

Separating cyclists from cars, trucks, buses and trams is needed to ensure their safety, yet there is very little progress on building safe cycling routes in Melbourne.  There are strategies and plans, but nothing is being built.

Copenhagen had bike paths separated between the road and the footpath when I visited in 1985.

Existing rail corridors have space available for bike paths and there are even short sections of bike paths along them, but there is a lack of political will to use them for this.  

Construction of the Box Hill to Ringwood Rail Trail is progressing slowly but cyclists will only have road routes west of Box Hill.

The Hawthorn to Box Hill Trail would provide a safe east west bike route for cyclists aged 8 to 80, but unfortunately there has been no progress on building or even planning it.

The Hawthorn to Box Hill Trail and similar routes along railway lines could be built as "Solar bike paths"using prefabricated spans that incorporate a concrete path base, low walls and a roof with solar panels.

Meanwhile, cycling deaths and injuries are increasing at great cost to our community.


See also

• Does your Victorian state MP support safe cycling paths in Melbourne? 2104 bike crash

Why roads are not suitable for mass transportation

The now departed Napthine government was hell-bent on spending up to $16b on the "East West link" tollway tunnel project, claiming that it would "be the transport infrastructure that Melbourne needs".  They included fanciful claims including that the new tunnel would:

• Reduce commute times by 20 minutes
• Reduce congestion on Hoddle Street

Both claims are patently false.  The Napthine government lost he election held on 29 November and the incoming Premier, Daniel Andrews, has pledged to stop the East West Link road project  proceeding.

Similar claims were made by Jeff Kennet back in the 90s when he claimed the City Link road project, constructed between 1996 and 2000 would "will solve Melbourne's traffic problems". Clearly, it has not.

However, there is another good reason why roads cannot provide a suitable mass transport system for a city such as Melbourne - every driver is a single point of failure.

Nearly every day there is a crash which can close or seriously disrupt traffic on a route.

Six cars and a truck were involved in two crashes on the West Gate Bridge. Photo: Seven News

For example,a crash closed the West Gate Bridge on Tuesday 2 December. Such crashes and closures are now a daily occurrence.

By comparison, trains carry up to 800 passengers with a single driver - and don't have to contend with road intersections and "lane changes".

We need some real political leadership to build more train lines and revise the train network for Melbourne - given that no new suburban rail lines have been built since the Glen Waverley line in 1932.

A dedicated safe bicycle path network should be included too.

Links

• Crash closes West Gate Bridge lanes, The Age  
• West Gate Freeway crash causes delays, The Age 22/11/14
• CityLink, Wikipedia
• East West Link, Melbourne, Wikipedia

Transport planning in Melbourne is a farce

Here is a good article detailing the problems we have with politicians making ridiculous decisions about transport infrastructure: Infrastructure needs science, so who put the politicians in charge?

Australians are addicted to the political theatre surrounding infrastructure investment. Tracey Nearmy/AAP

Politics is really making a mess of Melbourne's transport.

The vast majority of transport funding has been spent on building more roads, when simple maths shows that cars cannot provide a working mass transit system - as demonstrated by Los Angeles and mimicked by Melbourne.

Can anyone remember when there was actually a review of Melbourne's entire transport infrastructure and services? I don't think there has been one without a political agenda/bias in my lifetime.

Jeff Kennett told us the CityLink would be the solution to Melbourne's transport problems for the future. Clearly it isn't. He also legislated penalties to the State if a future airport rail link were to be built.

Labor started the latest debacle with their "East West Needs Assessment". What about north south? What about commute trips from outer areas to CBD? What about radial trips (with only buses for public transport)?

The outcome was "build the East West tunnel". See recommendation 4: http://www.greenlivingpedia.org/Eddington_report_recommendations

Then the Labor/Green marginal seats in inner Melbourne put enough pressure on Labor to abandon the tunnel.

Then millions was allocated to planning the "Metro Rail Tunnel" to "free up capacity in the train network", meanwhile Rowville, Doncaster and Airport rail lines continued their 30+ years on hold.

Then Baillieu got elected, promising to review the Doncaster and Airport rail lines

Then Baillieu decided to ditch the Metro Rail Tunnel and put all funds towards the East West Tunnel Tollway - to service 5% of the cars the come in along the Eastern freeway. Abbott dissed the rail project and said he would provide 1.5b for the Tollway tunnel. The Doncaster and Airport rail reports were deemed to expensive and the projects duly put back on ice.

Then Napthine took over and nothing much changed. More chest beating about "strong leadership to solve Melbourne's transport problems with the Tollway Tunnel. And the big lie about that it will reduce congestion on Hoddle Street and Punt Road.

Then Napthine felt some pressure over lack of rail and public transport improvements.

Then Napthine decided to re-route the Metro Rail Tunnel (after it was approved by Infrastructure Australia and millions spent on planning) via the failing Docklands housing development to the recently approved Fishermens Bend housing development that had no public transport planned for it. No more link to the under serviced hospital and university precincts. No reduction of load on Flinders Street or St Kilda Road.

Now Labor says they will honour the Napthine government's contracts that they will sign prior to the next election. Despite 75% of Melbournians not supporting it, and them having no political mandate for this.

All the while, no serious funding for safe separated cycling routes to facilitate mode shift to cycling as a healthy sustainable transport option.

Transport planning in Victoria doesn't really happen.

Its just an ongoing clusterfuck to build more roads.

Does your Victorian state MP support safe cycling paths in Melbourne?

I have sent this open letter to every Member of Parliament in Victoria.

I will add a list of who responds to the bottom of this page.

Wearing leg splint soon after the injury 

Leg splint, in hospital 

2014 VicRoad Principal Bicycle Network (PBN) - note route along Burwood Road Hawthorn

==========

Dear  [ Victorian State MP ]

I was cycling to work on Monday 10 February 2014 down the Burwood Road hill from Burke Road travelling at about 40km/h in the bike lane.

Towards the bottom of the hill, a car travelling in the opposite direction was approaching to turn right into Gillman St. As I approached I expected the car to give way to me while I passed, but it turned right in front of me blocking the road. I braked hard but was only able to slow to about 20km/h before crashing into the car.

The right hand side of my body (shoulder, hip and leg) hit the passenger door of the car hard side on. I bounced off and hit the road screaming in severe pain. The motorist stopped and was apologetic. She said she did not see me as the sun was in her eyes.

The car has a broken windscreen and dented door from my impact. My right shoulder, right hip and right knee were extremely painful.

An ambulance then took me to Box Hill hospital emergency department. I was examined by doctors and X-Rays were taken. I was informed late in the day that the top of my fibula was fractured. The very sore spots on my shoulder and hip luckily did not have bone fractures. One week later an ultrasound revealed serious blood clots in my lower right leg. These are potentially life-threatening, so I am now taking blood thinning medication to lower the risk of embolism.

I have been informed that my injuries and loss of earnings will be covered by TAC as a motor vehicle was involved in the crash and the driver was at fault.

The Hawthorn to Box Hill Trail

I have been campaigning as a member of the Boroondara Bicycle Users Group (BBUG) for over a decade to get a safe cycling route provided in an east west direction through the City of Boroondara. This proposal is know as the Hawthorn to Box Hill Trail. You can read details about the route here: http://www.victorian-cycling-network.org/bicycle-routes/melbourne-planned/hawthorn-to-box-hill-bike-trail

The Hawthorn to Box Hill trail offers the following advantages:

• Provide a dedicated cycling route that will keep bicycles safely separated from cars 
• Provide transport linkages between the Camberwell and Glenferrie Road Central Activity Districts (CADs) and several smaller shopping centres. 
• Reduce traffic congestion 
• Promote sustainable transport in a future likely to be impacted by rising fuel costs and the need to reduce carbon emissions. 
• Promote healthy lifestyles for people of all ages through recreational and commuter cycling. 
• Encourage many people to cycle who otherwise wouldn't and would greatly improve safety for those who already do 
• Provide a safe cycling route for students at over twenty schools and education institutions to use. 

This route is supported by the Boroondara Council. Andrew McIntosh (MP for Kew) and Robert Clark (MP for Box Hill) have both advised me that they support the route proposal in meetings I have had with them.

A detailed proposal for this route was first issued in 1996. Since then, virtually nothing has happened.

The latest draft of VicRoads Principal Bicycle Network (PBN) has a section of the route from Box Hill to East Camberwell marked as a primary cycle route, yet nothing has happened to realise this.

There is now a proposal to build a 4th rail line along the Box Hill line easement within a 10 to 20+ year time frame. The rail easement land available for this has been unused for decades, much of it grows weeds.

A recent Department of Transport study found that the financial payback period for bicycle paths is under 10 years.

There is therefore a compelling case to build the Hawthorn to Box Hill trail along the Box Hill line rail easement and then rebuild it if and when the 4th line is constructed.

There is currently no safe east west cycle route through Boroondara.

Cyclists travelling east west through the centre of the City of Boroondara either use back streets (and cross very busy roads such as Bourke Road, Glenferrie Road and Power Street) or they use roads that carry very heavy traffic such as:

• Mont Albert Road (very narrow bike lane, often obscured by parked cars) 
• Riversdale Road (trams, parked cars, some wide curbside lanes) 
• Burwood Road Hawthorn (parked cars, some wide curbside lanes) - this is currently the worst cycling black spot of collisions in Boroondara, and is also marked as a PBN priority cycling route. 
• Barkers Road (parked cars, no bike lanes) 
• Whitehorse Road (parked cars, trams, some super stops, no safe bicycle lanes)

Bike lanes vs bike paths
Transport planners in VicRoads and local governments are implementing and promoting marked bicycle lanes on many major and minor roads. However, such routes are not a substitute for dedicated bike/pedestrian trails, as evidenced by the very high bicycle and pedestrian usage of routes such as the Gardiners Creek Trail and Main Yarra Trail.

 My concerns with bike lanes marked on roads are:

• Many lanes, such as those on Burwood Rd down from Burke Road, are directly adjacent to parked cars, so "car dooring" is a very real risk to cyclists. I have seen car-dooring crashes happen on Auburn Road. 
• Cars frequently push out across bicycle lanes from side streets when traffic in the main road is congested. Many drivers do not look for cyclists. I frequently experience this along Auburn Road Hawthorn. 
• Cars also cross bicycle lanes when they turn into side streets. Again, many drivers do not look for cyclists. I also frequently experience this along Auburn Road Hawthorn. 
• Some drivers do look for cyclists but continue on regardless and cross bicycle lanes even when they see cyclists coming. 
• Bike lanes marked by paint to do not provide any real protection to cyclists. Some even have cars regularly parked across them, completely obstructing them (e.g. Mont Albert Road, Highfield Road). 
• Bikes and cars DO NOT mix safely on roads, it is really only a matter of time before a regular cyclist such as myself is involved in an unavoidable crash with a car or truck, as you can see from my recent experience. 
• I think around 80% of the general public does not cycle on roads, including those with bike lanes due to the obvious dangers. 

The TAC costs associated with numerous bicycle-car crashes in this region could amount to millions of dollars over a 10 year period, and there have also been deaths. This money would be better spent preventing collisions, injuries and deaths by providing safe cycle routes separated from cars and trucks.

In summary, I suggest that funds be immediately allocated for the planning and construction of the Hawthorn to Box Hill Trail, using land in the Box Hill line railway easement where possible.

My questions to you are:

1. Do you support funding for the Hawthorn to Box Hill Trail (HBHT) to be built? 
2. Do you support funding for a bicycle route network across Melbourne that is safely separated from cars and trucks?
3. What are you doing personally as an elected representative to provide the community with safe cycling infrastructure?

Yours faithfully,

Peter Campbell
Home address supplied

Responses

• Robert Clark, Box Hill 9/2/14, support for Hawthorn to Box Hill trail
• Tim Bull, East Gippsland 19/2/14 
• Greg Barber, Northern Metropolitan 19/2/14
• Neil Angus, Forest Hill 20/2/14, support for Hawthorn to Box Hill trail
• Terry Mulder, Polworth 20/2/14, correspondence noted for response.
• Inga Peulich, South East Metropolitan Region 20/2/14 correspondence noted
• Heather Uebergang for Heidi Victoria, Baywater 20/2/14 correspondence noted
• Edward.O'Donohue, Eastern Victoria Region 20/2/14. correspondence referred to Robert Clark
• Denise Whitelaw for Mary Wooldridge, Doncaster 20/2/14. correspondence referred to Robert Clark
• Nicole Fewson for Nick Wakeling, Ferntree Gully 20/2/14. Acknowledges concerns re cycling.
• John Lenders, Southern Metropolitan Region 21/2/14. Personal support for Hawthorn to Box Hill trail, investigating possible savings from avoiding TAC claims.
• Sue Pennicuik, Southern Metropolitan Region 21/2/14. 
• Graham Watt, Burwood 21/2/14. Regular cyclist, supports improved bicycle infrastructure
• Bruce Atkinson, Member for Eastern Metropolitan Region 21/2/14. Supports funding for the Hawthorn to Box Hill trail and other cycling infrastructure.
• Don Nardella, Melton 24/2/14. Will keep comments in mind when we have these discussions within the Labor Party.  We have the same issues out in the West where I am as well.
• Luke A Donnellan, Narre Warren North 25/2/14. We are still developing our policy for bike paths and like. Happy to provide outline of our intentions at a later date.
• Jonn Deller for Ryan Smith, Warrandyte 25/2/14.  Referred matter to Terry Mulder, Transport Minister.
• Staffer for Dee Ryall, Mitcham 25/2/14 (phone call). Dee has supported work and progress on the Box Hill to Ringwood Rail Trail. 
• Cindy McLeish, Seymour 2/3/14. Referred to local member.
• Peter Ryan, Gippsland South 4/3/14. Referred to Terry Mulder, Transport Minister.
• Georgie Crozier, Southern Metropolitan, 6/3/14.  Sorry to hear of your cycling accident. Referred  development of Box Hill to Ringwood Trail to Terry Mulder
• Denis Napthine, South-West Coast 11/3/14 (letter). Referred to Terry Mulder, Transport Minister.
• Fiona Richardson, Northcote 17/3/14. Referred to Luke Donellan, Labor's Shadow Minister for Road (which takes in bikes) 
• Michael Gidley, Waverley 26/3. Sorry to hear of your cycling accident. I'm working hard in my electorate to improve a number of local and state-wide paths and other cycling opportunities.
• Andrea Coote, Southern Metropolitan, 26/3. Referred  development of Box Hill to Ringwood Trail to Terry Mulder.

*Names in bold denote positive partial response to questions.

Updates

• Mon 10/2 - collision, Box Hill Hospitable Emergency ward all day 10/2
• 12/2 to 14/2. Returned to work. Mobility very difficult and taking pain killers. 
• 16/2 New pain in lower right calf when standing - Emergency Epworth, injection to thin blood
• 17/2 Ultrasound. Clots found - given prescription to thin blood.  Box Hill Hospital orthapaedic - advised not to wear brace
• 19/2 walked to Through Rd slowly. Knee bending a bit better but still very stiff. Difficult to walk up or down steps. Soreness at fracture point when knee bent and loaded. 
• 20/2 Calf sore, knee stiff, fracture site sore. May have overdone it yesterday. Resting in bed.  Still difficult walking up and down stairs.
• Fri 21/2. Last night the leg was sore Pain in the calf where the clots are. Getting more movement in my knee and feeling a bit better walking up and down stairs.
• Sun 23/2. Rode folding bike slowly to Maling road.  Leg stiff but not too much pain.  Can now bend my knee without much discomfort.
• Mon 24/2. Doctors appointment for previous back injury (fractured L1, L3 transverse processes). They have healed. Doctor noted subsequent (leg) injury in notes to GP.  Called in at work. Walking better but fracture site still sore.
• Thu 27/2. Caught the train into work.  Leg feeling much better. Walking without too much of a limp and not much pain.  Swelling going down too.
• Sun 2/3.  Kitesurfing again.  1 hour session.  Leg a bit sore afterwards but o.k. during the session, except for right tacks that were a bit painful.
• Wed 12/3 to Fri 14/3. Three days off work to rest further. Right knee sore near fracture.
• Sat 15/3, Sun 16/3. Kitesurfing both days. Leg was good, no pain.
• Mon 17/3. Leg has improved further, I can walk normally now with no pain.
• Tue 18/3.  X-rays at Box Hills hospital showed break has healed well.  All clear from the doctor to resume normal physical activity. 
• Wed 26/3. Cycled to work off roads as much as possible. Bike is veering to the left so I am getting it checked for damage.  Still very wary of all cars now.

Sam Bear is closing, the end of an era

I called by Sam Bear, the great clothing and footwear shop located at 225 Russell Street near Latrobe Street in Melbourne.  The shop has been operated by Trevor Bear for many years, but the building - a rare single story in this part of town - is being renovated.

Trevor has been selling off his remaining stock as he prepares to move out.

He has been offered retail space when the building works are completed, but he is not sure he will return after several decades in retail.

The shop was established in 1972 and is a Melbourne icon.  I will be very sorry to see it go.

Trevor paid for some advertising in the 1981 edition of "Rocks in the Head", the Latrobe University Mountaineering Club journal that I edited while at Latrobe Uni.

Over the years, I have bought work cloths, boots, bags and camping equipment from the shop. I even bought a Drizabone coat for my dog Sam, which he still enjoys wearing in the winter.

Trevor told me that retail in Melbourne is getting harder as many online businesses are operated out of garages and don't pay expensive rent.

Trevor has employed a lot of people over the years in his shop.

Drop by to get a bargain.  You might never have another chance.

Napthine Government plans $8b underground carpark

Denis Napthine, Michael O'Brien and the Liberal government have just made a disastrous and very expensive mistake.

They announced that their priority "transport" project for Melbourne was to spend $8b digging a tunnel to connect the Eastern Freeway with the Tullamarine Freeway.

After 80 years for constructing hundreds of kilometres of high volume roads (freeways and tollways) across Victoria and into Melbourne, we still have chronic congestion.

During this period:

• no new passenger railway lines have been constructed in Melbourne since the Glen Waverley line was built in 1930.  
• Melbourne has grown from a city of 1 million to nearly 5 million in 2013.

Denis Napthine (Premier), Michael O'Brien (Treasurer) and Terry Mulder (Transport Minister) don't seem to realise that cars and roads cannot provided a workable mass transport system.  A visit to Los Angeles proves this beyond doubt.  They are now building a metro rail network in that big city.

Simple mathematics eludes our politicians:

• One train of 8 carriages can carry 1000 people.  A train line can move 50,000 people an hour.
• One freeway/tollway lane can move 2,500 people an hour.
• Four freeway/tollway lanes can move 10,000 people an hour.
• One train line moves the same number of people as twenty freeway lanes

The RACV have gleefully announced that the Napthine Government is "investing in critical transport infrastructure".  It is clear that their lobbying has been very effective, as always.

Michael O'Brien said "this is nation-building infrastructure - just look at CityLink".  O'Brien obviously hasn't looked at the stationary cars and trucks on City Link trying to get through the Burnley Tunnel, or the traffic jams on every major "freeway/tollway" the commuters try to use to get to Melbourne.

Denis Napthine has challenged the Federal Labor government to provide funds for this project, even though there is no business case for it.  Tony Abbot has announced he will commit $1.5b to the project if he becomes prime minister.

Foolish politics politics is condemning Melbourne to ongoing chronic traffic congestion and providing people with no viable transport alternative.

These people also don't seem to understand that the destination of over 90% of the people driving on the Eastern Freeway is inner Melbourne so they won't benefit from a tunnel link to the Tullamarine Freeway/Tollway.

If this "East-West tunnel" is built it too will block up with cars and become the world's most expensive underground car park.

The Melbourne Metro Rail Tunnel is a rail project that formed out of recommendations in the Eddington Report.  The Napthine Government has only funded ongoing "planning" for this.  The Federal Labor Government has allocated $3 billion to this project, contingent on the Napthine Government also allocating $3 billion, which they have refused to do.  Tony Abbott has also ruled out providing funding for the rail project.

However, I am not convinced that the Melbourne Metro Rail Tunnel - that would provide an underground rail line from Foostcray to Caulfield - is the best rail option for Melbourne.  The authors of the Eddington Report, including Peter Newman, claim this project is "required to increase capacity in the existing rail network to allow new suburban rail lines to be built".  But they did not do an holistic study of Melbourne's rail network - their brief was only to assess "east west transport needs".

Personally, I think we need, in priority order the:

1. Rowville line, also connecting Monash University.  Shuttle service to the Dandenong line with a people interchange
2. Doncaster line, connecting near Clifton Hill
3. Melbourne Airport line, connecting Melbourne Airport to Southern Cross station
4. Melbourne outer loop underground - a circle line connecting South Melbourne, South Yarra, Richmond, Fitzroy, Carlton, Melbourne University, Docklands and Southern Cross.

Unfortunately, all we will get for the coming decades are more clogged roads that will become underground car parks.

Golding, The Age

Links

• Rail or road? Napthine takes us down the wrong route, The Age
• Tunnel won't fix traffic woes, The Age 

Signs of Myki failing - don't tap, wave or swipe

Photos taken at Flinders Street station provide more evidence that the Myki system is a failure.

Don't wave, don't swipe, don't tap!

Touch and hold but then wait for 1 second or more!

When that doesn't work, step out of the queue and talk to the gate attendant. When this happened to me last week, I was informed that "there is a software bug that causes the reader to go to sleep for your card, step out of the queue, let someone else through, then try again"


See also: Huge demand for public transport in Melbourne and poor service