COM: Glenelg Tramline Upgrade

[Brando]

Froggy why do you keep ignoring me?

Where is the evidence to back your claims that the tram extension will cause 'traffic chaos'?

What's the point, you'll just discredit it like I simply discredit yours. After spending a few days in Melbourne this week I am now even more confident of what a big mistake this is.

I lived in Melbourne for years. Your argument Froggy has no merit.

[James Renfrey]

I received the following message from Mr. Abbott along with all other 'supporters' of his now lost cause as I had engaged in some email dialogue with him. The emphases are mine, but otherwise nothing has been changed.

It is interesting that he hopes we will have traffic chaos when the trams are running down King William Street. If there is, I wonder if the motorists in their space hogging chariots are different from those who have coped without incident in King William Street South for very many years. Again, after thirty years of frequent driving through the thick of Melbourne's traffic, I can only repeat that I would far rather cope with trams than buses pulling in and out of the curb and changing lanes at will.

It is interesting also that 'shock jocks', and journalists who speak and write on subjects about which they know little are high on the list of those thanked, and that the politicians who spoke are from the party that gave us the world's only extensive O-Bahn instead of the already planned underground tracks and station which we could have had decades ago while progressive cities all over the world have been turning to trams.

If they had done that, none of the recent brouhaha would have been necessary, King William Street would have looked exactly as it does now, and the renewable energy powered Tea Tree Plaza trams would have glided silently on grassed tracks along the Torrens linear park instead of fume belching buses on the present ugly concrete construction.

As for the 'thousand' who attended Mr. Abbott's rally, the number would have been about a quarter of that, and that included me and quite a few others who supported the extension.

There are legitimate concerns about some aspects of the extension. I would personally like to see a little more spent to recreate the heritage overhead poles that the City Council copied so successfully in O'Connell Street, with flagpoles in the intervening spaces so as to retain something of the festive air that they create.

More importantly I would like the immediate installation as part of this extension (instead of simple curves) of the southern half of the former grand junction so that in the future trams can go ahead to King William Road, turn right into North Terrace East, or proceed across the intersection as part of a city circle line. In that way future expansion would proceed with minimum disruption. I would think that the rails, plus empty pits and power conduits for points motors, could be installed from the outset so that simple butt joints would enable the extensions to proceed. If it could be done by the small city of Adelaide with manpower, horses and primitive machinery in 1908, the sizeable city of today should be able to do the same.

************************************************************************************************************************

From: "Richard Abbott" <[email protected]>
To: "Richard Abbott" <[email protected]>

Subject: Thanks to the thousand plus who spared their time to crowd the step and footpaths around parliament house.


Thanks to the thousand plus who spared their time to crowd the step and footpaths around parliament house.

Thanks to Creston Magasdi, Deputy Lord Mayor spoke his passionate private views before introducing myself.

And to speaker Phil Moir who is aggrieved by Government not looking after the constituents.

I was grateful for The leader of the Opposition Iain Evans and shadow transport Minister Martin Hamilton Smith contributing.

Thanks for the encouraging support from many of you, especially passionate Mary. Also thanks to MP David Pissoni for arranging the PH housekeeping and Ross Lampard for signs, Leni Paulk stickers, and to the others who made banners and handed out stickers.

A huge Thanks to Radio 5AA, Leon Byner, Bob Francis,Jon Blake and The Michael Keelan Team for allowing us to use the only source for public awareness. Also to media scribe Rex Jory and Renato Castello from ABC. To the television stations and messenger for covering the rally thanks.

Well what now?

The Government will by 4pm today bully through the funding for the tram line to nowhere.

However, they are on notice for a budget blow out!

They are also on notice to prepare a visionary transport policy for Adelaide and environs.

I, like you, will be watching developments.

A week is a long time in politics!

I can not wait for peak hour traffic and a tram confrontation..........

Thanks again for your support.

I apologise for name spelling errors..

For those unable to attend the rally a copy of my speech is enclosed.

Richard Abbott

[bdm]

Renfrey, know what you're talking about stop talking this 'progressive city' bullshit.

I invite you to go to the State Library and read and view all the designs for MATS, the Light Rail project, and the O-Bahn. Or to go to the tram museum and view some of the models.

We could not afford the Light Rail project at the time and building it would have meant KWS would not be able to be used as a subway in the normal railway system.

This 'progressive' shit reads like you've just read what you've want to read, including Dunstan's bloody Felicia. A government that had raped out finances for almost a decade and was ready to put us more in debt was voted out in an 11% swing and the O-Bahn was built instead of the light rail project.

Pure idiocy.

[Will]

Froggy why do you keep ignoring me?

Where is the evidence to back your claims that the tram extension will cause 'traffic chaos'?

What's the point, you'll just discredit it like I simply discredit yours. After spending a few days in Melbourne this week I am now even more confident of what a big mistake this is.

The only different is that my arguements are based on research conducted by the RAA. All I want to know is who conducted the research that claims that there will be 'traffic chaos'?

I feel that you are ignoring my question, because no such research exists, and it is merely your negative hysteria.

[James Renfrey]

Renfrey, know what you're talking about stop talking this 'progressive city' bullshit.

Thanks for your polite and gentlemanly introduction.

I invite you to go to the State Library and read and view all the designs for MATS, the Light Rail project, and the O-Bahn.

I've been going to the State Library to research many topics for sixty years. Apparently I have learned what you did not. The MATS plan was an American 'traffic expert' recommended disaster from which we were saved by the skin of our teeth. It would have destroyed long established suburbs for the sake of car commuting outer suburban residents, and made us a mini Los Angeles with a city that had more carparks than businesses. Last I heard, that nightmare collection of suburbs has begun to rectify its car oriented mistakes by re-instating part of what was the world's best electric transit system. Even San Francisco to its immediate north avoided those egregious errors with the result that it is one of the world's (and my) favourite cities.

Or to go to the tram museum and view some of the models.

I have and I do. Years ago my money helped in a small way to establish it, when I was living elsewhere.

We could not afford the Light Rail project at the time and building it would have meant KWS would not be able to be used as a subway in the normal railway system.

If we couldn't afford the light rail tunnel and station, we certainly couldn't have afforded the heavy rail option. Even Melbourne had long arguments as to the affordability of its underground loop, but its citizens are very grateful that the forces of progress won out.

This 'progressive' shit reads like you've just read what you've want to read, including Dunstan's bloody Felicia. A government that had raped out finances for almost a decade and was ready to put us more in debt was voted out in an 11% swing and the O-Bahn was built instead of the light rail project.

That reveals your politics, the 'quality' of your thinking and the standards of debate which you have espoused. No wonder some people (I don't) class all residents of the eastern suburbs as conservative NIMBYs.

John Bannon's control of the treasury was careful and responsible. His only mistake was to refuse to believe that the gentleman who headed the State Bank, and who is believed still to live in luxury in leafy Toorak on what is purported to be his wife's money when he is or was bankrupt, could possibly be less than a fit and proper person to control what had been, as the Savings Bank of South Australia, for many decades our most trusted financial institution.

The old argument that governments can't afford to fund infrastructure by judicious borrowing has long been discredited. Almost all public/private ventures have been disasters in their effects on the public purse and service to the citizens who provide the initial money and then continue to subsidise the shareholders' profits for year after year. Ask Sydney and Melbourne motorists and tram and train travellers in the latter city.

We could have had paid for electric trains and efficient light rail long ago if past governments had done their job with some vision.

Pure idiocy.

Are you describing your own outdated economic rationalist ideas?

[Tom]

Mr. Renfrey, I believe that the Government wants to break the people’s mindset that tram transportation is a heritage icon in this city. Having vintage power poles would only add to the mindset that trams belong in the past. It’s a nice idea and i do like those vintage poles but I think the modern poles will be better for this project.

[Tom]

The Statue that is located where the new Victoria Square tramstop will be has fenceing around it, my bet it is being moved across to the other side of the square where fenceing has been put up to. Does anybody know if this is to be moved be this weekend?

Trackwork is due to start in early April and will be finished in August.
Work will only be done on weekends from 10pm Fridays to 5am Mondays.

Road closures will be in this order for track laying.
North Terrace - UNISA to Victoria Street.
North Terrace- Victoria street to King William street.
King william street - North Terrace to Flinders/Franklin street.
King William street - Flinders/Franklin to Angus/Goucher street.

Once trackwork is Finished they will have tempary barriers at the sides of the track for other works on the project like overheads etc. No big fences covered in "you are here -adelaide" material, so we get photos of it

Now I cant confirm this fact as it is from a conductor...not the most reliable sources I know - but testing of the finished tramline will take 4 weeks!

[Will409]

Got some piccies from today:



Contractors working on North Terrace between the railway station and UNI West.




Road works, both previously done and still to be worked on.


Traffic light circuit alterations.


The scene that greeted me in Victoria Square.









Shots from when the statue of Kingston was shifted. The media were on hand to record the event and for once, they put a neutral spin on the extension in the news reports.


Two aspect tramway light installed next to the existing traffic light.

[Howie]

Excellent pictures Will! They're the first we've got of construction.

[AG]

Hmm, as far as I remember that traffic signal in the last image has been like that for a few years since right turn arrows were installed (that signal in the image is the accompanying left turn arrow signal for road vehicles). Yes, I know it's a very minor detail to point out, lol.

[Will409]

I was a little wary about taking a pic of that actually incase I was wrong. I did notice a few single aspect lights hanging around the place as well. Not only that but looking like a complete fool in the mean time as well!

[AtD]

What intersection are those traffic lights on?

[Tom]

Those lights are at the North Terrace & King William Street intersection, i was there yesterday when the statue was moved. I hope they restore that statue while it down.

There are some sort of road works happening infront of parliament house at the moment, it may have somthing to with the line.

[Will409]

ArtLab will apparently scrub up Kingston before being reassambled on its new site. One of the contractors on site filled me while I was down there.

[AtD]

Two aspect tramway light installed next to the existing traffic light.

Sorry, it's not. Too early for such work.