“The Idea Of Creating A Liveable City At This Density Is Crazy.”

A comment about land development along the proposed $3 billion Broadway Subway? No, it is a comment about over densification from high rise flats in Melbourne, Australia. So how is Melbourne going to cope, transit wise? Build a subway? No subway for Melbourne, as lawned tram track will do. The hoary old density question, where […]

Trams that never stop at traffic lights

Trams that never stop at traffic lights could be part of Melbourne’s people-moving future By Loretta Florance ABC News Trams that never have to stop for traffic lights could be the norm in Melbourne in the future, under plans being developed to deal with population growth in the city. For the past seven years, VicRoads […]

The World’s Top 10 Tram Rides

Taken from the National Geographicai??i??s Journeyai??i??s of a Lifetime ai??i?? 500 of the Worldai??i??s Greatest Trips http://shop.nationalgeographic.com/ngs/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=6200125&categoryId=A026&addFacet=9004:A026&navAction=jump Melbourne’s route 96 tram has been named in National Geographic’s “Journeys of a Lifetime” coffee table book as one of the planet’s top 10 “trolley car” rides. http://www.onlymelbourne.com.au/melbourne_details.php?id=13776 Ai?? Budapestai??i??s Tram Route No 2 is awarded 7th place, […]

Myth: Viable public transport requires high population densities

Common Urban Myths About Transport Myth: Viable public transport requires high population densities Fact: Public transport runs successfully in many cities with similar or lower population densities than Melbourne. Any city with sufficient population density to cause traffic congestion has sufficient population to support a first-rate public transport alternative. This is probably the most widely […]

Light Rail runs in inclement weather

Trams and Streetcars "Stuttering & Crapping out" not a chance brother! As in the winter of 2010/2011 when Light Rail & Trams continued to run across Europe as well as in Calgary, despite heavy snow falls, when Skytrain ground to an ignominious halt, likewise recent floods in Europe & Australia haven't stopped the Trams! Montpellier, France […]

World Tramway patronage statistics

At grade tramway system statistics. Passenger patronage, in excess of 100 million boardings per annum Updated for 2010 Ai??Ai??St Petersburg, Russia: 476 million Budapest, Hungary: 364 million Prague, Czech Republic: 350 million Ai??Warsaw, Poland: 270 million Moscow, Russia: 251 million Vienna, Austria: 240 million Zagreb, Croatia: 214 million Zurich, Switzerland: 199 million Yekaterinburg, Russia: 180 […]

High density urban living, not neccessary for good public transport

Units not crucial for good public transport, study finds Andrew West, January 5, 2011 RESIDENTS of Australia's outer suburbs do not have to wait for higher housing densities before getting better public transport, according to new research, which could defuse one of urban planning's biggest controversies. In a paper for the journal Australian Planner, Dr […]