NZ In Tranzit: Editorial: LRT plan needs outside review

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Editorial: LRT plan needs outside review

Tranzwatching light rail debate in Victoria, BC, Canada

The Times-Colonist, premier newspaper of Victoria, British Colombia in Canada (a city very similar in population size and tourism figures to Christchurch) wants to see a lot more research, and research into all options, before backing a proposal for a light rail line.

The Editorial says that under present funding system (federal, provincial and city Government split) residents of Victoria could expect to pay increased property taxes [ie rates] of $265 per household and business ten times that amount per year to help fund the $950 million light rail corridor.

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WELCOME TO NZ IN TRANZIT

This blog is mostly about public transport and social infrastructure in Christchurch, and transit around New Zealand. Also tracked; transit developments in similar sized cities in Canada and Australia, kindred in demographic patterns, for added perspective and inspiration. NZ in Tranzit blog covers some of the new transit technology and discusses public transport concepts in general, as well. Because the blogster's day-job is in a high profile customer industry to preserve some degree of privacy he appears only as a rabbit in his profile, albeit using his real name.

Christchurch is a city of metropop c 400,000 in Te Wai Pounamu, the southern of the larger islands of NZ. Public transport is operated under the auspices of a regional council with bus operations (and those of one small cross harbour ferry) tendered out to private operators including one owned by the City Council, Redbus. We have a modern clean fleet of buses which offer fairly frequent services to all city areas. The city has been quick to adapt new technologies such as low-floor buses, smart-card (arguably the best in the world!), GPS and Real Time signage and interactive text, and online type information systems. Our busiest route is The Orbiter, a service that circulates around the middle suburbs, and the ring of shopping malls, high schools and the city University about 4-5km from the centre of town

Christchurch also has restored trams operating on a central city circuit. Note [May 2011] - Sadly, due to two huge earthquakes (that took 182 lives) and multiple aftershocks much of the central city of Christchurch will be closed to public access for up to a year to allow the demolition of 900 severely damaged buildings. This includes a great many heritage buildings that previously gave the central city its distinctive character and (such was the exceptional ferocity of the second earthquake in February) even some of the high rises, possibly including those shown in photo above. Tram operations are suspended for at least a year. Many other parts of the city have resumed active life for both residents and tourists..

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LATEST ITEMS - Depending which doorway you came in by you may need to check out Archive Section [below] to get latest items. SEARCH use the search box at the top of page and keywords to find all postings and comments on any subject SUBSCRIBE - reminder you can subscribe [further down this column or by clicking on underlined word Atom at bottom of postings] to get regular dose of NZ in Tranzit sent directly to your email address. PHOTOS mainly by author or from Wikimedia Commons unless otherwise noted.

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6am November 1 2013 - the stats counter shows New Zealand page views, since the blog began in September 2009 just hit exactly 43,000 - not bad for an obscure blog about public transport, even allowing only a portion of these will be readers in the fullest sense. However this dwarfed by US readership - three times the number, and total world readership. Blogger Statistics feedback also show that NZ in Tranzit blog is currently (November 2013) averaging about 1,950 page views per week. This has been dropping to more realistic levels in recent months I suspect now that potential Designline investors in USA are out of the picture. Overseas readership is still about 85% of total readership.It is a bit of a weird imbalance, but costs me nothing. The primary aim of NZ in Tranzit remains the same, to spread more advanced information, and to share new ideas, options and visions about public transport, in NZ and Christchurch. I feel a bit like some nutty hermit living in the wilderness, bearing witness to religious truth, unheard and mostly unlistened to, yet a very high percentage of what I am saying is merely passing on best practise concepts from overseas, nothing weird at all.

CONTACT & COMMENTS WELCOME

Any intelligent blog, carrying almost correct information [and that is as good as it gets, even in newspapers!] requires hours of research, data base filing and investigation of topics. It will also probably draw upon a depth of experience that only comes with years of committed passion or involvement in the main subject areas. It's a lot of fun but also a lot of work, dozens of threads with which one must try to stay upto date. The downside of blogging, especially in periods of little feedback, is the feeling of talking into outer space with no obvious response, other than the page view counter ticking over (and perhaps this is just a mean joke by blogger geeks, a totally spurious invention to deceive bloggers someone is listening!) In these circumstances even one line responses, "right on" or "thanks for that info" or even "load of crap!" provides at least some morale boost.

NZ in Tranzit (aka the dwatted Wabbit -pops up everywhere ) welcomes all sorts of feedback, comments, opinion pieces or letters for and agin ideas put forward.

Apart from ticking the boxes or posting comments in the boxes provided, interested persons can also email information or comments off-site directly to Tranzwatch@gmail.com. It is recognised some readers are employed in transit or hold elected office, adding to the sensitivity involved. Be assured all correspondence or information sent to the email address is treated as totally private, except in the broadest sense of helping formulate a broader more accurate.

NZ In Tranzit

NZ In Tranzit

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Editorial: LRT plan needs outside review

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