NZ In Tranzit

The Mayor of Christchurch and a couple of senior cohorts recently went to several large cities, all over 2 million metropolitan population, in the USA and Canada to "study" amongst other things public transport. One of the cities visited was Seattle. The following story doesn't mean anything in the greater universe but the irony kept me mildly amused on a late night bus ride home. Catching a bus after 11pm outside the Casino a few weeks ago I came across a woman of about thirty who was dancing around the bus stop, trying to read and evaluate the multiple timetables and route maps that festoon various poles in this area, whilst not turning her back to any potential bus that might roar past. She looked quite agitated,as tourists usually do (there is no simple user friendly information available for visitors at bus stops).  I said where do you want to go? As with most tourists around this corridor she said -  with an American twang -  "Papanui Road". "I'...

Well this is just parochial pride, one of life's sillier ways of boosting the ego, taking kudos merely for living in an area adjacent to someone else that has achieved success. But damn it all, I feel a big beam of local pride, I am going to hop on this bus as it goes past!! Good on yer Canterbury! Good on yer Ashburton. Good on yer son of Ashburton John Turton. Yep Ashburton has extended its mark - indeed its tyre print - upon the world, cutting it with the big boys in New York and Baltimore!  What next, redneck Ash Vegas racing for leadership in the the greenest of green public transport!!  A few months ago it was announced that New York Metropolitan Transit Authority has extended its trial of Designline hybrid gas turbo buses, from one bus to 30,  a significant step towards future sales. One person who rode on it described it as quiet as a library (he obviously hasn't been near a library for years!!).  Just recently Baltimore launched a new central city circulat...

I am a great fan of building bus rapid transit corridors. What this term "bus rapid transit" exactly means is not 100% clear, it is a relatively new technology (at least in its wider world embrace) and meanings haven't fully sorted themselves out. In some cities it is used to refer to roads used by express buses, or to on-street bus lanes marked separately but not otherwise segregated. In others BRT corridor means an exclusive lane - or indeed separate length of road, trench, underpass or tunnel - for exclusive bus use, or at most shared only with cyclists, pedestrians and emergency vehicles. The key to me is the word rapid - it doesn't really matter the device so much as the the status given the passage of the bus service - traffic signal priority, frequent predictable pattern service, longer distance between stops, better bus stop facilities (mini-stations with door level platforms), real time signage as to when buses are due, top of the line vehicles. Of course...

Whatever bugs you! The dwatted wabbit's quote of the week "In the midst of these multiple urban crises state governments continue to churn out regional and city plans to direct growth. In every case these documents have some sound data and useful mapping of urban phenomena, as well as soft-core urban photography of happy families and happy workers creating instant new communities. All the big issues, from homelessness and the erosion of green space to the fate of people who have no access to public transport, are subsumed in descriptions such as "strong communities" and "smart growth". These documents become more fatuous with each iteration (the favourite word in an era in which government pronouncements must be tweaked by wordsmiths who will be held accountable if they fall into the mortal error of making a testable promise)" Peter Spearritt quoted in "Planning failures crippling our cities" The Canberra Times. Canberra, A.C.T.: Oct ...

This photo is for entertainment purposes only and bears no relationship to anything in the article which follows! Source US Library of Congress, commons. Rabbit jump out at ya quote; "I can't believe how much energy goes into surveying people already using buses rather the real market for growth - those NOT using buses!" Over the years I have made several formal submissions to Metro regarding specific route change reviews, as well as several formal submissions to local or regional strategic transport plans. Sometimes I have just seen a possibility and sent an email to one of the senior planners or operations managers, floating the idea in case it has been missed. One such idea was the idea of " Spider Maps ". My theory - wild as it may sound!! - is based the idea work out where people are going to (by all modes including private car) and then build public transport to match - or if possible surpass - the ease of access offered by private car. Wendell ...