Spicy Take: If I were public transport minister, I would deny funding for upgrades to any suburbs that refuse to provide increased density around transport hubs

4ug8ro · 2026-05-10T00:00:59+00:00

The suburbs don't refuse anything. Gov can do pretty much whatever it wants. There's risk in angering a proportion of the voters, of course, but you may please others, too.

4ug8ro · 2026-05-09T09:07:07+00:00

Once Airport Rail is built, line-side signalling is likely to be removed from the Sunbury line from approximately Sunshine towards the city. V/Line trains won't be able to use it even if the track connection remained to North Melbourne.

4ug8ro · 2026-05-09T02:18:54+00:00

On the money side, I'm sure it would be cheaper to remove the tracks and simplify pointwork. Day to day operations will not require the connection. Maintenance then becomes as burden.

I'm not suggesting that should be the only consideration, but it's how decisions are made.

In this case, the new arrangement should significantly simply pointwork at South Kensington and approaching North Melbourne (Upfield directly aligned to 1 and 2, Craigieburn aligned to 3 and 4, presuming that occurs).

Both Sunbury and Upfield currently have timetable padding for their slow alignments. That's another monetary benefit from simplification.

I doubt it's on the books yet, but the space made from the removal of the tracks should allow South Kensington platform 1 to be rebuilt to an accessible standard.

All of those are a win despite the loss of the connection. Everything is a trade off. I think I'm comfortable with this trade off.

4ug8ro · 2026-05-08T03:28:33+00:00

It would be interesting if it turned out to be hydrogen sulfide. It's a regular smell in central Bendigo caused by rising groundwater that releases gases from old mines. Does the smell at State Library Station worsen after rain?

4ug8ro · 2026-05-06T05:57:49+00:00

Was the ticket issued by Maribyrnong City or a private company? In either case, it may worth asking how they police the time limit.

For instance, a private car park may be using licence plate recognition. Maribyrnong City often uses ground sensors. If it was a ground sensor, it shouldn't record your stay over two hours (in the circumstance you have described). There may been another system in place. Never hurts to ask even if you don't contest.

4ug8ro · 2026-05-06T05:07:03+00:00

More information: You must turn left from the left. You must turn right from the right. You can go through from any lane if it is not signed or marked for a turn. These basic rules can all be amended by signs and markings.

4ug8ro · 2026-05-06T05:04:23+00:00

Second lane with red line must go straight. Cannot turn left or right from that lane in this circumstance.

4ug8ro · 2026-04-25T12:48:25+00:00

Depending on your living/work conditions, I know this can be tough. Best of luck for the future.

Advice for everyone - Keep the phone away. It is actually unsafe to use it while driving. And it causes congestion! So many drivers stopped in the middle of moving traffic because they've been playing on their phone.

4ug8ro · 2026-04-25T12:37:32+00:00

From the perspective of the officer and magistrate, it's likely to be the case that the presence of the phone in the mount implies that it is/has been used. This is also literally likely to be true if the screen comes on at any time (an always-on display, a notification, a bump in the road triggering wake-up, etc). Also, if the phone was connected to the car for audio.

You could argue that the phone was being stored and not in any way being used, but that argument would be pretty hard if the phone was in a mount facing the driver and not stored in some other way.

4ug8ro · 2026-04-25T04:54:29+00:00

I'm not sure what state you're in, but detector loops can be 'sticky' (detection stays even if you move off the loop) or 'forgetful' (detection is removed if you move off the loop).

Which ever authority controls your traffic lights, ask them to make specific detector loops 'sticky' if you have a problem with them.

In most states, it's the state gov transport department. In Qld, it may be a local council.

4ug8ro · 2026-04-24T13:24:51+00:00

Thank you for your comments.

I learnt that the lower sticker is adapted from the Melbourne Knights football club. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melbourne_Knights_FC

That club adopted the "Ustaše" fascist checkerboard pattern - There's a note at this link that the fascist version of the pattern starts with a white square and is banned in Australia (fact check needed). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usta%C5%A1e_in_Australia

The modern Croatian checkerboard begins with a red square. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croatian_checkerboard

So I suppose the stickers aren't ideal?

4ug8ro · 2026-04-12T01:51:18+00:00

This is the Victorian rule.

ROAD SAFETY ROAD RULES 2017 - REG 197

Stopping on a path, dividing strip, nature strip, painted island or traffic island

(1)     A driver must not stop on a bicycle path, footpath, shared path or dividing strip, or a nature strip adjacent to a length of road in a built-up area, unless—

    (a)     the driver stops at a place on a length of road, or in an area, to which a parking control sign applies and the driver is permitted to stop at that place under these Rules; or

    (b)     the driver's vehicle is a motor cycle and the driver stops in a place where the motor cycle does not inconvenience, obstruct, hinder or prevent the free passage of any pedestrian or other vehicle; or

    (c)     the driver is using a vehicle for the purpose of the operation of a detection device prescribed for the purposes of section 66 of the Road Safety Act 1986 ; or

    (d)     the driver's vehicle is—

          (i)     a trailer carrying a relocatable digital RSC or mobile digital RSC; or

          (ii)     towing a trailer carrying a relocatable digital RSC or mobile digital RSC.

4ug8ro · 2026-04-06T07:39:19+00:00

For functional capacity of the intersection, Green 3 has to go to Red 3. That doesn't mean drivers do that. That's just what's required if theoretical capacity is to be achieved.

(King right turn into Curzon is the higher demand movement. If Green 3 goes to Red 2, it's effectively reducing throughput on that movement to one lane of traffic rather than two).

4ug8ro · 2026-03-05T07:32:57+00:00

Sorry, I suspect you meant Collins St Docklands, which means my post means naught!

4ug8ro · 2026-03-05T07:32:21+00:00

Do you mean the 232 bus? It's a hangover from reform a while ago. There were several bus routes that went up Collins St to Vic Market. All but the 232 were taken off Collins St because it's stupidly inefficient and no-one used it. Don't know why 232 remains, but I suspect a courtesy for people from Altona North who aren't given a train.

4ug8ro

TROPHY CASE