120401-why-urban-rail
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View in full screen mode and read the speaker notes in the "notes" tab, or this won't make much sense! An explanation of why rail is important and a review of the demise of electric street transport in Sydney, Australia, and the current transport landscape. Delivered to the Institution of Engineers Australia, Rail Technical Society of Australasia, at Central Railway in April 2011 by the author, David Caldwell.TRANSCRIPT
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David Caldwell
Monday 2nd April 2012
Millions on the Movetwitter: #SydTransit
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What this talk is about
• Why rail exists/ why cities exist
• The rise of the automobile age: early response
• Film: GE Millions on the Move
• Review + how it applied to Sydney- case study on light rail
• What practical measures are being taken today from these learnings
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Some reasons
• Save energy
• Reduce emissions
• Reduce global warming
• Improve energy security
• Safer
• Faster travel times
• Enables cities that you enjoy
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1800 19001850 1950 2000
1825: First passenger steam
train (Britain)
1855: First passenger steam train in Sydney
(Parramatta line)
1898: Electric Trams in Sydney
1926: Electric Trains Sydney
1962: Last Tram in Sydney
1997: First 2nd gen tram in Sydney
1908: Model T Ford roles off
production line
1804: First Tram-horse drawn
(Britain)
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Rolling resistance
0
0.002
0.004
0.006
0.008
0.01
0.012
0.014
0.016
car bus/truck tram/ train
Source of data: wikipedia
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Traffic “route” choice
$ Parking
$ Operating cost
$ Depreciation
Get kids on way home
Time
$ Fare
Time
Discomfort in rain
Unreliability
Can read
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Modal share in Australian Capital CitiesSource: Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Information sheet 31
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I think we have a problem
• By mid 1950s it was becoming clear there was a problem
• Heavy and light rail infrastructure was aging
• People wanted freeways
• “little prospect of arresting decline”
• “loss of patronage suffered by the Railways”
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Key points
• Cars just take too much space- “Malady menacing the cause of American Cities”
• New roads, wider roads, more parking make things worse
• Transport is about moving people not cars
• Convenience and travel time are paramount
• Integrated multi-modal system
• Dedicated rights of way (trams/ RT/ buses)
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A different perspective
• It’s about how public transport benefits the individual and the economy
• It’s about the day-to-day pain-points of most people not macro stuff
• Were the predictions right?
• Did the message work?
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Source: ABC archive
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Source: Google Streetview
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Photo: Bren Barnes via Wikipedia
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Traveller safety: Accidents/ Deaths
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450
2011NSWroads
AustraliansinAfghanistanwar(asat31/12/11)
2003Waterfalldisaster
1999Glenbrookdisaster
1977Granvilledisaster
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In conclusion
• The promoters of transit were right
• Cities depend on rail to exist
• Sydney made mistakes like many other world cities
• Irrespective of the energy source of cars, the key problems remain
• Exclusive rights-of-way are needed to fix transit
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Change requires an agent
• That can be free choice now
• Or forced by economics (energy crisis/ environmental crisis) when it’s too late and painful
• A supportive mandate and Government
• But it needs the knowledge and skills of engineers to start overcoming the inertia of the old course
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