Sydney to trial 115 passenger articulated buses.

[TheGrew]

I used to ride on bendy buses occasionaly when I was at uni in Southampton. They were alright, but double deckers seem a lot less clumsy.

You know they got rid of the bendy buses in southampton (I live up the road in Eastleigh)

[Raichase]

In the UK standees are never allowed on the top deck, although it happens in London occasionally.

Ah, well I remember reading somewhere that in Berlin, Germany they allow standees on the top deck on their double decker's.

Two words: German efficiency.

[Parkey]

Has anybody built an articulated double decker yet? Now that would be impressive.

[Kevo00]

Difficult to drive though. Can't quite see it manaourvering along the Strand in London.

I do remember hearing that Livingstone wanted triple bendies though.

[MHTransport]

I recently bought a book on Trams to the Northern Suburbs. On the front cover there is a picture of a tram and a double decker bus heading north on the east side of the Harbour Bridge. Two transport models that managed to operate in Sydney just fine until the 1970's. And they would still work.

[Pug]

But you have to realise that today's society is very reliant on cars. You don't change that fact overnight. Trams would still work since they have a dedicated track and special privileges in traffic (at least in Holland trams always go first, except when traffic lights are involved).

In Sydney the double decker buses would need to have their own dedicated lane as well, which would result in more traffic jams. The same amount of cars would have to be pressed through a lane less.

People would really have to choose the trams and buses en masse for it to have a significant effect I think.

[Parkey]

I do remember hearing that Livingstone wanted triple bendies though.

Amusingly Boris Johnson, who is running for Mayor of London, seems to think that bendy buses are the cause of all evil in the world, although it is understandable as he is a cyclist.

But you have to realise that today's society is very reliant on cars. You don't change that fact overnight.

Indeed. I read an article recently that said the 80% of journeys in the UK are made by car. I'm not against cars as such, but because I hate driving if there's an alternative that involves cycling or public transport I'll happily leave the car behind.

[jvassie]

In the UK standees are never allowed on the top deck, although it happens in London occasionally.

Ah, well I remember reading somewhere that in Berlin, Germany they allow standees on the top deck on their double decker's.

Hmm, not sure about that one, im not the best qualified to answer, however i have been there half a dozen times, and while the public transport is absolutely fantastic, i dont think ive ever seen people allowed to stand 'up the top' of a Double Decker, once it was so crowded, the driver checked his camera for the Top Deck and wouldnt let anyone else on the bus, as it was full standing and seats downstairs, and full in seating upstairs.

May have been a one-off though

James

[MHTransport]

But you have to realise that today's society is very reliant on cars. You don't change that fact overnight. Trams would still work since they have a dedicated track and special privileges in traffic (at least in Holland trams always go first, except when traffic lights are involved).

In Sydney the double decker buses would need to have their own dedicated lane as well, which would result in more traffic jams. The same amount of cars would have to be pressed through a lane less.

People would really have to choose the trams and buses en masse for it to have a significant effect I think.

Sorry but this is how 'they' want you to think; backward.

Each morning the one city bound bus lane on the Harbour Bridge carries more passengers in an hour than the other five in the entire morning. If that bus lane was removed then the city's road network would irrevocably clog and be render useless. So in fact adding a bus lane can reduce traffic by making the high capacity public transport more attractive. And in some cases is essential

They of course being the state government, the roads and traffic authority, the motorists association and the car/oil companies.

[Parkey]

It's amazing how much power the motorists have to lobby government.

In the UK there are currently works to add an extra lane to the M1 motorway for most of its length, for the same cost it would be possible to build a new railway line along a similar route. The railway would provide the same passenger capacity as an extra 8-lane motorway and move people at up to three times the speed with no traffic jams and a smaller environmental footprint.

But of course as the M1 is a road scheme, out comes the government chequebook (£10bn - thankyou very much!). The rail proposal (also costed at about £10bn) was ignored on the basis of being "too expensive".

[MHTransport]

Today in the SMH http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/wal ... ntentSwap1

"SYDNEY pedestrians can spend as much time waiting to cross the street as they do on the move because the car has ruled the city unnecessarily for 30 years."

"Unlike other areas, where councils control the roads, alterations in Sydney have to be approved by the Roads and Traffic Authority."

So I don't expect any improvement; the RTA is notorious for increasing roads and traffic.

"In Melbourne, whose council he has advised, the Bourke Street Mall is far more populated than Pitt Street, and Swanston Street, a major thoroughfare, has more than 15,000 more users a day than George Street."

There was an article a few weeks ago about the exodus to Victoria. Having been to Melbourne, if there were more Software Engeneering jobs then I would move too. It is ridiculous that Brisbane and Melbourne actually have vastly better state and local governments then Sydney.

It's all due to 30 years of bad premiers Wran, Unsworth, Greiner, Fahey, Carr, and now Iemma. That's both of the major parties.

The Cumberland County Council developed the Cumberland County Council Planning Scheme which included things like a transport corridor all the way from the city to the mountains. But "The objectives of the County Council were often in conflict with the aims of many State Government departments." So the council was dissolved and Neville Wran created Haberfield in the transport corridor.

Ever since they have been arguing about a transport link through Haberfield. Currently they're talking about a 10G$ road tunnel.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neville_Wran
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumberland ... outh_Wales

Greiner proudly claims to be the father of NSW toll roads.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Greiner

[MHTransport]

The NSW Ministry of Transport has published some propaganda to explain why the public road is about to lose two lanes now that the toll road underneath is complete.

PDF http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/news/Ep ... -buses.pdf

[Raichase]

I agree with it - anything that gives buses a clearer run the better.

I don't agree that it forces cars to use a toll road, but... well, it promotes public transport, which is a good thing.

[OC_4106]

Has anybody built an articulated double decker yet? Now that would be impressive.

Answer is yes, Neoplan built one.

It was designed mostly as a coach.

[Railwaymodeler]

I think that even appears in George's Long Vehicle set! Cool to see piccies of it too.