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transport

Bridge strikes, and other tales of Patterson station

It’s not Montague Street, but trucks keep hitting this low bridge

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Toxic Custard newsletter transport

Desire lines: signs of bad design?

Desire lines are where authorities intend for people to go one way, but people (especially pedestrians) quite logically ignore them and go a different way. Often they indicate poor design. Here are some quick examples from my neck of the woods. You have to wonder whose bright idea this was. Try and divert the pedestrians  ... [More]

Categories
transport

A tale of two Bentleighs

Census data for Journey To Work was released on Monday, and many are taking a good look at the results. In Greater Melbourne, overall about 16.3% of people are using public transport to get to work — up from 14.5% in 2011. (It actually depends how you define “Melbourne”, and how you analyse the figures.  ... [More]

Categories
transport

Proposed Tucker Road bus would fill a gap, but…

Bentleigh state MP Nick Staikos has released a map of a proposed new bus route, from Moorabbin via Bentleigh and Hughesdale to Chadstone: Releasing a proposed new bus route for discussion. What do you think of this #Moorabbin #HamptonEast #Bentleigh #EastBentleigh #McKinnon? pic.twitter.com/tf2w2wIM6a — Nick Staikos MP (@NStaikos) August 27, 2017 As I see them,  ... [More]

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Photos from ten years ago Toxic Custard newsletter

Old photos from November 2006

Another in my series of photos from ten years ago. I found quite a few this month, and also found one from October 2006 which had been missed, and since added to that post. The Bentleigh Festival. Obviously this spot looks quite different now with the level crossing gone. PT spotters will also notice the  ... [More]

Categories
transport

What if Bentleigh had got Skyrail?

A few people have asked me about this in the past few months — what if Bentleigh had got “skyrail”? It’s interesting to consider, though it was never going to happen. Firstly, the timing was wrong. The Coalition had fully funded the Ormond level crossing for removal in May 2014, with designs already having determined  ... [More]

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Bentleigh Toxic Custard newsletter

Bentleigh: old real estate ads

I was looking on the State Library’s web site for material related to my local suburb, and found these old real estate ads. This one is from back when Bentleigh was called East Brighton. It’s dated 1885. It’s the area immediately to the east of the railway station, which opened in 1881, and was renamed  ... [More]

Categories
Bentleigh transport

Bentleigh/Mckinnon/Ormond grade separations: Lots of detail

To their credit, the state government is initiating Stakeholder Liaison Groups for the level crossing eliminations to happen across Melbourne. The first of these covers the three Bentleigh area crossings: North Road, Ormond; Mckinnon Road, Mckinnon; Centre Road, Bentleigh. It’s convened by local MP Nick Staikos, and members include representatives from local traders, schools, community  ... [More]

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Bentleigh Food'n'drink Toxic Custard newsletter

I love Bentleigh

Do you want to do this thing, they asked? For a weekly feature in the local paper. “Sure!” I said… all I had to do was nominated places (mostly restaurants) in my neighbourhood that I like. Easy, and it might help push the cause. I got my photo taken in one of the local parks.  ... [More]

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Bentleigh Home life Melbourne Toxic Custard newsletter

House prices in Bentleigh top $1 million – I couldn’t afford it here now

I mentioned the other day that it’s coming up on ten years since I bought my house in Bentleigh (hence the flurry of maintenance). In that time, the prices here have gone through the figurative roof. (Source: RealEstateView) I didn’t think to save the data at the time, but this document tracks median house prices  ... [More]

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Bentleigh Politics and activism Toxic Custard newsletter transport

Where’s the community’s focal point? It’s the railway station.

Two sleeps until the election. Apart from trying to get citizens out to a public meeting, where in the neighbourhood is the best place to meet as many people you can, face-to-face? Judging from what the politicians and lobby groups have been up to, it’s the railway station — on weekdays, at least. I’ve lost  ... [More]

Categories
Toxic Custard newsletter transport

Quicker to wait for the hourly bus, or walk?

Last weekend I tried an experiment, for a PTUA video… In the highly marginal electorate of Bentleigh, having just missed the bus, is it quicker to wait for the next service, or walk to Southland? Given walking speeds and a five kilometre distance, perhaps the answer (at least for reasonably fit, able-bodied people) is obvious…  ... [More]