4 ms·

I think it’s really sad Sydney is so car centric now. I remember reading about these projects when first commissioned and it really felt like more rail was a b

I think it’s really sad Sydney is so car centric now. I remember reading about these projects when first commissioned and it really felt like more rail was a better investment. I took the westconnex on a visit a year or so ago. It was freaking empty. I couldn’t believe it.

chrismsimpson 3y ago
Now? Sydney was built around the notion of the automobile. The country has basically no continental rain to speak of.
- ChatGTP 3y ago
  https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/jul/28/erased-from-history-how-sydney-destroyed-its-trams-for-love-of-the-car https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/jul/28/erase... Not true.
flopsamjetsam 3y ago
I lived in the Inner West (Camperdown and Chippendale) for about 15 years. I felt really lucky that I could walk everywhere (with some effort, and I had reasonable free time) and didn't need a car. It was fun, learning all the routes and being able to see what was going on in all the suburbs around me. I was also lucky that I was pretty near a main road (Paramatta Rd) and buses were easy to catch. I moved away a few years ago to a much smaller city (Canberra), and find it's actually more car-centric than where I lived in Sydney, which is a shame. I also see my co-workers (still in Sydney) who have transportation centred around their car, although about half commute via public transport.
- hilbert42 3y ago
  "...Canberra), and find it's actually more car-centric than where I lived in Sydney, which is a shame." I don't live in Canberra but from my many visits there my experience is that it's harder to go from A to B there than in Sydney (and Sydney is no shining light when it comes to getting about). That said, Burley Griffin's planning and layout for Canberra is a delight when compared to Sydney's dogleg-like haphazardness. Thus, it's likely that Canberra's openness makes getting about more difficult but there are probably other factors that locals are more aware of than I am. I suppose I am sensitive to issue because for a period I lived and worked in Europe and my main base there was Vienna. Getting around Vienna is simply a dream when compared to either Sydney or Canberra and I put this down to the way the Straßenbahn (tram) and U-Bahn transport networks work in that they are tightly coupled together in ways that facilitate the easy movement of people. Somehow, despite the fact that Vienna is a very old city with for the most part very narrow streets, the Viennese have installed a transport network that works extraordinarily well in the circumstances. (I would concede however the city had one advantage in that the old city walls were demolished in the last quarter of the 19th Century which made way for a ring road (Ringstraße) which greatly aids public transport.) But the Ringstraße was only part of the solution. The main issue, not only in Vienna but in many other European cities is the attitude of city planners. There, much more attention is focused on public transport and it seems this attitude has prevailed for many decades unlike the haphazard planning in Sydney (it's always been a political football here). Some say we can't plan like the Europeans do as we've not the population density and no doubt that's partially true but for some reason their attitude to planning is much more utilitarian and long-term than here. I think this is the key difference. Edit: to be fair I must add that in recent years Sydney's public transport has improved significantly even within confines of its existing infrastructure. Whilst some new rail routes/infrastructure have been added what has noticeably improved is the service, buses and trains are reasonably plentiful and importantly are usually on time. This makes public transport much more attractive.
- ChatGTP 3y ago
  I spent a while in a similar area. I used to have a bike, riding around some of those nice old suburbs with all the cool old buildings was special. Fond memories exploring Sydney, Pyrmont, Balmain etc on a bike. Also enjoyed east side too. Redfern, Surry Hills etc. I think Sydney is the most beautiful city I've ever visited.
smdyc1 3y ago
It's bloody expensive and impossible for casual drivers to know how much they're going to be stung until their etag auto-tops up. I like how fast it is compared to Parramatta road, but you have to be on some serious money to afford it daily now that the M4 is also distance tolled.

chrismsimpson 3y ago

Now? Sydney was built around the notion of the automobile. The country has basically no continental rain to speak of.

ChatGTP 3y ago
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/jul/28/erased-from-history-how-sydney-destroyed-its-trams-for-love-of-the-car https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/jul/28/erase... Not true.

flopsamjetsam 3y ago

I lived in the Inner West (Camperdown and Chippendale) for about 15 years. I felt really lucky that I could walk everywhere (with some effort, and I had reasonable free time) and didn't need a car. It was fun, learning all the routes and being able to see what was going on in all the suburbs around me. I was also lucky that I was pretty near a main road (Paramatta Rd) and buses were easy to catch. I moved away a few years ago to a much smaller city (Canberra), and find it's actually more car-centric than where I lived in Sydney, which is a shame. I also see my co-workers (still in Sydney) who have transportation centred around their car, although about half commute via public transport.

hilbert42 3y ago
"...Canberra), and find it's actually more car-centric than where I lived in Sydney, which is a shame." I don't live in Canberra but from my many visits there my experience is that it's harder to go from A to B there than in Sydney (and Sydney is no shining light when it comes to getting about). That said, Burley Griffin's planning and layout for Canberra is a delight when compared to Sydney's dogleg-like haphazardness. Thus, it's likely that Canberra's openness makes getting about more difficult but there are probably other factors that locals are more aware of than I am. I suppose I am sensitive to issue because for a period I lived and worked in Europe and my main base there was Vienna. Getting around Vienna is simply a dream when compared to either Sydney or Canberra and I put this down to the way the Straßenbahn (tram) and U-Bahn transport networks work in that they are tightly coupled together in ways that facilitate the easy movement of people. Somehow, despite the fact that Vienna is a very old city with for the most part very narrow streets, the Viennese have installed a transport network that works extraordinarily well in the circumstances. (I would concede however the city had one advantage in that the old city walls were demolished in the last quarter of the 19th Century which made way for a ring road (Ringstraße) which greatly aids public transport.) But the Ringstraße was only part of the solution. The main issue, not only in Vienna but in many other European cities is the attitude of city planners. There, much more attention is focused on public transport and it seems this attitude has prevailed for many decades unlike the haphazard planning in Sydney (it's always been a political football here). Some say we can't plan like the Europeans do as we've not the population density and no doubt that's partially true but for some reason their attitude to planning is much more utilitarian and long-term than here. I think this is the key difference. Edit: to be fair I must add that in recent years Sydney's public transport has improved significantly even within confines of its existing infrastructure. Whilst some new rail routes/infrastructure have been added what has noticeably improved is the service, buses and trains are reasonably plentiful and importantly are usually on time. This makes public transport much more attractive.
ChatGTP 3y ago
I spent a while in a similar area. I used to have a bike, riding around some of those nice old suburbs with all the cool old buildings was special. Fond memories exploring Sydney, Pyrmont, Balmain etc on a bike. Also enjoyed east side too. Redfern, Surry Hills etc. I think Sydney is the most beautiful city I've ever visited.

smdyc1 3y ago

It's bloody expensive and impossible for casual drivers to know how much they're going to be stung until their etag auto-tops up. I like how fast it is compared to Parramatta road, but you have to be on some serious money to afford it daily now that the M4 is also distance tolled.