617 and the bridge

[tasstockau]

617 chose a very inopportune time and location to disagrace itself last night.

I understand gear box problems immobilised the bus on the bridge (presumably with passengers) just after 4pm. Was noted being towed through Lindisfarne about 5.30. In the intervening period the chaos it contributed to wasnt helped by significant road works in the northern suburbs meaning both bridge routes to the eastern shore were subject to significant delays.

So much so that a ship was heading up river at 5.45pm to pass under the Tasman bridge about 6pm. This was intercepted by a tug off the casino and turned around to head back down river to Taroona where it again turned around to come back up the river again to head under the bridge about 6.40pm to give the traffic build up a chance to clear (as bridge traffic stops when a ship passes under since 1975).I have never seen that occur previously.

This comes after media attention on traffics increasingly worse traffic issues in early 2016.

Time to stop building car parks in the city and focus on some real options for speeding up public transport so it is an attractive alternative - be it dedicated bus lanes, ferries or light rail.

Phil

[stevegj52]

Cannot believe they still stop cars crossing the bridge as a ship passes under it, the idea of building the bridge was to allow traffic to flow while a boat passes now they are still back in the day of the floating bridge where they stopped the traffic to raise the lift span to let the boat pass. The likelihood of a ship hitting the bridge like in 75 is very slim when you consider the advances in navigation technology and procedures in place on ships these days. As for light rail the state government has stuck their boots into it and were never interested in the idea and have other plans for the closed suburban line and bits of track will start to disappear, Tas Rail will be removing signals at Bridgewater crossing and others that are still intact and as they say will be put in storage . I hope that some of the line remains so TTM can at least run trains from the Museum. After the line is gone some bright spark will say lets build a light rail through the northern suburbs costing millions more than it would have if it was done now.

[yoda]

Tas Rail will be removing signals at Bridgewater crossing and others that are still intact and as they say will be put in storage

That happened a fair while back.

Track removals have already made the news - one on the domain (Regatta grounds road access to waterfront) and a proposed change in New Town for New Town High.