tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18909424.post3977285407970293100..comments2024-03-24T23:01:11.766+11:00Comments on Melbourne on Transit: Peter Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13413976934040474125noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18909424.post-5399742054886511402011-07-23T23:25:15.855+10:002011-07-23T23:25:15.855+10:00The bad old days might be extended to the time of ...The bad old days might be extended to the time of the Sydney Olympics. It was only in roughly 2001 that a map of all Melbourne routes became available (not counting the latest Melway).<br /><br />Also, Tony is right in that enthusiasts can be categorised in more complicated ways than "likes a certain perception of the past" and "likes possible futures". Though I suspect Peter's dichotomy holds much weight.mcnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18909424.post-48140792293871138852011-07-04T19:32:40.256+10:002011-07-04T19:32:40.256+10:00You might like to think the PTUA does, Tony, I'...You might like to think the PTUA does, Tony, I'm not sure it does though.Riccardonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18909424.post-51248477858657830282011-06-29T16:45:07.700+10:002011-06-29T16:45:07.700+10:00I think it's a bit more complicated than that ...I think it's a bit more complicated than that Peter. What you're describing sounds to me a bit more like 'old-school enthusiasts' versus 'new age enthusiasts'. Both have a preoccupation with physical infrastructure, engineering detail and aesthetic 'look and feel'. The main difference is the old-schoolers tend to reach backward and the new-agers to lurch forward, often on faddish bandwagons.<br /><br />But at the same time, the 'hankerers' who enthuse about brown buses and steam trains aren't always the same 'hankerers' who want tram conductors back or want to reverse privatisation. And 'modernists' who like smartcards and O-bahns often aren't the same 'modernists' as those who call for pulse timetables and more efficient operating patterns. These kinds of distinctions separate 'enthusiasts' of both camps from 'user advocates' who are more focussed on outcomes and passenger experience.<br /><br />And user advocates also vary, of course. Some are more intent on reversing what they see as bad mistakes made in the past. Others are more keen to apply planning innovations from elsewhere that were never a feature of our system but which they think could improve it. In the PTUA I like to think we do both where appropriate. But what most user advocates agree on is that you need to <i>plan</i> what kind of system you want before you go about engineering it.Tonyhttp://www.ptua.org.aunoreply@blogger.com