Infrastructure costs on the urban fringe
Posted: March 3, 2010 Filed under: Housing, Infrastructure | Tags: Infrastructure, Inner city, Melbourne, Suburban sprawl, The Age 8 CommentsIt is amazing how quickly supposed facts become accepted wisdom. A feature article in The Age last week, Fringe Benefits, repeated the highly questionable claim that “for every 1,000 dwellings, the cost for infill development (in existing suburbs) is $309 million and the cost of fringe development is $653 million”. Read the rest of this entry »
Possible rail link to Melbourne Airport
Posted: March 2, 2010 Filed under: Airports & aviation, Infrastructure, Public transport | Tags: airport, Melbourne, rail, The Age, traffic congestion 15 CommentsThe Age ran an editorial this week arguing that a rail line should be built from the CBD to Melbourne Airport to deal with growing traffic congestion on the principal radial freeway route. I have a lot of difficulty seeing how this could ever work financially, much less why it should be a priority compared to other potential transport projects. I’ve been on both the new Sydney and the new Brisbane airport rail lines and judging by the low patronage I’m not surprised they’ve both been in deep financial difficulty. Read the rest of this entry »
The Melbourne Urbanist 