Why it's so important that governments bring our public transport up to scratch. Lavish investment in roads at the expense of public and active transport got us into this mess. Other cities show flipping this over gets results. My article in .
Follow
Tony Morton
@tonybmorton
Sustainable energy and transport advocate based in Melbourne. Current President, Public Transport Users Association.
Melbourne, AustraliaJoined January 2013
Tony Morton’s Tweets
Okay, so, here's something of an update to this thread from last year, where I looked at Aus' emissions projections and found that they were nowhere near as optimistic as credulously and widely reported (and somehow still reported)
Quote Tweet
The Australian government keeps saying that its own projections show a 35% drop in emissions by 2030 (relative to 2005).
It's a lie. I will quickly explain how it's crafted, because it's really important.
Time, my friends, for a 'lil thread twitter.com/KetanJ0/status
Show this thread
1
26
53
Show this thread
Farmer John Fenton's obsession with planting trees was ridiculed but he created a legacy abc.net.au/news/2022-09-0 #ClimateAction #forestry
1
18
24
Show this thread
The results are clear. Any outer suburban candidate or contesting party that does not have a proper plan to boost public transport services won't be responding to community needs. #VicVotes2022 #springst
Quote Tweet
We surveyed an outer suburban seat. Growth corridor. Our findings are alarming
1st slide - typical living arrangements
2nd slide - note the higher levels of outright ownership with Lib voters
3rd slide - 70% suffer housing payment stress
4th slide - Most using debt to live
1/
Show this thread
4
13
The government - your protest shall be approved on the condition that it is ineffective. Thank you for complying.
14
336
953
Show this thread
Transport Forum for Moreland 4 Oct 2022.prior to #vicvotes2022 #vicvotes
We highlight importance of moving to sustainable transport supported by OECD, IEA, IPCC, Climate Council to reduce #transportemissions to address the #climateemergency
1
3
3
Topics to follow
Sign up to get Tweets about the Topics you follow in your Home timeline.
Carousel
"Using Australian panel data, we find evidence suggesting that the unemployed subjected to MOs sustain their job search intensity, yet take longer to become re-employed and spend less time in employment compared to otherwise identical unemployed searching without MOs"
8
104
199
Show this thread
I walked to Sydney Road and caught a tram, and arrived on time, but how annoying!
As I left the station I saw one sign about bus replacements attached to the fence opposite one entry, and another further on, but it would be much better if there was something on the platform.
1
2
1
Show this thread
“Switching to electric cars helps to lower carbon emissions — even after accounting for manufacturing and charging batteries — but it actually exacerbates the problem of tire emissions.”
8
107
484
An election is approaching which means an announcement is imminent for protected bike lanes on St Kilda Rd, as has been reannounced periodically over the last eight years.
Hopefully it won't take another eight years to see the lanes installed.
bigbuild.vic.gov.au/projects/mrpv/
5
15
65
Although we shouldn’t assume that cars are the future of urban mobility, it takes egregious ignorance to deny in 2022 that EVs are the future of cars (and most trucks and buses for that matter).
Quote Tweet
With Scott Morrison gone, Sussan Ley has taken up the task of baseless EV bashing | Temperature Check theguardian.com/environment/20
No road project to my knowledge has ever achieved the travel time savings forecast in assessments such as this. In some cases, as an RMIT study found for CityLink in Melbourne, there’s strong evidence for dis-savings thanks to induced traffic.
Quote Tweet
Replying to @pia_qld and @nickihutley
Apparently, building the Second M1/Coomera Connector motorway is one of the solutions to lower greenhouse gas emissions. Together with 'clean coal' and new gas fields. Planners should protest new car infrastructure.
1
3
12
Germany’s €9 train tickets scheme ‘saved 1.8m tons of CO2 emissions’
4
34
62
You often hear people who claim that all these EV batteries "will end up in a landfill" because they can't be recycled.
They won't. And the opposite problem is taking shape: there's more recycling capacity coming than there is battery scrap available
bloomberg.com/news/articles/
50
615
1,698
Show this thread
This bill from and would require the govt to report on the emissions impacts of its fiscal decisions, amongst other things.
I've read it closely. It seems solid, sensible and in line with the government's own commitments.
assets.nationbuilder.com/davidpocock/pa
3
7
58
Trivia: In just over a month, when its Airport line opens, Perth will have a higher proportion of its stations with a Mon-Sun 7.5 minute frequency (or better) than any other Australian rail network. Meanwhile 20, 30 & 40 min rail frequencies remain most common in Melbourne.
2
15
69
So Australian emissions from Electricity and Transport are still above 1990 levels. Transport emissions seems to still be growing after COVID-19.
Quote Tweet
Did you know national emissions data for the year to March came out yesterday and they went up? Seems a thing.
There's quite a bit in this story - with @msmarto
theguardian.com/australia-news
Show this thread
1
2
1
Show this thread
Reducing the number of vehicle-kilometers-traveled is the biggest goal in city building over the next eight years. Ask your council candidate which of these steps they'll commit to implementing.
Quote Tweet
THIS IS INTERESTING: 12 Ways to Reduce Cars In Cities that have ALREADY WORKED, ranked by effectiveness, identified from nearly 800 research papers. Via @KA_Nicholas in @ConversationEDU. What do u think, Tweeps? Depends A LOT on the specific case studies… theconversation.com/12-best-ways-t
Show this thread
3
38
145
Burning native forest wood waste for electricity shouldn’t be classed as renewable energy, Senate report suggests theguardian.com/australia-news by and
3
38
77
Media release:
80% of Victorians agreed that governments should invest more in public transport, with 63% saying they would be more willing to use services if they were more frequent, better connected, reliable, safe and affordable.
6
23
7 in 10 Australians are keen to see Australia's entire bus fleet electrified and run on renewables as soon as possible according to YouGov's People and Transport National Poll 2022. #auspol
7
31
It’s sad that so many people are posting the Gorbachev Pizza Hut advert to mark his passing.
Because there’s also a Gorbachev Austrian Railways advert that they should be posting as well. @MrTimDunn
0:40
55K views
12
396
1,345
Show this thread
The truth is so obvious that you can see it from 15,000km away.
Quote Tweet
Christchurch, NZ deserves far better rail investment. A daily train that leaves from an amenity-lite station surrounded by parking lots is not suitable for a city of 400,000 people.
Show this thread
read image description
ALT
read image description
ALT
9
43
Living costs are an important theme here. The top needs for PT are service frequency, and, for buses, operating hours, coverage and network reform. State governments can't afford to ignore them with elections in both Vic & NSW soon. #springst
Quote Tweet
Australians want green public transport options, and fast | The New Daily thenewdaily.com.au/news/2022/08/3 #EVs #PublicTransport
4
11
The age of the ‘car is king’ is over. The sooner we accept that, the better | John Vidal
15
130
425
I think we have to ask again, is it the best idea to remove the ability for trains to swap tracks between the City and Caulfield, as they are doing tonight to get around a faulty train at Malvern? #MetroTrains
read image description
ALT
6
3
32
For rail fans the most notable on that list was interim upgrades for Stony Point trains to run every 20 min peak 40 min off-peak. Vicsig's line guide shows it's single track all the way. Travel time 36 min. How would you do it & what's needed? vicsig.net/infrastructure
2
1
1
Show this thread
Advocacy from helped bring about upgrades to bus 788 and a 7 day express Frankston - Rosebud route. But operating hours and coverage for other routes remains limited. Here's a survey and a wish list for more bus/train upgrades. shape.mornpen.vic.gov.au/public-transpo #springst
1
2
5
Show this thread
Lots of excellent energy initiatives here, but importantly this can’t just be a technical fix. Unless overall vehicle kilometres drop substantially, transport emissions can’t fall far enough or (especially) fast enough to keep us on target.
Quote Tweet
Three things Sydney must do to help meet climate targets watoday.com.au/environment/su
2
How reliable, robust & rounded r major infrastructure cost benefit analysis/net social benefit/ business cases? Whilst this one is about rail & Vic it’s the same question in energy right? #auspol #energy #CostOfLivingCrisis
1
Labor is sending mixed messages on energy – and some of it sounds like climate denial | Adam Morton theguardian.com/environment/co by
23
36
Sensible to think of mass transit plans in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch as a coherent national initiative to massively improve public transport in our biggest cities. The emissions reductions benefits will be national and funding should reflect that.
9
20
130
Cycling isn't the only transport mode that gets token treatment at Vicroads HQ. The bus stop right beside it gets just one bus per day on Route 609 Fairfield - Hawthorn. Timetable here: ptv.vic.gov.au/route/timetabl #springst
Quote Tweet
I’m always equal parts impressed, amused and annoyed when I see this gold standard protected bike lane outside Vic Roads in Kew Melbourne: it’s only 200 metres and the connections are awful
3
5
25
This study is from the USA. The latest year for UK STATS19 dataset includes Make and Model vehicle data. I do not have time to analyse it. anyone in your network have bandwidth?
1
3
5
What’s the shortest tweet you can do that shares something PROFOUNDLY important about better cities?
346
95
150
New blog post - taking a look at the City of Ballarat's Draft Ballarat Net Zero Emissions Plan the-iron-road.blogspot.com/2022/08/draft-
read image description
ALT
2
4
7
Show this thread
press conference when asked about his government’s extraordinary decision to open 46,000 square kilometres of our oceans up to oil and gas exploration despite his government purportedly being committed to science based climate action 🌏🔥 #auspol #LNPlite #greenwashing #COP27 2/2
6
11
50
Show this thread
Anyone who has been on Twitter for a while will have had a climate science denier use the tired old trope of “do you drive a car?” as if that makes you a gross hypocrite and excuses climate inaction.
It’s a huge concern that this is exactly the line that used at his 1/2
4
32
74
Show this thread