Public transport favoured over roads for federal funding

This article mentions that

Victorian MPs, including Education Minister Bronwyn Pike and member for Richmond Richard Wynne, have been outspoken in their opposition to a road tunnel.

On the contrary, we have noticed that Brownyn Pike has been very, very careful not to oppose the tunnel, instead to oppose lasting impact on the park(s) and that Richard Wynne's EWNLA submission supported a tunnel from the docks to Sunshine. The journalist Geraldine Mitchell said the article was changed by the subeditors and that Bronwyn has not in fact changed her position. The journalist acknowledged that Bronwyn was at pains not to take a position on her 20 minute doorstop.

Oh well, on with the article...

PUBLIC transport looks set to win federal funding ahead of any road projects.

Premier John Brumby yesterday said talks with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd showed promising signs the Victorian Government would get assistance for public transport projects.

"I've discussed this with the Prime Minister and I would be very confident that some of the $20 billion in the Building Australia fund will come Victoria's way for public transport projects," he said.

But it appears less likely that contentious road projects such as the $9 billion road tunnel to link the Eastern and Tullamarine freeways, proposed by international road expert Sir Rod Eddington, will get any federal funding.

It comes after Mr Brumby this month said he hoped to get at least $5 billion of the Building Australia fund for major transport projects.

He said any funding from the Federal Government would make a "huge difference" to what projects would be given the green light.

The biggest public transport project on the agenda is an $8.5 billion rail tunnel between Caulfield and Footscray, also proposed by Sir Rod.

Victorian MPs, including Education Minister Bronwyn Pike and member for Richmond Richard Wynne,have been outspoken in their opposition to a road tunnel.

COMMUTERS can look forward to shiny new seat covers on more than half the Connex fleet seats from today.

But the chances of getting a seat on the sardine services aren't going to improve until November, when 200 extra services a week will be scheduled.

Connex chief Bruce Hughes said the seat upgrades were a multi-million-dollar facelift after commuters were asked to suggest service improvements.

But Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen said most peak hour commuters wouldn't see the new covers, "because other people will be sitting on them".

Read the original article at HeraldSun.com.au