Daniel Bowen

Some interesting stuff here about Perth's Airport railway - terminal upgrades pushing ahead that will bring Qantas closer to the airport railway station, and calls for earlier train services to accommodate FIFO workers catching early flights. ($)

Sorry to hear of the imminent end of Australian Personal Computer magazine, one of the world’s longest running tech mags, started in 1980. A sign of the times of course, but a great innings. Read more on my #geek blog www.geekrant.org/202...

"[Our research] found: - Every additional 100kg of vehicle weight was associated with a 6% increase in odds of pedestrian fatality; - Every additional 10cm of height was associated with an 11% increase in odds of pedestrian fatality. " theconversation.com/big-us-style...

Earlier today, testing the emergency systems at Town Hall station. Hopefully this means the new Fed Square entrance isn’t far off opening! #Melbourne #MetroTunnel

🌧️It's one of those days when you see the effectiveness of the shelter at your station or stop... and the benefits of a short wait.

Presumably when they're filming Slow Horses, they have to cut when one of these comes down the street... or paint over it in post. ...Also, note the way they design the ads to not cover the windows. (Pic snapped in London last year)

What started as a quick blog (but turned into a longer one) about Labor's proposed #Myki weekly cap.

Low floor trams alone can't make the tram network accessible for everyone.

For any Australians seeing posts from people discovering Small Prophets, yes it's very good - and just like the Brits, we don't need an Apple TV subscription to watch it. It's on ABC iView.

My blog from this day in 2019: How much would it cost to run every #Melbourne train line every 10 minutes, every day? Not a huge amount, and it would mean a vastly better public transport network.

Blog: Old photos from ten years ago: Sep/Oct 2016. Some irony in this ad covering train windows, promoting a film where a key plot point is a character witnessing something out of a train window. Since banned on Metro trains, still an issue on buses, trams, V/Line. More: danielbowen.com/2026...

They probably think they’re a good driver. #Rule128

Helen Haines is the very best of people. She's respected and loved by every person in our Parliament. Those of us lucky enough to know her are praying for Helen and her family, team and community tonight.

This is just awful. www.abc.net.au/news/... #auspol

Labor pledge: $30 fare cap. It doesn't fix short distance fares, which are normally too high, but an automatic cap makes a lot of sense; those travelling 3 or more days a week would benefit from the discount. They need to keep investing in better services of course. www.abc.net.au/news/... #VicVotes

Weekends are the busiest shopping days... so why do most bus routes have fewer services? More buses more often will cut the wait and get more people onto public transport and out of the traffic.🛍️🚌

3 of the best videos I’ve found about that stupid non flying car 2 are informative & 1 is funny

Pro tip for Myki linking contactless to a concession. Touch on with your card/device at a railway station. Wait a minute or two & touch off with same. No charge is made (change of mind) but the system will remember it's seen your card. You can now mark it as concession.

An early Christmas present for Transurban ($) www.theage.com.au/po... #VicVotes

Our campaigns are funded entirely from memberships. Join now to support better public transport. ptua.org.au/members/

They probably think they’re good drivers. #Melbourne #Rule128

So does this mean the Elizabeth line *is* a Tube line? #London

I don’t know why (part of) my train line is running every 10 minutes tonight instead of every 20, but I’m certainly not complaining. #Melbourne #FKNLine

Tram trouble on Collins Street #Melbourne

🚉🎂Happy birthday to Paisley station, opened 14 October 1929, closed in 1985. Re-opening this station alongside a shake-up of Werribee line timetables would boost public transport options in this part of Melbourne's west, helping more people avoid congestion. 📷Lachlan Tansey via Wikipedia

Blog: Sunday's marathon gave a hint of how good Melbourne's public transport could be every day.

The plan to move buses out of Moorabool Street in #Geelong will make trips worse for bus passengers, and risks making existing problems worse. Statement from our Geelong branch: ptua.org.au/posts/20...

STARTER PACKS from credible sources are still a key way to find great accounts to follow, and also to BUILD GREAT COMMUNITIES here on Bluesky. They’ve been key for the Urbanist community here. This one supported global urbanists from OUTSIDE North America. I hope you’ll follow them, and SHARE IT.

Few people are more vocal than those who proclaim they will never ever use Tap And Go/contactless payments on public transport. (It's totally your choice whether you do or not.)

Extra PT for today's Marathon, including Metro tunnel trains running every 5 mins much of the day. In 2010 organisers said: "public transport is not an option" - back then the first trains didn't reach the city until 8am. In 2026: "We highly suggest that all competitors take public transport"🏃👍

Wearing this hat today as a small tribute to Robert Dow - he gave it to me a few years ago. I first met him in 2011 in Brisbane - he introduced me to then Qld transport minister Annastacia Palaszczuk and some Translink people as his Melbourne equivalent. danielbowen.com/2011... Go well Robert.

Tap And Go for concession fares across all #Melbourne and Victoria #Myki enabled public transport services will start on Tuesday, and it's less complicated than expected.

Station car parks are full early in the morning. Expanding them is incredibly expensive and never meets demand. Vastly improving feeder buses, walking and cycling options is a better, more affordable, more scalable way of getting people to the station.

Really good long read on why some cities developed separate commuter/suburban rail vs metros, and how building cross-city connections can help suburban railways can transition into metros. Melbourne's Metro Tunnel is an example of this.

For Sunday's #Melbourne Marathon, Metro Tunnel running every 10 mins 4am-7am, every 5 mins 7am-1pm. Partly to help cover for tram disruptions. Extra trains on other lines. Prior to 2016, Sunday trains started so late that they basically recommended everybody drive to the event. This is progress👍

🚉🎂Happy 137th birthday to Upfield station, first opened 8th October 1889. With Melbourne's north growing, the single track section is a big issue, preventing frequent reliable trains from running. It's time for government to duplicate, and move ahead on an extension further north.

What is the future of public transport in Melbourne? Join us for a workshop and roundtable on how we can advocate for better, more frequent public transport - 6pm on 23rd October. For details and to register: ptua.wildapricot.org...

I discovered yesterday that this cafe in La Trobe Street does a good iced chocolate! #Melbourne

Today's tram incident is shocking, and our best wishes are with the victim for a full and speedy recovery. Unfortunately, hundreds of trams still have no CCTV, and we call on the government to act on this. All passengers have a right to be safe on public transport.

Pic from 2024, before new #Melbourne airport drop off. It always seemed to be congested. Longer walk now, but it's always been a long walk from the terminal entrance to plane. As long as there's mobility assistance all the way, I don't see a problem. Hopefully an improvement... until we get a train!

🎂Happy 45th birthday to V/Line's N class carriages, which first entered service on 5th October 1981. Unlike most of the newer VLocity trains, they have catering, and easy access to all carriages. The VLocity design is 20+ years old; it's time for a new design of regional train for Victoria.

The idea of decking over inner city #Melbourne rail lines comes up regularly. It got a big splash today. Conceptually it seems like a good idea. Supposedly it'd be entirely privately funded, but the cost would be absolutely huge. The official web site is here:

Reckon the 246 will be packed again tonight after sunset🚌🌇 #Melbourne