Our local underground Metro Station is to be called Anzac Station, ANZAC standing for Australian and New Zealand Army Corp. Awful station name. Why not just The Domain, as the local park and road is known and the former Domain Interchange was called? Originally the King's Domain. It will be large as it will need to accommodate seven carriage trains. It is a huge project. There is a northern box and a southern box. The southern box roof has been completed and now the road and trams run above it. The northern box is where the serious work will happen and a 'small' shed has been built to kill the noise of the works.
Metro Tunnel is a massive multi billion dollar project and will open in 2025, hopefully earlier but I don't think work is ahead of schedule. Sometimes I really wish I wasn't so old. Of course I expect I will get to use it, but not for too many years. Depending where the entrances are located, we could be in the city in at best five minutes including walking time instead of 15 minutes if a tram is if there as we cross the road to the tram stop. The actual train journey would be about two minutes or less.
I was appalled at the way the replacement bus drivers blocked the intersection below. They are supposedly professional drivers, and sit up higher than most traffic. There was no excuse.
Here is the 'small' acoustic shed which is under construction and somewhat larger now than when I took this photo.
Since the first stage of our light rail/tram has been finished, Government construction is mostly minor. Private construction (mostly of apartments and posh hotels) is not. I am still puzzled by the rationale for building a posh hotel at a bus interchange. The view from the first six or seven floors will be less than stellar and I can't see the occupants relying on (also less than stellar) public transport to take them where they want to go.
ReplyDeletePerhaps they are looking ahead, far ahead, to when the posh hotel becomes student accommodation.
DeleteInteresting one EC. I don't have the local knowledge. I think your city is as manic with apartment construction as Sydney and Melbourne.
DeleteRiver, that's funny and may even be true.
DeleteWOW! That really is a idiot truck driver!! We have construction everyday everywhere here in the states! UGH!
ReplyDeleteAnnsterw, constant construction is supposed to be the sign of economic success. I am not so sure.
DeleteAnother name for the station would have been better. I wonder why ANZAC was deemed appropriate. Maybe the historical significance of the word was lost on those in positions of power.
ReplyDeleteCheryl, I don't think the significance was lost on those in power. It is more about how the location was normally known.
DeleteHow close will the station be to the Shrine? I'm not familiar with where you actually live but thought that might be the reason for the name
ReplyDeleteCathy, just a short walk to the Shrine but up a steep hill. I expect you are right.
DeleteBy the sounds of the news this morning...some areas have come to a standstill again this morning from protesters full of hot air, disrupting people trying to get to work or appointments.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand why you thing it's "such an awful name". Anzac Station in honour of our service men and women, past, present and future seems a worthy, respectful naming to me.
Lee, we will never agree on the matter but it was known in advance that there would be disruption.
DeleteWe have plenty of Anzac things and places already. But it is not so much about the name as it being how the area is traditionally known. I liken it to changing our Museum Station to Melbourne Central Station to benefit the new shopping centre and I presume politicians thought there was some political benefit to them by changing the name of our Spencer Street Station to Southern Cross Station.
If that's a small shed, then my home is a doll house. I agree the ANZAC name is a terrible one, why not just call it Domain Metro, or King's Domain Metro. Keep a name the people already know. There are already far too many things named Anzac something-or-other.
ReplyDeleteRiver, yes, many houses could fit in that space. It is all about reducing noise for local residents. Domain Station is quite simple and meaningful to people.
DeleteOur two seasons are winter and construction so I can relate. Idiot bus drivers everywhere but here at our building we have a singing bus driver on the community bus.Opera, old time. Such a rare beast indeed.
ReplyDeleteXO
WWW
WWW, construction season like I heard people in Montreal are like animals on heat for three months of the year.
DeleteI wonder how some bus station, airport and such get there name. Has nothing to do with the city name.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on
Dora, mostly it is traditional but sometimes it comes out of the blue.
DeleteI've said it before, you are in the perfect position to redesign that intersection. It looks to me as if it needs one huge roundabout to keep traffic moving. With your knowledge of transport, and a good draughtsman, you could easily present the authorities with a far better system.
ReplyDeleteCro, I have really thought that and the triangular park that no one really uses would have to go, but it could be done, but still with traffic lights as are used at busy roundabouts in the UK.
DeleteAt intersections on all major UK and European motorways, there are always roundabouts. They keep everything flowing, whereas traffic lights slow things down.
DeleteAs I observed in Newcastle, traffic lights are use in roundabouts in peak times. We have terrible bank ups at roundabouts but I think that is because they are too small.
DeleteWe have trouble with roundabouts in Adelaide because too many drivers are idiots and don't now how to use them.
DeleteI know building is always disruptive, but I think we can do it better than causing chaos for neighbours and people travelling into the City. Thank goodness for the trams, once again!
ReplyDeleteA small street next to us is having a HUGE block of flats built, even though the street is way too narrow for more cars and more families. The entire area is an chaos.
Hels, nice to have the trams back. As you describe in the street next to you, it is happening all over Melbourne, but especially in the type of area where you live.
DeleteI agree with you with the choice of name for the station.
ReplyDeleteA lot of work going on to improve public transport. I wish there was more being done in Perth too.
Being walking distance to reliable public transit, is so wonderful.
ReplyDeleteYas Travel, but it is not a cheap place to live. That we have good public transport is part of the equation.
DeleteI think there is Sami. Aren't you soon to have a train to the airport, something we only dream about here?
ReplyDeleteI had to Google acoustic shed and found a video of the Melbourne acoustic shed being built, that very one down below there I think Andrew, was quite interesting!
ReplyDelete