Road planners, drivers must face future

The Age

14-07-2025

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TRANSPORT
I have no expertise in town planning, however, I despair at the headline ' State told no time to lose over $31b road ', (14/7). It demonstrates that thinking among people who are responsible for our future urban transport still have their heads in the same place as American transport planners for the past 100 years.
I do know that our current over-dependence on road transport and the way we think about cities is not the only way. Ideas such as 15-minute cities where people can access most facilities within 15 minutes of environmentally friendly movement, the need to be able to access natural spaces, a built environment that feels safe and connected rather that busy, dangerous, roads dividing communities, movement of people that emits as little gas and fine particle rubbish as possible, are already out there. The needs of people and the environment require a deeper discussion involving far more people than a ha
ndful of 'experts' locked in the past.
Howard Tankey, Box Hill North
Announce rail like you mean it
You have to hand it to the road lobby. Even though it has been proved for years and years that building roads never solves congestion, here we are faced with another huge money-guzzling project. This so-called solution to rising population and traffic congestion has eight lanes of traffic and a four-track rail line. No doubt the rail line will be scrapped as it has in all the other freeway projects. Let's get on with rail planning that will have positive results for Melbourne.
Rod Oaten, North Carlton
What about an outer metro line too?
Re ' Calls for construction to start on an outer ring road are expected as Melbourne grows ', (14/7). At the same time, an outer ring (rail) metro rail should proceed, as this would save billions when a cut and cover method is used.
David Robertson, Wheatsheaf
Great Ocean Road builders knew how
Government planners for the new 100-kilometre outer metropolitan ring road have estimated the cost will be $31 billion and take 15 years to build. The Great Ocean Road, which is 240 kilometres long and largely built on cliff faces, took the same amount of time and cost an astonishing $15 million when adjusted for inflation. How has construction efficiency gone so far backwards in less than 100 years?
Nick O'Donoghue, Elwood
Limit older drivers to newer cars
Many newer vehicles have active safety features such as pedestrian and obstacle recognition. The car will thus brake immediately once these are detected. My car even does it when I am reversing if an obstacle, such as a child, is walking behind the car. Perhaps a licence condition for older drivers should be that they can only drive vehicles that have these safety features.
Graeme Daniels, Balwyn North
Problem not age, it's danger
Your correspondent (Letters, 14/7) refers to her ″⁣dear, elderly gentleman″⁣ and her successful efforts to get him off the road. I'd like a dollar for every young mother I've seen, rushing at speed past a school while on a mobile. Or, every criminally unsafe male driver between the ages of 18-35 doped up to the eyeballs or off their face on booze. Or, come to think of it, middle-aged men who plough into a group at a pub. The issue is danger to others on the road.
Carmel Boyle, Alfredton
P-plate driver assessment too
On my way home from shopping I witnessed a crash. It was in part caused by the abysmally designed intersection resulting from level crossing removal, but mostly human error. Both drivers were decades younger than I am and the crash was caused by one driver turning right in front of oncoming traffic. That driver was a P-plater. Should all P-plate drivers be assessed to see if they are fit to drive?
Helen Moss, Croydon