christchurch
People seem to get very idealistic very quickly when it comes to transport. Pension fund manager Sam Stubbs wrote an unintentionally ironic post on linked in the other day accusing a rail advocate of being too ideological, before immediately setting off on an intensely ideological rant about how much he hates trains. ... It got … Continue reading Mass Rapid Transit: Harry Potter fantasy or basic common sense?
This is a guest post from Tim Frank Up to 2019 most of the bus services in Christchurch were operated by the Red Bus Company, with Go Bus operating many other routes. Go Bus itself had purchased two other Christchurch bus companies: in 2010 the relatively recently established company Christchurch Bus Services; and in 2013 … Continue reading The age of Christchurch buses
If I told you I could save the ratepayers of Christchurch 200 hundred million dollars for no cost and no impact on 80% of residents, and only a fairly minor impact on the other 20%, what would you say? Too good to be true? Well that's what's been quietly happening in Christchurch over the last … Continue reading How to save ratepayers 200 million dollars
A few weeks ago I looked at the latest cycling numbers. In short, they are booming. This post is a quick update regarding public transport numbers. In short, they are also booming. The graph below shows the public transport patronage in Greater Christchurch each month over the last decade. Last month had the highest patronage … Continue reading Bus Patronage Update
On Friday I decided to take the kids to watch their first ever rugby game. It was a double-header with the Matatū playing the Manawa at 4pm, then the Crusaders versus Chiefs at 7pm. Our house is very accessible to the stadium by bus. We live about 400m from a Halswell Road bus stop, where … Continue reading Riding the bus with new users
The new coalition government released their draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport on Monday. In my humble opinion, it’s a hot sticky mess. These documents are always confusing, but this one takes it to a whole new level of confusion. For a start it seems to have been typed on a home computer. It … Continue reading Representative of the people? Or pretend transport expert?
This is a guest post from Tim Frank. Over the years there have been frequent calls for subsidising longer-distance regional and inter-regional public transport, whether by bus or train. Last year then opposition transport spokesperson Simeon Brown has repeatedly said that adequate long-distance bus services are already provided commercially. In his opinion there’s no point … Continue reading Long distance passenger transport
I've recently seen a few things which have made me ponder what a more free market transport system would look like. Christchurch Hospital Parking Hospital parking is a perennial favourite topic of conversation at barbecues all over Christchurch. Somewhere in the vicinity of 7,000 people work at the hospital and there's no way that there … Continue reading What would a more free market transport system look like?
In March last year I wrote two posts about the high volumes of bicycles that were being recorded at the time (here and here). The January and February figures were really high, and I pondered at the time if that was a sign the rest of 2023 would be high as well. Now that 2023 … Continue reading 2023 Cycle Counts
I was watching the AM show the other day where they interviewed the Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown. He said something that made me do a double-take: “In Wellington they found that, actually, and Wellington was the only Council to their credit that actually did a benefit cost analysis, and actually found had a negative … Continue reading Are Lower Speed Limits a Good Idea?
TALKING TRANSPORT 