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RATLSNAKE
Locomotive Fireman
Joined: Sep 09, 2008
Last Visited: Jan 8, 2009
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Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 1:03 pm
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From the Geelong Advertiser:
http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2008/11/14/30961_news.html
Peter Begg
November 14th, 2008
TAXPAYERS have forked our for prime land in Geelong's Mercer St to build a new main entrance to the city railway station and clear the way for new commercial development.
Bureaucrats refuse to say how much was paid for the former Winter and Taylor car yard, next to Geelong Police Station.
Have your say on the feedback form below
The land will be used to build a new access road as part of the State Government's Transit Cities Program.
A City of Greater Geelong spokesman said an office complex could be built beside the new road at the corner of Mercer and Brougham streets.
Notice of the land acquisition was placed in metropolitan media this week on behalf of Planning Minister Justin Madden.
The deal completes a taxpayer-buyout of land in the railway precinct and is a major step forward for the Government's development plans.
The land was purchased as part of the $24.5 million commitment in the last State Budget for works around the Geelong Railway Station precinct including:
THE new road link from the railway station to Mercer St and a new signalised intersection at Mercer St;
STREETSCAPE works on Bayley St and Transit Place to provide improved pedestrian safety and amenity; and
FEASIBILITY studies into development options for land on the northeast corner of the railway station precinct and the State Government offices on the corner of Little Malop and Fenwick streets.
A spokeswoman for the Planning Minister said the Mercer St land would be used to improve pedestrian links.
"This site is required to enable better access between the new TAC building, the waterfront, Deakin University and the Geelong Railway Station," she said.
"The acquisition of this site is important to improve accessibility in Victoria's second largest city."
She said Geelong was one of 13 Transit City projects in the Melbourne 2030 strategy.
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Mickelaar
The Ghost of George Stephenson
Joined: Jul 26, 2004
Last Visited: Jan 8, 2009
Location: Attending
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Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 2:42 pm
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Have too many people been hit by cars and push bikes who fail to give way at the zebra crossing that currently is the main entrance? I have seen so many near misses here.
EDIT: In reference to existing entrance, and need for a new one at a different location that is not as dangerous.
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Werribee: Providing a low quality lifestyle for the professionally unemployed since 1802. |
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wongm
Minister for Railways
Joined: May 26, 2005
Last Visited: Jan 1, 2009
Location: Geelong, Victoria
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| wongm |
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Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 3:22 pm
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At the moment the northern entry to the station is via platform 1, a bluestone staircase a metre wide ending in a metre wide footpath alongside Brougham Street, which is a underpass beneath the tracks. It isn't exactly the most welcoming access route:
It also happens to be the north access to the Latrobe Terrace carpark, the south access has a wider footpath and is less underground.
It is interesting how they mention the TAC offices - I wonder how many of the employees intend to do a reverse commute from Melbourne to Geelong to work?
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Mickelaar
The Ghost of George Stephenson
Joined: Jul 26, 2004
Last Visited: Jan 8, 2009
Location: Attending
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Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 4:06 pm
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| wongm wrote: | | do a reverse commute from Melbourne to Geelong to work? |
The South Geelong train that pulls into Geelong around 8AM is packed (almost to the rafters) of folks who do the 'reverse commute'. I can't see why a 30 minute frequency isn't in place. Hopefully an extra service or two are inserted to the timetable once the TAC offices start work (I believe is March?).
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Werribee: Providing a low quality lifestyle for the professionally unemployed since 1802. |
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aussiebbq
Chief Train Controller
Joined: Jan 01, 2004
Last Visited: Jan 6, 2009
Location: Ballarat, Australia
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Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 7:13 pm
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| wongm wrote: |
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That looks like a drain.
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alstom_888m
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Aug 26, 2007
Last Visited: Dec 23, 2008
Location: Craigieburn Suburban Railway Line, Melbourne
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Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 8:19 pm
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It actually is a drain when it rains.
Reliable, Economical, Safe, By Rail.
Away for Summer. Won't be on RP.
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DalyWaters
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Oct 31, 2006
Last Visited: Jan 8, 2009
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Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 9:15 pm
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The negotiations have been ongoing with Winter & Taylor for a few years now. Its part of the Western Wedge project.
This will allow for a new bus terminal to angle to the back of the station building. All buses will then exit via Mercer St.
It will be quite a bit safer and give a better view of the station from the Gordon Avenue approach without the bus shelter obscuring it.
Its just a great pity that the Court House and Police Station were not built elsewhere. Then Geelong station could have had a grand forecourt (or a damned big carpark).
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Deanodriver
Junior Train Controller
Joined: Mar 27, 2008
Last Visited: Jan 7, 2009
Location: stuck between North Melbourne and Southern Cross on a V/Locity
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Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2008 1:53 am
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| alstom_888m wrote: | | It actually is a drain when it rains. |
And worse, at the bottom of that stairway there is a road, and cars go through that tunnel quite quickly. If someone fell on the last step, they'd fall straight onto the road.
I wonder if any developments at Geelong station would include a subway at the northern end for access to platforms 2 and 3 by disabled pax (without needing assistance from station staff)? Would also be worth extending said subway to the Latrobe Terrace carpark, so you could access these platforms from said carpark without going through platform 1.
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Turbo Thomas
Chief Train Controller
Joined: Jan 21, 2006
Last Visited: Jan 1, 2009
Location: Melbourne,Geelong most weekends
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Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 10:34 am
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Now that it has been mentioned, I thought I might enlighten people about the new City of Greater Geelong (C.O.G.G.) buzz word. The "Western Wedge".
For many years the C.O.G.G. having been stuffing up the Geelong City centre through bad planning. Earlier on this year the state government quite rightly decided to relieve the C.O.G.G. of their duties in town planning in the city area and do it themselves.
So now the "Western Wedge" area has become their new pride and joy because they still have planning control in that area.
Let's see what they can stuff up in that area.
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xxxxlbear
Token Booking Clerk
Joined: Oct 30, 2004
Last Visited: Jan 8, 2009
Location: Geelong
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Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 4:00 pm
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| Turbo Thomas wrote: | Now that it has been mentioned, I thought I might enlighten people about the new City of Greater Geelong (C.O.G.G.) buzz word. The "Western Wedge".
For many years the C.O.G.G. having been stuffing up the Geelong City centre through bad planning. Earlier on this year the state government quite rightly decided to relieve the C.O.G.G. of their duties in town planning in the city area and do it themselves.
So now the "Western Wedge" area has become their new pride and joy because they still have planning control in that area.
Let's see what they can stuff up in that area. |
I couldn't agree with you more, Turbo Thomas.
I have been in Geelong for over 5 years now, and though the city wasn't perfect, Geelong was a far better place to live in 5 years ago than what it is now. The city itself is full of half baked ideas gone wrong, such as the bus fiasco whereby bus stops were taken out of Moorabool Street and strewn anywhere and everywhere across town whilst Moorabool Street was being redeveloped (with the council promise the bus stops would come back again)....um, er, we're still waiting!
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Mickelaar
The Ghost of George Stephenson
Joined: Jul 26, 2004
Last Visited: Jan 8, 2009
Location: Attending
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| Mickelaar |
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Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 4:16 pm
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| xxxxlbear wrote: | | I have been in Geelong for over 5 years now, and though the city wasn't perfect, Geelong was a far better place to live in 5 years ago than what it is now. The city itself is full of half baked ideas gone wrong, such as the bus fiasco whereby bus stops were taken out of Moorabool Street and strewn anywhere and everywhere across town whilst Moorabool Street was being redeveloped (with the council promise the bus stops would come back again)....um, er, we're still waiting! |
Not to mention, Mercer Street was reduced to 1 lane, proved a failure, then returned to what it is today. The removal of the Malop, Mercer Gerhinghap round-about (which was working fine) for a set of lights that has turned that area into a traffic nightmare.
A decent rail entrance surely can't be that much trouble? Can it?
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Werribee: Providing a low quality lifestyle for the professionally unemployed since 1802. |
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wongm
Minister for Railways
Joined: May 26, 2005
Last Visited: Jan 1, 2009
Location: Geelong, Victoria
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| wongm |
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Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 6:19 pm
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| Mickelaar wrote: | | A decent rail entrance surely can't be that much trouble? Can it? |
When the present bus terminal in the station forecourt opened a few years back, people kept almost getting cleaned up by buses, so they had to move it north a few metres. The marks of the old crossing are still there today.
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Turbo Thomas
Chief Train Controller
Joined: Jan 21, 2006
Last Visited: Jan 1, 2009
Location: Melbourne,Geelong most weekends
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| Turbo Thomas |
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Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 2:02 pm
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| Quote: | The removal of the Malop, Mercer Gerhinghap round-about (which was working fine) for a set of lights that has turned that area into a traffic nightmare.
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That stuff up is so unpopular that there is even a Facebook group about it with over 700 members
http://www.new.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=22794555408
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R 761
Deputy Commissioner
Joined: Jan 18, 2003
Last Visited: Jan 5, 2009
Location: In A House At My Computer
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| R 761 |
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Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2008 7:21 am
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| wongm wrote: | At the moment the northern entry to the station is via platform 1, a bluestone staircase a metre wide ending in a metre wide footpath alongside Brougham Street, which is a underpass beneath the tracks. It isn't exactly the most welcoming access route:
It also happens to be the north access to the Latrobe Terrace carpark, the south access has a wider footpath and is less underground.
It is interesting how they mention the TAC offices - I wonder how many of the employees intend to do a reverse commute from Melbourne to Geelong to work? |
As we know you are looking at Brougham st thats leads from nearest intersection from Mercer st to La trobe. I actually use that road very early in the mornings,monday to fridays to gt to work, with my motor bike, useing that small strip of road even in the dark can be scary, you have to be really switched on he road that you are seeing in the pic, I ride my motor bike through it, you are thinking is someone is gonna run out in front of you or what.
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Turbo Thomas
Chief Train Controller
Joined: Jan 21, 2006
Last Visited: Jan 1, 2009
Location: Melbourne,Geelong most weekends
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| Turbo Thomas |
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Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2008 3:12 pm
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| Quote: | | As we know you are looking at Brougham st thats leads from nearest intersection from Mercer st to La trobe. I actually use that road very early in the mornings,monday to fridays to gt to work, with my motor bike, useing that small strip of road even in the dark can be scary, you have to be really switched on he road that you are seeing in the pic, I ride my motor bike through it, you are thinking is someone is gonna run out in front of you or what. |
Would have been even more interesting when they used to have a railway crossing right on the end of that tunnel.
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