Mayor4Unley

The SA Liberals have announced that they are turning to the far right. That is, Liberal trams will make a right hand turn from King William Street into North Terrace. Labor is maintaining that it will only turn left. If trams do make that right turn then surely (it would be logical) that they should continue on to Norwood; a journey and destination that Steven Marshall doesn’t support. So, why turn right? To go where? Travel 3 stops to the old RAH? David Pisoni (Liberal Unley) has already stated at a public meeting that there will be no tram through Unley. So, where will the Liberal trams go? I suspect that a proposed Liberal tram network will be very similar to the proposed Labor tram network. Let’s face it, there are limited opportunities of where a tram can go. For the record, I support the Liberal plan for trams to make that right hand turn;  despite the huge cost to retro-fit it. It just makes sense. #Unley #saparli

Last night I attended the Unley FOCUS meeting. I was accompanied by Unley Councillors Peter Hughes and Rufus Salaman. All (but one) of the candidates for the SA seat of Unley were there to give a talk and respond to questions. I scored the candidates and rated their worth to represent us in Unley. The candidates ranged from good to bad to absolutely woeful. One was just so bad; with totally outrageous comments; a racist pun didn't go down well. It was a good evening to assess the candidates. It's a pity that the average voter won't get to see their party's candidate in the candid light that we experienced. Three of the candidates did a bit of Council bashing; two quite heavily. They obviously had no idea of where State Government funding (and involvement) ended and Council involvement started; all rather sad. Councillor Salaman asked a couple of heated questions of one of the candidates. I asked the last question of the night viz. "Will you run...

A high speed train service from Mount Barker to Adelaide is emerging as a strong promise in the campaigns for the SA state Election. And so it should be. It's long overdue. There's no point in building satellite cities without provision of decent public transport. Having a bus service is not adequate; especially through the hills. Experts are forecasting an express service of 20 minutes between Mount Barker and Adelaide. What will be required, and there has been no mention, is huge land acquisition along the Belair line, from Adelaide to Belair and then on to Mount Barker. Currently there is is single track to service the Belair route. Work is expected to commence in mid 2019. Or will it? The only way to avoid the huge land acquisition is to build the detour for the freight trains at Murray Bridge and then use the old freight train rail corridor to build new dual rail lines from Adelaide to Mount Barker (and beyond). A tip to Premier-to-be Jay, Nick and St...

What a fantastic innovation ... and all the way from Iceland. Don't build a speed hump, rather, paint a 3D white Zebra Crossing. It sounds simplistic, and it is but it is highly effective. It reduces vehicle noise (over the hump) and reduces pollution from cars slowing and then speeding. Unley Council is reviewing this concept to see if it is legally compliant in SA It may not not comply with existing Australian standards. If it doesn't then we should be pushing to get it approved. Have a look at the 1 minute video. I would love your feedback. watch the video

I hear that Cr Mike Hudson is not wheelie good. Or should I say, his $400 four door car is no longer in good shape. The cops took a dislike, probably attracted by the non functioning brake lights, and defected the car. The cost of repairs was five times the value of the car. So, Mike has decided to walk or try to borrow his wife's car. Which probably explains why I saw Mike window shopping at an Unley bicycle shop. Anyone with a secondhand bike that they want to sell, just contact Mike Hudson at Unley Council.

It's more than 3 years ago that I was part of a vocal group campaigning to re-open the Millswood Train Station. The liberals would not get involved; and probably lost Government because of it. Labor embraced it; and probably won Government because of it. I still have emails that I sent to David Pisoni, Steven Marshall, Steph Key and Jay Weatherill. Putting the politics aside, it is pleasing to see a monthly tally of 1,371 commuters boarding the train at Millswood each month in 2016/2017. A great outcome. But why did the locals have to fight for so long?

The Leader Street Streetscape Project is now complete. Just a bit of asphalt to be laid near the railway line, booked for early August. The transformation of the street is fantastic. Looks great. It's green and cycle friendly with new cycle lanes. Prior to the road works there were no cycle lanes.. Rain-gardens were designed to filter stormwater and remove pollutants that would have normally been washed down creeks and into the ocean. These rain-gardens will filter about 5 million litres of stormwater annually. That's 2 Olympic sized swimming pools of water each year. Also, the new permeable footpaths have provided capacity to store 110,000 litres of water that will be 'soaked' into the soil and provide extra water for trees and vegetation. This streetscape renovation of Leader Street in Forestville is a pilot for transforming streets across Unley. Over time there will similar projects across Unley. It's been a good outcome.

The pedestrian/cycle path over the train line near Goodwood Station will be built in late 2017. It is scheduled to be complete by February 2018. The project has been given the green light. Survey works will be conducted later this week. This will be a fantastic outcome for the 1,000+ cyclists and the many pedestrians who make the daily trek through the dark and damp subway; and endure the stench of urine and the risk to safety - not a good place to be at night.

I found the bargain of the year! Yesterday on eBay I found a used bridge for sale. It was the pedestrian and cycle overpass bridge on South Road at Tram Stop 6. Despite it being SA Government property, a frustrated commuter from Sellicks Beach (eBay account keynes8963 ) listed it for sale on eBay. The description said that it was only 7 years old and had cost $30m. Postage was $10.40 via Australia Post Parcel delivery. I placed a bid early in the day at $250. I was quickly outbid with the bids exceeding $100k. I did send the seller a message asking if the overhead lights were included. He replied that if I paid cash he would throw in the lights. Later in the day the advertisement and all trace of it was removed from eBay; probably at the instigation of the Government.

I have just been updated by DPTI about the condition of the Tram Stop 6 Bridge and they have provided the following information….  DPTI Community Engagement teams have been out speaking to local businesses impacted by the closure of South Road.  We have managed to improve some of the impediments for businesses to ensure, no cones are blocking business access points and that traffic management staff are accommodating to all vehicles, such as courier drivers. The following information was discussed with businesses and DPTI is promoting on social media that businesses remain trading as usual. South Road remains closed between Cross Road and ANZAC Hwy. The overpass structure consists of five beams and it’s the fifth beam which supports the combined cycle and walking path has tilted towards the edge of the bridge posing a safety risk. The beam sits on bearings and that tilting has caused those bearings to compress on one side. Engineers are not yet certain...

Goodwood Road @ Goodwood is undergoing a massive transformation. It's slowly, slowly with traffic restrictions due to reduced lanes, one each way. On the positive side, traffic is slower and it is a lot quieter; and it's safer for pedestrians. Goodwood is growing as a shopping destination; and justifiably as there are some great shops there. I do most of my local shopping at Goodwood. I was impressed by the initiative of a couple of Goodwood traders who gave away Goody packs of food to frustrated drivers waiting at the pedestrian lights. A fantastic initiative to calm the drivers and to entice them to come to Goodwood to shop. Here's a link to a media report ...

Here's a letter to the editor, published on 28 September 2016 ... A crazy and impractical idea of West Torrens Council that cyclists wear hi-vis clothing. I'm surprised that the Council didn't go further and seek to have grey and dark cars marked with hi-vis stripes to enhance visibility. An example of a Council wasting its breath on an issue that can't be achieved and doesn't match community expectations.

Here's a letter to the editor, published on 14 September 2016 ... During last week's Royal Adelaide Show, parking in adjacent Unley suburbs was a total mess. Local traffic was heavy and slow. Why don't more people catch public transport to the Show? The cost of fares for single tickets is a big expense for families. A simple solution would be if the SA Government provided free public transport for people with prepaid tickets to the Show.

There's been lots of talk and chatter about running a tram line from CBD Adelaide, through Unley and up to Micham. Sounds great, sounds innovative; nation building stuff. The SA Government will make a decision in 2-3 weeks about which route to take ie. along Unley Road or perhaps Goodwood Road. I thought that the tram (and any form of public transport) was about getting bums on seats and cutting the car commute through the suburbs to CBD Adelaide. For the record, I'm opposed to a tram through Unley and would prefer the cheaper and more efficient option of hybrid diesel and solar powered buses. The bottom line is the need for an improved public transport system. And why not make it a free service to get the bums on seats? It is amazing how many people won't pay the fee on the long runs eg. Glenelg to the City. A tram through Unley will visually devastate the streetscape with giant poles and cables; just look at the tramline to Glenelg. Do we really want that visually...

Fantastic news about the SA State Government finally announcing the plan to build a pedestrian and cyclist overpass at Forestville, over the train line. This has been long overdue. The entrances will from Norman Terrace and Railway Terrace North. The path will be disability compliant and there will be stairs and lifts to the 2 station platforms below. For cyclists travelling from 'Glenelg' to the city, this will cut 2.5 minutes off the commute time. The price tag is $10m. This includes the cost of 2 lifts and compulsory acquisition of land. At night there will be a nice subdued blue LED glow. Here are more details from BikeSA

Life is a long trail with some easy paths and some more challenging. I thought of this when I discovered a mountain trail in China, up Mt. Hua Shan. The trail starts with a gigantic set of stone stairs, called "the Heavenly Stairs." These stairs go so high up the mountainside, it's hard to see where they end. Click on the link for a pictorial view and discover what is at the top. http://www.viralnova.com/dangerous-trail-huashan/

On Tuesday this week a team of Concordia College students came to Forestville Reserve to remove all the graffiti the tags from the tram overpass wall. It was an absolute mess. This activity was a part of the students' community service; a part of their course work. It was good to see them at work. Look at the photos to see the before, during and after status.

Down in the South East, @ Coonawarra, there are SA Government plans to build a bypass road around Penola. A good idea. This will divert high speed traffic and heavy trucks away from the slower paced road used to visit wineries on the famed terra rossa soil. Locals are angry because a proposed diversion cuts directly across vineyards on terra rossa soil that produce premium wines that sell for $100 a bottle. The local anger is led by Jonathon Hesketh of Parker Coonawarra Estate Wines. His proposal is that the bypass be shifted and lengthened so that it skirts to the east around the 15km x 1km region of coveted terra rossa soil. This is a sensible alternative proposal. I hope that the SA Government reviews the alternative and settles on a solution that has zero impact on the famed terra rossa soil. It’s just common sense. If you care (and you should) then contact your local MP and object to this unnecessary destruction. It’s bad for business, bad for the economy, bad for touri...

I was delighted to hear that the State Government has allocated funding to re-seal Goodwood Road between Florence Street and Mitchell Street @ Goodwood – a distance of about 600m. This is a bad section of Goodwood Road and I have been advocating for a re-seal for some time. According to the statement from the Minister, work is to start immediately. I am hoping that common sense will prevail and the road will be re-sealed after the road works to under-ground the power lines – due to start later this year.

Last night I enjoyed another night at the Fringe. Two shows on either side of town. And then a trip home on the tram. We were packed in like sardines in a can. The tram would have to be the most popular (and crowded) public transport in Adelaide. Anyway, back on the tram ... An intoxicated Asian woman got on. She was on her mobile talking very loud, having a one-way conversation. The poor person at the other end. She was oblivious to the world around her. Totally immersed in her conversation. Actually, she had been at our tram stop and had been on the phone for 10 minutes, perhaps longer. A third of the tram followed her conversation with interest and laughter. One person near me very nearly wet herself. From the conversation ... The woman had recently got a dog - one of those fluffy shitzu type. She was worried about her dog being left alone at home in the dark (without any lights on). Someone had told her that dogs are colour blind. (Which is true.) She rationalised that bec...