Author | Lightnews

JackTatt 🇨🇦 @jacktatttran.bsky.social · 20m

This hating on speed cameras has got to stop people. Enforcing the law and punishing rule breakers is like one of the most basic jobs of government and one of the most bipartisan concepts out there. Speeders are law breakers. Speeding fines are penalties imposed for violating the law not taxes.

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JackTatt 🇨🇦 @jacktatttran.bsky.social · 28m

Fascinating. I haven’t had the opportunity to visit Germany yet. Do automobiles drive on the raised road when no streetcars or is it just for cyclists?

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JackTatt 🇨🇦 @jacktatttran.bsky.social · 44m

Compare for instance these posted speed limits on the brand new Parramatta Light Rail in New South Wales (sorry about the picture quality):
20 kph straight and 15 kph diverging in a pedestrianized zone
20kph diverging (ending turnout) at a terminus
35kph straight and 25kph diverging at terminus

Signs say:
TRAMS ONLY
Light Rail, TfNSW (Transport for New South Wales), and council authorized vehicles excepted (basically maintenance vehicles, transport vehicles, New South Wales Police Force, New South Wales Fire & Rescue, New South Wales Ambulance, and council/state maintenance/service vehicles)
TRAMS 20km/hr straight and 15km/hr diverging across crossover (left-hand running)

TRAMS
35km/hr straight (into terminus platform and storage track) and 25km/hr into second terminus platform at Carlingford stop.

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JackTatt 🇨🇦 @jacktatttran.bsky.social · 1h

Namely:
- Reliable switch controls and switch status (including alignment) displayed outside or in cabs.
- Switches suitable for operation over at 15-30kph not 10kph even for straight moves
- Dedicated lanes and transit malls
- Intelligent TSP that actually prioritizes transit
- Improved stops

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JackTatt 🇨🇦 @jacktatttran.bsky.social · 1h

@auguststreet.ca I will be coming but please let me know if there is anything I can do to contribute. Having had the opportunity to experience trams in other jurisdictions and discussed with TTC, the streetcar system seriously needs improvements for this century and the TTC lacks the competency.

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JackTatt 🇨🇦 @jacktatttran.bsky.social · 1h

Toronto’s Streetcars are far short of what they could be and a disgrace compared to international best practices. @ttcriders.bsky.social is hosting an event to discuss how the streetcar system could be improved. Not just priority treatments but also technical fixes.
www.ttcriders.ca/save_our_str...

Streetcar Summit

www.ttcriders.ca

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JackTatt 🇨🇦 @jacktatttran.bsky.social · 3h

You can buy USB-C or lighting jack wired headphones for less than $20.

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JackTatt 🇨🇦 @jacktatttran.bsky.social · 3h

Attention Public Transport Passengers:
Use headphones or turn off the volume on your phone. Everyone else is not interested in your podcast, video scrolling, or FaceTime conversation.
Please and thank you. 🙏

Zach @zachnewyork.bsky.social · 4h

Riding public transit it appears people are abandoning headphones all together

HuffPost @huffpost.com · 4h

“Sometimes, the classic way really is the best,” one user said.

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Reposted by JackTatt 🇨🇦

Rachel Gilmore @rachelgilmore.bsky.social · 1d

Instead of trying to green cars so much why don't we just invest in trains. city trains. under ground trains. above ground trains. trains between cities. trains between countries. TRAINS

THE PEOPLE CRAVE TRAINS

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JackTatt 🇨🇦 @jacktatttran.bsky.social · 21h

It cost one of his close allies, the premier of Queensland, reelection shortly afterwards. Neither Howard nor the Queensland Premier have any regrets on their choices (even though he has not held any public office since as a result and just tends sheep).

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JackTatt 🇨🇦 @jacktatttran.bsky.social · 21h

In Australia, a conservative prime minister (John Howard) introduced and passed legislation banning assault weapons and regulating firearms despite the opposition of his base within weeks of a massacre in Tasmania. Since then, Australia has had far fewer shootings, gun suicides, and gun crime.

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JackTatt 🇨🇦 @jacktatttran.bsky.social · 1d

Asking the German lift maker who co-opted a photo of the heist into an advertisement would make more sense than some fiction writer.

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JackTatt 🇨🇦 @jacktatttran.bsky.social · 1d

Don’t they have breathalyzers that say exactly what one’s BAC content is? Then it should be as simple as “under 05 or under arrest”!

m.youtube.com/watch?v=6jLH...

Random Breath Testing commercial [1983]

YouTube video by GrubcoTV3

m.youtube.com

Reposted by JackTatt 🇨🇦

JackTatt 🇨🇦 @jacktatttran.bsky.social · 1d

I think the key to controlling fare evasion is making inspection seem likely (like saying you have plain clothes inspectors) and making fare inspectors approachable transit personnel and not security-lite. Like in Sydney they wear white shirts with knit sweaters or vests and are friendly.

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JackTatt 🇨🇦 @jacktatttran.bsky.social · 1d

Requiring tapping when boarding and/or alighting also makes fare compliance community enforceable because other passengers will frown on someone not tapping which can create a peer pressure to do the right thing and tap.

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JackTatt 🇨🇦 @jacktatttran.bsky.social · 1d

I think the key to controlling fare evasion is making inspection seem likely (like saying you have plain clothes inspectors) and making fare inspectors approachable transit personnel and not security-lite. Like in Sydney they wear white shirts with knit sweaters or vests and are friendly.

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JackTatt 🇨🇦 @jacktatttran.bsky.social · 1d

Buses in Japan are a weird fate by distance structure with single-door boarding and alighting?

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JackTatt 🇨🇦 @jacktatttran.bsky.social · 1d

It was fairly obvious but I couldn’t resist.

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JackTatt 🇨🇦 @jacktatttran.bsky.social · 1d

The interstate rivalries in Australia are intense. Melbourne and Sydney constantly competing. NSW and Queensland fighting over rugby (Cockroaches (Blues, NSW) vs Cane Toads (Maroons, QLD)).

JackTatt 🇨🇦 @jacktatttran.bsky.social · 1d

Oh yeah. Thats a great number because it makes any additional (likely off-peak and weekend) rides free during times with more unused capacity and stimulates off-peak ridership and economic activity in the city like going to events.

Reposted by JackTatt 🇨🇦

JackTatt 🇨🇦 @jacktatttran.bsky.social · 2d

In May 2024, Sydney Trains commissioned special announcements for the State of Origin to add to the game vibes “Would all New South Wales born travellers please take their rightful place on the top deck so that Queenslanders can sit where they belong on the bottom carriage of the train”

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JackTatt 🇨🇦 @jacktatttran.bsky.social · 1d

In a week? Month?
I think there should be multiple caps to capture both busy cross-region days and regular commuters. For example, Sydney has weekday daily, weekend (includes Fridays and holidays) daily, and weekly caps. It’s by price because every mode is charged by distance, but trips works too.

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JackTatt 🇨🇦 @jacktatttran.bsky.social · 1d

Passes work great for a proof of payment system (then you can use an app or suchlike). But fare capping can work with just a normal credit or debit card to, which means it’s great for visitors who can just tap on and off and know they will pay the best fare. No need to use a ticket machine.

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JackTatt 🇨🇦 @jacktatttran.bsky.social · 1d

I’ve been on the Peak2Peak Gondola. Dangling over a kilometre above the ground from cabs whose nearest supports are 1.5km away. It’s fine. Actually quite awesome.
It is the world’s longest freespan gondola (3km between supports on a 4.4km gondola)

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JackTatt 🇨🇦 @jacktatttran.bsky.social · 1d

I like getting rid of passes, fare caps give the convenience of not needing to think about fares in advance. But of course only if it works (which it does in the rest of the world).

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