XPost: rec.arts.sf.written, rec.arts.sf.science   
   From: YourName@YourISP.com   
      
   In article , Robert Bannister   
    wrote:   
   >   
   > One of the problems I see with all city planning of roads, inner-city   
   > freeways and public transport is the assumption that most people want to   
   > come in from outer suburbs to the centre of the city, whereas many of   
   > them want to cross the city to the other side or circle round to another   
   > suburb. True, some cities have a ring road or circular bus route, but   
   > the into the middle and then out again idea seems to prevail.   
   > Were it not for this, then the rails, real or virtual, would simply be   
   > for our current major roads.   
      
   Yep, that's one of the biggest problems with public transport here in   
   Auckland New Zealand. The buses, trains (what pitiful few there are),   
   ferries and even the motorway system all funnel people into the central   
   city ... and then the morons in charge wonder why there is "congestion"   
   in the city centre. (Other problems with public transport is expensive,   
   unreliable, and currently the ticketing system is a mess.)   
      
   Of course, the relatively low population density here (about the same   
   size as London, but with only 1.5 million people) also means public   
   transport won't work. So the fools are building "bus lanes" and "bus   
   terminals" (even a dedicated bus motorway at some points) everywhere,   
   so now you have to catch your local bus in to the local terminal,   
   change to another bus going to the city centre, change to another bus   
   going out of the city centre, and then change from that terminal to   
   another local bus.   :-\   
      
   Even with motorway congestion it's quicker to take your own car than it   
   is to take multiple buses into and then out of the city centre. Plus   
   that gives you the advantage of stopping at the shops on the way home   
   to pick up the groceries, or picking up kids if they suddenly get sick   
   at school, etc., etc.   
      
   The idiots here have also been plannining a "second" harbour crossing   
   (bridge or tunnel, and technically it's the third) which they stupidly   
   want to build RIGHT next door to the existing main Harbour Bridge and   
   connect it in to the same city-centred motorway at both sides ... which   
   will achieve absolutely nothing since the main Harbour Bridge isn't a   
   congestion point (it's the badly designed on and off ramps as well as   
   the city-centric silliness).   :-\   
      
   They've also added on-ramp traffic lights to manually slow down the   
   number of cars (buses, trucks, taxis, and motorbikes get a free lane)   
   entering the motorway when it's busy ... which of course simply piles   
   cars up on the local suburban streets instead.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)