With works all over the rail network, train replacement buses have been a familiar sight around Melbourne. But in recent times something new has appeared alongside them – train replacement accessible taxis. Thankfully inaccessible high floor buses are becoming a thing of the past – on paper the bulk of buses are now accessible to […]
During December 2019 Yarra Trams and the City of Melbourne completed a whirlwind of work to upgrade William Street through the Melbourne CBD. But it isn’t just buses that they forgot when building the new tram stops and bike lanes – they’ve screwed up the pedestrian crossings. Pedestrian crossings at major intersections have been widened. […]
You might have noticed something about Melbourne’s railway station footbridges – they are bloody high, with long ramps and stairs leading up to them. So why do they need to be so high above the tracks?
Last week I detailed the accident of history that saw ramps being favoured over stairs on Melbourne’s railway network, despite the absence of any requirement to provide easy access for people with disabilities. So how has the network developed since then, and why have a combination of lifts and ramps become the current standard? Entering […]
In your travels by train around Melbourne, you might have noticed something – the vast majority of stations are accessed via ramps, not stairs. This is reinforced by the current version of the Public Transport Victoria network map, which states – “Step free access at all stations except Heyington”. This sounds like quite a win for accessibility, and the result of years of hard and diligent work – but in reality it is just an accident of history based on the way that Melbourne’s rail network was built.
