Comments on: Multi-deck car parks at Melbourne railway stations

By: Marcus Wong

Marcus Wong — Thu, 11 May 2023 11:20:58 +0000

In reply to jw. Being able to tap your Octopus card to pay for stuff at vending machines and in shops was an amazing feature when introduced back in the 1990s, but since contactless payments was added to credit cards, it's no longer a 'killer app' to include in a new transit smartcard system.

By: jw

jw — Wed, 10 May 2023 11:30:20 +0000

In reply to Marcus Wong.

I guess that there is some car parking at certain MTR stations. We’d crossed the water from Aberdeen and I happened to see an entrance to Lei Tung station and we decided to return to Central by train. Worth noting in passing that the HK Octopus Card, which you can buy at the airport, has multiple uses.
https://www.octopus.com.hk/en/consumer/octopus-cards/products/sold-tourist/index.html
Integrated system!

By: Marcus Wong

Marcus Wong — Wed, 10 May 2023 09:26:55 +0000

In reply to jw.

Ocean Park Station on the South Island Line actually has a 71 space car park – at a cost of HK$24 an hour (about $4.50 AUD) for the public, or a reduced charge of HK$15 ($3 AUD) for train passengers.

https://www.mtr.com.hk/en/customer/services/aestations_carpark.html

By: Marcus Wong

Marcus Wong — Wed, 10 May 2023 09:25:20 +0000

In reply to Jeff Cooper.

A single 7-car High Capacity Metro Train can carry 1,380 passengers, 1,800 at crush load.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Capacity_Metro_Train

So a 500 space car park would let half a train of passengers drive there – not much in the grand scheme of things.

By: Jeff Cooper

Jeff Cooper — Wed, 10 May 2023 07:10:59 +0000

These are good car parks and allow more people to ride trains!

By: jw

jw — Tue, 09 May 2023 06:14:07 +0000

Carparks at stations are not the answer. They are an eyesore, a waste of space, a waste of money, and they cannot possibly ever accommodate everyone who uses the trains. Basically, just like a bucket catching the water when the ceiling leaks – however big the bucket is eventually it overflows.
What is required is fit-for-purpose transport to the stations, and proper interchanges. This is not provided by the bus monopoly we have, with big buses going down roads that they can navigate easily – often many routes using the same sections of road – and many stations not having a proper interchange with passenger shelter and seating. Hong Kong is a pretty good model to follow, with its privately-owned licensed minibuses servicing where people actually live and where they want to go. I have watched with awe these vehicles serving individual groups of apartment blocks, buzzing in and out all day and most of the night.
As for the trains on the MTR in Hong Kong, the first train ran only in 1979 and what a great system it is now. Clean, fast and frequent. When last there in 2017 I rode the new South Island Line, which runs underground bang through the middle of the island.
We are so far behind with public transport here in Melbourne, Victoria and Australia that it is not funny. It is best described as dirty, slow, occasional and out-dated.

By: Paul Westcott

Paul Westcott — Tue, 09 May 2023 02:09:17 +0000

Because car parks, ground level or multi-storey, take up so much space, it might seem that the majority of passengers drive to he station. In fact, even in the outer areas of Melbourne (Zone 2) only a minority of passengers get to the station by car.

Of course, the money wasted on massive and expensive car parks, which are not generally required on at least two days a week, would be better sent on enhancing sustainable ways of getting to stations, particularly bus connections.