On 2016-06-27 14:21 Marghanita da wrote: > Of course there are vested interests to deal with. Sydney did have an amazing > electric tram network powered by the inner city white bay power station and > nearby coal mine. The tram network was destroyed to make way for oil powered > buses.
I think trams (now "light rail" in Sydney, which has greater capacity than the old tram) and heavy rail are the way to go. These are well-established technologies, the traction motors are highly efficient and can use regenerative braking, large numbers of people can be moved quickly, air quality and general amenity are improved, and they can use electric power from sustainable sources. By way of context, about 372,000 workers living outside the Sydney CBD commute to the City each day according to http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/learn/research-and-statistics/the-city-at-a-glance We can dream about battery-powered buses, but planetary greenhouse warming, inner-city congestion & polution, and over-population are problems we need to address now. And a non-sequitur... I'm old enough to remember the Sydney trams from my early boyhood, and there was an advertisement which (from memory, it's a long time ago) ran: As Seargent Lark patrolled the park he heard two voices in the dark. "Get up" he cried "you foolish pair" "you'll catch your death of cold down there!" "Go home and take WOOD'S GREAT PEPPERMINT CURE!" Sorry about that! David L. _______________________________________________ Link mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link
