[publictransport] Vline & Community mtg this Thursday 17th 6.20pm, Ray Bradfield room - bikes, trains, sustainable and intermodal transport!

Mon Jul 14 22:42:38 EST 2008

Dear Jill

Unfortunately I can't make it to the meeting in Castlemaine on Thursday.
However if there is the time/opportunity there's an issue I would like
raised with V/Line. I have organised a cycling base camp at Wangaratta from
23/10-26/10 for about 20 people. About ten of us were hoping to catch the
train and I was planning to organise a D-van. However a friend alerted me to
the possibility of trains being replaced by buses on that line at that time
due to track work, converting broad gauge to standard gauge. I have been
trying for over a month now to check this with V/Line with absolutely no
success. I have completed an online feedback form to which I have had no
response, and I have rung the enquiries number several times. People say
that they will get back to me and they never do. I've also been told that
I'll have to wait until September to find out. Today I was told that I would
have to ring DOI to get an answer. One of the numbers I was given to try was
for traffic infringements! The other produced someone who would need to get
someone else to ring me back, and guess what - they didn't.

If touring cyclists are going to use trains to get to all the wonderful rail
trails that are opening up they need to be able to plan ahead and to do that
they need information months, not days ahead which is all that V/Line
currently offers on its web site. Surely major works such as the conversion
of the Albury line to standard gauge must be planned many months ahead. Why
can't the travelling public get access to this information to help them with
their planning?

Regards,

Julia Blunden

Address: 29 Elgin Street, Hawthorn, Vic 3122

Phone/Fax: 9853 5095

Email: jblunden at bigpond.com

  _____  

From: publictransport-bounces at yarrabug.org
[mailto:publictransport-bounces at yarrabug.org] On Behalf Of Jill Gibson
Sent: Monday, 14 July 2008 6:02 PM
To: moi
Subject: [publictransport] Vline & Community mtg this Thursday 17th
6.20pm,Ray Bradfield room - bikes, trains,sustainable and intermodal
transport!

Hi All, 

A reminder of VIP meeting with representatives from Vline and community
members, this is a follow up from our very successful meeting held in April
this year.

Ursula Mc Ginnes General Manager - Stakeholder Relations and James Edmonson
Regional Manager from Vline will be present. 

Mtg will be chaired by Keith Longridge, who is Pres of Bendigo BUGS,
Planning Officer Mansfield Shire Council. A bit of Keiths backtground he is
a former member of the Newcastle Cycleways Group which faced similar issues
with CityRail (NSW), and experienced in planning for, eg. developing
Bikeplans, and developing cycling infrastructure with local government etc
etc

Attached is the suggested Agenda items and notes from previous mtg.

Ursula has only just informed me as of Thursday 10th July that Vline is
"currently establishing an internal working group on bikes that will look at
a range of practical things that can be done to address the issue of bikes
on trains in this environment of growing patronage". 

This meeting could be seen is can be an excellent opportunity to put forth
some ideas/suggestions that could be fed into this working group. 

It would be very much appreciated if this email could be circulated as it is
vital that we maintain our community relations and to be able to take this
opportunity to put forth our issues on intermodal transport, improving and
increasing public transport options and facilities and to not let bans as
was experienced earlier this year to happen again. Also, it is vital that we
ask such questions of Vline etc as to what they are doing to support the
reduction on oil dependency, working in with communities etc etc.

Vline & Community meeting - Ray Bradfield Room

Thursday 17th July

6.30 sharp start -  approx 8pm finish

cuppa avail

We are looking for a scribe for the evening, anyone coming along who would
be willing to take notes please advise.

Prior to this mtg will be a quick meeting of the Transport Working Group
(currently under the MASG banner) who are organising a Slow Transport Forum
which will be held 21st August, 6.30 - 9.30pm. For now, those interested in
finding out or assisting with the formation of this Forum most welcome to
come along to a quick meeting prior to the Vline mtg

 Transport Working Group mtg

Thursday 17th July 

5.15pm to 6.15pm 

Ray Bradfield room

Please forward this email to those who are interested, with thanks. 

Jillian Gibson
03 54723098
0409404791
http://madamnoir.wordpress.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Goddess of Cycling and Recycling
Bantam Tamer
Madam Noir de la Savon 
Bee Whisperer

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