So despite climate change, Australia’s federal government has just committed an extra $3.25 billion into building a toll road and a 20-lane freeway widening.

For those who wonder why Aussies think toll roads are a scam (https://aus.social/@LesserAbe@lemmy.world/112405373613706682), here’s a great example of why.

"Pouring an extra $3.25 billion worth of federal funds into Melbourne’s North East Link is a good use of taxpayer money, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has insisted, despite the project’s cost doubling just a few months ago.

…

"The North East Link – which includes 6½ kilometres of tunnels – will stretch from Bulleen to Greensborough. It will widen the Eastern Freeway by up to 20 lanes.

"Allan revealed in December that the 10-kilometre toll road had more than doubled in cost since it was first announced.

“The toll road was initially budgeted at $10 billion and reassessed in 2019 at $15 billion. But the government revealed last year that the updated cost estimate was $26 billion.”

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/federal-funding-to-boost-victorian-road-link-by-3-25-billion-20240509-p5ii7b.html

@fuck_cars #Urbanism #Auspol #Vicpol #roads #UrbanPlanning #transport #cities #Melbourne #Naarm #Victoria #Australia

    • 9point6@lemmy.world
      15·
      6 months ago

      Rail?

      We need to take cars off the road, not induce more traffic, which is all adding additional lanes does.

    • AJ Sadauskas@aus.socialOP
      7·
      6 months ago

      @AllNewTypeFace Of course there were.

      For commuters:

      * More densification around existing stations and tram lines instead of suburban sprawl.

      * Upgrading buses across Melbourne to a 10-minute minimum frequency and straightening out existing bus routes.

      * Rolling out high-capacity signalling and automatic train control across the Melbourne suburban rail network

      * Building Metro 2 from Newport to Clifton Hill would double the number of trains that can run on the Hurstbridge and Mernda lines.

      * Building the Doncaster Railway.

      * Building the Heidelberg to Box Hill section of the SRL first.

      * Extending the 48 tram to Doncaster and giving it dedicated lanes for more of its journey.

      And then for freight, there’s a bunch of things too:

      * Converting more suburban lines to dual gauge.

      * Converting more regional Victorian lines to standard gauge

      * Electrifying regional rail and freight services

      * Building more multimodal facilities near existing rail lines.