melbourne metropolitan busways board
@mmbb.bsky.social
your travel guide to the other side.
mostly the 4 P's:
public transport, planning, powerlines, Poasting.
wurundjeri lands.
he/him
mostly the 4 P's:
public transport, planning, powerlines, Poasting.
wurundjeri lands.
he/him
and more
January 10, 2026 at 5:33 AM
and more
some more photos from the prairie today. extremely relaxing to watch it slip by
January 10, 2026 at 5:29 AM
some more photos from the prairie today. extremely relaxing to watch it slip by
the train itself is already the eternal worm
January 9, 2026 at 11:21 PM
the train itself is already the eternal worm
some low clouds rolled in and now the sky and earth have become one
January 9, 2026 at 8:46 PM
some low clouds rolled in and now the sky and earth have become one
out on the prairie in Saskatchewan
January 9, 2026 at 8:19 PM
out on the prairie in Saskatchewan
chasing the sunset into Manitoba
January 9, 2026 at 3:05 AM
chasing the sunset into Manitoba
truly is a sight to behold
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I'm sure there's no way we run off-peak trains less frequently than this in Melbourne, a city more than twice the size of Vancouver with a well established surviving suburban rail network that covers most of the city and has had tens of billions invested in it in the last 20 years
January 9, 2026 at 2:15 AM
truly is a sight to behold
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bsky.app/profile/mmbb...
winter wonderland out here in rural ontario
January 7, 2026 at 6:14 PM
winter wonderland out here in rural ontario
and now for the real meat and potatoes of this trip: VIA Rail train #1, The Canadian. my home for the next 4 nights and the next 4,406 kilometres
January 7, 2026 at 3:12 PM
and now for the real meat and potatoes of this trip: VIA Rail train #1, The Canadian. my home for the next 4 nights and the next 4,406 kilometres
if you read the rest of the thread I did! Melbourne's tram system is also not a completely new build $4 billion modern tramway, and performs a lot better than TTC's shitty legacy system
January 7, 2026 at 11:55 AM
if you read the rest of the thread I did! Melbourne's tram system is also not a completely new build $4 billion modern tramway, and performs a lot better than TTC's shitty legacy system
well that mass rapid transit guideway corridor is very clearly marked by a pictogram everyone's favourite high tech futuristic LRV: the W class tram
January 7, 2026 at 4:25 AM
well that mass rapid transit guideway corridor is very clearly marked by a pictogram everyone's favourite high tech futuristic LRV: the W class tram
and that's pretty basic stuff, there's very good traffic signalling systems out there that actually respond to what's happening automatically rather than just being static time based systems
January 7, 2026 at 3:53 AM
and that's pretty basic stuff, there's very good traffic signalling systems out there that actually respond to what's happening automatically rather than just being static time based systems
departing tomorrow morning but I'll whisper words of hook turns into the City of Toronto offices at union station as I leave
January 7, 2026 at 2:25 AM
departing tomorrow morning but I'll whisper words of hook turns into the City of Toronto offices at union station as I leave
it was so harrowing to see it
January 7, 2026 at 2:11 AM
it was so harrowing to see it
they have them for bikes, but when I tried to explain them for cars people looked at me like I was crazy
January 7, 2026 at 1:47 AM
they have them for bikes, but when I tried to explain them for cars people looked at me like I was crazy
and yes I'm aware the legacy TTC trams in the city are just as hopeless with signal priority (see this video from the Spadina tram) but for a brand new system to repeat this is just unacceptable. you can fix this by moving the tram phase before the turn phase, no time lost for cars in the cycle!!!!!
January 7, 2026 at 1:44 AM
and yes I'm aware the legacy TTC trams in the city are just as hopeless with signal priority (see this video from the Spadina tram) but for a brand new system to repeat this is just unacceptable. you can fix this by moving the tram phase before the turn phase, no time lost for cars in the cycle!!!!!
I'll wrap this thread up here, it isn't a great feeling to be so negative about brand new public transport infrastructure but sometimes you need to be honest about it. on the other hand, Kitchener shows how to get this right. maybe TTC/Metrolinx should take a GO train to Kitchener and get some ideas
January 7, 2026 at 1:35 AM
I'll wrap this thread up here, it isn't a great feeling to be so negative about brand new public transport infrastructure but sometimes you need to be honest about it. on the other hand, Kitchener shows how to get this right. maybe TTC/Metrolinx should take a GO train to Kitchener and get some ideas
I'm by far not the first to call out how utterly terrible Line 6 is, but coming from a city renowned for slow trams I was in awe at just how badly they spent billions on this project. it makes the cheery advertising seem like it's mocking you. probably the worst modern tram I've been on in my life
January 7, 2026 at 1:35 AM
I'm by far not the first to call out how utterly terrible Line 6 is, but coming from a city renowned for slow trams I was in awe at just how badly they spent billions on this project. it makes the cheery advertising seem like it's mocking you. probably the worst modern tram I've been on in my life
and in Kitchener, being a smaller city, many footpaths even in the downtown areas weren't cleared of snow, so I witnessed an elderly person in their stroller decide that walking on the road in the same direction of traffic was the next best option. which is just a failing for a city in so many ways
January 7, 2026 at 1:35 AM
and in Kitchener, being a smaller city, many footpaths even in the downtown areas weren't cleared of snow, so I witnessed an elderly person in their stroller decide that walking on the road in the same direction of traffic was the next best option. which is just a failing for a city in so many ways
the most important part of any public transport in my mind is how easy it is to access the stops on foot quickly and safely. the wait times at the intersections for Line 6 stops are clearly so long that in this weather, many people will risk just going straight across the road, rational but terrible
January 7, 2026 at 1:35 AM
the most important part of any public transport in my mind is how easy it is to access the stops on foot quickly and safely. the wait times at the intersections for Line 6 stops are clearly so long that in this weather, many people will risk just going straight across the road, rational but terrible
you're forced to cross a high speed road to get to the stops and there is zero, and I mean zero enclosed spaces or heating equipment. unlike in Kitchener-Waterloo, where they had heat lamps in a waiting shelter on the stops. less than ideal when the railings and ticket machines have icicles on them!
January 7, 2026 at 1:35 AM
you're forced to cross a high speed road to get to the stops and there is zero, and I mean zero enclosed spaces or heating equipment. unlike in Kitchener-Waterloo, where they had heat lamps in a waiting shelter on the stops. less than ideal when the railings and ticket machines have icicles on them!
for a brand new (opened 3 months ago) tram in its own dedicated median lanes to be running almost slower than some legacy Melbourne trams in mixed traffic is frankly unacceptable. the passenger experience on the stops is pretty miserable too! I guess they didn't expect winter to happen in Canada
January 7, 2026 at 1:35 AM
for a brand new (opened 3 months ago) tram in its own dedicated median lanes to be running almost slower than some legacy Melbourne trams in mixed traffic is frankly unacceptable. the passenger experience on the stops is pretty miserable too! I guess they didn't expect winter to happen in Canada
and it shows in the speed compared to the ION tram. each intersection is painfully visible - and this was only half of my return trip from Albion to Finch West, as my trip out was delayed 25+ minutes due to repeated signal faults, cars on the tracks, and just shitty vibes as a service
January 7, 2026 at 1:35 AM
and it shows in the speed compared to the ION tram. each intersection is painfully visible - and this was only half of my return trip from Albion to Finch West, as my trip out was delayed 25+ minutes due to repeated signal faults, cars on the tracks, and just shitty vibes as a service
Toronto's new Line 6 though? I'd heard it was bad but I really wasn't prepared for just how miserable it was. at every single intersection, every turn movement goes before the tram, losing at least a minute every single time. I'm in disbelief this was approved to open in this condition
January 7, 2026 at 1:35 AM
Toronto's new Line 6 though? I'd heard it was bad but I really wasn't prepared for just how miserable it was. at every single intersection, every turn movement goes before the tram, losing at least a minute every single time. I'm in disbelief this was approved to open in this condition
but is it effective? yep, absolutely. I recorded the trip via GPS on my phone and we averaged 25km/h over the whole 16km journey, hitting a max of 62km/h on one of the off-road corridors
January 7, 2026 at 1:35 AM
but is it effective? yep, absolutely. I recorded the trip via GPS on my phone and we averaged 25km/h over the whole 16km journey, hitting a max of 62km/h on one of the off-road corridors