1 June 2016 - Mark Horton - Mona Vale Move may be a loss
Move May Be a Loss
MARGARET Kerr says that we need to think big about reconfiguration of the parks at Mona Vale by moving the tennis and bowling clubs up the hill to the golf club (Your Say, May 26). This is playing right into the hands of some of the former Pittwater Councillors who wanted to sell lots 2 and 3 beside the bowling club for quick financial gain. Added to this would be pressure to also sell the valuable bowling club site.
Transport for NSW is seeking to move the Scouts and Guides into a two storey building to be shared with the tennis club. I hope the Scouts, Guides and tennis club think long and hard about this.
The loss of grass and the enclosing of the site by car parks on the northern and eastern sides leaves little room for the Scouts and Guides to carry out any outdoor activities.
If a second storey is put on top of the 150-space car park, there will also be the loss of sunlight in the colder months.
4 June 2016 Manly Daily - Administrator Dick Persson to Push for Better Bus System
Administrator to Push for Better Bus System
Frequent double deckers and rapid transit raised as key issue - Dick Persson
RAPID commuter bus lines between Dee Why and Chatswood and from Mona Vale to Macquarie Park could be back on the table. Also being mooted is a plan to extend the long-touted B-Line system — which would see double-decker buses arrive every 10 minutes during the day — an extra 3km to Newport.
At Thursday night’s Northern Beaches Council meeting, a plan was made to re-open negotiations with the State Government over better transport options for the northern beaches.The council has sent a letter to Transport Minister Andrew Constance requesting a “meeting as a matter of priority” to discuss speeding up the State Government’s Northern Beaches Transport Action Plan.
Council also expressed a wish for the additional stop at Newport, and the express commuter services, with the minister. A council report stated:
“With only three congested roads to and from the region, the slow and unreliable community to the city and other employment centres like Chatswood and Macquarie Park, as well as travelling around the region, represents a growing frustration for residents”.
At the meeting admin Dick Persson said a transport solution for the peninsula would remain “at the top of my list”. He said the transport plan, announced by the State Government in November 2015, had to mean “residents can travel to a destination much faster than they would on a current bus and even faster than in a private car”.
He add that the halting of the B-Line at Mona Vale would cut off some on the northern end of the peninsula.
“With three lanes along Barrenjoey Rd to Newport, which has a large and under-utilised carpark, terminating the B-line at Mona Vale is a lost opportunity".
“By combining our resources, the Northern Beaches Council is in a strong position to work with the NSW Government to deliver the best possible transport solution.”
The 27km rapid transit bus system, including new stops and commuter carparks is expected to be up and running by late 2017. Warringah Council had pushed for a rapid transit bus between Dee Why and Chatswood, which was not included in the final plans.
Former Warringah mayor Michael Regan said despite their best efforts, Mr Constance
“made it clear there will be no BRT going east to west … but any extra pressure the administrator can add ... is a good thing”.
A spokeswoman for Transport for NSW said it was continuing to investigate options for the northern beaches.
“As part of this, it will investigate an extension of the B-Line, including an assessment of current and projected patronage numbers,” she said.
“Local and express services will be provided north of Mona Vale to provide connectivity with the B-Line and the Sydney CBD.”
She said additional services on the east west corridor are being developed to coincide with the opening of the Northern Beaches Hospital which is set for 2018.
She said Transport was:-
“also examining opportunities to improve bus services between the Northern Beaches and Macquarie Park”.
7 June 2016 - Ross Smith - Mona Vale Lost with stroke of pen
Lost With Stroke of Pen
DAVID Murray is spot on (Your say, May 25). Over 60 years, history of the Mona Vale Girl Guides and Scout halls has been lost with the stroke of the pen at the first Northern Beaches Council meeting with no public exhibition period, just the signing of the Deed of Agreement between the interim general manager and Transport for NSW for the demolition of both halls and the tennis club to make way for only 75 extra commuter spaces in Beeby Park.
This was the only real item of business on the NBC agenda and it was interesting how the meeting was held at Manly when it related to Pittwater’s LGA. Does this mean future meetings to discuss Manly matters will be held in the Mona Vale Memorial Hall, further discouraging local participation in council meetings?
MARGARET Kerr says that we need to think big about reconfiguration of the parks at Mona Vale by moving the tennis and bowling clubs up the hill to the golf club (Your Say, May 26). This is playing right into the hands of some of the former Pittwater Councillors who wanted to sell lots 2 and 3 beside the bowling club for quick financial gain. Added to this would be pressure to also sell the valuable bowling club site.
Transport for NSW is seeking to move the Scouts and Guides into a two storey building to be shared with the tennis club. I hope the Scouts, Guides and tennis club think long and hard about this.
The loss of grass and the enclosing of the site by car parks on the northern and eastern sides leaves little room for the Scouts and Guides to carry out any outdoor activities.
If a second storey is put on top of the 150-space car park, there will also be the loss of sunlight in the colder months.
11 June 2016 Dave Murray - Mona Vale Mega-council shuts out our opinions
Mega-Council Shuts Out Our Opinions
MONA Vale bus depot is the obvious place for a B-Line interchange, not a public park. A transport hub at the depot including a car park and/or smaller buses feeding in from further out is the way to go.
But of course there will be no meaningful community consultation on this. The decision has already been made by the State Government to benefit the private operators of the B-Line. Welcome to the future folks and welcome to the mega-council.
16 June 2016 Mark Horton - Mona Vale Transport questions
Transport Questions
I have been campaigning for years on the public transport and road needs of the northern beaches, not only for travel to the city but to the west. Our three local councils failed to present a united solution even while working with SHOROC on the shaping Our Future document. That document basically mirrored and supported the State Government’s Transport Action Plan, which was a propaganda document to support the $433 million for road funding for the privately-run Northern Beaches Hospital.
Our administrator thankfully sees the need for a commonsense approach.
Of course the B-Line should not terminate at Mona Vale. It should continue all the way to Palm Beach and with express services retained.
The B-Line proposal was to include widening of the Narrabeen and Spit bridges but there has been silence on this because the State Government does not want to inject any more funds into the northern beaches. Why?
The service to Chatswood was reduced by taking away the Forest Coaches bus from Mona Vale. Why? The proposed B-Line from Dee Why to Chatswood was also dropped. Why? The Mona Vale 197 Forest Coaches to Macquarie Park travels via Gordon station and is a depressingly slow journey. Why?
03 August 2016 Marianne van de Voorde - North Narrabeen
Transport Improved? They're Dreaming
Transport Improved? They're Dreaming