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Some nice images, animations and background behind this project...

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designboom | architecture & design magazine

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driverless london underground trains shown by priestmangoode & TFL
images courtesy of priestmangoode

mayor of london, boris johnson revealed the design and brand experience consultancy priestmangoode's new vision for the underground tube. working with transport for london (TFL), the next generation of deep level trains will operate from 2022 at newly modified piccadilly, bakerloo, central and waterloo & city line stations for more than 40 years. the 250 built will be capable of fully automatic operation but will have a driver on board when first introduced. the designs reflects the contemporary culture and architectural landmarks of the city, whilst staying true to the british transport's style heritage.

the new tube animation
video courtesy of priestmangoode
the stations platforms feature a step-free walk-through system that increases commuters' safety by opening seamlessly with the train's doors. the carriages include wider entrances to facilitate quicker turnaround times and also an increased capacity. inside, the cars have an updated air-cooler to provide a more fresh traveling experience and has digital screens to display live news feeds from the TFL. the interior uses natural finishes and materials to ensure a comfortable commute, and includes a color palette of charcoal, warm grey and oxblood that represents the underground DNA.
paul priestman, director at priestmangoode, explains'we've designed rail and metro projects all over the world. we understand what passengers want, but also what is needed to ensure easy maintenance and efficiency for the operator, which is crucial. good design isn't just about style, it's about making something better and easier to run and maintain.' 'TfL wanted the new tube for london to celebrate the great history of transport design in london, whilst acting as a beacon of innovative 21st century public transport. we took inspiration from iconic london landmarks and key attributes of british design to create a tube that is beautiful, simple, functional and maintainable.' priestman continues, 'london's tube is one of the most iconic trains around the world. we are proud to have designed something that it is part of the very fabric of london life, celebrating all that's great about London's environment; cutting edge technology, rich history and diversity. the new tube for london will take the city into the future by enriching the everyday journey of its passengers.'

the trains will feature wider doors to facilitate quicker commuting

the design reflects a contemporary design style that is concurrent with london's culture and architecture

mike brown MVO, managing director of london underground said, 'the new tube for london will change the face of travel on the underground. the faster, more frequent and more reliable services it will enable will help us keep pace with london's growing population. the design respects the past but also looks to the future and with the very latest technology; including walk-through carriages and wider doors to enable people to get on and off quickly as well as providing air-cooling for the first time on the deep level lines.'

'londoners are already seeing huge improvements on the tube network, with faster and more frequent journeys on the jubilee and victoria lines, the modernization of the northern line nearing completion this year, and new walk-through, air-cooled trains on the circle, hammersmith & city, metropolitan and part of the district lines. the new tube will take the improvements to the next level.'

the mayor of london, boris johnson, said, 'these innovative, eye-catching and sleek new trains will be vital for the continued modernization of london underground. from greenford to gants hill, from alperton to arnos grove, they will ferry millions of people across our city, more comfortably, reliably and stylishly than ever before. the new tube marks a significant step forward in giving londoners and visitors the accessible and modern transport service that they expect and deserve. these beautiful, air-cooled machines represent the best of british design and innovation. they will help to keep london and its economy moving in the right direction.'

close up view of the carriages front

the interior of the trains

they include live update screens

a new air-cooler system ensures a well and fresh ventilation for commuters

charcoal, warm grey and oxblood colors liven the interior

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driverless london underground trains shown by priestmangoode & TFL

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driverless london underground trains shown by priestmangoode & TFL images courtesy of priestmangoode mayor of london, boris johnson revealed the design and brand experience consultancy priestmangoode's new vision for the underground tube. working with transport for london (TFL), the next generation of deep level trains will operate from 2022 at newly modified piccadilly, bakerloo, central and waterloo & city line stations for more than 40 years.

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Coventry University Transport Design 2020 Showcase

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Coventry University Transport Design 2020 Showcase

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Here are some examples for your reference of what Coventry University students have been creating... note the renders, photoshopping showing background context, presentation styles etc.

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I (Andrew) filmed this during London Design Week 2017 - it shows a projection over a physical model - very effective and immersive!

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Jaguar Concept Car  - London Design Week 2017

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Photoreal Automotive Rendering in Unreal Engine | Webinar | Unreal Engine

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Car Sketches/rendering - reference images

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Car Sketches/rendering - reference images

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A set of reference images I (Andrew) have been collecting on Pinterest - pick an image and try drawing something in a similar style... Practice, practice, practice!

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Here is a collection of Presentation panels that I (Andrew) have been collecting on Pinterest

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When we first encountered REE's ultra-modular EV chassis, we struggled to know what to make of it. Speaking to CEO Daniel Barel, we couldn't seem to pin down any specifics. What is it? A flat, modular vehicle chassis in which all steering, suspension, motor, gearbox and braking functions are bundled up into removable, replaceable "corner units" in the wheels.

These corner units have built-in electronics so that every single function can be fully electronically controlled. It's not just drive-by-wire, it's steer-by-wire, brake-by-wire, everything-by-wire. So you can put a steering wheel and pedals in if you want, but it's just as happy to take instructions from an autonomous drive system, or heck, even a remote control. There's no difference as far as the chassis is concerned.

What could it be used for? Well, just about any kind of electric 4-wheeler. The big, flat battery pack offers a genuine "skateboard chassis" on top of which your vehicle design options are just about unlimited. There's no other chassis so flat, or that offers so much room for whatever kind of body you want to stick on top, be it a car, van, small truck, big truck, bus, automated delivery vehicle or crazy off-roader.

The corner units can be specified with a ridiculously wide range of options. Active suspension? No worries. 4 wheel steering? Piece of cake. How much ground clearance do you want? How much power? Desired torque? Top speed? Two or four wheel drive? Coming right up. REE can turn these things into just about anything, thanks to a network of relationships with tier-one component suppliers like KYB, Musashi, NSK, American Axle, Mitsubishi and others who are signed up to develop components specifically for these modules.

If anything goes wrong, mechanic's trips have never been quicker for a fleet operator. Yank the whole corner off with the release of a few bolts, stick a spare on, and the vehicle is back on the road lickety-split while the spanner team works out what the problem is.

It's a remarkably flexible and practical system, and some major automakers are buying in, seeing the wisdom behind working with a chassis that only needs to be crash-tested and approved once to be relevant for a broad range of vehicles.

Toyota has partnered with REE on its 'Flatformer' range of electric Hino vehicles, which will include everything from passenger shuttles and delivery vans to garbage trucks, food trucks and mobile medical services. More recently, Indian automaking colossus Mahindra signed an MoA with REE to develop and build an initial run of up to a quarter of a million commercial EVs.

Now, we've got some footage to look at, embedded below, showing three prototype platforms of varying sizes and specifications zipping around a racetrack and some obstacles. There's nothing on top of the chassis, bar the cameras and systems needed by the autonomous drive system that's in control, but the three prototypes are designed to represent different future use cases: a 1.3-ton last-mile delivery buggy, a 2.5-ton passenger and cargo transport, and a 4.5-ton delivery van designed for US market use.

It's not the most exciting thing ever filmed on a racetrack, for sure, and the rockin' soundtrack calls a certain degree of attention to that fact, but it does give us a good look at the hinged electronic steering and compact in-wheel suspension in action.

Perhaps some folk will need to see the bodywork, seats, paint and finish before they glimpse the massive potential of this monstrously flexible idea. Others will realize they're not looking at a car, van or truck that can be pinned down, they're looking at a radical upending and streamlining of the automotive design and production process that could hit the road with a thousand different faces, logos, body shapes and technical capabilities.

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REE demonstrates its wildly innovative vehicle platform of the future

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When we first encountered REE's ultra-modular EV chassis, we struggled to know what to make of it. Speaking to CEO Daniel Barel, we couldn't seem to pin down any specifics. What is it? A flat, modular vehicle chassis in which all steering, suspension, motor, gearbox and braking functions are...

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Andrew Peterson

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Olympics | Olympic Games, Medals, Results & Latest News

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Official website of the Olympics. Access breaking sports news, watch video highlights, original sports series and relive the best Olympic moments.

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Andrew Peterson

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Queensland Transport Strategy - Queensland Transport Strategy - Publications | Queensland Government

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The Queensland Transport Strategy provides a 30 year vision for how we plan to harness emerging transport trends to continue to move people and products safely and efficiently into the future. Find...

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Elliot Carter

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Brisbane Announced as Host City for 2032 Olympic & Paralympic Games

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The winner is... Brisbane! The International Olympic Committee has voted in Tokyo and Brisbane has officially secured the right to host the world's largest event, the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2032. Seven years ago when the bid planning officially commenced by the SEQ Council of Mayors, the bid was largely seen as a long shot.

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A description of the current Brisbane ferry service

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A description of the current Brisbane ferry service

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Harrison Johnson

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Brisbane City Council operates a fleet of 22 CityCats, five KittyCats (including City Hoppers) and nine monohull ferries, of which one is currently in service. A network of 23 terminals stretches from The University of Queensland at St Lucia (UQ St Lucia) to Northshore Hamilton.

Council has delivered two of nine NextGen double-decker CityCats:

Yoogera, commenced service in November 2019

Neville Bonner, commenced service in August 2020

This is all part of our plan to deliver a modern public transport network with a further seven NextGen double-decker CityCats joining the fleet before June 2025.

As part of our commitment to deliver a world-class public transport network, Council introduced SpeedyCats in September 2018. SpeedyCats provide more than 100 peak hour express services each week.

RiverCity Ferries, the operator of Brisbane ferry services, will maintain additional coronavirus social distancing measures throughout the State Government's phased approach to relaxing restrictions.

From Wednesday 25 March temporary changes to bus and ferry services took effect, with only pre-paid go cards to be accepted on all services. The precautions are being implemented to further protect public transport users and passengers from the spread of coronavirus.

Find out more.

Find what you need

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Brisbane City Council operates a fleet of 22 CityCats, five KittyCats (including City Hoppers) and nine monohull ferries, of which one is currently in service. A network of 23 terminals stretches from The University of Queensland at St Lucia (UQ St Lucia) to Northshore Hamilton.

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New City Cats (2019) 3/9 have now been completed

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New City Cats (2019) 3/9 have now been completed

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Harrison Johnson

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This was published 1 year ago

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Talking points

There are 16 upstairs seats on Brisbane's double-decker CityCats.

The first of seven double-decker CityCats cost $3.7 million.

The first double-decker CityCat will be in operation before Christmas 2019.

The design of the ground-floor level is being finalised.

The first of a seven-strong fleet of double-decker CityCats will ply the Brisbane River before Christmas.

Lord mayor Adrian Schrinner allocated $30 million over the next four years to begin the construction of Brisbane's next generation of CityCats.

A double-decker CityCat - the first of a fleet of seven - will be on the Brisbane River this year. Credit:Brisbane City Council

The first, now being built at Murarrie by Brisbane shipbuilder Aus Ships for a cool $3.7 million, will include "almost ceiling-to-floor" glass windows on the ground floor, a viewing area at the front for inside passengers and an open-air upper deck.

Brisbane councillors were told on Tuesday the CityCat would be in service before Christmas.

Cr Schrinner said the double-decker CityCats would take "river transport in the city to the next level".

"CityCats are an icon of the city, just like double-decker buses are an icon of London," he said.

"It won't be just one [double-decker]. One of them is under construction now and we have six more being ordered."

Brisbane has 21 CityCats: eight were built under former lord mayor Jim Soorley between 1996 and 1998, six between 2004 and 2009 and seven between 2010 and 2015.

Deputy mayor Krista Adams said travel website TripAdvisor rated catching a CityCat along the Brisbane River as the city's third most-popular attraction.

CityCat No.22 is the same length as the previous vessels - 27.2 metres - with a stairway at the rear to allow passengers to go to an upstairs deck, where there are 16 seats.

The ground floor of the new CityCat has near floor-to-ceiling glass in the central section.

The ground-floor layout has been modified to include six wheelchair spaces including two spaces with outside access.

The view from downstairs will not be interrupted by the skipper's wheelhouse, which sits on the top level.

The downstairs level includes a lounge area at the front and a "kiosk" at the rear, where staff will check and sell tickets.

Bathrooms on the vessels have been enlarged.

The changes to the front viewing area on the new CityCats.

The CityCat's frame is finished, outfitting has started and the motor has been added. Other electrical work, gearboxes, CCTV equipment, Go Card facilities and the seating are being finalised.

Sea trials and training will be held before the vehicle is put into service.

Councillor Jonathan Sri asked about the feasibility of upstairs access for wheelchairs, but acknowledged significant improvements had been made for wheelchair access in the design.

Cr Adams said the design team had to include the need to be able to provide safe access from the CityCat in the case of an emergency, which made upstairs access complex.

She said that was one reason more glass was included downstairs, why a lower-level viewing area was installed and why dedicated wheelchair access points were being included.

Tony Moore is a senior reporter at the Brisbane Times

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Cat's out of the bag: First look inside Brisbane's double-decker CityCat

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This was published 1 year ago Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size There are 16 upstairs seats on Brisbane's double-decker CityCats. The first of seven double-decker CityCats cost $3.7 million. The first double-decker CityCat will be in operation before Christmas 2019. The design of the ground-floor level is being finalised.

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Elizabeth Moss

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Queensland has enthusiastically put its hand up to host the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2032.

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Annabelle Hauff

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Watch replays, the latest news about the Olympic Games

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Security Requirements at Olympic Games. (historical examples, current standards, etc)

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Security Requirements at Olympic Games. (historical examples, current standards, etc)

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Thomas Kenyon

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Specifications of the Brisbane City Cats

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Specifications of the Brisbane City Cats

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Harrison Johnson

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Future of Drone as Delivery/Products/Services

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Future of Drone as Delivery/Products/Services

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Elliot Carter

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Drones for delivering parcels and all types of goods is receiving massive investment from some really big players all over the globe.

With large companies such as Amazon, Walmart, UPS, Google and other global postal companies investing in drone delivery projects, it is only a matter of time before their drone parcel delivery service goals become a reality?

Will the day come, when we look above and see thousands of drones busily zipping along to deliver mail, parcels, medicine, pizza and any other small to medium sized item?

It is probably only a matter of a few years before we have our skies full of drones delivering parcels. There certainly are loads of technical challenges to overcome. There are also widespread privacy concerns to overcome. Perhaps drones for delivering parcels will be limited to just far out hard to reach places.

Drones For Delivery - Investment Projects

In this post we look at the some of the latest drone delivery success stories, the recent history of drone delivery along with the drones being used. We also look at the challenges, which need to be overcome if drone package delivery services are to become widespread.

Here are the top delivery drones, which are being used by the largest companies for delivering parcels and are featured below;

Wing delivery drone

Matternet M2 parcel delivery drone

Wingcopter 178 Heavy Lift delivery drone

Rakuten Tenku delivery drone

Condor parcel delivery drone

Zipline autonomous delivery drone

Flirtey delivery drone

Drones have terrific uses across multiple sectors from delivering parcels, advertising, cinematography, site surveying, mining, humanitarian projects, environmental projects and other areas. Here is a comprehensive list of drone uses.

Alphabet Project Wing Drone Courier Service

On August 18th, 2019, Google's parent company called Alphabet's announced that its drone delivery arm Wing will begin delivering goods for FedEx Express, Walgreens and another small retailer. The drone delivery pilot program will be based in Christiansburg, Virginia, and it's meant to prove that Wing's drones are ready to deliver health care products, fill the last mile delivery needs and give local retailers a boost.

In April 2019, Alphabet's gained approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for it's Project Wing to conduct commercial drone flights in Virginia.

Project Wing, has been conducting trials in Virginia state since 2016, but the new FAA authorization will allow it to finally sell things like food or medicine ordered by consumers through the Wing app.
What Is Project Wing
Project Wing is an autonomous delivery drone service aiming to increase access to goods, reduce traffic congestion in cities, and help ease the CO ₂ emissions attributable to the transportation of goods. Wing is also developing an unmanned traffic management platform that will allow unmanned aircraft to navigate around other drones, manned aircraft, and other obstacles like trees, buildings and power lines.

FAA certification required Wing to submit evidence that their drone package delivery operations are safe. These submissions included data showing that a delivery by Wing carries a lower risk to pedestrians than the same trip made by car. The Project Wing delivery drones have flown over 70,000 test flights, and more than 3,000 deliveries to doorsteps, driveways and backyards of our customers in Australia.

Below is an image of the Project Wing delivery drone. Their drones for delivery are evolving over time with different size and wingspan along with the technology for delivering parcels very precisely.

Latest Wing Delivery Drone News

In June 2020, Wing announced it was successfully using drones to deliver books to students in Virginia to assist with remote learning.

In April 2020, Wing announced that it has been successfully delivering snacks, pastries and meals for over 1 year in Vuosaari, which is a district in Helsinki, Finland.

Wing has been delivering meals by drone across Canberra in Australia for months now, with thousands of flights already.

Here is a video, which shows you how the Wings drone delivery service works. Using the Wing app on your smartphone, you will be able to order food, coffee, medicines or convenience items from the Wing's drone deliver service with your item arriving a few minutes later.

Drone Package Delivery By Couriers & Post Offices

UPS Drone Delivery Services

On October 1st 2019, UPS Flight Forward Inc. a subsidiary of UPS, announced it has received the U.S. government's first full Part 135 Standard certification to operate a drone airline.

The company will initially expand its drone delivery service further to support hospital campuses around the country. UPS drones will also provide solutions for customers beyond those in the healthcare industry. UPS Flight Forward plans in the future to transport a variety of items for customers in many industries, and regularly fly drones beyond the operators' visual line of sight.

Swiss Post Drone Delivery Service

Swiss Post is at the forefront of drone development and deployment for logistics. It transports special healthcare consignments in cooperation with a range of partners in various regions of Switzerland.

Going back to July 2015, Swiss Post tested the use of drones for mail delivery as part of a joint venture, which included Swiss WorldCargo and Matternet drone manufacturer. Their goal? To investigate the specific uses of drone technology and examine the cost-effectiveness of logistic drones.

Not just for mail/parcel delivery but also for emergency situations such as the delivery of emergency relief supplies or for high priority consignments such as laboratory samples.

In December 2018, their goal has now become a reality.

From 10 December 2018, Swiss post drone delivery service are transporting laboratory samples on behalf of Swiss Post from University Hospital Zurich (USZ) to the Irchel campus at the University of Zurich (UZH).

The project is envisaged to last one year. During this time USZ, UZH, Swiss Post and the drone logistics systems provider Matternet will gather experience in long-term autonomous drone operation.

The laboratory samples can reach their destination twice as quickly by air than by road in Zurich - the time saved can be invaluable to patients, doctors and other healthcare professionals.

Matternet M2 Parcel Delivery Drone

Matternet is the world's leading technology platform for on-demand drone delivery in urban environments.

It provides fast, and very predictable deliveries of medical items (blood samples, etc.) between facilities in hospital systems.

The Matternet M2 can carry payloads up to 4.4 lbs at distances up to 12.5 miles. The M2 can deliver items on-demand between hospital facilities in less than 30 minutes.

While the Matternet M2 is presently being used for healthcare deliveries, it can also be used to delivery all types of parcels up to 4.4 lbs (2 kg) which is a very good payload.

Matternet has also developed the ground parcel drone station where you can send and receive your parcels from. Here is a Matternet station introductory video.

Deutsche Post DHL Drone Delivery Service

In 2016, DHL Deutsche Post beat Amazon and Google with it's launch of the first drone delivery service.

The DHL Parcelcopter is intended primarily for situations that mesh poorly with established infrastructures or where standard delivery methods are overly lengthy.

Locations not linked to the standard road network are one example. "Natural barriers" such as water or mountains are not an issue for the drone.

The DHL Parcelcopter is thus seen as a tool for improving infrastructure in hard-to-reach areas, improving the lives of the inhabitants there.

Revolutionizing the delivery of medicines to remote areas using drones - the pilot project Deliver Future proves that it's not science fiction.

Three experts in their respective fields are making it happen: DHL, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the German drone manufacturer Wingcopter.

Wingcopter Delivery Drone

The VTOL Wingcopter delivery drone is hovers like your typical multirotor drone and it also flies like a plane. There are 2 versions of this drone. The Wingcopter 178 and Wingcopter 178 Heavy Lift. It is easy to fly, lightweight, rainproof and fast.

The Wingcopter 178 Heavy Lift delivery drone has a maximum speed of 93 mph (150 km/h) in fixed wing mode. It can fly for a distance of 53 miles (100 km) with a payload of 4.4 lbs (2 kg). It has a maximum payload of 13.2 lbs (6 kg).

China's JD.com Parcel Drone Delivery Service

In November 2018, A unit of Chinese e-commerce giant JD.Com has become the first company in the country to secure a license to operate drones for logistics on a provincial level. CAAC Northwest Regional Administration issued a business license for civil unmanned aerial vehicles to JD.com.

The move marks a major step for China in its exploration of using drones in the logistics sector. The landmark allows the further development of the industry in terms of standards and scale.

The company has set up logistics operations using unmanned aerial vehicles in seven Chinese provinces to date, namely, Shaanxi, Jiangsu, Hainan, Qinghai, Guangdong, Fujian and Guangxi. Their operation has helped with distribution challenges in rural and hard to get to areas and has extended intelligent logistics to reach more regions and more people.

Rakuten Tenku Delivery Drone

JD.com teamed up and uses the Rakuten Delivery Drone who produce the Tenku delivery drone.

Now, in fact, the Tenku multicopter delivery drone, was co-developed by Rakuten and ACSL.

The company ACSL takes its roots from the Nonami laboratory at Chiba University, which had been researching and developing full autonomous drones since 1998 with ACDL (Autonomous Control Systems Laboratory Ltd) being established on November 1st, 2013.

Japan Drone Delivery Services

Rakuten have a number of delivery services and projects going at present. So we can definitely say that Japans progress to drone deliveries is definitely progressing very fast. Here are just some of the drone deliveries by Rakuten.

Rakuten drone delivers flowers for Mother's Day.

Rakuten Drone makes convenience store deliveries in Fukushima.

Flying soy sauce marks first drone delivery to a private residence in Japan.

Rakuten Airmap launches drone traffic management service in Japan.

You can read more on the Japanese drone delivery services by Rakuten drone delivery here.

Rakuten is a Japanese company and is massive in size. The company has over 70 businesses spanning e-commerce, digital content, communications and fintech.

Rakuten is Japan's biggest e-commerce firm and employs more than 13,000 staff in Japan, with a turnover of around USD 20 billion per year. The main sponsors of Barcelona Football Club is Rakuten with a 4 year deal up to 2021. They really are a top company.

Indonesia Drone Package Delivery Service

In January 2019, JD.com, China's largest retailer, today announced the completion of Indonesia's first government approved drone flight. This is a breakthrough for drone delivery in Southeast Asia. The successful drone parcel delivery opens the door for future commercial drone use in Indonesia and the Southeast Asia region, subject to further regulatory approvals.

The test flight took place on January 8, 2019, in West Java, Indonesia, where the drone flew from Jagabita Village, Parung Panjang to MIS Nurul Falah Leles Elementary School to deliver backpacks and books to students. The items delivered by drone were part of a larger donation of supplies from JD.com to the school.

Here is the video telling you more about this drone delivery project for Indonesia.

Canada Parcel Drone Delivery Service

In February 2019, Drone Delivery Canada (DDC) has launched its newest cargo drone, the Condor, which is capable of carrying 400 lbs (180 kg) of payload and travelling 125 miles (200 km).

Unveiled to the public in Toronto on Feb. 19, the Condor has a wing span of about 20 feet and is powered by a gas propulsion engine.

About Drone Delivery Canada Company

DDC company is the developer of a drone delivery platform which provides next generation logistic services for Canadian retailers, service providers and government agencies.

Utilizing industry leading software, customization, and patent pending architecture, Drone Delivery Canada has a group of applications that come together under an umbrella to provide a complete solution for the delivery industry. The flight systems cover all aspects of a UAV from the operational component, but also integrate the logistics integration.

The operational platform includes full operational guidance, route planning, geo-fencing, alerts, telemetry, maintenance, logs, and full Preventative Maintenance scheduling and tracking.

In April 2019, the Toronto-based Drone Delivery Canada announced a new business strategy, committing to focus on eight new "business vertical sectors." In a company release, DDC stated it would pursue new UAV strategies in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, oil-and-gas, mining, agriculture, forestry, construction and courier services.

Condor Parcel Delivery Drone

Here is a nice introduction to the Condor parcel delivery drone which can carry up to 400 lbs (180 kg).

Other Countries With Drone Parcel Delivery Projects

France's national postal service, Le Groupe La Poste, has begun a testing program to bring delivery by autonomous drone to the country. This announcement comes on the heels of Amazon successfully completing its first drone delivery over in the U.K.

In April 2019, Ireland's Postal Service delivered their 1st over over water parcel delivery by drone. On July 6th 2018, just after 3.30 pm, a parcel was delivered by drone from Roonagh Pier in Mayo to Clare Island. An Post said that it's Ireland's first ever autonomous parcel delivery from the mainland to an island using a drone.

Drone Parcel Delivery Operations In Loads Of Countries

In fact, there is 27 countries running drone parcel delivery services. Here is the full list of countries with drone delivery services.

Drones Delivering Medical Supplies And Medicine

Zipline Drone Deliveries Saving Lives

In September 2019, Zipline announced that Bono, the U2 front man has joined it's board. In 2016, Bono co-founded The Rise Fund, a $2 billion impact investing fund which looks for companies creating what the fund calls "complete returns"- measurable positive social and environmental change along with financial returns.

In May 2019, The Rise Fund became one of Zipline's investors, helping fund the company's expansion as it works to solve the problem of getting medical supplies to remote and underfunded health centers.

Along with the investment from The Rise Fund, Zipline has raised $41 million from investors, including Sequoia Capital, Google Ventures, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang and Subtraction Capital.

Zipline now have drone delivery operations in Rwanda and Ghana.

1st Ever Successful Drone Delivery Service

In May 2016, Zipline through a partnership with the Government of Rwanda, started delivering all blood products for twenty hospitals and health centers, improving access to healthcare for millions of Rwandans.

Biggest Drone Parcel Delivery Services In The World

In September 2019, a new drone delivery report from Drone Industry Insights, researched the top drone delivery service providers in the world and found Zipline to be at the top of the list.

Zipline - Rwanda Healthcare Drone Delivery Service

In May 2016, the world's first commercial drone delivery service was started in Rwanda, and it's delivers blood and blood products. The service is operated by Zipline, a US robotics and drone company. The drones drop blood parcels on parachutes outside remote health centers.

Through a partnership with the Government of Rwanda, Zipline deliver all blood products for twenty hospitals and health centers starting this summer, improving access to healthcare for millions of Rwandans.

Rwanda's government pays Zipline for the deliveries, each of which costs about the same as the motorbike deliveries used previously, according to Keller Rinaudo, Zipline's CEO.

Health workers can request a blood drop via text message and it arrives around 30 minutes later. That makes a big difference in a country where short road trips can take hours.

Blood loss after birth is one of the reasons maternal mortality is much higher in poor countries than rich ones; it's the leading cause of death in Rwanda for pregnant women. And blood has to be stored carefully and matched to the recipient. You can read more on this new Zipline delivery service here.

More than two billion people lack adequate access to essential medical products, often due to challenging terrain and gaps in infrastructure.

Because of this, over 2.9 million children under age 5 die every year. And up to 150,000 pregnancy-related deaths could be avoided each year if mothers had reliable access to safe blood.

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Zipline - Ghana Healthcare Drone Delivery Service

In April 2019, Zipline, the San Francisco-based UAV manufacturer and logistics services provider announced that is has now launched a drone delivery healthcare program in Ghana for medical supplies.

Working with the Ghanaian government, Zipline will operate 30 drones out of four distribution centers to distribute vaccines, blood and life-saving medications to 2,000 health facilities across the West African nation daily.

The drone delivery program will do 600 flights a day and serve 12 million people. This is going to be the largest drone delivery network on the planet, says Zipline CEO Keller Rinaudo

"No one in Ghana should die because they can't access the medicine they need in an emergency," Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo said in a statement. "That's why Ghana is launching the world's largest drone delivery service...a major step towards giving everyone in this country universal access to lifesaving medicine."

Zipline Delivery Drone

The Zipline autonomous delivery drone has the following specifications;

Fly at a speed of 62 mph (100 km/h).

Carry a payload of 3.5 lbs (1.6 kg) of medical supplies. In blood products the Zipline drone can carry 3 x 500 ml blood bags.

Flight Range of 100 miles (160 km).

Covers a 50 mile (80 km) zone around the medical and drone depot.

In the air in 5 minutes from time the order is received by the system.

Fuselage weights just 14.1 lbs (6.4 kg).

Wings weight 4.4 lbs (2 kg).

9.84 feet (3 meter) wingspan.

The development and drone delivery service can have the drone in the air approximately 5 minutes after the order comes in. Speed in receiving medical supplies is vital in emergencies. The medical supplies are packaged in a padded parcel and have a parachute attached.

The GPS module is actually fitted to the battery pack. This means that the GPS is always on and satellites are recognized all the time. There is no waiting time lost by the drone detecting satellites after the drone is switched on. The battery pack just needs to slide into the Zipline drone. The launch time has been dramatically reduced by moving the GPS to the batty pack.

Also the Zipline drone is designed with redundant systems and has a parachute which is deployed in the result of a technical difficulties. This means the drone will land instead of crashing.

This next video shows you how the Zipline delivery drone gets into the air so fast. This includes comprehensive pre-flight checks of the drone. The video takes your through the full sequence and technologies from takeoff to dropping it's parcel and landing. The video also talks about the various patents involved with the Zipline drone and systems for communicating with air traffic controllers.

It's pretty wow technology.

Drone Delivery Of Insulin

In September 2019, a group of Irish based scientists completed what is being described as the first ever delivery of diabetes medicine using a type of drone technology off the coast of Co Galway.

Researchers from NUI Galway successfully piloted the drone from an airport in Connemara to the airstrip on Inis Mór on the Aran Islands, where it completed a delivery of insulin and glucagon.

The drone then collected a sample of patient's blood from the island, before returning to the Connemara airport.

Its round trip journey, described as the world's first 'beyond visual line of sight drone delivery' of the medicines took around 32 minutes to complete.

The 21 km journey was supported by the Irish Aviation Authority and took place between commercial flights, showing the possibility of future deliveries within planned corridors.

As the drone flew, its launch team had a live first-person view camera feed from the aircraft so that they could maintain their vision once the drone flew beyond their line of sight.

Drone Delivery Service - Is It Really The Future?

A little over 3 years ago, Amazon announced their smile emblazoned packages would soon be making their way to our homes via drone. At the time, most of us considered the idea either a publicity stunt or pure science fiction.

But lo and behold, the future of drone delivery is creeping nearer and nearer, as Amazon has already begun testing the Prime Air Delivery Service in "multiple international locations".

While delivery by way of drone has numerous benefits, there are also some serious drawbacks that will need to be addressed before the system will ever meet with any major success.

Drones Delivering Packages: The Good

When you break it down, UAV delivery is far better for the environment than traditional methods. Compare the impact of an airborne, battery-powered drone delivering your order versus a large truck traveling over the road.

There's obviously an enormous gain when it comes to emissions and drones are energy efficient. This also applies when comparing it to you driving your car to the store for the same purchase.

Furthermore, the more people that take advantage of drone delivery, the less weight trucks will be carrying - which means there will be a far smaller impact on our infrastructure.

Using UAVs as delivery vehicles has another interesting side effect - innovation. The list of the FAA's current commercial exemptions also know as FAA 107 Waivers shows a surprisingly high number of businesses are utilizing popular mainstream drones with professional capabilities, such as DJI's Phantom 4 Pro V2.

While these drone cameras do the handiwork for the various industries, they lack the capability to carry packages and that's where innovation comes in. The ubiquitous quadcopter configuration didn't seem to work for Amazon's purposes, so their research and development team created an new drone prototype to fit the bill.

Drone Parcel Delivery - The Bad

One major flaw in the concept is the lack of designated delivery zones. Packages delivered by hand to residences and businesses are deposited in mailboxes, placed on porches or left with doormen - options that simply don't work for drone deliveries.

Creating an infrastructure of convenient and secure areas for packages to be dropped will take both ingenuity and a heap of money.

UAVs are incredibly vulnerable pieces of equipment, particularly so during landings. If drones are landing in unprotected areas near residences, they will be subject to potential damage by pets, children, and the odd shotgun.

In such cases, not only would the expensive UAV be a loss, but so might be the package it was carrying. This could translate to millions of dollars in lost revenue per year, as well as some angry customers.

Last, but certainly not least, is the possibility of personal injury. UAVs are not a perfected piece of technology just yet and while they have safety features such as prop guards and 'return to home' systems, drone fails can and do arise arise.

If a delivery drone were to harm an individual (or damage personal property), the drone courier would be liable - leading to costly lawsuits and settlements. For drones to deliver mail, parcels, pizza, beer and groceries etc, they will have to be 110% safe.

If Amazon and other companies are able to work out the kinks associated with drone package delivery, then this could be just the beginning of an exciting future of commercial UAV use. Let's cross our fingers and hope for the best.

Drone For Delivery Challenges

There are lots of technical innovations still required for drones to be used in their thousands, possibly even millions worldwide as a delivery service. Some of these technical challenges are;

Longer flight times - drone flight time average about 20 to 25 minutes presently.

Quieter drones - drone are quite noisy. With thousands flying over us, we could be pretty loud.

Collision avoidance systems and ultra safe drones with no crashes are a must. Safety must come first.

Possible flight paths.

There are also privacy concerns regarding drones. It is no doubt that these the technical challenges will be found. The other questions is - Do we really want thousands or even hundreds of thousands of drones flying about delivering all types of parcels.

Perhaps, a drone delivery service will just be used in far out areas where it is not cost efficient to drive into the country side to deliver 1 item. Perhaps drones will be used widely to deliver parcels where there is very little road or rail infrastructure. Time will tell.

The below video shows of the new Yuneec Typhoon H, which has real collision avoidance sensors which is a big challenge to overcome for drones delivery parcels.

Drone For Delivery Projects

There are quite a few projects and big investment capital being put into the areas of collision avoidance and drone delivery systems. The potential in this field are huge and there are various fields of technology been used especially for collision avoidance.

Here are a few drone delivery projects which are ongoing.

Flirtey Conducts First U.S. Ship-to-Shore Drone Delivery

In June 2016 - Independent drone delivery service Flirtey and Dr. Timothy Amukele at Johns Hopkins successfully conducted the first ship-to-shore drone delivery in the U.S. on the New Jersey coastline, for the United Nations and the American Red Cross.

"Imagine a future where in the event of a natural disaster like Hurricane Sandy, Flirtey drones rapidly deliver emergency medical supplies, food and water," said Flirtey CEO Matt Sweeny.

The drone collected medical samples from the shore and delivered them to a ship; then collected medicine from the ship and delivered it to the shore. The flights were autonomous and demonstrated how unmanned aircraft can provide life-saving aid to victims of a disaster, such as a hurricane.

Flirtey is the premier independent drone delivery service, with a mission to create the fastest, most efficient and customer centered delivery service in the world. The U.S.-based startup has worked with NASA, the University of Nevada, Reno, The New Jersey Test Site and Virginia Tech to create the leading technology and logistics systems for a mass-market drone delivery network.

Flirtey Receives FAA Approval To Fly Drones Beyond Visual Line Of Sight

In March 2019, drone delivery startup Flirtey announced on Friday that it has received federal approval for its pilots to fly drones beyond their visual line of sight.

Matt Sweeny, Flirtey CEO, called the development "a game changer" for the company. "With beyond-visual-line-of-sight approval, Flirtey pilots can now control drones from a remote location," Sweeny said. "It means we can have someone in this office flying drones around the city."

Sweeny credited Flirtey's inclusion in the FAA's Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program last year for the approval. Flirtey was one of only 10 applicants from across the country accepted into the program, beating larger competitors such as Amazon. The FAA received about 150 applicants for the initiative, which aims to fast-track drone testing for various applications.

As part of its application, Flirtey proposed a pilot program to deliver defibrillators by drone in partnership with ambulance provider Regional Emergency Medical Services Authority. The city of Reno was a partner in the project as well and welcomed Flirtey's announcement about the latest approval it received from the FAA.

You can read more on the Flirtey drone delivery approval here.

In December 2019, Flirtey began conducting routine drone delivery demonstrations inside TRI Center, which is the largest industrial center in the United States.

In April 2020, the United States Patent and Trademark Office granted Flirtey a critical patent for the safe and precise drone delivery of packages.

Project Helin Drone Delivery Service

The Project Helin allows you to deliver any products with your drones autonomously and completely free. Helin have developed a platform which enables everyone to use their drones to provide a delivery service. It includes collision avoidance, route calculation, real time monitoring and is cloud based. You can view a video on the Project Helin here.

Amazon Prime Air Drone Delivery Service

Here is a short video where with Jeremy Clarkson discussing the not too distant future of Amazon's Drone Delivery Service.

Domino's Pizza Drone Delivery Project

This next video is showing how your Pizza delivery by drone could be just around the corner.

Read more terrific drone articles from the below categories;

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Drones For Deliveries From Medicine To Post, Packages And Pizza - DroneZon

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Drones for delivering parcels and all types of goods is receiving massive investment from some really big players all over the globe. With large companies such as Amazon, Walmart, UPS, Google and other global postal companies investing in drone delivery projects, it is only a matter of time before their drone parcel delivery service goals become a reality?

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Lachlan K

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Brisbane Announced as Host City for 2032 Olympic & Paralympic Games

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The winner is... Brisbane! The International Olympic Committee has voted in Tokyo and Brisbane has officially secured the right to host the world's largest event, the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2032. Seven years ago when the bid planning officially commenced by the SEQ Council of Mayors, the bid was largely seen as a long shot.

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Elizabeth Moss

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Published Tuesday, 11 February, 2020 at 11:34 AM
Premier and Minister for Trade
The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk

The State Government blueprint for hosting the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games predicts economic benefits in the billions of dollars and jobs for the next 20 years.

The Value Proposition Assessment has been released ahead of a top-level leadership meeting of key partners in Brisbane.

The report identifies:

$8.6 billion in increased export opportunities;

Quantifiable economic benefits of $7.4 billion;

$20.2 billion in international tourist expenditure;

A range of unquantifiable community and health benefits including increased participation in sport and volunteering; and

80 per cent of venues already exist or could be delivered through temporary solutions.

It also points to the creation of 130,000 direct jobs including 10,000 in the Games year plus tens of thousands of indirect jobs.

The 2032 Games would be held over three venue 'hubs' - Brisbane, the Gold and Sunshine Coasts but regional locations continue to be explored including:

- Football preliminaries in Toowoomba, Townsville and Cairns as well as

- Keel Boat Sailing in the Whitsundays with additional opportunities yet to be determined

- Comprehensive whole-of-Queensland activation through pre-games training and trial competition as well as cultural and olympic events

- Competition venues across 11 separate council areas providing legacy benefits across the region and the state
Venues
43 venues have been identified in the master plan footprint.

18 are outside Brisbane.

The final number is dependent on hosting strategies for football, basketball and volleyball preliminaries and optimising venue sharing opportunities.

The report identifies Games Organising Committee costs of $4.45 billion for the Games but these will be at no cost to Queensland, offset by:

An International Olympic Committee contribution of at least $2.5 billion; and

Revenues such as sponsorship and ticket sales

In addition to whole-of-State benefits, the report underlines opportunities specifically for regional Queensland including:

$10 billion in international tourism spending;

Procurement and supply chain opportunities for regional business;

Training and hosting opportunities for international teams; and

Participation in torch relay, cultural festivals and other games activities

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she is determined a Queensland Olympics must be inclusive of the whole State.

"Two things I have said from day one: the benefits of these games must outweigh the cost and everyone has to share the excitement and the pride," the Premier said.

The Value Proposition highlights the IOC's 'New Norm' which makes hosting the games much cheaper while delivering economic benefits for the 10 years leading up the games and the 10 years after.
Commonwealth Games
The report highlights the economic benefits achieved from the 2018 Commonwealth Games which returned money to the government.

Those games generated a $2.5 billion boost to Queensland's Gross State Product including a $1.8 billion economic boost to the Gold Coast.

It boosted tourism generating 1.3 million visitors who spent $1.1 billion in Queensland plus promoted export and foreign direct investment of $840 million, provided contracts worth $14 million to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses and encouraged 200,000 participants in more than 100 healthy and active lifestyle initiatives.

2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games - Value Proposition Assessment https://www.premiers.qld.gov.au/publications/categories/reports/assets/2032-olympic-paralympic-games-vpa.pdf

ENDS
Media contact:
Shane Doherty - 0439 624 473

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Published Tuesday, 11 February, 2020 at 11:34 AM Premier and Minister for Trade The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk The State Government blueprint for hosting the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games predicts economic benefits in the billions of dollars and jobs for the next 20 years.

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Matthew Schedler

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Serving as a catalyst for collaboration between all members of the Olympic family, from the National Olympic Committees (NOCs), the International Sports Federations (IFs), the athletes, the Organising Committees for the Olympic Games (OCOGs), to the TOP Partners, broadcast partners and United Nations agencies, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) shepherds success through a wide range of programmes and projects.

On this basis, it ensures the regular celebration of the Olympic Games, supports all affiliated member organisations of the Olympic Movement and strongly encourages, by appropriate means, the promotion of the Olympic values. It is governed according to a high standard of ethical rules.

Mission

The mission of the IOC is to promote Olympism and to lead the Olympic Movement. According to the Olympic Charter, the roles of the administration are the:

preparation, implementation and follow-up of decisions taken by the Session, Executive Board and President;

preparation and follow-up of the work of all commissions; permanent liaison with the IFs, NOCs and OCOGs;

coordination of preparation for all Olympic Games and Youth Olympic Games;

organisation and preparation of other Olympic events;

circulation of information within the Olympic Movement;

advice to Interested Parties;

relations with many international governmental and non-governmental organisations dealing with, in particular, sport, education and culture;

liaison with Olympic Solidarity and implementation of many other tasks of an ongoing or ad hoc nature assigned to it by the President and the Executive Board.

Structure

The administration of the IOC is placed under the responsibility of the Director General who, under the authority of the President, runs it with the assistance of the directors; the latter are at the head of units responsible for dealing with business in their respective sectors of competence (Executive Office of the President, Spokesperson's Services, Office of the Director General, Office of the Deputy Director General (for Relations with the Olympic Movement), Chief Operating Officer, Olympic Solidarity, NOC Relations Department, Olympic Games Department, Sports Department, Medical and Scientific Department, Corporate and Sustainable Development Department, Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage, IOC Television & Marketing Services SA, Olympic Broadcasting Services SA, Olympic Channel Services S.A., Digital Engagement and Marketing Department, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department, Technology and Information Department, Human Resources Department, Finance Department, Legal Affairs Department, Corporate Events and Services Department, Ethics and Compliance and Internal Audit).

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Serving as a catalyst for collaboration between all members of the Olympic family, from the National Olympic Committees (NOCs), the International Sports Federations (IFs), the athletes, the Organising Committees for the Olympic Games (OCOGs), to the TOP Partners, broadcast partners and United Nations agencies, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) shepherds success through a wide range of programmes and projects.

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Athlete Transport (Tokyo Autonomous Busses)

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Athlete Transport (Tokyo Autonomous Busses)

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Matthew Schedler

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The vehicle is ranked at the second-highest level, Level 4, in terms of driving automation, capable of operating without a driver within a fixed area. The bus runs automatically on a preset route and halts at bus stops. It comes to a stop when it detects a pedestrian trying to cross the road. The vehicle waits until another bus in its passageway moves away.

Staff monitors the buses from this control center. They can increase or decrease the number of buses running depending on how many people are waiting at bus stops. Toyota aims to commercialize self-driving buses by around 2025.

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Autonomous Buses Planned for Olympic Village | All About Japan

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The vehicle is ranked at the second-highest level, Level 4, in terms of driving automation, capable of operating without a driver within a fixed area. The bus runs automatically on a preset route and halts at bus stops. It comes to a stop when it detects a pedestrian trying to cross the road.

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Advanced automotive rendering in Keyshot

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Advanced automotive rendering in Keyshot

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Something to strive for... start with some basic before moving into this...

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Advanced Automotive Material and Lighting in KeyShot

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Matthew Schedler

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In the run up to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the favela community of Vila Autódromo was virtually destroyed. It sat on prime real estate at the water's edge, in the up and coming West Zone neighbourhood. Dwellings were demolished, and hundreds of families were pressured to leave.

One long-term resident, Luiz Claudio Silva, lost the home he had built with his wife over two decades. "Where the Olympics have been," he said in 2018, "there is a trail of demolitions, of destruction of life stories... this is very clear, it's obvious, the only people who don't see it are those who don't want to."

Silva's was one of the 22,059 households evicted in the build up to the Rio Games. And his story is not unique.

Whether it's the young people and local businesses left traumatised by evictions due to London 2012 Games, the elderly tenants whose homes were destroyed to make way for the new National Stadium in Shinjuku, ahead of Tokyo 2020 or the unhoused people fighting for their camp ahead of Los Angeles 2028, displacement is as Olympic as medals and records. It begins during the planning stage and continues throughout the live staging, its effects written into the post-event legacy period.

REUTERS / Alamy Stock Photo

The planning stage

Planning to host the Olympic Games is a huge undertaking. Usually it takes around a decade, with a significant amount of that time spent building physical infrastructure, from stadiums to transport networks. For Rio 2016, the city installed a BRT system to connect different parts of the city to Olympic zones. In preparation for the Paris 2024 Games, extensive construction is underway in various areas of the French capital to build the Athlete's Village and the Media Village.

Because hosting is often vaunted as a tool for urban regeneration, construction tends to be situated in deprived areas. Rio's BRT system accounted for around 20% of all evictions in the city, including the wholesale removal of entire communities.

Residents and businesses in Saint-Ouen, a deprived district in the north of Paris, have been told they need to leave in order for construction to begin. Having been evicted in the planning process, these communities then have little to no access to any future benefits that construction might bring.

During the event

There might be some truth in the frequent claim that the Olympics bring tourism spending to host cities. Local businesses and entrepreneurial residents situated adjacent to event sites usually look to make a quick buck. In Rio we noted food stalls selling churros, mobile caipirinha unit, and local residents serving up BBQ from their porches to hungry spectators.

However, these entrepreneurs are often banned from using the Games' branding. They also often have no access to the tourists to begin with, because of the way the city is reorganised during the actual events. Official sports and cultural activity take place in purpose-built zones, to which the International Olympic Comittee (IOC) offers exclusive rights to mega-corporation sponsors, supporters and suppliers.

Visitors are encouraged to stay within these zones. They are shuttled between them by an Olympic transport network that effectively shrouds the city and excludes the local community. Not only does this disrupt residents' day-to-day lives, it reconfigures the city in a way that displaces the existing population.

Michael Kemp/Alamy Stock Photo

The legacy

The legacy is often cited as justification for these comprehensive programmes of urban transformation and its attendant cost. London 2012, a case in point, was touted as the Legacy Olympics, with then foreign secretary, Jack Straw, pledging the Games as "a force for regeneration".

But legacies are not exclusively positive. Even as the money is being spent and preparations are underway, much is written about the missed opportunities. Whether it is investing in grassroots sport facilities or developing sustainable tourist experiences, there is the sense that the investment and energy put into the Games would be better deployed elsewhere.

After the fact, this sentiment is often borne out. Newly built stadiums turn into white elephants. Almost a decade later, UK taxpayers are still effectively subsidising Premier League football club West Ham United to use the Olympic Stadium in a sweetheart deal agreed to ensure that the stadium doesn't remain embarrassingly empty.

Transport infrastructure built for the Games doesn't always bring long-term benefits either. In Rio, despite the billions spent on shiny new buses and trains, cuts to existing services meant that urban mobility was actually worse after the Games, especially for poorer communities.

Arne Müseler / arne-mueseler.com, CC BY

There are some clear benefits for citizens after a city hosts the Olympics. New cultural quarters which increase subsequent flows of tourists. And the less tangible outcomes, such as increased civic pride or skills development as a result of volunteering opportunities during the event.

Due to intense media attention and affiliation to the Olympics, there is a rise in real-estate prices and rental values of both residential and commercial property. Poorer communities that avoided eviction in the run-up to the Games often end up pushed out of the areas which see the greatest economic benefit from hosting.

Long-term tourism development suffers too. Tourists visit cities to catch a glimpse of something both novel and culturally specific to a place. Post-Olympic gentrification erodes the local cultural offer: small businesses, which play a key part in cultural production, find themselves excluded, resulting in a tourist experience that is ultimately less authentic.

These negative outcomes have led to host populations vetoing the very idea of hosting the Games when given the option as happened recently in Calgary and Hamburg, among others. The Olympic project is in real peril, as a result, because it may not be compatible with modern inclusive and sustainable development.

Indeed, the IOC recognises this and is attempting to implement reforms. It suggests future games must consider local planning and development needs. It remains to be seen whether this rhetoric will be followed by robust action.

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Tokyo Olympics: how hosting the Games disrupts local lives and livelihoods

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In the run up to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the favela community of Vila Autódromo was virtually destroyed. It sat on prime real estate at the water's edge, in the up and coming West Zone neighbourhood. Dwellings were demolished, and hundreds of families were pressured to leave.

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Accessibility Equipment Update at the Tokyo Olympics 

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Accessibility Equipment Update at the Tokyo Olympics 

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Zac McArdle

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Study on what causes delays in Public Transport Systems

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Study on what causes delays in Public Transport Systems

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Joshua Wataman

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Why Does Public Transport Not Arrive on Time? The Pervasiveness of Equal Headway Instability

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Background The equal headway instability phenomenon is pervasive in public transport systems. This instability is characterized by an aggregation of vehicles that causes inefficient service. While equal headway instability is common, it has not been studied independently of a particular scenario. However, the phenomenon is apparent in many transport systems and can be modeled and rectified in abstraction.

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Mind map of Causes and effects of delays in Public Transport Systems

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Mind map of Causes and effects of delays in Public Transport Systems

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Information is from previously linked study, just synthesised.

Joshua Wataman

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Creating Reliable Public Transport Services through Headway

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Creating Reliable Public Transport Services through Headway

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Joshua Wataman

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Managing transportation during the olympics 

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Managing transportation during the olympics 

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https://qut.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=alma991009491840204001&context=L&vid=61QUT_INST:61QUT&lang=en&search_scope=MyInst_and_CI&adaptor=Local%20Search%20Engine&tab=Everything&query=any,contains,Managing%20Transport%20during%20the%20Olympic%20Games&offset=0

Liam Georgeson

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Tables listing event, times, venues per day for Tokyo 2020

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The 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games will take place over the course of 19 days of competition in July and August. With an expected 11,000 athletes to compete across 33 different sports and over 330 events, The Roar has you covered with a comprehensive, day-by-day guide to what's happening when.

This is the full events guide to the 2021 Olympic Games, with a day-by-day guide to every single event that will happen over the massive almost three-week period in Tokyo.

All times listed are in Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST), however, if you are looking for Tokyo time, simply deduct one hour from what is listed below.

While every effort has been made to keep these times up to date, note that some session times may change.

Preliminary events

Due to the length of competition or need for multiple sports to be played at some venues, the Olympics will begin two days before the opening ceremruony, with football and softball group stage matches to begin.

Softball is a women's only tournament, while football will include one day of both women's and men's matches at five different stadiums in Japan.

On opening ceremony day itself (marked below as Day 0), there will be rowing and archery events.

Preliminary Day 1 (Wednesday, July 21)

Preliminary Day 2 (Thursday, July 22)

Day 0 (Friday, July 23)

Opening Ceremony

The Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo were opened on Friday, July 23 in a three-hour ceremony, which commenced at 9pm (AEST), concluding the with the parade of nations and lighting of the Olympic cauldron.

Day 1 (Saturday, July 24)

Day 2 (Sunday, July 25)

Day 3 (Monday, July 26)

Day 4 (Tuesday, July 27)

Day 5 (Wednesday, July 28)

Day 6 (Thursday, July 29)

Day 7 (Friday, July 30)

Day 8 (Saturday, July 31)

Day 9 (Sunday, August 1)

Day 10 (Monday, August 2)

Day 11 (Tuesday, August 3)

Day 12 (Wednesday, August 4)

Day 13 (Thursday, August 5)

Day 14 (Friday, August 6)

Day 15 (Saturday, August 7)

Day 16 (Sunday, August 8)

Closing ceremony

The closing ceremony of the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games will be held at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo from 9pm (AEST) until 12pm (AEST) on the evening of Sunday, August 8.

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The 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games will take place over the course of 19 days of competition in July and August. With an expected 11,000 athletes to compete across 33 different sports and over 330 events,The Roar has you covered with a comprehensive, day-by-day guide to what's happening when.

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Ferries are not fast boats, and do not go a long way. They are used to get from one side of the river to the other, while having an enjoyable boat ride. Even walking across a bridge would be quicker than the ferries, however, it's a nice experience. - Harry

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Page links to various potentially useful sources.
https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/business-industry/Heavy-vehicles/Queensland-excess-mass-and-dimension-conditions

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Queensland excess mass and dimension conditions

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Important changes to access permit application process From 16 December 2019, excess mass operators do not need to be registered as an Approved Heavy Haulage Operator (AHHO) in Queensland. Registering with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator Portal will replace the Queensland AHHO.

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How the U.S. Embassy has agents and close knit links in Japan to contacts who can help protect their athletes if things go sideways with the Olympics

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How the U.S. Embassy has agents and close knit links in Japan to contacts who can help protect their athletes if things go sideways with the Olympics

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Calen Sayers

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TOKYO (NEXSTAR) - Safety and security are always top of mind when the Olympics roll around.

Here's how the state department helps protect our athletes.

Keeping Team USA safe is an important job and it's probably one you don't think about. At the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, Nexstar's Marielena Balouris got an inside look at how the Diplomatic Security Service keeps our athletes safe.

If you've never heard of the Diplomatic Security Service before, that's OK. Their goal is to blend into the background.

"We're the law enforcement arm of the U.S. Department of State," said Scott Schonauer, DSS special agent.

One of their missions is to protect the secretary of state. But they're here in Tokyo for a special - and important - reason.

"Our biggest concern is always anything security-related, that's what our purpose here is to make sure that Team USA is in a safe and secure environment," said Angelica Harrison, DSS special agent.

That mission is coordinated out of the joint operations center inside of the US Embassy. It takes work from multiple agencies in both the U.S. and Japan - and years of planning.

"Our job is to make sure that we build those relationships well in advance so if something were to happen, we know who to call, we know what to do in those situations," Schonauer said.

Planning security for Tokyo was challenging.

"These Olympic Games are definitely unique in the sense of the global pandemic. So the one thing we could count on every day is that things are changing," said DSS Deputy Olympic Security Coordinator Joshua Berk.

But the agents did their prep work, and got into place.

"We've got some agents that are actually with the teams, traveling with the teams and then we have agents that are at the venues. Their job is to know that venue in and out," Schonauer said.

Other agents work in the embassy, tracking the movement of teams and any potential threats. Agents say the Games have been quiet, so far... except for their enthusiasm for Team USA.

"We are objective in our security measures but certainly deep down, we're true Americans and we're rooting for Team USA," Schonauer said.

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The Diplomatic Security Service: How US athletes are kept safe at the Olympics

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TOKYO (NEXSTAR) - Safety and security are always top of mind when the Olympics roll around. Here's how the state department helps protect our athletes. Keeping Team USA safe is an important job and it's probably one you don't think about. At the U.S.

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Interview with the Tokyo Olympic manager about security and the coming together of multiple private organisations to make things go smoothly

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Interview with the Tokyo Olympic manager about security and the coming together of multiple private organisations to make things go smoothly

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Calen Sayers

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In preparation for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 (Tokyo 2020 Games), multiple private security companies joined hands to establish the "Joint Venture Group for Tokyo 2020 Games Security" (Tokyo 2020 Security JV).

A wide range of support is required for a smooth event operation that will deliver many inspiring moments and ensure the success of the Tokyo 2020 Games. Games security plays a pivotal role in the Games operation, working behind the scene to provide a safe and secure Games so that athletes can focus on giving their best performance and spectators can enjoy the Games without any anxiety or stress.

SECOM Co., Ltd., (SECOM) and Sohgo Security Services Co., Ltd., (ALSOK), are Tokyo 2020 Official Partners in the Security Services and Planning category, and they have had many discussions with The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) regarding the security operation of the Games.

The two companies agreed that the best way to fulfil their mission of providing a safe and successful Games is to handle the task under an "all-Japan framework" involving multiple private security firms, and this led to the establishment of the Tokyo 2020 Security JV.

In addition to SECOM and ALSOK, the founding members include:

KOUAN SECURITY SERVICE CO.,LTD.

KOUEI SECURITY GUARD CO.,LTD.

Shimizu Octo, Inc., JAPAN SECURITY PATROLS Co.,Ltd.

SHOWA SECURITY CO.,LTD.

SHINTEI CO., LTD., SESIM CO.,LTD.

SENON LIMITED, CENTRAL SECURITY PATROLS CO.,LTD.

ZENNIKKEI CO.,LTD.

Daiichi Sougou Security Services Co.,Ltd.

TEISHIN

Efforts will continue to solicit the participation of other security firms to complement the all-Japan framework. Ultimately, over 100 firms are estimated to join the Tokyo 2020 Security JV. The security of the Games will be undertaken by a scheme that has never been attempted before.

We interviewed representatives from the two promoting members of the Tokyo 2020 Security JV, SECOM and ALSOK, and asked them what is involved in the security of a large-scale event like the Olympic and Paralympic Games, what the Tokyo 2020 Security JV is aiming for, and other aspects of security we usually do not have the opportunity to hear.

How the JV was established
The Games will be safeguarded by a joint venture established by SECOM, ALSOK and a number of other security firms across the industry. How were you able to work with your competitors and agree to form this joint venture? Mr. Chubachi, Manager, Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Headquarters:
In the Candidacy File, the number of security personnel presented to the IOC was 14,000. However, this was just a forecast. SECOM and ALSOK are Tokyo 2020 Official Partners in the Security Services and Planning category, and we were faced with the challenge of securing enough security personnel for this large-scale global event. Our concern stemmed from the review of the past two Games in London and Rio de Janeiro. We learned that the private security firms responsible for providing the security personnel were not able to meet the requirement in both cases. We couldn't allow that to happen during the Tokyo 2020 Games, and we have been searching for a solution to fulfil everyone's expectations for a safe and secure Games. After many discussions, we concluded that establishing a joint venture under an "all-Japan framework" was the answer. We decided to put aside our rivalry and contribute as an industry team to support the Games.
Was it difficult to agree upon the structure? Chubachi:
The origin of both SECOM and ALSOK are deeply related to the Olympic Games, so we wanted to give back to the Olympic and Paralympic Games somehow. Discussion started from scratch and we eventually arrived at the conclusion that a joint venture would be the best structure.
Mr. Moriya, Manager, Tokyo 2020 Olympic & Paralympic Games Promotion Dept., ALSOK:
The security industry was born as a legacy of the 1964 Games. Our greatest motivation is to express our appreciation for the legacy of the previous Tokyo Games by contributing to the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Chubachi:
SECOM was founded two years before the Tokyo 1964 Games. We were approached by Mr. Jun Murai, who was the deputy general secretary of the organising committee and later founded ALSOK, and we were requested to provide about 100 security personnel during the Games. So you can see that SECOM and ALSOK have a connection through the Olympic Games.

What is expected of the JV
What expectations do you have from the Tokyo 2020 Security JV? Each firm works under a different system so it must be difficult to coordinate. Moriya:
We must secure the required number of security personnel for the Tokyo 2020 Games so I hope we can have as many companies as possible join the Tokyo 2020 Security JV. The Olympic and Paralympic Games is a special event that will be remembered forever so it shouldn't be just SECOM and ALSOK pitching in. All the firms participating in the joint venture should feel proud. The JV should be a team effort at the industry level, and we want this "all-Japan framework" to drive the creation of a new movement. Each firm has a different approach to so we will establish an Olympic and Paralympic version to provide a seamless security operation. For example, every firm has their own rule about saluting, so we will discuss and agree upon a single saluting form exclusively for the Tokyo 2020 Games.

In preparation for the Tokyo 2020 Games
What is the biggest challenge in preparing for the Tokyo 2020 Games? Moriya:
The biggest task for us is educating the security guards. We must consider what level of security we should provide, how we are going to guarantee the level and quality of security, and how we are going to inform everyone about it. There will be many guests from abroad visiting Japan for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. How are we going to respond to the multi-language requirements? There are so many issues we have to consider. There is a word, "omotenashi". Too much security can become too imposing or threatening. On the other hand, putting too much weight on "omotenashi" could result in the security to become too lenient, and we cannot have that. It is critical to find the right balance.
Chubachi:
Not everyone in the security industry has the experience of working on a major event like the Olympic and Paralympic Games. We hope to contribute to a safe and secure Games by providing high-quality service made possible by thoroughly educating all those concerned with security.

Security challenges of the Tokyo 2020 Games

Determination towards the Tokyo 2020 Games
Please share your determination toward the Tokyo 2020 Games. Chubachi:
At the April 3 ceremony to formally establish the Tokyo 2020 Security JV, Chief Security Officer Toshiro Yonemura said, "The success of the Tokoyo 2020 Games will not be possible without the success of the joint venture." Those words are engraved in my mind, and I will make every effort to ensure that the Tokyo 2020 Security JV will take all necessary measures to safeguard the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Moriya:
The most important role of the security industry is to make sure the athletes can focus on giving their best performance. Safeguarding the excitement and emotions will be our utmost priority.

It was impressive to hear that the security plan will be prepared with all possible scenarios in mind with nothing left out. The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games will work closely with SECOM, ALSOK and the other member companies of the Tokyo 2020 Security JV to prepare a security framework unlike any other in order to provide a safe environment for athletes, spectators, volunteers and all other parties concerned!

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Providing safety and security during the Games through a collaborative framework

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In preparation for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 (Tokyo 2020 Games), multiple private security companies joined hands to establish the "Joint Venture Group for Tokyo 2020 Games Security" (Tokyo 2020 Security JV). A wide range of support is required for a smooth event operation that will deliver many inspiring moments and ensure the success of the Tokyo 2020 Games.

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How Japan has closed nearby businesses and making sure that everyday people do not come anywhere near the athletes of the Olympics

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How Japan has closed nearby businesses and making sure that everyday people do not come anywhere near the athletes of the Olympics

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Calen Sayers

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TOKYO (AP) - Struggling businesses forced to temporarily shut down around Olympics venues. Olympic visitors ordered to install invasive apps and allow GPS tracking. Minders staking out hotels to keep participants from coming into contact with ordinary Japanese or visiting restaurants to sample the sushi.

Japan's massive security apparatus has raised complaints that the nation, during the weeks of the Games, will look more like authoritarian North Korea or China than one of the world's most powerful, vibrant democracies.

The worry for many here, however, isn't too much Big Brother. It's that all the increased precautions won't be nearly enough to stop the estimated 85,000 athletes, officials, journalists and other workers coming into Japan from introducing fast-spreading coronavirus variants to a largely unvaccinated population already struggling with mounting cases.

"It's all based on the honor system, and it's causing concern that media people and other participants may go out of their hotels to eat in Ginza," Takeshi Saiki, an opposition lawmaker, said of what he called Japan's lax border controls. So far, the majority of Olympic athletes and other participants have been exempted from typical quarantine requirements.

There have been regular breakdowns in security as the sheer enormity of trying to police so many visitors becomes clearer - and the opening ceremony looms. The Japanese press is filled with reports of Olympic-related people testing positive for the coronavirus. Photos and social media posts show foreigners linked to the Games breaking mask rules and drinking in public, smoking in airports - even, if the bios are accurate, posting on dating apps.

"There are big holes in the bubbles," said Ayaka Shiomura, another opposition lawmaker, speaking of the so-called "bubbles" that are supposed to separate the Olympics' participants from the rest of the country.

The pandemic has tested democracies around the world as they try to strike a balance between the need to protect basic rights and the national imperative to control a disease that thrives when people gather in large numbers.

Few places, however, have faced higher stakes than Tokyo will during July and August - or closer global scrutiny. The government, well aware of repeated domestic surveys that show strong opposition to the Games, argues that its security and monitoring measures are crucial as it tries to pull off an Olympics during a once-in-a-century pandemic.

But as the restrictions are tested by increasing numbers of visitors, officials have been blamed for doing too much, and too little.

The government and the Games' organizers "are treating visitors as if they are potential criminals," Chizuko Ueno, a professor emeritus of sociology at the University of Tokyo, said on YouTube.

There's also lingering resentment over a widespread sentiment that Japan is facing this balancing act because the International Olympic Committee needs to have the Games happen, regardless of the state of the virus, to get the billions of dollars in media revenue critical to its survival.

"The Olympics are held as an IOC business. Not only the Japanese people, but others around the world, were turned off by the Olympics after all of us saw the true nature of the Olympics and the IOC through the pandemic," mountaineer Ken Noguchi told the online edition of the Nikkan Gendai newspaper.

Senior sports editors at major international media companies, meanwhile, have asked organizers to "reconsider some measures that go beyond what is necessary to keep participants and residents safe," saying they "show a disregard for the personal privacy and technological security of our colleagues."

Japan has fared better during the pandemic than many nations, but the Olympians will be arriving only a few months after a coronavirus spike had some Japanese hospitals nearing collapse as ICUs filled with the sick. While the surge has tempered, cases are rising enough for the declaration of yet another state of emergency in Tokyo.

One of the highest-profile security problems came last month when a Ugandan team member arriving in Japan tested positive for what turned out to be the more contagious delta variant. He was quarantined at the airport, but the rest of the nine-person team was allowed to travel more than 500 kilometers (300 miles) on a chartered bus to their pre-Olympics camp, where a second Ugandan tested positive, forcing the team and seven city officials and drivers who had close contact with them to self-isolate.

On Friday, a Uganda team member went missing, raising more questions about the oversight of Olympic participants. On Saturday, organizers said the first resident of the Olympic Village had tested positive for COVID-19. Officials said it was not an athlete, but was a non-resident of Japan.

So what are the restrictions that Olympic-linked visitors face?

For the first 14 days in Japan, Olympic visitors outside the athletes' village are banned from using public transportation and from going to bars, tourist spots and most restaurants. They cannot even take a walk, or visit anywhere, in fact, that's not specifically mentioned in activity plans submitted in advance. There are some exceptions authorized by organizers: specifically designated convenience stores, takeaway places and, in rare cases, some restaurants that have private rooms.

Athletes, tested daily for the coronavirus, will be isolated in the athletes' village and are expected to stay there, or in similarly locked-down bubbles at venues or training sites. Those who break the rules could be sent home or receive fines and lose the right to participate in the Games.

Everyone associated with the Olympics will be asked to install two apps when entering Japan. One is an immigration and health reporting app, and the other is a contact tracing app that uses Bluetooth. They will also have to consent to allowing organizers to use GPS to monitor their movements and contacts through their smartphones if there's an infection or violation of rules.

"We are not going to monitor the behavior at all times," Organizing Committee CEO Toshiro Muto said. "The thing is, though, if there should be issues pertaining to their activity then, since the GPS function will be on, we'll be able to verify their activities."

Japan also plans to station human monitors at venues and hotels, though it's not yet clear how many.

"We will control every entry and exit. We will have a system that will not allow anyone to go outside freely," Olympic Minister Tamayo Marukawa said.

Other nations, both democratic and autocratic, have also tried to control and monitor behavior and businesses during the pandemic.

In the United States, for instance, NFL teams tracked their athletes in the team facilities. South Korean health authorities have aggressively used smartphone GPS data, credit-card transaction records and surveillance videos to find and isolate potential virus carriers. Tracking apps are used to monitor thousands of individuals quarantined at home.

In China, mask mandates, lockdowns confining millions to their homes and case tracing on a nationwide scale have faced little or no opposition. North Korea has shut its borders even tighter, skipped the Olympics and canceled or seriously curtailed access for foreign diplomats, aid workers and outside journalists.

While the security restrictions in Japan will be a hassle for visitors, they could also hit locals hard.

Hiroshi Kato, a fencing instructor, said he worries that he'll lose even more business than he did during the pandemic because he's been ordered to move from the building where he works across from the main Olympics stadium from July 1 to Sep. 19, for unspecified security reasons.

"I feel helpless," he said in an interview. "To safely hold the Games, some restrictions are understandable ... but (the organizers) knew this for a long time and perhaps could have provided some assistance for us."

___

Associated Press writers Kim Tong-hyung in Seoul, South Korea, and Kantaro Komiya in Tokyo contributed to this report.

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Japan's Olympic security balancing act leaves few satisfied

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TOKYO (AP) - Struggling businesses forced to temporarily shut down around Olympics venues. Olympic visitors ordered to install invasive apps and allow GPS tracking. Minders staking out hotels to keep participants from coming into contact with ordinary Japanese or visiting restaurants to sample the sushi.

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Athletes not happy about COVID precautions although all athletes have a liaison officer preventing them from taking public transport

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Athletes not happy about COVID precautions although all athletes have a liaison officer preventing them from taking public transport

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Calen Sayers

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The opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics is about nine weeks away. And yet many of the world's athletes are not satisfied with the COVID-19 precautions organisers have planned.

The World Players Association has identified a number of measures the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has proposed it says fail to meet best practice standards.

For example, athletes are concerned they would have to share small, poorly ventilated rooms, and demanded a review and modification of ventilation systems.

The athletes were responding to the IOC's second " playbook ", a guide for athletes and officials on how to have a "safe and successful Games".

Athletes also criticised plans to use daily saliva antigen tests for athletes rather than PCR tests of nose and throat swabs to test for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Several evaluations of these antigen tests have revealed they sometimes give a "false negative" result, meaning some infected people are not diagnosed.

Read more: For now, the Tokyo Olympics will go ahead. But at what cost?

Other problems the athletes identified included: the lack of sport-specific measures, such as for team sports; athletes having to sign risk waivers and the provision of inadequate insurance; the requirement athletes bring their own masks; insufficient detail about how infected athletes would be treated; no mention of mental health-care provisions; and lack of precise physical distancing measures in dining areas, gyms and locker rooms.

The IOC's playbook stresses athletes need two approved tests on two separate days within 96 hours of departure, one of which needs to be within 72 hours of departure. All athletes are tested on arrival and daily while in Tokyo using saliva antigen tests.

It then emphasises physical distancing, mask wearing and hygiene. Athletes must not use public transport. All athletes will have a nominated COVID-19 liaison officer, who will receive pre-Games training.

Athletes and officials do not have to be vaccinated. The IOC president has said he expects 80% of athletes will be fully vaccinated, although the source of that figure is unclear.

This still leaves potentially thousands of unprotected participants, more than enough to fuel transmission. Some countries such as Tanzania, whose long-distance runners have won medals in the past, have not vaccinated a single person.

Read more: Even if Olympians are jumping the COVID vaccine queue, that's not necessarily wrong. A bioethicist explains

Will the Olympics be safe?

In early February, I wrote an opinion piece that said holding the Olympics "defies public health logic". I have not changed my mind.

Challenges include a surge of COVID-19 cases in Japan, the likelihood many athletes, officials and media will be unvaccinated, and the Japanese public is against it.

Japan is experiencing its fourth wave of infections - the most severe since the pandemic began. The current seven-day moving average of 5,655 daily cases is 145 times higher than when the Games were postponed in March 2020. The host city is reporting almost 1,000 cases a day.

Japan's coronavirus testing rate is one of the lowest in the OECD so the official figures may be underestimates. Only about 107 per 1,000 people in Japan have been tested compared with 689 per 1,000 in Australia.

Some hospitals, such as in Osaka, are overwhelmed with severe cases and critical care beds are full.

'Lockdown lite' and slow vaccine rollout

There are two main reasons why this wave of COVID-19 infections may not be controlled by July. The first is the "lockdown lite" approach taken by the government and the second is the slow rollout of vaccines.

Although much of Japan, including Tokyo and Osaka, is under a state of emergency, there are constitutional constraints to the government imposing a national lockdown. The country relies on voluntary restraint rather than mandating restrictions. Restaurants and bars are asked to close at a certain hour but this cannot be enforced by law.

Only 4% of people in Japan have received one vaccine dose and just under 2% are fully vaccinated. While the pace is picking up, it is unlikely more than 10% of the Japanese population will be fully vaccinated by the Games.

Although there will be little mingling between athletes and the public, there may be a high risk of the virus spreading among Japanese spectators in stadiums and public transport. That's if spectators will be allowed to attend.

Finally, one of the strongest arguments against going ahead is that the Japanese public is against it. The latest opinion poll shows only 24% support the Olympics and Paralympics going ahead this year.

In one of the strongest statements so far, the 6,000-member Tokyo Medical Practitioners Association called for the Olympics to be cancelled in a letter sent to the prime minister, Tokyo governor, and the head of the Olympics organising committee.

About the best we can expect is a series of events in silent, empty stadiums, disrupted team-sport events and isolated athletes locked in their dormitories.

The worst would be a super-spreading event in the athletes' village and spikes of cases in many countries when athletes return home.

Read more: Why are Japan's leaders clinging to their Olympic hopes? Their political fortunes depend on it

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Olympic athletes speak up: current COVID plans aren't enough to keep them safe

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The opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics is about nine weeks away. And yet many of the world's athletes are not satisfied with the COVID-19 precautions organisers have planned. The World Players Association has identified a number of measures the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has proposed it says fail to meet best practice standards.

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| https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterlyon/2021/06/30/covid-wont-stop-the-olympics-nor-toyotas-autonomous-ev-transportation-for-athletes/?sh=26c303b81d14

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The self-driving e-Palette will ferry athletes around the Olympic Village.
Photo courtesy of Toyota

With under one month to go until the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics begin, main sponsor Toyota has intensified the final practice runs of its e-Palette electric autonomous vehicles that will ferry athletes and staff from the Olympic Village to venues and back. And so far, everything is running smooth and driverless.

The e-Palette first debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2018 when Toyota president Akio Toyoda announced his firm's bold goal to transition to a mobility company. According to Toyoda, the driverless e-Palette is geared towards enhancing practical MaaS (mobility as a service) applications in the near future, and in one of its first trials in the real world, will form the bulk of Toyota's electrified vehicle Olympic fleet.

Speaking of the Games, it should be stressed that Covid infection rates in the greater Tokyo area are hovering over 400 per day, and 6-day quarantine protocols are now being imposed on delta variant infected athletes and staff arriving from Uganda, Indonesia and several other countries as the new stronger variant spreads in Japan. Even in the face of another potential state of emergency, should infection rates rise rapidly, the Japanese government and the International Olympic Committee have decided that the Games will go ahead no matter what.

The e-Palette has a cruising range of up to 90 miles and can travel at up to 20 mph.
Photo s=courtesy of Toyota

And it's up to Toyota to supply the lion's share of athlete transportation which totals around 3,700 mobility products and vehicles, 90% of which will be electrified. Among this sizable fleet, Toyota will provide approximately 500 FCEVs including the hydrogen-powered Mirai sedan, and around 850 EVs including approximately 20 e-Palette vehicles. In addition, 200 Accessible People Movers (APM), which are sized and shaped similarly to the e-Palette but have open sides, will operate within the so-called 'last one-mile' of the Olympic stadium to ensure athletes and staff get to their events.

The company says that each e-Palette to go into service during the Olympics and Paralympics, can ferry up to 20 people or 4 wheelchairs, although social distancing requirements will most probably require that number to be halved. Powered by rechargeable lithium-ion battery packs, each vehicle has a cruising distance of around 90 miles, and a cruising speed of up to 20 mph.

Toyota's e-Palette was designed to carry up to 20 people but with social distancing rules in place, ... [+]
Photo courtesy of Toyota

But probably most significantly, the e-Palette will employ Level 4 autonomous driving capability, although for safety reasons, each vehicle will have an operator onboard to 'monitor' the automated driving and cater to passenger needs. As you might expect, these vehicles are also fitted with the latest version of Toyota's Safety Sense technologies.

Also destined for Toyota's ambitious carbon-neutral, hydrogen-powered 'Woven City' project taking shape at the base of Mt Fuji, the e-Palette is an integral part of that Olympic Village transport framework and may be defined as 'Autono-MaaS' which refers to just-in-time mobility services that "go to where it is needed, when it is needed, and on time." Let's hope that Toyota's 'on time' policy is flexible enough to react to any unforeseen Covid complications, should they arise.

... Read More

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Covid Won't Stop The Olympics Nor Toyota's Autonomous EV Transportation For Athletes

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With under one month to go until the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics begin, main sponsor Toyota has intensified the final practice runs of its e-Palette electric autonomous vehicles that will ferry athletes and staff from the Olympic Village to venues and back. And so far, everything is running smooth and driverless.

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Tim Williams

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Coronavirus recovery: public transport is key to avoid repeating old and unsustainable mistakes

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Some new habits we’ve seen emerging during the pandemic could help us solve tricky problems like traffic congestion, which have challenged our cities for a long time.

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Proposed site for the Olympic media centre 

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Proposed site for the Olympic media centre 

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https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/south-brisbane-site-to-become-2032-olympics-media-centre-and-parkland-20210726-p58d4g.html

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Riverside land at South Brisbane will be bought by Brisbane City Council and the state government for the 2032 Olympic Games International Broadcasting Centre site, lord mayor Adrian Schrinner confirmed on Monday night.

After the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics, the seven hectares of land on Montague Road will be transformed into parkland, Cr Schrinner confirmed back in Brisbane after representing the 2032 Games bid and attending the Opening Ceremony at the Tokyo Games.

Industrial land at South Brisbane is to become the 2032 Olympic Games International Broadcasting Centre. It will be transformed into parkland after the Games. Credit:Tony Moore

It is expected to lead a major redevelopment of one of the last remaining riverside portions of land in central Brisbane.

"The mayors of south-east Queensland began the journey to pursue these Games because they realised the incredible legacy this would create for Brisbane and the rest of the region," Cr Schrinner said.

"This new area on the banks of the Brisbane River is precisely the type of legacy they envisaged; great new assets that would benefit all residents and make our wonderful city even better."

Cr Schrinner said the new South Brisbane riverside park would be the 2032 equivalent to the South Bank Parklands contribution to World Expo '88.

A jogger at South Bank in Brisbane. Credit:Tertius Pickard

"For a decade and more, people have talked about South Bank being extended along this part of our river and I am so pleased we're now moving forward to make those dreams become a reality," he said.

"World Expo '88 was the catalyst for the creation of South Bank and now Brisbane 2032 will facilitate the next phase of this evolution."

Negotiations with the owner of the industrial business on the site have already begun.

The South Brisbane site is identified in the International Olympic Commission's Future Host Commission report released earlier this year.

The IOC's International Host Commission's report shows the 2032 International Broadcasting Centre on Montague Road at South Brisbane. Credit:IOC Host Commission Report.

This largely industrial land at South Brisbane was earmarked in Brisbane City Council planning in 2014 for future urban and cultural development.

The IOC Future Host Commission report says the Queensland government would provide money to remediate the industrial land.

"It includes demolition of industrial buildings, site remediation, and construction of permanent utilities, including a new substation," the report says.

It identifies a temporary 57,000-square-metre International Broadcasting Centre for the world's media during the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics.

The Main Press Centre for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be nearby at South Bank's Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.

After the Games the new International Broadcasting Centre buildings on Montague Road will be removed and the site would become parkland, Cr Schrinner confirmed.

"Obviously, the Games are some years away, but we're eager to get on with the job of delivering this and other amazing new assets for the people of Brisbane," he said.

"This will give us plenty of time to work with the state to secure the land and for council to masterplan this area for all Brisbane residents in the future."

The seven-hectare parcel of land is within 25 hectares of land identified in 2014 in the council's draft Kurilpa Master Plan, which planned the future of the riverside land at West End opposite Milton.

At that stage it was earmarked for residential and commercial properties.

The Queensland government also proposed extending to South Bank Parklands around the river in 2012.

Tony Moore is a senior reporter at the Brisbane Times

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South Brisbane site to become 2032 Olympics media centre and parkland

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Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Riverside land at South Brisbane will be bought by Brisbane City Council and the state government for the 2032 Olympic Games International Broadcasting Centre site, lord mayor Adrian Schrinner confirmed on Monday night.

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https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/traffic-and-transport/public-transport/brisbane-metro/brisbane-metro-vehicle

Each vehicle will be 24.4 metres in length and 2.55 metres wide, with the capacity to carry 150 passengers in comfort and 170 passengers in event mode. IMPRESSIVE

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As part of Brisbane Metro, Brisbane City Council will introduce a new fleet of 60 all-electric, high-capacity Brisbane Metro vehicles. The Brisbane Metro vehicles will integrate seamlessly into busway operations and share the busway with existing bus services, as part of a better planned network.

Following an extensive tender process, Council has announced world-leading vehicle manufacturer HESS and electric infrastructure experts Hitachi ABB Power Grids, to design and build the Brisbane Metro vehicle fleet.

HESS and Hitachi ABB Power Grids will deliver a zero tailpipe emission, battery electric fleet of vehicles with state of-the-art, flash charging infrastructure.

Key features

The Brisbane Metro vehicles will be an Australian-first, using tried and tested European technology that will help future-proof Brisbane's public transport network. Each vehicle will be 24.4 metres in length and 2.55 metres wide, with the capacity to carry 150 passengers in comfort and 170 passengers in event mode.

Other key features of the Brisbane Metro vehicle include:

zero tailpipe emissions, battery electric operation

all day electric operation with flash charging in under six minutes at the end of route

spacious bi-articulated design, providing three large open passenger areas

three large double doors along the length of the vehicle for quicker boarding

three large mobility aid bays in the first passenger compartment with automated on-request ramp access at the first passenger door

low-floor design from front to rear, providing a high level of accessibility

capacity for 150 passengers in comfort and 170 in event mode

in-built USB charging points and on-board Wi-Fi, to help commuters stay connected

passenger information displays and next stop audio and visual route information

separated driver's cabin

panoramic rear window, for taking advantage of city views

interior illuminated ceiling.

The Brisbane Metro vehicle will also offer a quiet, smooth and comfortable journey for passengers.

Next steps

HESS and Hitachi ABB Power Grids will build and test the Brisbane Metro pilot vehicle in Europe in 2021, which is expected to be ready for local operating testing in Brisbane in 2022.

Following the successful trial of the pilot vehicle, Council will have the option to purchase 59 additional Brisbane Metro vehicles, with services expected to commence in late 2024, subject to approvals.

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As part of Brisbane Metro, Brisbane City Council will introduce a new fleet of 60 all-electric, high-capacity Brisbane Metro vehicles. The Brisbane Metro vehicles will integrate seamlessly into busway operations and share the busway with existing bus services, as part of a better planned network.

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https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/traffic-and-transport/public-transport/brisbane-metro#map

Services expected to commence in late 2024

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Brisbane Metro will be a key part of Brisbane's greater transport network linking the city to the suburbs and making it easier to connect with the people and places you love. The all new Brisbane Metro will operate along dedicated busways from Eight Mile Plains to Roma Street, and Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital to University of Queensland with turn-up-and-go services, operating 24 hours on weekends - no timetables needed.

This city-shaping project is fully funded in partnership with the Australian Government and will transform our city's public transport network. The Brisbane Metro's all-electric, high-capacity vehicles will provide more travel options with easy links to bus and train services, building new and improved infrastructure and using the best technology to suit our river city.

Want to know more? Read our frequently asked questions.

Benefits of Brisbane Metro

Major infrastructure fly-through video

You can also view this video on Council's YouTube channel.

Virtual information centre

Want to learn more about Brisbane Metro? Try exploring the virtual information centre.

View a larger version of the virtual information centre.

Brisbane Metro network map

Accessible version

Download the:

Frequently asked questions

What are the benefits of Metro?

Reduce congestion bottlenecks in the city with more travel options and a better-planned network

Making it easier to travel with turn-up-and-go services and 24 hours on the weekend - no timetables needed

All-electric vehicles with zero tailpipe emissions for a cleaner and greener Brisbane

Creating 2600 jobs throughout design and construction.

What major infrastructure will be delivered as part of the project?

A new tunnel beneath Adelaide Street and revitalised streetscape from North Quay to Edward Street

Upgraded Cultural Centre station

An enhanced gateway to the Cultural Forecourt with new landscaping and wider footpaths

Significant public realm improvements at Melbourne Street and Grey Street

Changes to Victoria Bridge to provide three lanes for Brisbane Metro and bus services, and dedicated cycling and pedestrian pathways

Upgrades to some suburban stations including end of route vehicle charging facilities.

How will Brisbane Metro help to improve the public transport network if I don't catch buses or live along the busway?

The new high-capacity and high frequency Brisbane Metro services will be a key part of Brisbane's greater transport network, linking the city to the suburbs and making it easier to connect with the people and places you love.

This means improvements to suburban bus services may include more frequent services and longer operating hours on key routes connecting to busway stations.

Council, in collaboration with the State Government and TransLink is undertaking a detailed staged review of the bus network and specific bus routes are being worked through. This work will continue through 2021. In 2022, Council will commence community engagement on any proposed changes as part of this review, ahead of any changes being implemented as part of Brisbane Metro.

How is Brisbane Metro supporting job creation and our local economy?

Brisbane Metro will generate 2600 jobs throughout design and construction of the project. Brisbane Metro provides improved access to key centres, meeting places, employment, and health and education facilities, supporting enhanced social and economic outcomes for community members.

Contact us

If you have any questions or would like more information about Brisbane Metro, you can:

The Brisbane Metro is just another way Council is making our city Brisbetter.

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Brisbane Metro will be a key part of Brisbane's greater transport network linking the city to the suburbs and making it easier to connect with the people and places you love.

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https://www.statedevelopment.qld.gov.au/industry/brisbane-olympic-and-paralympic-athletes-village

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The Olympics will do for Northshore Hamilton what Expo 88 did for South Bank.
Northshore Hamilton will undergo a spectacular transformation to become the main Athletes' Village for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games - further cementing its reputation as Brisbane's future premier riverfront lifestyle precinct.
Construction of the Village will crystalise the long-term plan for the area and rejuvenate the existing industrial land.

This will add to an already popular precinct, which is home to landmarks such as Portside, Eat Street Markets, and Alcyone Hotel, and some of Brisbane's best waterfront living.

The Athletes' Village will host more than 10,000 athletes and team officials for the Olympic Games and more than 5000 for the Paralympics.

The Village will be constructed on Economic Development Queensland-owned land within the Northshore Hamilton Priority Development Area (PDA).

Northshore's prime waterfront location, proximity to the CBD and competition and training venues, let alone transport connections, make it an ideal location - even after the Games are over.

Post the Games, Northshore will deliver a diverse residential offering, including aged care, retirement living social and affordable housing, key worker, hotel, build-to-rent and market accommodation.

What will the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games mean for Queensland?

The Olympic and Paralympic Games will create a two-decade pipeline of opportunity for Queensland, delivering economic and social benefits across the State with more than $8 billion in benefits predicted.

This opportunity will benefit communities, tourism operators, sporting organisations and local businesses.

The 2032 Games are also expected to support 91,600 full-time equivalent jobs in Queensland and 122,900 nationally.

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Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Athletes' Village

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The Olympics will do for Northshore Hamilton what Expo 88 did for South Bank. Northshore Hamilton will undergo a spectacular transformation to become the main Athletes' Village for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games - further cementing its reputation as Brisbane's future premier riverfront lifestyle precinct.

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http://volgren.com.au/brisbane-city-council-deploys-new-generation-euro-6-buses/ - Kenny

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Brisbane City Council's commitment to a clean, low carbon public transport network has been boosted by the deployment of four Volgren built Euro 6 buses.

Operating across standard bus services in Brisbane, the 12.5-metre long Volgren Optimus buses are built on Volvo's B8RLE chassis with its low-emission Euro 6 engine. The new chassis complimenting Volgren's ground-breaking Optimus, launched in 2013 with all the advantages of the Co-Bolt® aluminium body.

The early introduction of the Volgren bodied B8RLE Euro 6 buses gives Council the opportunity to evaluate the performance of the new vehicles against their current Euro 5 fleet.

Manager of Engineering & Asset Management Branch at Brisbane City Council, Karl Hain said Council operate around 1200 buses, with almost half running on compressed natural gas and all new buses powered by new generation, high-efficiency, EEV diesel engine technology.

"Brisbane City Council is committed to the city being clean, green and sustainable. Two key areas this is achieved is by providing clean air and lowering carbon emissions."

"The introduction of a Euro 6 engine helps Council achieve these outcomes as the Euro 6 engine reduces emissions by 80% for NOx, 66% for particulate matter and 70% for hydrocarbons compared to the current legislated Euro 5 standard."

Mr Hain said bus operators at Council's Virginia depot have already reported improved performance of the Euro 6 compared to the previous Euro 5 EEV model.

"Bus operators have indicated a clear preference for the Euro 6 with smoother delivery of power and a quieter engine than the previous generation EEV. All indicators suggest that the new vehicles have made a positive impact for the environment, our operators and importantly, our passengers," Mr Hain said.

Mr Hain added that the joint venture with locally based Volgren, supported Council's primary responsibility to ensure value for money for Brisbane rate-payers while providing local OEM and after sales support.

Jim Jones, Volgren's Commercial Manager said delivery of the Volgren built buses represents an important milestone in a partnership that spans more than 15 years.

"The introduction of the Euro 6's across the network contributes to Brisbane being recognised as 100 per cent carbon neutral. The Transport for Brisbane team has shown great leadership by investing in the latest technology to deliver lasting environmental outcomes and a commitment to improving driver and customer experience," Jim said.

Mr Jones said Volgren Queensland employs more than 40 people, building 60 buses a year with capacity to significantly increase both headcount and buses built.

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BRISBANE CITY COUNCIL DEPLOYS NEW GENERATION EURO 6 BUSES

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Brisbane City Council's commitment to a clean, low carbon public transport network has been boosted by the deployment of four Volgren built Euro 6 buses. Operating across standard bus services in Brisbane, the 12.5-metre long Volgren Optimus buses are built on Volvo's B8RLE chassis with its low-emission Euro 6 engine.

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http://www.brisbanetransport.info/?GoTo=fleetspecs&find=Volvo%20B7RLE%20[Volgren]&searching=yes - Kenny

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Navigate To:

Search Bus Fleet

Recent News:

June will be a big month 20 New Volvo B8RLEA / Volgren Optimus Articulated Buses will be going into Service. 3 Yutong EBuses will be online as well!!!

External Links:

Displaying specifications for Volvo B7RLE [Volgren]

Chassis
Volvo B7RLE

Body
Volgren 'CR228L'

Body Type

Rigid Low-Floor

Fleet No's
1801-2071

Total Built

271

Delivered

2009 - 2013

Withdrawn ¹

2016 (1980)

Engine

6 Cylinder Turbo Diesel, rear mounted

Gearbox

4 speed Voith

Air-Conditioning ²

Yes

Destination Signs ²

Electronic (Mobitec)

Passengers ³

Seating: 43 | Wheelchair: 2 | Capacity: tba

Dimensions

Length: 12.48 mt | Width: 2.48 mt | Height: 3.25 mt

Notes

Buses 1889 onwards have TRANSLink logos applied to the exterior of the buses.

¹ Dates listed are from when the first of that type of make of bus was first withdrawn, up to the last of that make
² Varying suppliers may have provided this equipment, so vayring makes/models may be different from bus to bus of this make
³ The total seating capacity maybe less when wheel-chair passengers occupy the seating area of the bus.

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June will be a big month 20 New Volvo B8RLEA / Volgren Optimus Articulated Buses will be going into Service. 3 Yutong EBuses will be online as well!!!

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Andrew P

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Brisbane's climate is classified as warm and temperate. Brisbane has a significant amount of rainfall during the year. This is true even for the driest month. The climate here is classified as Cfa by the Köppen-Geiger system. The temperature here averages 20.0 °C | 68.0 °F. About 909 mm | 35.8 inch of precipitation falls annually.

Climate graph // Weather by Month Brisbane

The least amount of rainfall occurs in July. The average in this month is 30 mm | 1.2 inch. With an average of 127 mm | 5.0 inch, the most precipitation falls in January.

average temperature Brisbane

The temperatures are highest on average in January, at around 24.5 °C | 76.1 °F. July has the lowest average temperature of the year. It is 14.6 °C | 58.2 °F.

Brisbane weather and climate for every month

Hours of sunshine in Brisbane

In December the highest number of daily hours of sunshine is measured in Brisbane on average. In December there is an average of 9.11 hours of sunshine a day and a total of 282.42 hours of sunshine throughout December.

In January, the lowest number of daily hours of sunshine is measured in Brisbane on average. In January there are an average of 9.11 hours of sunshine per day and a total of 282.42 hours of sunshine.

Around 3061.39 hours of sunshine are counted in Brisbane throughout the year. On average there are 100.62 hours of sunshine per month.

Airport close to Brisbane

The closest Airports of Brisbane are: Brisbane Airport (BNE) 11.18km,Gold Coast Airport (OOL) 91.25km,Sunshine Coast Airport (MCY) 96.23km

You can reach Brisbane from this Cities by Plane: Wellington (WLG), Sydney (SYD), Honolulu (HNL), Canberra (CBR), Port Macquarie (PQQ), Dallas (DFW), Perth (PER), Cairns (CNS), Dubai (DXB), Townsville (TSV), Broome (BME), Osaka (KIX), Hobart (HBA), Port Moresby (POM), Guangzhou (CAN), Launceston (LST), Bundaberg (BDB), Gladstone (GLT), Mount Isa (ISA), Tokyo (NRT) Nouméa (NOU), Auckland (AKL), Singapore (SIN), Christchurch (CHC), Adelaide (ADL), Taipei City (TPE), Bangkok (BKK), Darwin (DRW), Karratha (KTA), Burnt Pine (NLK), Moranbah (MOV), Los Angeles (LAX), Nadi (NAN), Emerald (EMD), Mackay (MKY), Proserpine (PPP), Kuala Lumpur (KUL), Seoul (ICN), Melbourne (MEL), Rockhampton (ROK), Hong Kong (HKG)

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Brisbane climate: Average Temperature, weather by month, Brisbane weather averages - Climate-Data.org

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Brisbane's climate is classified as warm and temperate. Brisbane has a significant amount of rainfall during the year. This is true even for the driest month. The climate here is classified as Cfa by the Köppen-Geiger system. The temperature here averages 20.0 °C | 68.0 °F.

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Collection by Andrew P

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Collection by Andrew P

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Obstacles for Public Transport - Disability Access

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Obstacles for Public Transport - Disability Access

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Have you considered the accessibility of your system?

Andrew P

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Wheelchair, crutches, bad balance, but also heavy luggage, strollers, young children... 30 to 40% of public transport users are in a situation of reduced mobility and 6.6% of the US population is living with an ambulatory disability. The removal of physical barriers is a prerequisite for their access to the transportation network, but also a huge challenge for transport network operators, especially when the infrastructure is old. Let's have a look at existing solutions and services. Get inspired by the transport networks that get it right!
What are the physical obstacles encountered in public transport?

Imagine yourself in front of a 15-inch step using a wheelchair, lengthening your trip by half an hour because of a broken down elevator, passing the safety gates with a large and heavy suitcase, going down 3 floors with your stroller and your baby in your arms, etc.

Reducing physical barriers in public transport is a real need for people with reduced mobility and physical disability.

Here are some examples of physical barriers that can be found in public transportation:

⊗ Unsuitable steps,

⊗ Significant differences in height between floors,

⊗ Long distances,

⊗ Slippery floors,

⊗ Excessive space between the platform and the vehicle,

⊗ Access heights too important.

These difficulties mainly concern people with ambulatory disabilities but can be extended to all people with reduced mobility.

What are the solutions to reduce obstacles in public transport for people with a physical disability?

Planning ahead: tips and tricks to travel serenely

To save time and avoid unpleasant surprises (elevator down, stairs at the entrance ...), planning ahead is a key step.

Many websites and mobile applications, often unknown to users, allow to locate accessible places and to be informed in real time of the level of accessibility of infrastructures. Among the best known are: wheelmap and access earth.

In addition, most cities like Chicago, Toronto and London provide users with a journey planner taking into account the network's accessibility.

Facilities adapted for people with reduced mobility

In the United States for exemple, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) is the landmark civil rights law that deals with the rights of persons with disabilities. Title II of the ADA "prohibits discrimination based on disability in public transport such as city buses and public railways". The regulation imposes certain standards on transport networks, such as the requirement to provide disability access in new vehicles and paratransit services to those who cannot use public transportation.

Some transport network operators go beyond legal obligations and address custom-made arrangements to people with motor disabilities.

Here is a non-exhaustive list of the different accessibility solutions dedicated to people with reduced mobility all over the world:

⊗ In Lyon, France, all metro stations are equipped with lifts and dedicated gates,

⊗ The subway of New York City is equipped with AutoGate: an automatic entry/exit gate

⊗ In Montreal, all metros and buses are accessible for wheelchair users (elevators, front-door access ramps...)

⊗ In Barcelona, ​​a stop request button and a request button of the ramp has been set up in the buses to simplify the wheelchair exit,

⊗ Several metro lines in the world have a retractable threshold in order to fill the space between the platform and the vehicule,

⊗ Throughout Spain, a dedicated spot in buses is equipped with a belt and a grab bar that secures people in wheelchairs,

⊗ Many European buses have a validation terminal located in front of the access ramp preventing wheelchair users from having to move to the back of the bus,

⊗ The city of Toulouse in France has implemented a lowered card transport validation in buses.

Services adapted for people with reduced mobility

Reducing barriers in public transport also means providing services to people with motor disabilities.

Alternative modes of transport at the public transport rate is often offered in the event of a hazard and to those who cannot use public transport. In some cities, a free accompaniment service by qualified members of staff is offered. Other cities have also developed an ambulatory ambassador service. Disabled users advise and accompany those in need to better understand their difficulties and overcome them. Uber and Lyft both provide handicap-accessible transportation. Depending on the area, you may need to plan and pay more than a traditional ride. However, those private rideshare services can fill occasional needs.

If leaving the house is often an expedition for people with a physical disability, this is not inevitable. As an accessibility actor of your public transport network, you have the power to improve the situation of at least 30% of your users. Lifts, access ramps, adapted furniture, real-time information on network accessibility, paperless ticketing, assistance services..., many solutions have proved successfully. Before setting up one or the other, we recommend that you look for feedback and organize a consultation with users of your network with disabilities to identify their difficulties, because what works well somewhere may need to be adapted elsewhere.
If you like this article you will also like this one: Making Public Transport Information Accessible to Disabled People

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Obstacles in Public Transport: What Solutions for Physical Disability?

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Wheelchair, crutches, bad balance, but also heavy luggage, strollers, young children... 30 to 40% of public transport users are in a situation of reduced mobility and 6.6% of the US population is living with an ambulatory disability.

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Public Transport Usage as Population increases

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Public Transport Usage as Population increases

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Mr Dow said Greater Brisbane's increased population shone a fresh light on how well public transport was used by commuters.

"If you take in account the population increase it is not performing that well," Mr Dow said.

Brisbane residents are returning to their cars as per capita public transport usage declines in Greater Brisbane. Credit:Michele Mossop

"If you've got a flat line in south-east Queensland for your public transport usage and the population has increased from 3.0 million to 3.5 million over that time essentially - and you still have a flat line in passengers - they are not going to public transport are they?

"They are going to the roads and that's the problem.

"We are getting more congestion on the roads."

Mr Dow said much of the new residential growth areas were in Brisbane's outer ring.

"These areas are public transport-poor. They don't have access to public transport so they tend to drive," he said.

Transport studies show many European countries have far higher rates of public transport usage than Australia.

International transport data collected by the Auckland Council in New Zealand shows the Canadian city of Vancouver is a standout achiever in encouraging people to use public transport.

Mr Dow said Queensland planners needed to concentrate on further improving the bus services.

Graph shows how Brisbane's per capita public transport use is sliding among a cities of similar sizes.

Queensland Transport Minister Mark Bailey highlighted the headline figure of 189 public transport trips in south-east Queensland in 2018-19, an increase of 6.9 million on the previous year.

"That included more than 117 million trips on buses, more than 55 million trips on rail, more than 10 million on light rail and more than 6.5 million trips on ferries," he said.

"The Palaszczuk government has invested in public transport to support that growth, including Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 2, the opening of the Redcliffe Peninsula rail line and the continued expansion of park-and-ride locations around south-east Queensland.

"We've made public transport accessible for more Queenslanders, with our government's concession schemes saving commuters $320.44 million in the 2018-19 financial year.

Mr Dow - who has been a public transport lobbyist for more than 15 years - said improving bus connections with local rail services was was essential to improve "per capita" rail trips.

Greater Brisbane public transport usage 2009-10 to 2017-128. Figures compiled from Transport and Main Roads and Queensland Rail annual reports

"As soon as you get outside inner Brisbane - out towards Redlands and Ipswich - these connections become very important," he said.

He said having a local bus miss a local train connection could force an hour-long wait for a commuter.

Mr Dow said that commuter was likely to drive the next time they needed to travel.

In 2013, TransLink proposed closing poorly used bus routes and concentrating on providing extra buses on major feeder routes, using shopping centres as hubs.

But overall the Transport and Main Roads figures showed patronage returning to buses and trains after a dip in patronage following large fare increases in 2013.

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As SEQ's population grows, per capita public transport usage falls

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Mr Dow said Greater Brisbane's increased population shone a fresh light on how well public transport was used by commuters. "If you take in account the population increase it is not performing that well," Mr Dow said.

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Public Transport statistics for Brisbane

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Public Transport statistics for Brisbane

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Public transit facts & statistics for Brisbane

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Compare commute & waiting times for public transit riders, distance traveled by bus or train & the average walking distance in Brisbane

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More than one in three migrants from New Zealand settle in Queensland

Queensland remains a popular destination to settle for our friends across the ditch, with the 2016 Census revealing more than one in three (35 per cent) of the 98,000 New Zealanders arriving in Australia since 2011 settled in the Sunshine State.

It has been less than 10 months since the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) took the pulse of the nation to find out who we are, how we live, what we do, and where we're headed.

The Census was used to update Queensland's estimated resident population, which at 31 December, 2016, had grown to 4,883,739 people.

The Census counted 4,703,193 usual residents of Queensland on Census night, an 8.6 per cent increase from 2011.

New Zealand (4.3 per cent) remains the most commonly reported country of birth outside Australia for people in Queensland, followed by England (3.8 per cent) and India (1.0 per cent).

The 2016 Census found the North Lakes area to be the fastest growing region in Queensland. Located 26 kilometres north of Brisbane's CBD, North Lakes recorded a population increase of 39 per cent from 52,000 people in 2011 to 72,000 people in 2016.

Located between Brisbane and the picturesque Gold Coast, Ormeau-Oxenford was the fastest growing region outside of the State's capital, with its population increasing to 121,000 people, up from 94,000 people in 2011.

People are flocking to the sand and surf, with high growth rates since 2011 in the coastal regions of Buderim (19.1 per cent), Surfers Paradise (15.6 per cent), and Caloundra (15.6 per cent).

Looking at Australia's Glitter Strip, the Gold Coast Local Government Area recorded a resident population of 555,721 people, an increase of 12.4 per cent from 2011.

The maroon State also remains largely English speaking, with four out of five people (81 per cent) reporting they only spoke English at home, down from 85 per cent in 2011. The most common languages spoken in Queensland homes other than English were Mandarin, Vietnamese and Cantonese.

Christianity was the most common religion reported in Queensland, accounting for more than half the State's population - 2.6 million people - while 29 per cent of people reported that they had 'No religion'.

Queensland's median weekly personal income increased from $587 in 2011 to $660 in 2016, a 12 per cent rise, with the Weipa Local Government Area on the western shores of the Cape York Peninsula recording the State's highest median income at $1,320 a week.

Queensland recorded the country's third-highest median weekly rent, with an increase of 10 per cent over the past five years to $330. Over the same period, for those chasing the great Australia dream, the state's median monthly mortgage repayment actually fell by six per cent.

Census data reported that Queensland was home to 186,482 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in 2016, up from 155,826 five years earlier. Queensland's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population is surpassed only by that of New South Wales

Australian Statistician David W. Kalisch said Census data is high quality, thanks to the participation of Australians.

"The Independent Assurance Panel I established to provide extra assurance and transparency of Census data quality concluded that the 2016 Census data can be used with confidence," Mr Kalisch said.

"The 2016 Census had a response rate of 95.1 per cent and a net undercount of 1.0 per cent. This is a quality result, comparable to both previous Australian Censuses and Censuses in other countries, such as New Zealand, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

"Furthermore, 63 per cent of people completed the Census online, embracing the digital-first approach and contributing to faster data processing and data quality improvements.

"2016 Census data provides a detailed, accurate and fascinating picture of Australia, which will be used to inform critical policy, planning and service delivery decisions for our communities over the coming years," he said.

Census data is available free online. Use one of our easy tools such as QuickStats and Community Profiles to access the latest data for your area or topic of interest.

You can also attend one of our free Seminars. To find out more about Census Data Seminar series, or to register, go to the ABS website.

Queensland

Population growth

*All numbers based on Place of Usual Residence

Dwellings

Household composition %

*All numbers based on Place of Enumeration, excludes visitor only and other non-classifiable households

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More than one in three migrants from New Zealand settle in Queensland Queensland remains a popular destination to settle for our friends across the ditch, with the 2016 Census revealing more than one in three (35 per cent) of the 98,000 New Zealanders arriving in Australia since 2011 settled in the Sunshine State.

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Transportation of Olympic specific personnel (athletes, media) 

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Transportation of Olympic specific personnel (athletes, media) 

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https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/games/transportation-stakeholder/

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Transportation routes for personnel (ORN/PRN)

Transportation routes for personnel, called the Olympic Route Network (ORN) or the Paralympic Route Network (PRN), are defined in terms of routes and modes of transportation.

Please see below for a map of each prefecture.

Road signage and signs

Installation of Road surface marking and signs indicating transport routes for vehicles related to the Tokyo 2020 Games

During the Games, the Olympic Route Network (ORN) and the Paralympic Route Network (PRN) will be notified to those who use the road that vehicles related to the tournament will pass through, For the purpose of having you cooperate with use restraint or parking restraint, we install Road surface marking and signboard mainly on route that athlete passes and run meeting.

Installation period of Road surface marking by Tokyo 2020 (planned)

Motorway：Early February 2020 to the end of the Games

General road：March 2021 to the end of the Games

After the Games, the Road markings and the signboards will be removed sequentially.

Road surface markings to be set on Dedicated lanes and Priority lanes

Solid or dotted line will be set on the dedicated lane for the Games-related vehicles (the "Dedicated lane") or priority lane (the "Priority lanes") established by traffic authorities, by distinguishing the Dedicated/Priority lanes. In order to contribute to traffic safety, the Road surface markings colored in pink will be installed.

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Transportation of Games personnel (athletes, media representatives, etc.)

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Transportation routes for personnel, called the Olympic Route Network (ORN) or the Paralympic Route Network (PRN), are defined in terms of routes and modes of transportation. Please see below for a map of each prefecture.

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This one's for you @TimWilliams. Although if a tunnel under southbank were feasible I'd be more inclined to delete the riverside eyesore (express way) altogether.  

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This one's for you @TimWilliams. Although if a tunnel under southbank were feasible I'd be more inclined to delete the riverside eyesore (express way) altogether.  

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https://brisbanedevelopment.com/radical-concept-proposal-riverside-greenway/

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A UQ post-graduate architecture student has proposed a radical idea to turn one of Brisbane's biggest eyesores into a new international destination in its own right.

Brendan Roffey's idea is simple, turn the Riverside Expressway into a Riverside Greenway and redirect motorway traffic into a new South Bank tunnel, thereby 'liberating' the riverfront and creating a new 'Green Expressway' or Greenway.

Under the concept plan, a massive 150,000 square metres of developable land would be unlocked for new development and public amenity in Woolloongabba, an area which is larger than the Queens Wharf Priority Development Area.

Riverside Greenway

Brendan explains that the concept idea would transform Brisbane's city centre by essentially removing cars from the CBD all together.

"The REX is crumbling, congests the city and cuts off Northbank", he explains.

"When thinking of a 'world city', I am reminded that great cities have green hearts. For Brisbane, Southbank is a successful example of a popular green hub. Across the river, Brisbane's North Bank is choked by the Riverside Expressway which facilitates large volumes of traffic - bringing congestion, pollution and danger to our city."

"In contrast, cities around the world have been shutting their disused or undesirable city infrastructure to make way for exciting public amenity. New York converted an abandoned railway into the now-famous 'High-Line'."

"Madrid moved their riverside freeway into an underground tunnel, converting the former highway into a riverfront park. These precedents are innovative examples of tackling congestion and freeing land for future development opportunities."

Similar to New York's successful Highline project, the Greenway would be Brisbane's version of an elevated riverside park as well as facilitating a new cycleway and catering for busway infrastructure including planned bi-articulated buses.

In response to the conversion, the Pacific Motorway will essentially split in two directions at Woolloongabba. Traffic would be funnelled into the Clem7 heading north and into a new South Bank tunnel which would connect to the go-between Bridge.

Under the concept plan, the new tunnel would be three lanes each way, running underneath South Bank and would use innovative Uber-like surge pricing for tolls (more expensive during peak). The new tunnel would effectively complete an inner city ring road and accomodate 65,000 cars from the current expressway daily. Other modes such as bus transit and cycling would take the remainder of travel movements.

The 2km long Riverside Expressway (REX) which began construction in 1968 was last year named Queensland's most congested stretch of road by the Department of Transport and Main Roads. Traffic speeds on the REX during peak afternoon times average 19km per hour.

"It achieves a 'slimmed down' third leg of Transapex, through a comparatively short, 2.7km tunnel from the Gabba to Kurilpa, via Southbank and completes the Inner-City Ring Road", Brendan said.

2.7km tunnel

Estimated $1 billion cost, does not go under the Brisbane River and shallow cut and cover construction for majority of the tunnel

Fulfils elements of the TransApex plans

Toll cost varies with congestion

Local traffic prioritised

Pedestrianisation of CBD

Riverside Greenway Development

Under the plan, 150,000 square metres of unlocked land would become what is known as 'The Hub'. A massive converging precinct boasting new inner-city schools, a hospital, retail and between 3000-4000 of residential in-fill dwellings which would be built on-top of Cross River Rail's Woolloongabba Station and a huge park and ride terminal.

The Hub would also feature a pedestrian spine which connects to The Gabba and Marter Hospitals.

Brendan explains that the Greenway plan would be cost neutral over a 20 year period, achieving more with the same amount of funding currently put up for the Brisbane Metro.

"This development will densify Brisbane, assist with housing affordability and will offset the costs of the proposed works and public amenity."

"The budgeted $5.2 billion and $1.6 billion allocated for Cross River Rail and Brisbane Metro would generate almost $7 billion of economic benefit. On the other hand, the combined Riverside Greenway Plan would generate $10 billion at no additional cost to the government."

Cost Summary

The concept plan allocates the following dollar amounts to various infrastructure and public enhancement projects:

Asked about the likelihood of this ever evolving from concept idea to the drawing board, Brendan says he is optimistic.

"I am optimistic that the Brisbane City Council, State and Federal Governments will swallow their pride and come together to solve Inner-City Bus, Rail and Car gridlock for good and I think that the solution will look very similar to the Riverside Greenway proposal," Brendan said.

Opinion

Creating a landmark doesn't always come in the form of super-tall skyscrapers or unusual architecture, but also creating spaces for people. By doing something radical like the Riverside Greenway, Brisbane would effectively be humanising its city core and adding to Brisbane's liveability advancement.

The Brisbane City Council's new Building's that Breathe guidelines are already making head waves with turning Brisbane's future architecture into breathable buildings. So what better proposal to truely turn Brisbane into a subtropical, liveable, breathable place for people.

The Rio-Madrid highway conversion and Boston's 'Big Dig' project are the closest examples of large-scale highway conversions. Converting the REX to a place for the people, a 2km green garden, square, observation space, cycleway, busway (the lot), all integrating with the colossal $3 billion Queens Wharf precinct.

This would be monumental on world standards, let alone Australia. A true wow moment for our city. Question is, are Brisbane people ready to think different?

Interesting fact: The entire REX project cost $37 million in 1976 (over $220 million in today's money).

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Radical Concept Proposal for Riverside Greenway

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A UQ post-graduate architecture student has proposed a radical idea to turn one of Brisbane's biggest eyesores into a new international destination in its own right. Brendan Roffey's idea is simple, turn the Riverside Expressway into a Riverside Greenway and redirect motorway traffic into a new South Bank tunnel, thereby 'liberating' the riverfront and creating a new 'Green [...]

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https://ggwash.org/view/67201/why-cities-rarely-build-monorails-explained

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Monorail was proposed and discarded as a technology for Metrorail. Image by Monorail Presentation Charts, 1959, DC Public Library.

Monorails are cool! Wowee! Whiz-bang! So why don't cities build more of them? It turns out that compared to normal rail, monorails have some legitimate downsides that make them an impractical option for most (but not all) transit corridors.
First, a primer on why people like monorails
A lot of people simply like monorails because they look good. A Jetsons-esque elevated bullet train zipping above traffic tickles peoples' sense of wonder in a way that dingy subways often don't, WMATA's famous vaults perhaps notwithstanding. For the non-transit-nerds among us, that can be enough.

More objectively, monorail tracks are a little lighter and narrower than standard rail tracks, meaning overhead monorail structures can sometimes be a little less expensive and imposing than overhead Metros, and much less imposing than the pre-war els of Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York.

Beyond the shape of trains and tracks, most Americans' experiences with monorails come from tourist encounters in Disney or Las Vegas, where the polish of privately-owned-and-operated trains ridden strictly during vacation inevitably beats the experience of day-to-day commuting in public. Actual public transit monorails don't have that same happiest-place-on-Earth shine.

Las Vegas monorail by Michael Dorausch licensed under Creative Commons.

Those advantages aren't irrational. It's just that they usually aren't enough to overcome monorails' three big disadvantages:
1. Monorails are all-el or bust
It's true that elevated monorails can be less expensive than elevated standard rails. Unfortunately, the track structure of monorails force elevated-like construction even for ground level or subway lines. This graphic shows how that works:

Image by Gilbert Gude Papers, Box 143, Folder: Transit, General Correspondence, 1969-1970 GWU.

Thus at ground level and in subways, monorails are more expensive than normal trains. And since ground level is always cheaper to build than elevated regardless of mode, every new transit line uses ground level as much as possible.

So while it's true that monorails may make sense for new lines that are close to 100% elevated, there simply aren't very many of those.
2. Switching monorail tracks is hard
In any large transit system, trains sometimes have to switch tracks. Two lines converge or branch apart, or a train uses a pocket track to turn around, or single-tracking forces trains to switch from side to side. Track crossovers are integral to train operations. If you look at a Metrorail track schematic, there are dozens of such crossovers.

But take a look at a monorail, and how the train itself wraps around the monorail track:

Seattle monorail by the author.

That wrap-around makes monorail track crossovers hard and expensive to build, and slow to operate. Watch this video to see how it works. You can see that while monorail crossovers aren't completely impossible, they're vastly less practical than for normal trains.

For short individual lines, that's not a big deal. But it's hard to scale up if you want far-reaching city-wide transit.
3. Transit agencies like maintenance simplicity
Even with those two big shortcomings, monorails can still be useful on individual lines that need to be fully elevated. And yet, we still don't see many built. This is because for big transit agencies with multiple lines, it's easier to maintain a fleet full of the same equipment than to keep parts and training current for a lot of different technologies simultaneously.

Obviously a lot of cities do have more than one type of train. Sometimes the same transit agency even runs multiple technologies. On its own this last point isn't enough to explain monorails' unpopularity. But combined with other problems, this further narrows the already small set of circumstances where monorails might be the best choice.
The bottom line
There is a narrow set of circumstances where monorails are the most sensible option. If the technical details align, that is when you have a mostly elevated line that doesn't need many switches, and there's not a strong incentive to match an agency's equipment, then the positives of monorails can outweigh the negatives.

That just doesn't happen very often, and for the remaining 99% of cases, monorails aren't worth the headache.

But if you're Wuppertal, Germany and you want to run a train line over a river where children play, go to town.

Wuppertal, Germany's monorail by Eric Fidler licensed under Creative Commons.

Dan Malouff is a transportation planner for Arlington and an adjunct professor at George Washington University. He has a degree in urban planning from the University of Colorado and lives in Trinidad, DC. He runs BeyondDC and contributes to the Washington Post. Dan blogs to express personal views, and does not take part in GGWash's political endorsement decisions.

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Why cities rarely build monorails, explained

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Monorails are cool! Wowee! Whiz-bang! So why don't cities build more of them? It turns out that compared to normal rail, monorails have some legitimate downsides that make them an impractical option for most (but not all) transit corridors. First, a primer on why people like monorails A lot of people simply like monorails because they look good.

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Written by Alexander Baly and Dan Fidler
Long gone are the days when Brisbane was thought of as a big country town, relegated to bronze medal in the eyes of our southern siblings. Our river city has always been a great place to live, but Brisbane has been elbowing its way on to the list of cosmopolitan global cities for more than a decade. It's how we think of Brisbane now, and it's how others think of us.

With a skyline perpetually peppered with cranes, Brisbane is approaching zenith with scape-changing projects both public and private, due for completion by 2025. Promising heightened economic outlook, better mobility, and increased lifestyle opportunities for all, these are the expansive builds that are transforming our city right now.

Modern Transport Infrastructure

These key transport infrastructure projects will act as the backbone for some of the exciting developments below. Combined, the aim is to drastically improve how people move about the city, and further afield.

Cross River Rail - now tunnelling

Ground was broken late last year on the state government's Cross River Rail project and has continued apace throughout the COVID-19 crisis. At completion, Queensland's largest infrastructure project will connect four new underground stations; Boggo Road, Woolloongabba, Albert Street and Roma Street.

The ambitious project will see the addition of 10.2 kilometres of rail line crossing the river via twin tunnels. Cross River Rail will deliver more trains more often, open up mobility and growth opportunities in the CBD, and deliver a fatal blow to some languishing infrastructure, such as the neglected Transit Centre.

On May 14, 2020 tunnelling officially began with a giant roadheader roaring to life in the tunnel section of the project's Roma Street site. A roadheader is a 22 metre long, 115 tonne, tunnel boring machine that can excavate up to 50 tonnes of rock and soil per hour. A second roadheader, made by Queensland family-owned company QMW, will begin work at Roma Street later this year.

Albert Street Station will become a key connection within the CBD and serve as a much more central location for commuters than Central Station. Across the river, an expansive lot neighbouring the Gabba grounds is set to feature a sizable underground station with hints of ground level and surrounding development plans of up to 30 storeys. This improved connection to the Gabba has also been touted to coincide with upgrades to the stadium and is due for completion in 2024. When complete, a trip from Albert Street to The Gabba will take around three minutes.

2020 is the year we'll see a major uptick in works. Cross River Rail Delivery Authority CEO Graeme Newton announced construction would more than double this year adding up to 11 new worksites to the seven currently underway.

"2019 was a big year for the project. We appointed our major contractors, established multiple new worksites, revealed the location of three new Gold Coast stations and launched a Precincts Delivery Strategy that will be the catalyst for up to $20 billion of investment," he said.

"But 2020 is where things really kick up a gear. We'll complete demolition at Roma St and Albert St, start tunneling from Woolloongabba to Boggo Road, start work on station upgrades and the new Gold Coast stations and we will have workers live on the project at as many as 18 sites across the city."

Demolition across the Roma Street site is picking up pace with the old Hotel Jen building disappearing at a rate of one floor a week. Early demolition works have already started on one of Brisbane's least loved buildings, the Brisbane Transit Centre.

Estimated completion: Cross River Rail will be operational in 2024.

Brisbane Metro - they're buses, but not as we know them

Testing has begun on Brisbane City Council's Metro project, which aims to replace current 62-seat buses by deploying 60 fully-electric vehicles to deliver more streamlined, congestion-free busways. If effective, we can expect these services to expand.

Brisbane Metro set to improve our commute. Pic: Brisbane City Council

Metro vehicles, which look a lot like trams, have zero tailpipe emissions, USB charging points and WiFi on board, and are capable of carrying 150 people (or 180 people in event mode).

The goal of Brisbane Metro is to vastly improve our commute. Council estimates the Metro will get us home in half the time we've grown used to, with peak services every three minutes and 24 hour service on weekends.

Estimated completion: Brisbane Metro services are expected to commence in late 2023

Brisbane Green Bridges - unlocking the city

Council has bold plans for five new green bridges which are designed to ease movement between key suburbs within the inner-ring. The pedestrian bridges will connect with public transport and shared-use bikeways. Bridges with the greatest impact will join Kangaroo Point and the CBD, Toowong and West End, and West End to St Lucia. There are crossings proposed at Breakfast Creek and Bellbowrie.

Kangaroo Point to Alice Street Green Bridge concept. Pic: Brisbane City Council

Council recently updated MyBrisbane stating The Kangaroo Point and Breakfast Creek bridges will be the first delivered. Kangaroo Point will connect the corner of Alice and Edward Streets in the CBD to Scott Street in Kangaroo Point foreshore. Breakfast Creek will straddle the mouth of Breakfast Creek, opening a fast lane from the northern suburbs to the CBD. The Breakfast Creek Green Bridge will also presumably connect the new Lores Bonney Riverwalk.

Estimated completion: There is no estimated completion for the green bridges. The project is currently undergoing technical investigations and community consultation. The timeline states construction on the first bridge could commence in 2021 with completion expected by 2024.

Brisbane Airport Second Runway

Brisbane Airport Corporation's (BAC) new runway project is a key piece of infrastructure that will supercharge Brisbane and the state with an estimated $5 billion economic benefit per year. And it's practically complete.

Building a second Brisbane runway may sound like simple a task, but it's actually the largest aviation construction project in the country. The Runway site is 360 hectares in area (that's more than twice the size of Brisbane CBD), is 3.3 kilometres long, 60 metres wide, and has 12 kilometres of taxiways.

The long-planned runway started construction in 2012 and represents a $1.3 billion investment that will give Brisbane the most efficient runway system in the country. It will double the current capacity and deliver future-proof air travel for residents and visitors.

On April 30, BAC announced the practical completion of Brisbane's new runway. BAC CEO Gert-Jan de Graaff said while today marked the end of the project, it was just the beginning for Brisbane Airport.

"In many respects this runway is symbolic of the very firm belief we have that aircraft will, in the not too distant future, return to the skies and our terminals will once again be full of happy people looking forward to visiting their families, their holidays or to travel to do business," Mr de Graaff said.

Sadly, the decision has now been made to cancel the celebratory community events planned for the opening of Brisbane's new runway later this year. The Community Day and Runway Fun Run planned for June has been cancelled due to the current COVID-19 pandemic and public health directives from Government regarding public gathering restrictions.

Brisbane Airport remains open in a heavily reduced capacity delivering essential services to the people of Brisbane and Queensland. Mr de Graaff said Brisbane's new runway remains on track for completion later this year and details of its official opening will be advised.

"We will be here when this is over to once again connect people across the country and world and play our part in helping restore the economic health of our city and state," Mr de Graaff said.

The new runway came in under budget at $1.1 billion, a saving of $200 million on initial estimates. While practically complete, the project will undergo testing for operational readiness.

Estimated Completion: Complete. Brisbane's new runway will open on Sunday, 12 July 2020.

Brisbane International Cruise Terminal

It remains to be seen if cruising will still be enjoying its recent popularity surge, post COVID-19. Nevertheless, the $177 million Brisbane International Cruise Terminal is due for completion mid-year.

The new cruise terminal at Luggage Point will accommodate some of the world's largest cruise ships. Pic: Alonso Reyes.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk visited the site at the outset of the crisis, hailing the project for delivering jobs and a new economic stream that within 20 years, could deliver 760,000 visitors annually, who would contribute $1.3 billion in net expenditure into the Brisbane economy.

"The financial benefits will be felt up and down the state's coast, particularly as Queensland Government aims to increase total passenger numbers throughout the state to more than a million a year," the Premier said.

The new cruise terminal at Luggage Point is purpose-built to accommodate some of the world's largest cruise ships. The current terminal at Portside cannot facilitate some of the more modern ships due to height restrictions of the Gateway Bridge.

"This is a purpose-built facility to suit the cruise industry. We've worked very closely with the cruise lines and other stakeholders from the start of the process to ensure it delivers a seamless experience for travellers starting or finishing their journeys," Port of Brisbane CEO, Roy Cummins said.

"The terminal's location - at the mouth of the Brisbane River with access to deep water - means it will be able to handle all visiting cruise ships, including the largest cruise ships in the world," Port of Brisbane CEO, Roy Cummins said.

Estimated Completion: Although cruise ships were officially banned from entering Queensland waters on Tuesday April 17, the first ship set to berth at the new terminal will be P&O's Pacific Dawn, on Saturday, October 3rd.

Entertainment precincts

Queen's Wharf

The city-changing $3.6 billion Queen's Wharf development will be one of the largest and most exciting additions to Brisbane in its history. The enormous project covers 12 hectares of land and will add a new pedestrian bridge across to South Bank, 2000 apartments, over 1000 hotel rooms and a 1000 seat ballroom as part of the entertainment precinct.

With plenty of new bars, more than 50 new restaurants, exciting public spaces and world class retail, the project is positioned to welcome over 1.3 million patrons each year.

Queen's Wharf Brisbane development is being delivered by Destination Brisbane Consortium - a joint venture led by The Star Entertainment Group alongside its Hong Kong-based partners, Chow Tai Fook Enterprises and Far East Consortium

Once COVID-19 restrictions ease, you can explore the future of Brisbane at Queen's Wharf's state-of-the-art visitor centre in the CBD. Open to the public Monday - Friday, on the corner of George and Alice Streets, the visitor centre contains an interactive 3D model of the development including the surrounding CBD and South Bank areas, a virtual reality Sky Deck experience, a local area history exhibit and photo booth that places you inside the finished development. Above the visitors centre, by appointment only, you can visit a luxury display suite for apartments in the first residential tower.

As we reported earlier, construction is still on track with heavy vehicle restriction relaxed. As to the impact of COVID-19 on this important build, Project Director Simon Crooks told My Brisbane:

"For now, the Queen's Wharf Brisbane project is continuing as planned with no delays on-site. I am however aware that this is a constantly changing environment and we will continue to monitor and adapt as needed."

Estimated Completion: Queen's Wharf stage one developments are due to open in 2022 and the project's first residential tower due for completion in 2023.

Brisbane Live

Brisbane Live is a major revitalisation project that will transform the underutilised Roma Street corner of the CBD into a major entertainment precinct.

The project ties in closely with the Cross River Rail Roma Street Precinct by perching an 18,000 capacity arena above the Roma Street Rail Precinct. Brisbane Live will host concerts, sporting events and is cited as future proofing major entertainment in the city, superseding the aging Boondall Entertainment Centre .

This modern arena will also be a major selling point for Brisbane as we bid to host the 2032 Olympic Games. The state government recently announced they are seeking partners for the project, however, locals are excited about the prospect of Brisbane Live going ahead.

Estimated completion: Planning for Brisbane Live is progressing, though no estimated completion date has been announced.

QPAC's New Theatre - brand new brutalism

Despite the clunky working acronym, NPAV (New Performing Arts Venue) will be constructed alongside Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) on the Playhouse Green. The Green, on the corner of Grey and Russell Streets, is the only section of undeveloped land in the brutalist arts precinct.

NPAV adds another large capacity venue to QPAC, which currently schedules over 1,300 performances annually recording an attendance of 1.5 million people in 2017/18. NPAV will have a maximum seating capacity of 1,521 and the state government hopes to host over 300,000 patrons at 260 performances in the new theatre.

In 2019, Architect Blight Rayner + Snøhetta won the tender to design QPAC's fifth theatre. The concepts are world class and respect the precinct's original design by Robin Gibson. With the addition of NPAV, QPAC will be the largest performing arts centre in Australia.

In May last year the Queensland Government announced it would invest $125 million into the project to meet the growing demand for a new venue and in turn, strengthen Brisbane's cultural offerings. Lendlease were announced as managing contractor last year, with early works and construction due to begin this year.

Estimated completion: Early works have begun. The New Performing Arts Venue is currently targeted for completion in 2022.

Recreational Infrastructure

Victoria Parklands - expanding urban

One of the most exciting proposals to be announced in 2019 was the Victoria Park redevelopment. The proposed Oasis in the middle of the city will span 45 hectares - that's three times the size of South Bank. Victoria Park will become a natural retreat, an urban park for adventure, discovery and re-connection.

With its modern design reflecting the natural Queensland landscape, Victoria Park promises suspended canopy walk, cultural hubs, bushland pockets for exploring and waterholes for splashing and even lagoon for swimming and water-based recreation like kayaking.

Still in planning and consultation, thousands of ideas have been submitted from interested locals. In order of most wanted; responders are seeking native gardens, trees, and shade followed by all age activities, playgrounds, shelters, barbecues and water features.

Council is yet to release the final version of this plan, but seek to share something by mid this year. The existing mini-golf, events space and driving range will not be affected by the project.

Estimated completion: There is no estimated completion for this project. Council will release their final Victoria Park Vision mid-year.

The Landing - facing up to South Bank

The Landing is set to rival its cross-river opponent South Bank. Currently emerging from the north side of the river as part of the Queen's Wharf development, The Landing will cover 6,500m2 (more than twice the size of King George Square), suspended above the Brisbane River. At its widest point the new public space will reach 50 metres into Brisbane River, with the river flowing naturally underneath.

Destination Brisbane Consortium Project Director Simon Crooks said The Landing will provide a unique spot to enjoy the river and become one of Brisbane's most breathtaking views.

"The Landing will feature garden beds, trees, terraced seating on the river's edge and lush lawns for people to enjoy with their families, and to accommodate future public events," Mr Crooks said.

"So far we have constructed around 3200m2 of the suspended structure, which when complete, will connect the existing Mangrove Walk to the eastern end of the structure providing a continuous river's edge walk beyond the Riverside Expressway of more than 700 metres."

The Landing will complement the first stage of public space that the Consortium opened in October 2019 that included Waterline Park, the 450metre Mangrove Walk and 500 metres of upgraded Bicentennial Bikeway.

Estimated completion: The Landing and wharf facilities are expected to open in late-2022 as part of the larger Queen's Wharf Brisbane development.

Eagle Street Pier - Waterfront Brisbane

Eagle Street is set to see major redevelopment in coming years with the council's City Reach Waterfront Masterplan and Dexus' Eagle Street Pier projects. The Waterfront master plan aims to transform the 1.2 kilometre stretch of riverfront pathway between the Botanic Gardens and Howard Smith Wharves.

Key aspects of the plan highlight a lap pool outside Stamford Plaza, additional green space, new and improved city-cat terminals, better lighting and improved access to the river. Dexus' Eagle Street Pier projectwasgiven the green light by the Queensland Government with over $2 billion of works due to commence in 2022.

Council adopted the 'New World City' mantra a number of years ago and is seriously committed to thrusting Brisbane onto the global stage by improving it for all residents. Additionally, with foreign investment funds snapping up prime CBD assets, tourists and business alike will also reap the rewards from Brisbane's growth, change and potential.

The project will add two commercial office towers to Eagle Street and retain the fine dining precinct at Eagle Street Pier. Initial renders indicate two buildings climbing over 40 stories tall, with details sparse. The project will add two commercial office towers to Eagle Street and retain the fine dining precinct at Eagle Street Pier. Dexus will submit code compliant applications to Brisbane City Council mid-2020 and we'll have more details then.

Estimated completion: No estimated completion has been announced for this project.

More to come...

With all these projects underway, it's seems everything really is coming up Brisbane. There definitely will be more, and we'll keep covering them. Want to let us know about new projects so we can investigate? Email hello@mybrisbane.com, editor@mybrisbane.com, or snap a photo and tag @Brisbane on Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

Liked this? Read The Skyscrapers Set to Redefine Brisbane's Skyline and Trucks still Rolling into Queen's Wharf.

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Brisbane is under construction with these city-changing projects | River City 2025 | My Brisbane

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Written by Alexander Baly and Dan Fidler Long gone are the days when Brisbane was thought of as a big country town, relegated to bronze medal in the eyes of our southern siblings. Our river city has always been a great place to live, but Brisbane has been elbowing its way on to the list of cosmopolitan global cities for more than a decade.

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Awesome insight into some of the detail and design that has gone into the Virgin Hyperloop car and the experience that the users will have throughout the process.

(About 1 hour long but worth it!)

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Designing the Hyperloop PassengerExperience | SXSW 2021

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Melbourne start-up Skyportz has launched plans for an Australian-first electric air taxi hub to service the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane.

The announcement was made at the Air Taxi World Congress in London where Skyportz CEO, Clem Newton-Brown said that the first Australian Skyportz infrastructure for air taxis will be built at the Australian Advanced Manufacturing Centre of Excellence in Moreton Bay, Brisbane, Australia in 2023.

"Skyportz has been accumulating sites in Australia since 2018 and we now have over 400 property partners ready to build out a Skyportz network"' Mr Newton-Brown said.

"There is strong political support to develop a new era in clean, green electric aviation in Australia, however we are waiting on Federal standards and new State regulations to be developed before we can proceed to building a network. For this reason we are focusing initially on existing aviation infrastructure and places where it is possible to get a permit for a helipad which can transition into a future Skyportz. The AACME site was already proposing a helipad so this partnership has enabled us to bring forward our plans", Mr Newton-Brown said.

Skyportz is simultaneously working with Australian Federal and State governments to help develop the standards, regulations and zones which will enable the Skyportz "mini airports" in new locations in and around cities and regional centres.

The Skyportz brand is protected in all emerging markets globally.

Skyportz is delivering the first electric air taxi hub in Australia and it will be the start of a network to service the Brisbane Olympic Games in 2032 - Clem Newton-Brown

There are over 300 electric air taxis start ups around the world and the industry has seen over $8 billion invested in the aircraft with three of the frontrunners, Lilium, Joby and Archer listing on the New York Stock exchange last month.

"Without a Skyportz landing site network these aircraft are not going to be able to realise their full potential", Mr Newton-Brown said. Our networks around the world will be available for all air taxi entrants but our first partner is the very exciting Electra Aero aircraft from USA.

The Australian Advanced Manufacturing Centre of Excellence (AAMCE) will establish a world first, master-planned facility just north of Brisbane's CBD, focused on the fully integrated commercialisation of Intellectual Property (IP) developed in Australia, and manufactured in Australia for global export. The AAMCE proposes to rapidly establish sovereign capabilities across the country's most critical sectors such as Defence, Space and Medical.

"We are particularly excited to be designing the first Australian Skyportz here in Brisbane as part of the AAMCE. To us it makes perfect sense that the most advanced manufacturing centre in Australia should include the most advanced transport system possible in its design. Brisbane is busily preparing for the Olympic Games in 2032 which will provide a great opportunity for the city to embrace a new form of transportation and showcase it to the world", said Ty Hermans, Director of AAMCE.

"The AAMCE site is perfectly suited to become a major transport hub and support the future of air mobility. We are in the heart of the Moreton Bay region, just metres from a major metro linked train station, a leading Australian University, and the most advanced manufacturing and commercialisation centre in the country that is attracting some of the worlds greatest companies...This will put Australia on the map and we are very proud to be a partner of Skyportz in establishing this capability", Mr Hermans said.

"We expect that by 2032 we should have a well established electric air taxi service in Brisbane if we get the support of all levels of Government".

The Australian Advanced Manufacturing Centre of Excellence (AAMCE) will establish a world first, master-planned facility focused on the fully integrated commercialisation of Intellectual Property (IP) developed in Australia, manufactured in Australia for global export.

The AAMCE will rapidly establish sovereign capabilities across our most critical sectors.

The AAMCE uniquely boasts a deep integration of education and learning for students and industry alike, in a live and fully operational advanced manufacturing facility producing tangible and highly valuable outputs. The AAMCE will deliver a significantly positive economic, environmental and social impact to the Moreton Bay region, Queensland and Australia.

AAMCE will establish this bold and highly desirable ecosystem that will deliver significant value and scale to the entire Australian manufacturing sector via collaborative partnerships with:

The partners will invest over $175 million (AUD) over the next three years to establish an ecosystem unique in its advanced manufacturing and commercialisation capability. Opening late in 2023 with more than 15 partner organisations, AAMCE will deploy world-class advanced manufacturing technologies and an Australian first ecosystem that supports the 6-key pillars of the Federal Government's 10-year Modern Manufacturing Initiative (MMI) road map and establishes vital sovereign capabilities in Australia for the future.
About Skyportz
Skyportz was established in 2018 to lay the infrastructure groundwork for an air taxi ecosystem, which involves regulatory and planning scheme changes before moving on to building the network with property and logistics partners. The Skyportz brand is protected in all emerging markets (Europe, Asia and Americas) and partnerships in these markets are being pursued. However, the initial focus is on Australia, working with a team of specialist consultants to facilitate the biggest shake up in transport since the uptake of the motor vehicle.

Skyportz is developing a comprehensive infrastructure network in Australia to attract and support future urban and regional air mobility services. Skyportz has signed its first aircraft partner in Electra. Aero that includes a Purchase Agreement for up to 100 Electra eSTOL aircraft, enabling Skyportz and its operating partners to directly connect city centres or dispersed logistics facilities, and deliver cargo to remote regions.

The companies are exploring opportunities in Australia for early trials leveraging Electra's full- scale technology demonstrator, which enters flight testing in the US in 2022.

Subscribe to BrisbaneDevelopment.com here.

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Australian-first Electric Air Taxi Hub Planned in Brisbane for 2032 Olympics

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Melbourne start-up Skyportz has launched plans for an Australian-first electric air taxi hub to service the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane. The announcement was made at the Air Taxi World Congress in London where Skyportz CEO, Clem Newton-Brown said that the first Australian Skyportz infrastructure for air taxis will be built at the Australian Advanced Manufacturing Centre of Excellence in Moreton Bay, Brisbane, Australia in 2023.