By John Legge,  a Melbourne author, educator and consultant.

Printed in The Age, January 22, 2010

VicRoads and its minister are talking of spending $750 million to move the main traffic jam from the corner of Hoddle and Victoria streets to the intersection of Hoddle Street and Bridge Road.

This gives new Transport Minister Martin Pakula an opportunity to make an early mark by fixing the Hoddle Street traffic snarl with a few tram and light rail extensions.

The simple fact is that more cars are attempting to use the road between the end of the Eastern Freeway and Victoria Street than the road can handle at anything faster than a bumper-to-bumper crawl. Drivers endure this because the alternatives are worse. Continue Reading…