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Tony Morton

@tonybmorton.bsky.social
214 followers 180 following 19 posts

Sustainable energy and transport advocate based in Melbourne, Australia. Current president of the Public Transport Users Association.

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Reposted by Tony Morton
The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 30/09/2026
A global repeating story... Translated: Every few months, Lars Klingbeil finds billions to subsidize petrol and diesel for high-mileage drivers. Yet he allows the price of the #Deutschlandticket to rise unchecked year after year. Why isn't the SPD interested in its 14.5 million users?
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Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
We know that mobility in cities is about space. More specifically, more trips in less space. We’ve seen lots of great images reinforcing that point. This one might be my favourite, from #Santiago, because it ALSO shows the inequality of having buses run in mixed traffic. Dedicated bus-only lanes.
Side-by-side comparison of a Santiago Street, on the left with vehicles, and on the right with the people they carry, showing how much space single occupancy cars take up on our streets in cities. Noteworthy is a cluster of people in the middle where the full bus is sitting stuck in traffic among all those cars with just one person each in them.
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A. Zivarts @nondriver.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
I’m really excited for the release of @transitcenter.bsky.social Narrative Change project, and proud that Ruth Rosas from Nondrivers Alliance was part of the cohort that helped develop this work. Most of all, it’s really affirming to see the dignity and fairness frame as the top performing message.
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Yonah Freemark @yonahfreemark.com · 01/09/2026
New York’s congestion pricing program has resulted in a statistically significant reduction in travel times for EMS vehicles
nber.org
Urban Congestion Pricing and the Response Times of Emergency Medical Services
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The War on Cars @thewaroncars.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
"Examinations of London schoolchildren before and after the introduction of the city’s ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) found a restoration of lung capacity that had been stunted by exposure to pollution."
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Public Transport Users Association @ptua.org.au · 15/08/2026
It's the last Sunday morning of 40 minute gaps on Metro! Cutting waiting times to 20 minutes will encourage more passengers to use trains more often. Further upgrades are needed for public transport services around #Melbourne and Victoria, but this is a great step in the right direction.
Image of crowds at Moonee Ponds station boarding a train at 9:21am. The next one is 40 minutes later. Caption: 40 min gaps fixed from next week! Sunday morning trains double to every 20 minutes on the Craigieburn, Upfield, Mernda, Hurstbridge and Sandringham lines from 23rd August.
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Urban Truth Collective @urbantruth.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
Our “choice” to drive (if indeed we actually HAVE a choice… car dependency by design means we don’t) is an expensive decision for everyone, not just for us. #UrbanTruth
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mikael @nhikael.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
or rail electrification? (say, sydney enfield - melbourne dynon 25kV AC 50 Hz)
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Paris Marx @parismarx.com · 12/08/2026
In the 2010s, we were told new tech would revolutionize transportation. As BMW faces backlash for sticking a Spider-Man ad on its center console, we can see what it really amounted to: cars that collect vast quantities of data on us and which automakers are desperate to use to push ads on us too.
disconnect.blog
BMW’s in-car Spider-Man ad is a warning sign
We were promised a transport revolution. Instead we got cars tracking us and serving us ads.
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John Holmes @jhaue.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
The race to save Australia's rare rosella spider orchid www.abc.net.au/news/science...
abc.net.au
The race is on in a secret location to save one of our rarest orchids
It takes years of work, dozens of volunteers, picky pollinators and a special fungus to save Australia’s endangered orchids. Here's why people drive from all over the country to do it anyway.
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Public Transport Users Association @ptua.org.au · 01/08/2026
More frequent services can't come soon enough
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Karen @kcimt122.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
"Every time you pay a toll or an outrageous airport parking charge, remember that the millionaires’ factory was built from the proceeds of charges like these." -- John Quiggin www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Always remember how Macquarie built its millionaires on outrageous tolls and charges | John Quiggin
As Shemara Wikramanayake retires with shares worth hundreds of millions, the public is left counting the cost of high prices for utilities, roads and airports
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Oxfords not Brogues 🇺🇦 🌻 🚜 🏁👻 @tancred1098.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Article from 2023, but facts are facts. Pedestrian corridors in cities HELP businesses, even the one that opposed them in the first place.
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Nick🚲 @glenroynick.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
563 signatories and counting! Sign the petition for more services on the 534 bus! ✍️ www.parliament.vic.gov.au/get-involved...
parliament.vic.gov.au
Bus route 534 - Petitions - Parliament of Victoria
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The War on Cars @thewaroncars.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
On the other hand, this is a great way to illustrate the spacial inefficiency of cars. It's good reminder that cars aren't a technology problem; they're a geometry problem. Or, as @doctorow.pluralistic.net succinctly put it, "Geometry hates cars."
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Public Transport Users Association @ptua.org.au · 19/07/2026
Congratulations Spain! ⚽🏆🇪🇸 In Barcelona, and in many other cities worldwide, they understand that for public transport reach its potential, high frequency services are vital. Cutting wait times is the best way of getting people out of their cars, and out of the traffic.🚇
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Public Transport Users Association @ptua.org.au · 15/07/2026
We support the Monash Graduate Association's call for concession fares for full-time graduate students. Find out more and sign their petition here: mga.monash.edu/polic...
Every other state gives grads a concession fare. Victoria doesn't.
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Greater Auckland @greaterauckland.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
The power of investing in frequent public transport! 🚌 Auckland's Frequent Transit Network (FTN) bus routes run at least every 15 mins, 7am-7pm, 7 days/week 🗺️ The city now has 45 FTN routes, vs just seven a decade ago 😃 Five new FTN routes since June 2025 📈 Citywide ridership up 14% year-on-year
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Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
This isn’t just nitpicking. If you understand the psychology of motivating change, this is contributing to our fundamental failure to take action to save our own future. It needs to be taken seriously. #ClimateAction
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David Zipper @davidzipper.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
"These massive horsepower figures [are] an absolute engineering necessity, designed to mask the vehicle’s incredible overall weight. Automakers are using extreme electric thrust to hide the fact that drivers are essentially piloting rolling bank vaults."
autoblog.com
EVs Have Gotten Too Fast For Their Own Good
EV horsepower is skyrocketing. Here's a look at how instant torque and heavy batteries are creating a dangerous performance bubble on public roads.
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Albert Pinto @70sbachchan.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
Imagine if hundreds of people died in an extreme hurricane or floods smashing through Europe Heatwaves have already killed that many people. They are an extraordinary silent killer in that they dont generate outrage or fear.
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Cam @camster.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
Large areas of asphalt still make heatwaves worse, even if it’s EVs using them. EVs just don’t add to the problem as much with their own waste heat. Space-efficient active and public transport and canopy trees using space reclaimed from cars can cool cities.
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Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 25/06/2026
If you’re feeling down, remember that Scotland owns a bit of England because we kept beating them at football. Ownership of the Ba Green was decided by an annual game of “mob football” between 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Coldstream & 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿Wark: eventually, demographics made it Scotland for ever 🏆 starkeycomics.com/2023/04/02/t...
starkeycomics.com
The Ba Green: the land that Scotland won in a football game - Starkey Comics
The Ba Green must be the strangest border in Britain: it was won by Scotland in a game of mob football long ago.
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Michael Bell @xtrackka.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
BSKY often delivers the most amazing content, but this crossover of energy/climate and transport/urbanism, a connection made by 2 of the world’s best advocates, made me very happy today.
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Prof. Ian Walker @ianwalker.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
This feels like a case study of something bigger: it's almost always safe for policymakers to individualise issues. I suspect this hits transport too: nobody ever got fired for building a housing estate and simply running a road to it and assuming everyone will drive individual cars
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Public Transport Users Association @ptua.org.au · 20/06/2026
Tap and Go fare payment is now available for full fare passengers on trams as well as trains.🚋✅ People who prefer Myki cards can keep using them. Tap and Go only has 2 hour and daily fares - State Govt should add automatic weekly fare caps to ensure that people travelling every day don't pay more.
Myki fare reader offering Mastercard or Visa payment on a tram
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Urban Truth Collective @urbantruth.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
ICYMI: The One-Hour City Conspiracy! “Here's the REAL conspiracy: Too many people forced into car-dependent lives, with more health harms, crashes, noise, air pollution, social isolation —and less space for everything our streets should be giving us.” Thanks @usa.streetsblog.org #1HourCityConspiracy
usa.streetsblog.org
Urban Truth Collective: The One-Hour City Conspiracy — Streetsblog USA
Here's the real conspiracy: Too many people are forced into car-dependent lives, with more health harms, more crashes, more noise, more air pollution, more social isolation — and less space for everyt...
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Jeremy Poxon @jeremypoxon.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Look, I commend the effort. But the reality is we don't need more de facto food banks. People like John need the ABC to push the government on raising the rate On that front, the most useful thing the ABC could do is establish a national welfare reporter. Australia doesn't have one!
ABC Melbourne announces they're launching a food bank campaign to help people like John, asking people to donate non-perishable food
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Cam @camster.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
Tomoz: online or IRL attendance options. Members only.
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Jake Cob @jakobpunkt.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
It turns out good things are possible, if you can be bothered to try
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Urban Truth Collective @urbantruth.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
This is worth reading, for excellent communication & story-telling. “I’m driving less. I don’t want to see the world through a driver’s eyes any more. Before I began driving less, I had long had a melancholic sense that the city lifestyle I lived was cut off...” #UrbanTruth From @irishtimes.com
irishtimes.com
I’m driving less. I don’t want to see the world through a driver’s eyes any more
Before I began driving less, I had long had a melancholic sense that the city lifestyle I lived was cut off from the seasons and nature
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Public Transport Users Association @ptua.org.au · 26/05/2026
tfw you're wishing for more bus lanes
View from a bus, stuck in heavy traffic
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Daniel Bowen @danielbowen.au · 24/05/2026
Blog: Australian tram patronage by route. Melbourne's no longer on top. Click through for more info and interactive chart. danielbowen.com/2026...
Chart of tram patronage by routeTrams in a tram depot
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Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
Half of business owners on this Toronto street estimated that more than 25% of their customers arrived by car. In fact, it was 4%. And the % of customers who who walked or cycled? 72%. Retailers routinely overestimate the # of “car customers.” Via @carltonreid.com www.forbes.com/sites/carlto...
Toronto walkable shopping street
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yarrabike @yarrabike.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
Victoria spends billions each year on transport infrastructure. Dedicating just 5% to Strategic Cycling Corridors would give everyone more choice on how they get around school, work & shops. Enter your address to explore network near you+send email to local MP bicyclenetwork.com.au/our-advocacy...
bicyclenetwork.com.au
Strategic Cycling Corridor
Ask your local MP to support dedicated funding for Strategic Cycling Corridors. It's only going to take 5 cents in the transport dollar!
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yarrabike @yarrabike.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
Problem being that even moderate active transport initiatives are weaponised by unintentional ignorance &/or those more invested in wedge politics. Possible strategy is bringing people along then elect better leaders. By the way, we're far away from ever giving up in Yarra.
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Public Transport Users Association @ptua.org.au · 20/05/2026
The Geelong line (and many other V/Line services) badly needs improvements to reliability, capacity and timetables.
timesnewsgroup.com.au
Geelong Fast Rail revival still off track - Surf Coast Times
Local leaders prioritize Geelong-Werribee links over the scrapped Geelong Fast Rail project to improve regional reliability and travel.
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Andrew Donnellan @andrew.donnellan.id.au · 19/05/2026
new report with some fresh new analysis of car parking in the Australian context, with Australian data. abolish parking minimums if you want to solve a housing crisis (featuring my friends @mbowes.bsky.social and @dbecon.bsky.social! ping @parkingreform.org)
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Daniel Bowen @danielbowen.au · 20/05/2026
From a couple of nights ago - confusing oddity - train to the City Loop but it doesn’t list any City Loop stations. #Melbourne
Screen showing train to City Loop but only stations as far as Richmond are listed
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Rod Campbell @rodcampbell.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
The Australian Government raises less revenue from Australian gas exports than Japan does. How can this be? Here's my explainer on @thepointau.bsky.social thepoint.com.au/explainers/2...
thepoint.com.au
How the Japanese Government taxes Australian gas
The Australian Government is getting less money from our gas exports than Japan is. How can this be?
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Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
They’ve spent a lot of money to make us fear having the normal things we need nearby. They’ve done everything they can to make everything far away, so we always need a car to get them. Car dependency means more cash for them, and less choice and freedom for us. #UrbanTruth #1HourCityConspiracy
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Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Never forget that when Seoul, Korea removed the Cheonggyecheon expressway in 2003 and replaced it with a restored stream, 1000 acre park and improved public transit, not only did it TRANSFORM the city’s public life and economic success, but the car traffic got better. The car traffic got BETTER.
Former elevated highway in central Seoul, South KoreaDaylighted stream and public space where highway used to be
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Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
“Air pollution fell substantially as Paris restricted car traffic and made way for parks, people-streets and bike-lanes.” Better for the climate, better for health, better for livability and quality of life. Common sense. Such a no-brainer, it’s remarkable that more cities HAVEN’T done the same.
washingtonpost.com
Paris said au revoir to cars. Air pollution maps reveal a dramatic change.
Air pollution fell substantially as the city restricted car traffic and made way for parks and bike lanes.
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Urban Truth Collective @urbantruth.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
“When you’re unable to drive, the flaws in our public transit system become obvious. Sidewalks that end suddenly, street crossings that feel like a sprint for your life, and bus routes perfectly timed to miss the train. When transit is your only option, these things aren’t minor inconveniences.”
ggwash.org
I’m 15 and can’t drive. Here’s why transit is a key to teen independence
For many teens, public transportation is the difference between independence and being stuck.
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*Nurbs @nurbs.ca · 28/04/2026
I am disabled and have never been allowed to drive, which is the norm here in Canada. You generally have to fight pretty hard to convince them to let you have a liscense. So when I see people opposing bike lanes and multi-use paths, which I rely in, using me as their example, I am filled with rage.
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Daniel Bowen @danielbowen.au · 18/04/2026
Free #PublicTransport extended in Victoria until end of May, then half price until end of 2026. Interesting stat they’ve released: rail (Metro and V/Line) patronage up by about 10% in the first fortnight of April. Shows how close to the edge V/Line has been on capacity.
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Daniel Bowen @danielbowen.au · 16/04/2026
Earlier at Malvern. I get the sense that the idea of Cran/Pak line passengers walking from Town Hall to the MCG is not really catching on, even in pleasant weather like tonight. People would still rather change trains and go to Richmond. #Melbourne #AFLBluesPies
Footy fans walking down the ramp at Malvern station to catch a train to Richmond
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Stephen B @bicycleadagio.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
Free public transport in Victoria has been popular but has not been a decisive lever for reducing car dependence. Compared to NSW, where PT fares remain unchanged, the difference in modal shift has been modest rather than dramatic. theconversation.com/victoria-has...
theconversation.com
Victoria has made public transport free – NSW hasn’t. Has there been any difference in uptake?
Public transport access, travel time and familiarity with the network all play a role in how many people switch away from driving.
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Taint @taint9.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
Exactly 💯
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