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Monday, August 28, 2006
TransMetro's Flyer
(Flyer? No, not a fast train; just the pamphlet they handed out during the submissions process.)
A reader sent me a copy of the material that TransMetro handed out to passengers. While the bus company has been accused of skewing the results, the same could be said of TransMetro. Here is their entire summary of the busway scenario, as printed in their pamphlet:
Do I detect a hint of bias?
Firstly, they don't even explain what a busway is. Most people don't know about busways, especially guided ones. People need to be told that the buses are guided (for a faster smoother ride) and that the busway will use the same route and stations as the existing line.
Secondly, they don't mention the two big benefits of the busway to rail users: 5 minute frequency and service through to Courtenay Place.
The one-sided viewpoint is evident in many other parts of their flyer too (e.g. they say the busway "costs even more" in spite of having just listed it, at the top of the page, as having lower costs than the rail options!) The flyer concludes by encouraging readers to pick up a submission form and says, "We will even give free advice on how to fill it out". I bet they did!
So, it is fair to assume that many of the submissions on the standard submission form were prompted by TransMetro's flyer and consequently were favourable to TransMetro. In short, both the bus and rail companies attempted to create the appearance that public opinion was on their side. Did they succeed? Or did they merely cancel each other out?
Personally, I wish the Council had circulated an unbiased flyer to all households... but they didn't.
At the end of the day, the submission process is not a binding vote. It not about "winning" or "losing"; it's about providing public input into the Council's work.
A reader sent me a copy of the material that TransMetro handed out to passengers. While the bus company has been accused of skewing the results, the same could be said of TransMetro. Here is their entire summary of the busway scenario, as printed in their pamphlet:
- No trains
- Convert line to busway
- Buses use busway in peak direction returning through streets
- Cost $120m - $130m over 25 years
Do I detect a hint of bias?
Firstly, they don't even explain what a busway is. Most people don't know about busways, especially guided ones. People need to be told that the buses are guided (for a faster smoother ride) and that the busway will use the same route and stations as the existing line.
Secondly, they don't mention the two big benefits of the busway to rail users: 5 minute frequency and service through to Courtenay Place.
The one-sided viewpoint is evident in many other parts of their flyer too (e.g. they say the busway "costs even more" in spite of having just listed it, at the top of the page, as having lower costs than the rail options!) The flyer concludes by encouraging readers to pick up a submission form and says, "We will even give free advice on how to fill it out". I bet they did!
So, it is fair to assume that many of the submissions on the standard submission form were prompted by TransMetro's flyer and consequently were favourable to TransMetro. In short, both the bus and rail companies attempted to create the appearance that public opinion was on their side. Did they succeed? Or did they merely cancel each other out?
Personally, I wish the Council had circulated an unbiased flyer to all households... but they didn't.
At the end of the day, the submission process is not a binding vote. It not about "winning" or "losing"; it's about providing public input into the Council's work.
posted by John Rusk at 5:58 pm
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- Dom Post: Rail servicce under threat
- Submission Results Published
- The Busway in Brief
- CBD, Part 1
- When Service Conditions are Equal
- Rail: Neither Popular nor Affordable
- Why Transit Oriented Development is not Relevant (...
- Frequency of Service, Part 2
- Frequency of Service
- Good article on busway versus light rail
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2 Comments:
Do you have an actual copy of the flyer handed out on the trains? It would be great if anyone has a copy they could post a image of it as there has been a lot of hearsay about it but no graphic proof. The busway proforma is shown on the last page of the stage 2 summary of submissions at http://www.gw.govt.nz/story_images/3410_NWPTSSubmissions_s6803.pdf
I have an electronic (scanned) copy sent to me by a reader of my blog.
The real proof is in the numbers of submissions made on each kind of form. Per-capita, the number of submissions made on standard forms were vastly higher in the suburbs exposed to the pro-rail campaign. Are residents of those suburbs vastly more inclined to send submissions to the council? No, they were simply subjected to greater encouragement to do so.
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