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[quote user="al-in-chgo"] I have heard nothing but praise from people who have lived in or visited Australia about the excellence of Melbourne's trams and commuter options.  [/quote]Interestingly, Melbourne's tram, commuter rail, and bus services were privatized in the late 90s.  The contract operators still get state support to help cover the cost of the operations and earn a reasonable return, but the cost to the state of Victoria has declined noticeably.  Equally important, the private operators invested in new equipment and improved the quality of the services.  Prior to privatization the inefficiencies and waste associated with public transport in Victoria were legendary.  The operators changed that by implementing sound management practices that drove out most of the waste.  What works in another country is not necessarily a good solution for our country.  But we can take a clue or two from how others run their transit systems.  I would like to see a system or two in this country give the Australian model a go to determine if it could produce positive results.I did not have a car while I lived in Australia.  The company offered me one, but I decided that I could live without it.  That's how good the public transit system is in Melbourne, as well as the other major cities throughout the country.  And the icing on the cake is that they are safe day or night.   Without the financial burden of a car one has a lot more money to spend on really important things, like riding across the country on the Indian Pacific, which is one of the world's premier long distance trains.  It too, by the way, is run by a private operator.
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