So an interesting development which affects this project and my neighbourhood, is the proposal to divert additional east-west cross city traffic down Alexander Parade, and build a tunnel to accommodate it.

Local community groups are protesting, and calling for improvements to public transport instead. This makes a lot of sense, the plan I've posted here is from the link on the YCAT site, so it's maybe a little partisan - the dark smoke coming from the stack for example, is perhaps exaggerating the visual impact of the smoke a little (although, probably not the air quality impact). Also, I'm not sure, but the location shown suggests that maybe they are planning to reuse the existing heritage shot tower rather than building a new exhaust stack.

I don't know enough about the tunnel proposal to comment on it specifically. But there's no doubt that catering for and allowing increases in personal car use in the city is incredibly short sighted.

There is just no future for increased car use in the city - logistically as well as environmentally. Every major city in the world has the same problem. Sooner or later you just run out of room for roads. After a critical tipping point, each additional car that passes through the city contributes nothing except to add to congestion, and does it's bit to destroy the qualities of the inner urban area's which we love.

Time to learn from Paris, London, New York and build a decent public transport network which is efficient and well-distributed enough so that every Melbourne resident can choose to use it if they want to (not just those in urban areas, or who are heading into the city).