Porta Sul Av. Santos e Castro

According to SIC noticias Portugal’s Prime Minister gave a message of positivism and change…

“Ao contrário de outros, este Governo não está aqui para adiar tudo outra vez mas para concretizar um projecto de modernização e fazer com que Portugal recupere o seu atraso”, disse, antes de visar a oposição, embora sem nunca nomear partidos ou sindicatos.

“A força das modernidade não é seguramente protagonizada por quem quer que tudo fique na mesma, por quem se opõe a qualquer reforma, ou por quem resiste a qualquer mudança por mínima que seja essa mudança. Esses não aprenderam nada com a História”, apontou o primeiro-ministro.

De acordo com Sócrates, a força da mudança “também não está entre aqueles que escolhem o caminho da facilidade e do oportunismo, que vão para onde sopra o vento e andam atrelados em relação a qualquer protesto ou sinal de descontentamento”.

“A mudança não virá também daqueles que cultivam a descrença e se alimentam do pessimismo. Esses já falharam mesmo antes de começar, porque não confiam nos portugueses”, acrescentou, antes de reivindicar para o PS o papel de “força da mudança”.

So gone are the days of backward delays.

Or not….

One (if not the only) of the most important entrances to Alta de Lisboa is a connection to the Axis of the city (Av Liberdade, Republica, Campo Grande). The Eixo central is meant to link to this through the Porta Sul. Recent revelations made by Viver who met with RTP television station found out more about this situation:

Basically what is said is that the project, as it stands, will not go ahead. It is, as they say, too expensive. Further study is needed and a “provisional solution” will be found.

Now please will someone explain how this makes our country (yes I’m a citizen here who pays plenty of taxes and carries out my civic duties) not appear backwards.

Surely further study means more money spent. A provisional solution means spending more money and then spending more later. How can a project that has been approved be unapproved and then more money spent on a further project?
Here’s what I believe is going on…

No one wants to spend money here until the plans for the airport are finalised. Then they can all dive in and “fill their pockets” and claim that the solution has finally been found. (The opening of Eixo Norte Sul, the end of the new highway, which was meant to open 20 years ago, was suddenly finished in a wave of self congratulation for finally finishing something).

Shouldn’t the politicians be embarrassed? I rather hope the civic groups don’t take this sitting down and accept the council’s half baked answer.

My 2 cents worth.

(note to self: Bookmark or print his page a refer back in 20 years when the provisional solution is finally changed for a more permanent one)

What the raised crossings will look like.

Viver Alta de Lisboa talks about raised crossings and their effectiveness in slowing down traffic. Having visited the construction site of one of nearly finished points I was suitably impressed. Not only will they slow traffic but they lend an air of urban dignity and modern planning to the area. The following shot is of the planned buildings in malha 16 (between Condominios da Torre and Eixo Central) where the walkway will continue. I must say the raised crossing looks very pedestrian friendly and brings the urban furniture up to standards we expected when many of us bought property here.

As a footnote, the buildings look fairly stylish too, let’s just hope SGAL can finish them properly. (unlike some parts of CT)

Alta de Lisboa - NEW PUBLICITY

Finally we have some updated information on the site of SGAL. Let’s hope this is contagious through to the rest of the site. In the meantime save yourself the time and see the video here without the interference of a large scroll bar. Interesting views of the new projects in loteamento or construction.

POST UPDATED PLEASE VISIT: from www.altadelisboa.com 

to see the video (with the large scroll bar ).

 

PRT revisited

Since my last post on PRT and why it would be a good idea in Alta de Lisboa, the Heathrow project has gone ahead and construction is under way. Great news. Let’s hope this spreads (at the very least to the plans for the new airport). One would really hope that the new system is used more widely in Portugal and we will begin to see the beginning of a new era in transport.

There are some new videos on youtube which demonstrate ULTra’s and other’s offerings to the market.

Ultra’s commercial presentation

BAA’s Heathrow presentation

West Virginia’s PRT that has been running since the 1970’s

The last is video is the most inspiring as it’s been running for so long. Let’s hope our politicians and town planners see some merit in this.

Which Post Office is better?

After my nasty experience I am reluctant to ever visit the CTT again. I now send my post on to work or to the nearest post office. YES that’s right the NEAREST! After some brief research using trusty Google Earth I discovered that the nearest post office to my house is in fact the CTT in Lumiar.

I pay €1.51 (IVA is now included) for the priviledge of walking the shorter and much safer route.

The map above shows the two routes (Calçada Carriche with its ridiculous opening times in red and Lumiar in blue.)

What the map doesn’t show is all the steps and narrow roads that make the journey to CC so much more dangerous.

I don’t really care for  a CTT in Alta (as the lady in the post office said it was highly unlikely CTT had money to invest). What I would like to see is the Post office in Lumiar being the distribution office for Alta (1750).

Esta zona e complicada

While walking to the post office today to pick up a letter that the post man could not deliver I was robbed and beaten by two F*****s who were so stupid that apparently everyone in the area knew them.

They took my camera, which I had with me to show how terrible the access to the post office from Alta is.

They also made away with my iPod which I will publish the serial number so it can be traced and some money.

Enough is enough.

I’ve had it with youths milking off the social system with all of us supporting them (in taxes) and then being robbed by them.I was robbed between Estrada Ameixoeira and Rua eng. Quartim etc etc. on the steps.

The two kids had dark hair and untidy clothing, a small brown dog with a silver collar and were brave enough to punch me several times in the face.I reported the incident to the police, who are investigating.

I’ve also had enough of having to go the post office through an area described by the very police I was talking to as…”Esta zona é complicada” (This is a dangerous area)

Apple Online Store Portugal

Nothing to do with Alta de Lisboa but everthing to do with being a Mac Enthusiast living in Lisbon, I am happy to say that the Apple Online Store has opened in Portugal….

 

EDIT This post gets so many hits for Apple Lisbon store (wishful thinking) that I’ve added a link to the next best thing –> Maczone Apple Center

Autumn in Parque das Conchas

Nothing quite like an Autumn evening that feels like English summer.

Another view of things

Draw your own conclusions

Then watch the post below.

13 seconds of Vandalism

The problem of vandalism in Alta has been touched upon by others and sometimes the problem attracts some controversy. The other day there was a party in the social centre and kids after the event were throwing stones at other children, the building and the lights. I suggested on another blog that events such as these (where there are lots of teenagers present) that there is some form of police presence to act as a deterrent to vandals and violence. Their presence need not be overstated or even that obvious, just that it should be there.

Here is a quick demonstration of what has happened in the last three years in our building. It is a sad sight and seeing money being poured into hiding this from potential new customers of other buildings (hence the white boarding around Parque Oeste) instead of policing and fixing the work of unruly kids is painful.

Without further ado, here is the video.

I should add that all of these pictures are from ONE building in Alta de Lisboa (namely 15.5 in Cond Torre)