Archive for November 7th, 2006

Maroondah Journal: No funding pledged for Ringwood Station

Published by Alex Makin on Tuesday 7th of November, 2006

As part of its public transport election coverage the Maroondah Journal has focused on the lack of political commitment from the State political parties towards the redevelopment of Ringwood Station:

Maroondah councillor and Public Transport Users Association spokesman Alex Makin said he saw the station as a “cornerstone commitment” needed for Maroondah.

The redevelopment of Ringwood Station is a crucial project to encourage a vision of public transport usage and urban amenity as envisaged as part of the part of the Ringwood Transit City concept.

“Neither party has committed to funding the project,” he said. “Labor just seems to be dragging its feet in Ringwood in preference to Dandenong. In Ringwood it seems as if every year it is just us standing there with our cap in hand waiting.”

Unfortunately, with the exception of Dandenong, the Government has failed to provide a long-term funding stream for the designated Transit Cities (such as Box Hill, Ringwood or Footscray) meaning that there is little, other than rhetoric, to the State Government’s Transit City program.

“It is difficult to utilise for people with a disability,” Cr Makin said. “We aren’t asking for a redevelopment for the sake of a redevelopment; we need it just to meet essential public transport requirements.”

Ringwood Station currently fails to met federal accessibility requirements as prescribed in the Federal government’s Disability Discrimination Act of 1992 meaning that Ringwood Station is largely inaccessible for people with a disability.

In addition Ringwood Station is also perceived to be largely unsafe and its dilapidated appearance hampers the potential of the surrounding area.

It is time that the Bracks Government showed respect for the Ringwood Transit City program and pledged to deliver both the redevelopment of Ringwood Station and a multiyear investment program for Ringwood. Plans for the redevelopment of Ringwood Station have existed since 1999 and it is now time for the Government to commit to the project rather than deliver nothing but rhetoric.

Maroondah Journal: Are we stuck in first gear?

Published by Alex Makin on Tuesday 7th of November, 2006

As part of its State Election coverage, Fairfax Community News (which owns the Maroondah Journal) has reported on a series of election issues. The Maroondah Journal, along with the other Fairfax Community Newspapers, has reported on the issue of public transport.

Better public transport would result in a lower level of car dependence, thus mitigating rising traffic congestion and the burden of higher petrol prices.

Unfortunately rather than provide a vision, the government chose instead to neglect its earlier promises, such as the Rowville feasibility study and the South Morang and Cranbourne rail extensions, and instead has released a plan that contains spin rather than actual substance.

The Public Transport Users Association was so unimpressed with the plan that it called on Mr Batchelor [The Transport Minister] to resign.

Vice-President Alex Makin said the document did not tackle the root of Melbourne’s transport tangle - its fragmented make-up.

The State Government has neglected to provide Melbourne with much needed train and tram extensions or to overhaul the bus network to ensure a frequent, direct and readily available bus network.

Ultimately there has been a failure to integrate transport and planning meaning that Melbourne is not being provided with a frequent, reliable and readily available public transport system.

The PTUA wants a single controlling body and a rethink on buses - the only transport most Melburnians have access to - to better co-ordinate the system.

“Melbourne’s bus servies are likened to a tangled mess of spaghetti,” Mr Makin said. “The more frequent services are, the easier it is to coordinate with other services and the easier for people to use.”

The Government seems content to tell two-thirds of Melbourne to wait up to an hour for bus services. The Opposition which has stated that “public transport can be vote-changer” must pledge to deliver a comprehensive public transport system that actually delivers the broken promises of the Bracks Government.

Maroondah Leader: Extended bus hours benefit commuters

Published by Alex Makin on Tuesday 7th of November, 2006

The Maroondah Leader has reported on the extended services provided for route 737 (Croydon to Monash University, via Boronia, Knox City and Glen Waverley) and route 664 (Chirnside to Knox City via Croydon and Bayswater).

As part of the minimum services standards introduced over the next four years services will operate to an hourly frequency to at least 9 pm seven days a week.

Eastern Transport Coalition spokesman and Maroondah councillor, Alex Makin, said the council had been advocating for improved public transport services in the region and was pleased to see “some action through increased hours of operation”.

While bus improvements are greatly needed within Maroondah and the outer east the current minimum standards are sorely inadequate:

But Cr Makin said further improvements were needed and running buses at hourly intervals would do little to encourage people to dump cars in favour of public transport.

Ultimately an hourly bus service does little to encourage people to use public transport. Research has indicated that a service frequency of at least 15 minutes are required to ensure a modal shift from cars to public transport and hence encourage public transport patronage.

“Our bus network needs to offer a level of service comparable to the tram network to ensure that public transport is a frequent, readily available and effective choice.”

With the recent increases in petrol prices, latest data from VicRoads has indicated that traffic volumes decreased greater in the inner suburbs, where public transport provides a real transport choice, compared to the outer suburbs, where the choice of frequent and readily available public transport does not readily exist. It is clear that the current improvements, while better than nothing, are doing little to actually encourage transport choice.

Maroondah Journal: Views vary on ‘iconic design’

Published by Alex Makin on Tuesday 7th of November, 2006

The Maroondah Journal has reported on the variety of views that exist in regard to the colour scheme chosen for the ConnectEast headquarters in Hillcrest Avenue.

While views on the appropriate design are varied, there was a considerable failure on the part of the EastLink project to consult residents with the final design.

Maroondah councillor Alex Makin said the building “definitely stood out” from the rest of Maroondah.

“They should have actively consulted the community as to how it should look.”

With the ConnectEast headquarters located opposite a residential area the EastLink project should have actively engaged residents to ensure a design that is sensitive to the local surrounds.