Posts related to 'meeting our transport challenges'

Eastern Transport Coalition - presenting the short-term priorities of the region

Published by Alex Makin on Thursday 18th of September, 2008

Tonight’s Eastern Transport Coalition finalised a report into the short-term priorities of the eastern region. This report, which was requested by Premier John Brumby, presents the projects required by the eastern region to assist in mitigating rising petrol prices and worsening traffic congestion.

These priorities, such as a new bus route for Canterbury Road, which would travel between Ringwood and Box Hill, and further improvements to bus service frequencies and operating spans, as well as pedestrian priority measures across Maroondah Highway, can be implemented in the short term and assist in providing transport choice across the eastern region. These projects need to be reinforced by longer term investment in the region, such as the redevelopment of Ringwood Station and new rail lines for Doncaster and Rowville, which would drastically reduce car dependency across Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.

The State Government’s transport strategy, which will be released in November this year, must deliver public transport improvements across Melbourne and deliver the necessary infrastructure to our outer suburbs. After several attempts at a long term transport strategy, including the clearly insufficient Meeting Our Transport Challenges, which was released in 2006, the State Government must finally deliver real public transport improvements and provide immediate relief to rising petrol prices and improve the accessibility and sustainability of our outer suburbs.

The Eastern Transport Coalition’s short-term priorities for the eastern region will be delivered to the Premier’s office on Friday.

Eastern Transport Coalition Public Transport Summit

Published by Alex Makin on Friday 4th of July, 2008

The Eastern Transport Coalition represents one million residents across the seven eastern metropolitan councils within Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.

Today’s summit highlighted the need for public transport improvements within the eastern suburbs to become sustainable and accessible through providing transport choice for residents facing worsening traffic congestion and rising petrol prices. The theme includes the infrastructure needs of the region and included presentations on the need for new rail lines serving Rowville and Doncaster, as well as required improvements to the Belgrave and Lilydale rail lines.

The keynote speakers, Professors Peter Newman and Graham Currie, spoke about the importance of public transport in reducing greenhouse emissions and mitigating the effects of rising petrol prices. Both speakers reiterated the trend of rising petrol prices and demonstrated quite clearly that such increases were only going to continue.

While the Premier was unable to attend, Rob Hudson, the Parliamentary Secretary for Public Transport, stated that the Government would release a new transport plan by the end of the year. While the State Government released Meeting Our Transport Challenges in 2006, the plan was widely condemned as being inadequate and failed to plan for any infrastructure improvements in the eastern suburbs. It is hoped that the government’s next plan will rectify these shortcomings.

The Opposition Leader, Ted Baillieu, spoke about the government’s litany of public transport plans and the increasing cost of inaction. While the opposition leader did not make any commitments, he did highlight the need for rail lines to Doncaster and Rowville.

The summit was extremely well attended by community members, as well as local councillors, State MPs and members of local environment and transport groups. Time was provided to allow attendees to discuss the needs of the eastern region and during this time the need for accessibility improvements on public transport was mentioned.

I spoke on the needs of the Belgrave/Lilydale lines and Ringwood with Cr. Samantha Dunn from the Shire of Yarra Ranges, who spoke about the need for rail duplications to improve the reliability of the line.

My presentation focused on the need for rail improvements between Box Hill and Ringwood and the importance of Ringwood as a regional centre within the eastern region. The expectations of eastern Melbourne and its 1 million residents were conveyed at this summit. The State Government must act and deliver the much needed public transport infrastructure, including the redevelopment of Ringwood Station, that is urgently required for the region

Please continue reading to view a copy of the speech I delivered at the summit.

(Read more…)

Melbourne 2030 Reference Group: ‘Creating A City That Works’

Published by Alex Makin on Tuesday 13th of November, 2007

As part of today’s meeting of the Melbourne 2030 Reference Group I was invited to introduce the Eastern Transport Coalition and to discuss ‘Creating A City That Works’, a report compiled by the Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability.

The presentation provided an opportunity to discuss the aims of the Eastern Transport Coalition and its goals on improving the sustainability of Melbourne’s eastern suburbs through advocating for public transport improvements.

The report, which was released in May 2007 examined the sustainability of Melbourne and had three key findings:

• The need for stronger coordination between planning and transport
• The need for better coordination between roads and public transport
• The fact that current unsustainable urban trends, such as failing to provide effective public transport, cannot continue.

Passenger vehicles contribute 56% of Australia’s transport related emissions, meaning public transport and providing an alternative to car dependence, will be a requirement for any effective strategy that aims to reduce greenhouse emissions.

The current Victorian State Government has proposed legislation that will enshrine greenhouse reduction targets, these will not be achieved unless public transport is improved. The lack of a detailed action plan and interim targets for achieving the State Government’s goal of 20% public transport modal share by 2020 is particularly concerning.

While the number of people using public transport has increased, modal share according to the 2007-2008 State Budget papers has remained around 9%. The lack of interim targets and a detailed plan to achieve these goals makes it difficult to measure its progress. While the State Government continues to support its lacklustre transport strategy, Meeting Our Transport Challenges, the Commissioner demonstrated that the patronage targets were not ’strongly reiterated as a policy that drives MoTC [Meeting Our Transport Challenges]‘

Furthermore the Commissioner stated that “The 20/2020 target needs to be supported with a series of clear intermediate steps that show how it will be achieved.”

It is clear that the State Government must revise its transport policies if it intends to truly designate public transport as a priority.

The ongoing lack of coordination between public transport, roads and planning has had serious ramifications at a local level, particularly in regard to the Ringwood Transit City. State Government support for Ringwood has been marred with uncertainty, including the current lack of commitment over the much needed upgrade of Ringwood Station and improvements for pedestrians attempting to cross Maroondah Highway.

The desire to improve pedestrian access in Ringwood, such as providing less waiting time for pedestrians across Maroondah Highway has been continually stymied due to the lack of coordination between VicRoads and the Public Transport Division of the Department of Infrastructure.

Likewise the current inadequate rail frequencies beyond Ringwood, which result in a mere half hourly service during weekdays and an even worse frequency of bus services, restricts the potential for public transport to reduce car dependence within the centre of Ringwood.

As the ward councillor for much of the transit city area, I have been insisting on improvements to sustainability, such as footpath construction with new developments and water and energy sustainability, but a commitment from the State Government is required to ensure the provision of public transport improvements.

If coordination between State Government departments was improved and if an action plan and interim targets were developed to secure the goal of increasing public transport modal share to the 20% by 2020 then a commitment to the redevelopment of Ringwood Station and other public transport improvements would have been readily provided.

The next State Budget, due in May 2008, will test the State Government’s commitment to both Ringwood and our urban sustainability.

• View presentation on Creating A City That Works - delivered to the Melbourne 2030 Reference Group

Media Release: Melbourne 2030 must have a public transport plan for rail

Published by Alex Makin on Wednesday 3rd of October, 2007

In a submission to the State Government ETC Chairperson Cr Mick Van De Vreede has said that for Melbourne 2030 to deliver more needs to be invested in major public transport in Melbourne’s east.

Cr Van De Vreede said the central idea in Melbourne 2030, to increase housing around transport hubs, was a good one, however the idea had not been backed up by expansion of rail options in the Eastern suburbs.

“What Melbourne 2030 really needs is a plan that allows for the expansion of rail in the outer east. There are a number of major activity centres in Melbourne’s east which would significantly benefit from the expansion of heavy rail”, Cr Van De Vreede said.

Councillor Alex Makin represents Maroondah City Council on the Eastern Transport Coalition.

“Ringwood has been nominated by the State Government as a Transit City, and with the projected expansion in population, it is essential that the capacity of the Belgrave/Lilydale rail line be increased to ensure the Transit City vision becomes reality,” said Cr Makin.

“If Melbourne is to be a truly liveable city while encouraging higher density living, we need to invest now in dedicated public transport infrastructure such as heavy and light rail. We need to finish the suburbs we already have before building new ones,” Cr Van De Vreede concluded.

ALL MEDIA ENQUIRIES: ALEX MAKIN ON 0408 311 645

Launch of Communities for Public Transport

Published by Alex Makin on Wednesday 3rd of October, 2007

This evening I facilitated a second meeting in regard to public transport in Melbourne’s outer suburbs with the aim of establishing an ongoing community focused public transport advocacy group.

As such I am pleased to announce the launch of Communities for Public Transport. This newly formed organisation, consisting of local residents and businesses, will advocate for much needed public transport in Melbourne’s outer suburbs. Priorities will include:

• Bringing forward the construction of new rail stations in Melbourne’s growing outer suburbs;
• New rail lines to improve the reach of public transport services;
• Service improvements to the train and bus network to provide a level of service that is comparable to the inner and middle suburbs of Melbourne;
• Overall coordination and safety improvements.

As local residents, the people involved in Communities for Public Transport, have first hand experience of the public transport problems within Melbourne. It is hoped that Local and State politicians will work with the group to ensure that much needed improvements are delivered.

Communities for Public Transport marks a new era for public transport advocacy with local residents leading the calls for improvements. No longer will we have a situation where a centralised inner city focused organisation dictates the transport needs of the suburbs, instead we will have the local community, the people who are best placed to know their own needs, advocating and lobbying for public transport improvements.

Councillor Steve Beardon from the City of Casey has been particularly supportive of the group and this example needs to be followed by politicians in all levels of government.

The State Government’s transport blueprint, Meeting Our Transport Challenges, is woefully inadequate for Melbourne’s southeast and local advocacy is needed to ensure that this is rectified.  It is time for the State Government to realise it is a mistake neglecting the southeastern suburbs and to bring forward crucial projects, such as Lyndhurst and Lakeside Stations.