Month: November 2006

Maroondah Journal: Are we stuck in first gear?

Posted on by alex

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

Posted on by alex

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'

Posted on by alex

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.

The Age: Collapse feared in great train strain

Posted on by alex

The Age has reported on concerns held by some transport bureaucrats that the public transport will be unable due to an influx of passengers with the removal of zone three.

SENIOR transport bureaucrats are worried that Melbourne’s train system will collapse when already packed carriages are jammed with new travellers after Zone 3 is abolished next year.

Train patronage rose by more than 10 per cent in the past 12 months, with overcrowding already occurring on many lines serving the outer suburbs.

While train patronage has risen in recent months, the fact is that is Melbourne’s rail system is still operating less trains in peak hour than it did in the 1980s or 70s. This highlights the fact that ample capacity does exist within the metropolitan system and that the barrier to improved services is not capacity but inability to schedule services efficiently.

As an example, there has been a complete failure to coordinate bus and rail services resulting in severe inefficiencies:

Public Transport Users Association vice-president Alex Makin said ensuring bus services were timed correctly with train times would relieve traffic congestion and allow more money to be spent on more frequent services instead of building railway station car parks.

Many rail projects, such as rail extensions to Cranbourne East and South Morang, and other initiatives such as the abolition of zone three, are entirely feasible if efficient rail scheduling was utilised. The fact that more trains were operating several decades ago demonstrates that Melbourne’s rail system is not operating near capacity.

Stage Two Water Restrictions

Posted on by alex

Stage two water restrictions have taken effect today to minimise water usage within metropolitan Melbourne. Water is increasingly become a scare resource and stage two restrictions are necessary to preserve our decreasing supplies.

In particular, stage two restrictions include the following (source Yarra Valley Water):

Residential Gardens:

  • Manual watering systems (the kind you turn on or off by hand) can only be used to water gardens between 6am – 8am and 8pm – 10pm on alternate days.
  • Automatic watering systems (the kind you set to turn on and off automatically) can only be used to water gardens between midnight – 4am on alternate days.
  • Hand-held hoses fitted with a trigger nozzle can be used at any time to water gardens. Hosing down driveways, paths, concrete and paved areas is not permitted.

Public Gardens:

  • Manual watering systems (that you turn on or off by hand) can only be used to water gardens between 6am-10am and 8pm-midnight on alternate days.
  • Automatic watering systems (that turn themselves on and off) can only be used to water gardens between midnight-8am on alternate days.
  • Hand-held hoses with a trigger nozzle, a bucket or watering can may be used at any time on garden beds only.

Vehicle washing:

  • Hand-held hoses cannot be used any time for vehicle washing. A bucket, watering can, high pressure cleaning device or commercial car wash can be used.

Pools and Spas:

  • Before filling a new pool or spa of 2000 litres capacity or more, owners must submit a water conservation plan and have it approved by their government water authority.
    This plan must show how the volume of water required to fill the pool or spa will be, or has been, offset by water saved around the home.
  • A hand-held hose fitted with a trigger nozzle, a bucket or a watering can may be used to top up an existing pool or spa.
  • To fill or top up a new or existing pool or spa with a capacity 2000 litres or less, a hand-held hose with a trigger nozzle, a watering can or a bucket must be used.

Water fountatins: Only water fountains that recirculate water can be operated. A fountain must not be filled or topped up.

The watering of lawns is not permitted under stage two restrictions.

Further details:

Alternate days means odd numbered houses can water on odd dates of the month and even numbered houses can water on even numbered dates.

Both odd and even numbered houses can water on the 31st of the month. Where there is no house number the property is considered an even numbered house.

For further information please visit the Yarra Valley Water website (http://www.yvw.com.au/)