After the Ringwood Spiders Game I attended the EastLink Open Day and walked through both of the tunnels. While there is no doubt that EastLink is an impressive project, it is a shame that the Government neglected the opportunity to substantially invest in public transport as part of the road project.
It is common practice in Perth to build new rail lines in tandem with freeway projects, providing an integrated approach and transport choice for the community. While the EastLink project will provide a continuous cycling and walking trail, public transport improvements were limited to amenity and car parking upgrades to stations such as Heatherdale.
In an era of rising petrol prices the role and need for public transport is only going to increase. It therefore makes sense to invest in public transport in tandem with road projects. Projects such as the redevelopment of Ringwood Station as well as rail extensions should and could have been part of the EastLink project scope.
Fortunately one glaring omission from the original project scope will be rectified. A pedestrian bridge across Maroondah Highway linking the shared trail will be built in the coming months. This will enhance the safety of pedestrians and cyclists using the shared path since they will be able to avoid crossing the busy Maroondah Highway interchange and several sets of traffic lights.
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