Category: Submissions

Governmental Organisational Impediments – Action Buried by Bureaucracy

Posted on by alex

As detailed in my presentation to RMIT’s Integrated Transport Planning Course delivered on Friday the 2nd of September one of my major concerns regarding the lack of progress towards the goal of increasing public transport patronage stems from the poor integration that exists between government departments, such as the Department of Infrastructure (DOI) and the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE).

While the goal of higher urban density as supported by the DSE is proceeding rapidly, the provision of better public transport under the jurisdiction of the DOI has been minimal. Furthermore the Department of Treasury and Finance (DTF) has not signed off on the goal of increasing public transport modal share to 20% by 2020, meaning that the department which controls the final allocation of budgetary funding is failing to support the key goals of Melbourne 2030.

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Moving Maroondah – Sustainable Transport in Maroondah

Posted on by alex

Moving Maroondah – Sustainable Transport in Maroondah was authored to pre-empt Maroondah Council’s Integrated Transport Strategy (MITS). This submission examines the current level of public transport within Maroondah and recommends a number of recommendations to strengthen the role of public transport and assist in the achievement of Maroondah Council’s and the State Government’s goal of increasing public transport usage.

Recommendations include:

  • Maroondah Council to embark upon a continued public transport advocacy and lobbying campaign that includes a public campaign for improved public transport services within the municipality.
  • Inclusion of Maroondah Highway, Canterbury/Swansea Road, Bayswater Road and Wonga/Warrandyte Roads on the PPTN Network with corresponding service upgrades.
  • Priority implementation for the Ringwood to Frankston SmartBus to ensure service upgrades by the end of 2006. Evening and public holiday services to be introduced by the end of 2005.
  • Priority upgrades of routes 670 and 679 to provide evening and comprehensive weekend services by the end of 2005.
  • Introduction of PPTN services along Bayswater Road connecting Croydon and Bayswater.
  • Introduction of PPTN services from Mooroolbark to Boronia along Manchester and Colchester Roads.
  • Introduction of PPTN services from Croydon to Lilydale via Mt. Evelyn along Mount Dandenong Road.
  • Inclusion of route 737 into the PPTN with an extension to Chirnside Park along Dorset and Lyons Road.
  • Weekday off-peak rail timetables frequencies of 20 minutes to and from Ringwood.
  • Inclusion of Ringwood within Metropolitan Zone Two with the zone overlap extended to Croydon.
  • Redevelopment of Ringwood Station to ensure DDA compliance and increased perception of safety thereby encouraging public transport usage and increasing the perception of Ringwood.
  • Accessible bus stops and low floor buses to provided along routes identified within the PPTN to ensure DDA compliance.
  • Signalling improvements along the Ringwood and Belgrave/Lilydale lines providing safety benefits and faster journey times.
  • Improvement of timetable coordination between bus and train services including frequency improvements along the PPTN bus routes so that they operate at the same frequency as rail services.
  • Rail triplication from Ringwood to Box Hill allowing the introduction of flier trains from Ringwood.
  • Traffic priority for PPTN bus services including the use of HOV lanes along major roads.
  • Principal bus routes must operate at frequencies of 10 minutes during weekdays (15 minutes for evenings and weekends) with hours of operation between 5am to midnight or the last train (whichever is later).
  • Local bus routes should operate with at least 30 minute frequencies on both weekdays and
    weekends, although more frequent services should be provided for busier routes. Hours of operation should be between at least 5am and 10pm.
  • Comprehensive pedestrian and bicycle paths linking public transport stops and key destinations.

Community Participation within the Transit City Project

Posted on by alex

Community Participation within the Transit City Project was authored to ensure the aim of wider community participation and consultation within the Transit City Project. Through achieving this aim the community will hold greater confidence in the future of Ringwood and will more willingly accept a reasonable degree of change that will inevitably occur within the future as the project progresses.

It is crucial that the Ringwood Transit City Project gains wide acceptance within the Maroondah Community to ensure its successful implementation. In order to secure this acceptance community participation must be strengthened so that avenues are readily provided to facilitate discussion allow for any applicable responses and action upon any relevant concerns.

This submission contains a number of recommendations relating to the Ringwood Transit City Community Reference Group (CRG) as well as recommendations on engaging the broader Ringwood and Maroondah community.