Tag: bus network

Maroondah bus services review – community workshop

Posted on by alex

The Department of Transport has announced a review of bus services in the City of Knox, the City of Maroondah and the Shire of Yarra Ranges and will be holding a workshop on Thursday the 19th of February from 6:30 pm at the Ringwood RSL.

The review aims to prepare an improvement plan for local bus services that best meets the needs of local communities and will involve the evaluation of current bus services to identify potential improvements to the network.

This workshop provides an opportunity for the Maroondah community to voice its concerns about the lack of adequate public transport within the municipality. Interested community members are asked to register their attendance by calling 9221 1952.

Maroondah workshop on bus services

Posted on by alex

The State Government will shortly be undertaking a review of bus services across Maroondah, Yarra Ranges and Knox. These reviews, which have been progressively undertaken across Metropolitan Melbourne, provide an opportunity to highlight gaps in network coverage, as well as routes requiring service improvements or re-routing.

This evening Maroondah hosted a public workshop to provide an opportunity to hear the community’s views on bus services within the municipality.

This feedback will assist council in presenting the community’s views to the State Government’s bus review process with the aim of ensuring better public transport services across the municipality.

The need to improve connectivity between bus routes, as well as with the train network, featured prominently during the discussions, as did the need for more frequency and operating span improvements.

Accessibility improvements are also required including additional low-floor buses and improvements to bus shelters.

Ultimately bus routes should be re-routed so that Maroondah’s main roads are provided with direct, frequent and readily available bus routes. These routes would operate as a principal bus network that would assist in making public transport competitive with car travel. Outside these main routes, localised bus services would operate to connect people to the principal network.

A two-tiered bus network would enhance the mobility of our community through providing an integrated and efficient public transport network.

The State Government’s Workshop on bus services will be held on Thursday the 19th of February from 6:30 pm at the Ringwood RSL. The feedback council received from tonight will shape Maroondah’s submission into the bus review process.

Sustainable Melbourne Transport Forum

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As the Deputy Chair and Maroondah delegate of the Eastern Transport Coalition I was invited to present to a transport forum organised by the Australasian Centre for the Governance and Management of Urban Transport (GAMUT).

The forum was organised in response to the Government’s Victorian Transport Plan to identify common areas of agreement and discuss any particular aspects of concern. Each speaker discussed the need for further investment in public transport, particularly in regard to further suburban rail extensions and bus improvements.

On behalf of the Eastern Transport Coalition I discussed the need for planning around rail improvements in the eastern suburbs, namely the Rowville and Doncaster rail lines.

I also discussed the need for certainty around the infrastructure investments in the Central Activity Districts, particularly in regard to the public transport improvements that are required for Box Hill and Ringwood.

In addition I raised concerns over a reduction in the commitments made to the SmartBus network, despite the overwhelming response it has received through significant increases in patronage.

The SmartBus network was a key feature of the State Government’s 2006 transport plan, Meeting Our Transport Challenges. While Meeting Our Transport Challenges had its faults, the SmartBus network, which provides more frequent and longer operating bus services was positively received and record patronage increases have confirmed this.

In addition there has been a lack of further commitment towards upgrading bus frequencies and service spans. While investment and expansion of the rail network is important and definitely required it must be recognised that two thirds of Melbourne, including large parts of the outer eastern suburbs resides, beyond the rail network.

Lastly, I spoke about the Dandenong rail corridor and the lack of further commitment towards triplication of the Dandenong rail line. While debate exists about capacity constraints on the rail network, this project was seen as imperative just two years ago. If this situation has changed it is important that the government outlines how the Government has resolved these constraints and whether short-term improvements are possible.

While there are some positive steps in the State Government’s Victorian Transport Plan there is certainly a need for further commitments towards sustainability and public transport.

Media Release: ETC releases short term public transport project list

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The Eastern Transport Coalition has delivered a plan on behalf of one million eastern suburban residents direct to the Premier of Victoria in response to a request made by John Brumby and Public Transport Minister Lyn Kosky at a recent community cabinet meeting held at Ringwood

The submission highlights a wide range of short term projects that will help public transport deprived residents increase their public transport options and usage.

Cr Mick Van De Vreede said that the first submission concentrated on a number of large critical projects but that the Premier and Public Transport Minister were also interested in a range of smaller projects for consideration in the development of the Metropolitan Transport Plan.

“We know that in the eastern suburbs three out of five people would consider getting out of their cars if they had decent public transport options.

“Public transport usage in the majority of local municipalities is very low, at around 3 to 7 per cent compared with a much higher rate in other parts of Melbourne. This makes it clear that we need a generational step up in public transport.”

“The State Government needs to deliver public transport improvements so that families in the outer suburbs are provided with the choice to catch frequent, readily available and accessible public transport services”, Alex Makin Maroondah’s representative on the Eastern Transport Coalition said. “The Government must commit to these short-term priorities, including the much needed redevelopment of Ringwood Station into an accessible transport interchange, frequency improvements on the rail lines beyond Ringwood and substantial bus improvements.”

“If the State Government includes our short, medium and long term projects in the Metropolitan Transport Plan then we will eventually have all the public transport options we need to dramatically reduce congestion, to protect our families from rising fuel prices and to negate rising greenhouse gas emissions,” Cr Van De Vreede concluded.

The ETC’s plan which is available at www.etc.org.au includes the following suggestions;

  • Upgrades to major public transport interchanges with an initial focus on Transit Cities such as Ringwood and Dandenong.
  • Increased off peak frequency on Belgrave / Lilydale lines
  • The immediate undertaking of full feasibility studies for Rail to Rowville and Doncaster and the duplication of the Belgrave/Lilydale rail lines.
  • Bringing forward the SmartBus network so that it is complete by the end of 2009
  • Bus routes into new and existing estates, including Warranwood and Canterbury Road between Ringwood and Box Hill
  • Tram 75 extended to Knox City and Tram 48 extended to Doncaster
  • Bus priority measures along Springvale Road, Stud Road, Cheltenham Road, Wellington Road, Doncaster Road, Hoddle Street and within the CBD
  • Immediate extension of free early bird tickets to buses and trams

For media inquiries please contact Alex Makin on 0408 311 645

– ENDS –

Eastern Transport Coalition – Strengthening our aims and objectives

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With the success of the Eastern Transport Coalition’s recent public transport summit and State Government announcing that it will release a new transport plan in November of this year, it was timely to review the group’s mission statement and objectives to reflect the growing need for public transport improvements.

The ETC’s mission statement has been revised to reflect the importance of accessibility, as well as the need for an integrated public transport system that will improve the liveability of Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. The mission now reads as follows:

The Eastern Transport Coalition will advocate for integrated and accessible sustainable transport in the Eastern region of Melbourne to improve liveability and reduce car dependency.

This mission statement will ensure that that the ETC will remain a strong advocate for public transport improvements within its member councils.

Tonight’s meeting also included a presentation from the Bus Association of Victoria to provide some input into the impending bus service reviews for Maroondah, Knox and the Yarra Ranges. It is unsurprising that bus routes that have received improvements, such as frequent services and longer operating spans, have seen patronage increases, especially the Ringwood to Frankston SmartBus which has seen almost a 60% increase in patronage.

The success of the Ringwood to Frankston SmartBus, as well as other SmartBus routes demonstrates that people will use bus services when they are fast, frequent, direct and readily available. The State Government must therefore respond by accelerating its implementation of the SmartBus program so that the orbital network is completed by the end of 2010, rather than the original completion date of 2015. This would assist in providing transport choice for residents that live beyond the reaches of the rail network.

Likewise local routes need further improvements with the the State Government’s minimum service standard of hourly frequencies being inadequate. These routes should be provided with a half-hourly frequency, which would enable better connections with the rail network and other bus services.

The bus network across Melbourne’s eastern suburbs requires substantial improvements and the State Government must use the bus service review process to deliver bus services that provide transport choice for Melbourne’s outer east.

I have stressed to my council colleagues the importance of engaging the community over the bus service reviews. Council will be hosting its own forum to discuss bus improvements once the State Government releases its timeframe for the service reviews. This will ensure that council is providing feedback that is consistent with the views of our community.

We must continue making a difference to secure public transport improvements within Maroondah and Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.

Maroondah Journal: Bus cuts criticised

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Due to summer timetables which take effect on bus routes operated by the former National Bus Company (now Ventura), bus passengers and public transport users face severe restrictions in their mobility over the summer.

The Maroondah Journal has reported on the punitive summer timetable cuts and their effect on public transport users:

Cr Alex Makin said bus routes in Maroondah were “seriously reduced” over summer months because of Ventura National’s “unique” contract.

Summer timetables, which take effect on the former National bus routes, are in operation between the 24th of December and the 11th of January. This often results in a half hourly bus route being reduced to just an hourly service, severely crippling Maroondah’s mobility.

“We are talking about a 50 per cent reduction, across any Ventura bus route in Maroondah. This affects 75 per cent of the municipality. It certainly severely limits people’s mobility to get out and partake in Maroondah’s recreational activities”.

Due to contractual oddities with the former National Bus network, summer timetables only affect Maroondah and Manningham, which are predominantly serviced by National Bus routes. There is a need for uniform bus contracts which remove the potential of punitive summer timetables.

“There is a huge need for the State Government to implement a uniform contract for all bus operators.”

Uniform contracts would prevent seasonal variations and also stipulate uniform operating hours and frequencies.

Launch of Communities for Public Transport

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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.

Alex Makin with Cr. Steve Beardon of Casey at the launch of Communities for Public Transport

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.

Eastern Transport Coalition – Meeting the Minister

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This evening’s Eastern Transport Coalition (ETC) meeting included a discussion with Lynne Kosky, the Minister for Public Transport. While the chair of the ETC, Cr. Mick van de Vreede, met the Minister earlier this year, tonight’s meeting marked the first occasion where the Minister addressed the entire organisation.

Encouragingly the Minister acknowledged the current difficulties with Melbourne’s public transport system and in this regard the Minister stated that work is being undertaken to accelerate the projects listed within Meeting Our Transport Challenges. While this is welcome news the Minister did stop short of agreeing to undertake a detailed assessment of the infrastructure needs of the region., meaning that the detailed planning required to ensure the sustainability of Melbourne’s east is still sorely lacking.

I asked a question in regard to the State Government’s support for the Ringwood Transit City Project and the need for the redevelopment of Ringwood Station. The Minister replied that Ringwood is one of a number of projects supported through the Transit City initiative meaning that funding should hopefully be forthcoming. The redevelopment of Ringwood Station is critical to the success of the Transit City given that Council has invested heavily in the concept and is actively encouraging sustainable forms of transport through footpath construction with new developments. Likewise there is also a need to further improve the bus network so that public transport becomes the mode of choice within Transit Cities such as Ringwood.

While the Minister didn’t provide too many details, it was encouraging to see the establishment of dialogue between the ETC and the current Minister for Public Transport. The Eastern Transport Coalition will be pursuing a number of these issues in its submission to the Melbourne 2030 Audit. This will help ensure that these issues continue to be raised with the State Government.

Likewise the ETC will be continuing its campaign to focus on the infrastructure needs of the Eastern region, including the need for additional rail services from Ringwood. An event is scheduled for early October and will mirror the campaign that led the successful removal of zone three.

Maroondah Journal: Brumby urged to act on transport

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John Brumby has been appointed as the new Premier of Victoria after the resignation of Steve Bracks and the Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has called on the new Premier to commit to his promise of fixing Melbourne’s public transport system. The Maroondah Journal has reported on this request:

On his first day in the job, Mr Brumby announced that his six priorities included fixing Melbourne’s overcrowded public transport system. He has promised to fast track Victoria’s public transport blueprint Meeting Our Transport Challenges.

However, the Public Transport Users Association has called on Mr Brumby to the scrap the plan and start again.

Meeting Our Transport Challenge, which was released last year, failed to identify the improvements necessary to boost Melbourne’s public transport system. Much needed rail and tram extensions were largely missing from the plan and the identified bus upgrades were lacklustre and would fail to provide a convenient, readily available and frequent system.

PTUA outer east spokesman Alex Makin said much-needed service improvements were missing from the $10 billion plan. “John Brumby needs to do more than simply fast track Meeting Our Transport Challenges”.

Mr Makin said Mr Brumby’s ability to address public transport problems would define his term as Premier.

As Melbourne struggles to cope with worsening traffic congestion and rising petrol prices it is clear that the Government must deliver the rail, tram and bus improvements necessary to provide people with an alternative to car dependence.

John Brumby, as Premier, should begin by implementing the recommendations within the Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission (VCEC) inquiry into traffic congestion, which was commissioned by Mr. Brumby during his time as Treasurer. Chief among those recommendations was the need to accelerate much needed rail and tram extensions and to provide further improvements to the bus network.

Eastern Transport Coalition: Bus tour with the coordinator general of Infrastructure

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Today the Eastern Transport Coalition (ETC), provided a bus tour for Meredith Sussex, the Coordinator General of Infrastructure, to showcase the outer eastern and southeastern suburbs and to highlight areas that require greater coordination between public transport provision and land-use planning.

The tour began in Dandenong, where the City of Greater Dandenong outlined its vision for the Dandenong Transit City before proceeding to Knox where the need for the Rowville rail line, to facilitate the Stud Park Activity Centre, and the Knox tram extension were highlighted. Travelling through Bayswater the tour then proceeded into Maroondah where I explained the need for bus priority lanes along major bus routes (including Maroondah Highway and Canterbury Road), bus and rail coordination and for the further introduction of bicycle lanes to ensure adequate facilities for cyclists.

There is a need for further bus improvements, particularly along main roads such as Maroondah Highway (route 670), Canterbury Road (route 679), Wonga/Warrandyte Roads (route 364), Dorset Road (route 737) and Bayswater Road (route 664), to provide a network of frequent and readily available bus services throughout Maroondah. The addition of these routes onto the SmartBus network would complement the introduction of the long awaited Stud Road SmartBus (route 665) which is due to begin in early 2008.

The desired principal public transport network in Maroondah (click for larger version)

Map highlighting the desired principal public transport network within Maroondah. The identified bus routes need frequent and readily available services to connect Maroondah and surrounding regions to the Ringwood Transit City and the Croydon Activity Centre (view larger version of this map).

The tour included Croydon Station, to explain the need for more frequent interpeak services. Currently services are half hourly and this needs to be improved to at least a 20 minute frequency, which would provide the same level of service experienced on weekends. The Belgrave/Lilydale line is the only line where weekends are provided a more frequent service than weekdays.

At Ringwood, we provided the opportunity for Meredith to cross Maroondah Highway to demonstrate first-hand the delays and inconvenience caused to pedestrians due to lengthy delays and the minimal walking time provided at this crossing. The case to upgrade Ringwood Station into an accessible and safe transport interchange was also highlighted as this would allow the State Government to support the vision that is unfolding within the Ringwood Transit City. It is imperative that the State Government acts to reduce Maroondah Highway to four lanes once EastLink is opened to allow the creation of a pedestrian friendly town centre and to help breathe new life into the centre of Ringwood.

The tour then continued into Whitehorse and Manningham, where the need for improvements to the Box Hill Interchange and the Doncaster Road tram were explored. Through Monash the case for bus priority was detailed to prevent lengthy delays for bus travellers along Springvale Road. Several examples of poor coordination were demonstrated, particularly where the Wellington Road and Springvale Road SmartBuses missed each other.

The bus tour provided an opportunity to highlight the areas of action required by the State Government to facilitate improved sustainability within Melbourne’s outer east. It is hoped that the State Government and its Departments will act upon these requirements.