Tag: meeting our transport challenges

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.

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

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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

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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.

Alex speaking at the ETC Public Transport Summit

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.

Continue reading “Eastern Transport Coalition Public Transport Summit”

Melbourne 2030 Reference Group: 'Creating A City That Works'

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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.

public transport modal share (source: 07-08 State Budget)

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.

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

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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

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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.

Transport Infrastructure for Victoria: The Challenges

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This afternoon I attended a CEDA lunch featuring a presentation from Howard Ronaldson, the Secretary of the Department of Infrastructure (DOI). The Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) is an independent think tank, which aims to promote the economic development of Australia in a sustainable and socially balanced way.

As part of its series of topics critical to the success of Victoria, CEDA organised the lunch presentation as an opportunity to explore the infrastructure issues facing Melbourne and Victoria. As Secretary of the DOI, Howard Ronaldson, has responsibility for ports, as well as the road and rail network.

Howard’s presentation largely included content from the State Government’s Meeting Our Transport Challenges, but did discuss the need for further integration between transport and planning particularly given the goals of Melbourne 2030 in encouraging public transport usage and the development of activity centres.

After the presentation I discussed the needs of Ringwood and Maroondah directly with Howard as an opportunity to reiterate the need for State Government action over Ringwood Station, particularly given that major projects, such as the new town centre, are likely to be delayed until a commitment to the redevelopment is made.

I also discussed the need for more frequent services beyond Ringwood, given Ringwood’s status as transit city and the high proportion of trips taken between Ringwood and Croydon, as well as from further east. The Belgrave and Lilydale lines currently have just a half-hourly service beyond Ringwood from 10am to 4pm during weekdays, despite the fact that services operate on a 20 minute frequency on weekends.

Given the desire to help shift peak hour travel demand to other times of the day and that more frequent services are clearly possible, it seems absurd that the State Government has not acted to provide at least a 20 minute frequency along the Belgrave / Lilydale line during weekdays.

Hopefully, progress will be made on these issues now that they have been raised directly with the Secretary of the Department of Infrastructure.

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.

2007 Rail Infrastructure Summit

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I was invited to the 2007 Infrastructure Summit as part of a panel to discuss public transport infrastructure and the improvements required to maintain patronage growth and mitigate rising traffic congestion.

Each panellist was provided with the opportunity to deliver a five minute presentation and during this time I covered the economic, social and environmental factors that necessitate the delivery of much needed public transport improvements. While the State Government may claim that it has been overwhelmed by recent patronage increases, the reality is that this should have been expected and encouraged, if the Government was sincere about achieving the goal of 20% public transport modal share by the year 2020.

Modal share data, which is available as Appendix B of the recent State Budget papers, shows very little growth in the proportion of people that use public transport versus the proportion of people that are driving, thereby demonstrating a lack of government commitment to this modal share target.

It is interesting to note that the corresponding VicRoads data for the 2005-06 period highlighted a slight reduction in road use with the total vehicle kilometres travelled decreasing by 1.9% within inner Melbourne but by just 0.3 in the outer suburbs. Given the high price of petrol over that period, this data clearly demonstrates the deficiencies that exist in Melbourne’s public transport system, since outer suburban residents are not provided with the same public transport options that are available to inner Melbourne.

Public transport modal share (source: Appendix B - State Budget Papers 2007-2008)

It is clear that the State Government needs to go beyond the projects it listed in its policy document Meeting Our Transport Challenges and commit to the delivery of frequent train, tram and bus services across metropolitan Melbourne. This includes the need to bring forward much needed rail extensions, new tram extensions and further bus improvements. Reports such as the Government commissioned Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission (VCEC) inquiry into traffic congestion and the Environmental Sustainability Commissioner’s recent report into Melbourne’s sustainability confirm this view.