Tag: vicroads

Maroondah Journal: People power – residents may reclaim roads, shopping strip

Posted on by alex

The transformation of Ringwood into a vibrant suburb filled with opportunities for people of all abilities, will only succeed if the centre becomes pedestrian friendly. The Maroondah Journal has reported on Maroondah’s efforts to return Ringwood back to the community.

Cr Alex Makin confirmed the council was looking at ways to move cars from key roads in Maroondah.

Discussions are continuing with VicRoads to ensure that traffic lanes and speed limits can be reduced along Maroondah Highway, making it easier for people to cross this road and to connect the key transport interchange of Ringwood station to the residents and commercial businesses on the other side of the Highway.

“It’s our plan to look at Maroondah Highway – to reduce the road to four lanes with parking on both sides and reduce speed limits.”

The Ringwood Mobility and Wayfinding Strategy found that streets in Ringwood were largely pedestrian unfirendly and in excess of 500 people a day use the Maroondah Highway pedestrian crossing. This reports called for traffic calming along Maroondah Highway, including a reduction of lanes and speed limits, to return the street to the local community and to ensure a more vibrant shopping district.

“Maroondah streets should no longer be a thoroughfare for drivers, but instead we should return the centre of Ringwood back to the people. If you are not going to stop and shop and contribute to the community, then use the bypass.”

The toll-free Ringwood bypass will provide six lanes of traffic for people that wish to drive through Ringwood. A localised Maroondah Highway, with ample on-street parking, will allow for a more vibrant centre and boost local commerce.

He said the plan would enable shoppers to use the precinct safely. “I have difficulty crossing the highway on the pedestrian strip, but what about the people who use a mobility aid or walk a little slower?”

Reducing traffic along Maroondah Highway, through encouraging the use of the bypass, will make it easier for people with disabilities and mobility aids to shop within the centre of Ringwood.

“A vibrant suburban centre can only be achieved if we can provide a friendly, safe area for pedestrians.”

Pedestrians form the lifeblood of any vibrant district and it is imperative that changes are made to Maroondah Highway so that our streets can enhance the sense of community within Ringwood. VicRoads and the State Government must support and enact measures that reduce speed limits and the amount of traffic lanes along Maroondah Highway.

First Eastern Transport Coalition meeting for 2008

Posted on by alex

Like other committees, the Eastern Transport Coalition (ETC) has returned in january to hold its first meeting for 2008. Today’s meeting discussed the Eastern Transport Coalition’s submission to the Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission (VCEC) Inquiry into Liveability. This Inquiry was requested by the Victorian Treasurer, John Lenders, amid growing concern over Melbourne’s decline in liveability rankings.

The Eastern Transport Coalition submission will focus heavily on the need for an integrated transport and planning approach, which would curtail the excessive dominance of VicRoads in planning and transport policies. Furthermore the submission will also highlight the need for sustainable transport to assist in the liveability of my communities. For example, public transport improvements would provide an alternative to car dependence meaning that less income would be spent battling rising petrol prices and that less time would be wasted waiting in traffic congestion.

The VCEC Inquiry into traffic congestion clearly stated that the Government must do more to improve public transport. It is imperative that the State Government finally acts on the numerous inquiries it has called and realises that train, tram and bus improvements are urgently required.

Tonight’s meeting also discussed the strategic direction of the Eastern Transport Coalition. This year the ETC will continue to hold the State Government into account, while also pursuing the need for Federal Government investment in public transport infrastructure. Given that Australia is now a signatory to the Kyoto Treaty it is imperative that Federal leadership is provided to curb the rising greenhouse emissions associated with the transport sector. Public transport has the potential to assist in housing affordability by reducing car dependence and in reducing greenhouse emissions.

An action plan is currently being devised and is expected to be adopted at the next meeting.

Final Maroondah Partners in Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee for 2007

Posted on by alex

Today marked the final meeting of the Maroondah Partners in Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee for 2007. This committee includes representatives from Victoria Police, Department of Human Services, Connex, VicRoads, General Practitioners and the Eastern Volunteers Resource Centre

A number of projects have been initiated through the committee including, mandatory registrations for PartySafe, the Maroondah Seniors Register and improvements to Maroondah’s response to graffiti. The committee works as a forum for different agencies and organisations to share ideas and network resulting in a coordinated response to health and safety initiatives within Maroondah.

Since the middle of this year I have been chairing the committee and I look forward to continuing my involvement as we enter the new year. I would like to thank the many committed delegates on this committee for their time and dedication in enhancing the wellbeing of Maroondah.

Eastern Transport Coalition: November meeting

Posted on by alex

Tonight’s Eastern Transport Coalition covered a range of topics as the focus of the group begins to explore key issues that will be relevant for 2008.

The meeting included presentations from the Australian Greens and the Australian Democrats, both of whom are supportive of the need for federal involvement in urban public transport. While Family First, chose not to attend the meeting, I am aware that the Party has announced a policy supporting federal funding for public transport infrastructure.

This is significant, since each of the minor parties represented in Federal Parliament, support the notion of federal involvement in urban public transport. The discussions with the Greens and Democrats were fruitful, with both parties recognising the social, environmental and economic benefits of public transport improvements in the eastern suburbs and suggesting the use of the Senate as a method to raise awareness of the issue within Federal Parliament.

Regardless of the Federal election outcome, announcements such as the $80 million for the grade separation of Springvale Road Nunawading, provide a framework to advocate for partnerships between federal and local governments. This will allow public transport infrastructure to be included within such projects and allow both local and federal governments to hold the State government accountable for much needed public transport improvements.

The Eastern Transport Coalition has also continued its focus on the State Government with a presentation provided in regard to the Transport Legislation Review. The ETC will be authoring a submission that calls on the State Government to prioritise sustainable transport, as well as officially recognise the Government’s own target of increasing public transport modal share to 20% by the year 2020.

The current transport legislation review also draws into question the current lack of integration between VicRoads and the Public Transport Division of the Department of Infrastructure. While legislation may assist in improving outcomes, it will be hampered until physical integration between the Roads Authority (VicRoads) and the Public Transport Division is accomplished. VicRoads, as a statutory authority, enjoys a number of benefits that are not available to the public transport division which sits within the broader Department of Infrastructure.

This is clearly demonstrated in regard to the Maroondah Highway pedestrian crossing between Ringwood Station and Eastland. Despite the fact that the crossing is the most widely used within Maroondah, with over 5000 pedestrians daily, and links the Station with the retail and residential precincts of the Ringwood Transit City, VicRoads has currently been reluctant to improve the crossing.

Physical integration of government departments would follow examples in both Western Australia, with its integrated transport and planning department, and Queensland, which has a Coordinator-General’s department that as a statutory authority provides a whole of government referral authority.

The need for not just legislative integration but departmental integration is clear, with the Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability stating that “A more streamlined approach to land use and transport integration in Victoria would be possible if a single strategic authority were established.”

It is anticipated that both the Legislation Review and the VCEC Inquiry to Melbourne’s Liveability will be a significant focus for the Eastern Transport Coalition in 2008, as we continue to call on the State Government to improve public transport in the eastern suburbs.

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

Posted on by alex

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.

Bar None: Good Access = Good Business

Posted on by alex

Today I participated in Good Access = Good Business, a combined Maroondah City Council and Department of Human Services initiative under the Bar None program, a local leadership recognition project.

Bar None aimed to celebrate community inclusion and to recognise local examples of inclusion for people with disabilities. Today’s forum provided an opportunity to discuss accessibility in the context of the business community.

Alex Makin at the opening of Bar None : Good Access = Good Business

As part of the proceedings I participated in a panel discussing access and inclusion within Maroondah. A number of topics were discussed, including the lack of disability compliance at Ringwood Station and the difficulty crossing roads such as Maroondah Highway due to the lengthy delays and lack of adequate crossing time.

Businesses such as Invicta Bus Company are demonstrating a comprehensive commitment to inclusion through significantly exceeding the State Government requirements for low-floor buses and through providing telephone assistance for people that require accessible bus services.

At a council level it is imperative that we work with Eastland and its parent company, Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) to ensure that the proposed expansion of Eastland is accessible to the entire Maroondah community. Likewise new developments also need to be accessible and as such I have been requiring footpath construction as a condition for proposals within the Ringwood Transit City area. Maroondah Council is currently developing a principal pedestrian network, which will identify the areas that require footpaths thus improving the accessibility of our municipality.

In conjunction with Scoot Wheel N Move, Maroondah has encouraged businesses to participate in the Recharge Program, where shops are encouraged to provide power facilities for people with motorised scooters or wheelchairs. The cost to businesses is a mere 10 or 20 cents an hour but it ensures that people with motorised mobility aids are able to travel safely to and from the shops.

All levels of government need to work in cooperation to ensure a more inclusive and accessible society. While Maroondah is undertaking a number of strategic and practical initiatives to improve access, such as our new footpath construction policy and the Recharge Program, a commitment is also required from the State Government particularly in regard to our infrastructure.

Discussion Panel for Bar None : Good Access = Good Business

Ringwood Station currently fails disability compliance standards (DDA Act 1992) and as such its redevelopment is a necessity to ensure the success of an inclusive and vibrant future for Ringwood. Accompanied with the Station redevelopment, the State Government must also compel VicRoads to provide sufficient time for pedestrians to cross Maroondah Highway and minimise the lengthy delays that pedestrians must endure while they wait to cross the Highway. Many other pedestrian crossings also need improving and the State Government must deliver these accessibility improvements so that Maroondah can become an inclusive and accessible municipality.

I also had the privilege of opening Good Access = Good Business and a copy of my opening speech is available:

Continue reading “Bar None: Good Access = Good Business”

2007 EVRC AGM

Posted on by alex

The Eastern Volunteers Resource Centre (EVRC) is a not for profit organisation established in 1976, which provides volunteer assistance and community transport for people living in the Cities of Maroondah and Whitehorse and the Shire of Yarra Ranges. Eastern Volunteers works in partnership with all levels of government, peak volunteer organisations, other volunteer resource centres and a wide range of community service organisations and businesses.

The EVRC main office is located in Ringwood with small part-time outreach offices are located at Box Hill and Lilydale. It has 14 part-time staff; about 100 volunteers assisting in program delivery and a volunteer-based Committee of Management. The organisation provides transport services for people with disabilities and the frail aged, home and community care services and the recruitment, training and referral of volunteers.

I was invited to speak at the AGM of the Eastern Volunteers Resource Centre to discuss the partnership that exists between the City of Maroondah and the Eastern Volunteers Resource Centre. The City of Maroondah is truly blessed to have such an active organisation recruiting, training and developing volunteers, resulting in a stronger and more engaged community.

Please continue reading to view the speech I delivered at the 2007 EVRC AGM.

Continue reading “2007 EVRC AGM”

Presentation on urban sustainability and transport

Posted on by alex

This afternoon I was invited to deliver a presentation exploring the linkages between urban sustainability and public transport to the 41st Annual Geography Conference organised by the Geography Teachers Association of Victoria (GTAV).

The hour-long presentation provided a synopsis on the economic, social and environmental benefits of public transport, investigated current urban policies and examined Ringwood as a case study to demonstrate the interdependence between urban sustainability and public transport.

While the State Government appears to have neglected its goal of increasing public transport modal share to 20% by the year 2020, this target is required to mitigate rising congestion. With an annual cost of $4 billion annually, congestion is currently outpacing Melbourne’s population growth. Likewise the provision of public transport will provide transport choice to the many outer suburban households that are struggling due to rising petrol prices and the fact that private transport consumes up to 20% of budgets within these households.

The lack of public transport in Melbourne’s outer suburbs can also place non-car households at a significant disadvantage and limit the ability to participate in employment, educational, community and recreational opportunities. Similarly, obesity and health issues such as diabetes, can be symptomatic of car dependent suburbs where the potential to exercise is diminished.

In regard to environmental sustainability, transport accounts for 17% of Australia’s national greenhouse emissions and is the fastest growing sector of emissions. The figures are even more stark for individual households, where due to car dependence, transport is responsible for up to 49% of greenhouse emissions and is the largest contributing source of emissions within households.

These and other costs mean that car dependence is not sustainable and that urban sustainability cannot be achieved under current practices. While it may be claimed that excessive car usage contributes to the economy, when equating the economic, social and environmental impacts of car dependence there is an annual deficit of $16.3 billion.

Melbourne 2030, the State Government’s urban planning strategy was supposed to achieve a more sustainable future for Melbourne. While the plan identified numerous activity centres, each of which are earmarked for urban development, the public transport network that was supposed to cater to these urban centres remains underdeveloped.

This is even more apparent in the purpose-built activity centres that were initially designed to showcase the integration that was to result between transport and planning. Activity centres such as South Morang, Cranbourne East and Wyndham Vale have been denied much needed rail extensions despite their location within the rapidly developing growth corridors.

The problems experienced with Melbourne’s public transport system, such as unreliable train services, infrequent and poorly connected bus services and trams that terminate short of logical destinations can be resolved, but it requires Government will. Within Australia, Perth has proven to be an example of the improvements that can result from an integration between transport and planning and a commitment to urban sustainability. As an example, Perth recently doubled the size of its rail network, including the construction of a new 70km rail line (twice the distance of the CBD to Dandenong) and new stations are built simultaneously with urban development.

The integration that has borne results in Perth needs to be implemented in Melbourne, particularly for designated transit cities such as Ringwood. The suburb of Ringwood, located 27km east of Melbourne’s CBD, has been designated an area of higher density development but the State Government has been lacklustre in its commitment to improving public transport.

Ringwood currently suffers due to a disjointed retail precinct and transport hub which requires pedestrians to cross a six lane highway. Despite the goals of creating a sustainable community, the State Government and VicRoads have currently refused requests to make it easier to cross Maroondah Highway. Coupled with poor public transport, which includes making public transport users wait up to half an hour to travel between Ringwood and Croydon, the current culture of car dependence is exacerbated and potentially jeopardises the ability to create green open space and a new heart for Ringwood. Furthermore the lack of commitment over the redevelopment of Ringwood Station has created uncertainty for major developers resulting in unnecessary delays.

Each of these issues are interrelated, since due to poor public transport there is less open space which creates a pedestrian hostile environment and investment delays as developers wait for these issues to be rectified. While 40% of land in Melbourne used for roads and carparks, a staggering 62% of land within Ringwood is used for these purposes, leaving less land available for residential, commercial and community purposes.

While new developments, such as three storey residential buildings, are occurring the investment in public transport and hence the investor confidence in larger commercial developments is not. In particular, while residents within these new developments are encouraged to use public transport, walking and cycling as a form of travel this will not be sustainable if public transport is not improved.

Poor public transport connectivity and a lack of frequent bus services along main roads, such as Maroondah Highway, Canterbury and Wonga Roads, means that public transport usage will remain limited due to the fact that these poor levels of service fail to provide a real transport choice. The State Government must deliver significant public transport improvements to demonstrate that it is committed to creating a sustainable community within Ringwood.

The provision of sustainable transport is a key component of creating a sustainable community and increasing economic, social and environmental pressures means that action is required.

2007 Rail Infrastructure Summit

Posted on by alex

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.

Croydon Stroke Support Group

Posted on by alex

This morning I was invited to speak to the Croydon Stroke Support Group about my role as a Maroondah Councillor and to hear any concerns raised by members.

The discussion focussed strongly on Maroondah’s footpaths and the needs of pedestrians. Maroondah Council recently passed a Pedestrian Strategy which provides a framework to address the lack of footpaths within parts of the municipality. The Pedestrian Strategy will be reinforce by a Footpath Construction Policy which will enable Council to facilitate new footpaths particularly within areas that connect to schools, shops and public transport.

The Pedestrian Strategy also sets new standards in regard to footpath maintenance which will lead to an ongoing improvement to the condition of footpaths within Maroondah. This will lead to reduction in cracked and uneven footpaths making it easier for people to walk throughout Maroondah.

A number of concerns were raised in regard to the lack of adequate time to cross traffic lights, particularly in roads such as Maroondah Highway and Warrandyte Road. Unfortunately many of these roads are under the jurisdiction of VicRoads but council and myself personally have been advocating for longer pedestrian cycles to make it safer for people to cross the road. It is imperative that VicRoads listens to the community and realises that is responsible for the needs of pedestrians as well as vehicles.

The Croydon Stroke Support Group provides a support network for people who have suffered a stroke andprovides a range of activities for members, including guest speakers and social outings. It was a pleasure to speak to the group and I look forward to further discussions as we seek to improve the mobility of Maroondah.