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Policies and initiatives
> Direction 8. Better transport links
> Policy 8.1
Policy 8.1 – Upgrade and develop the Principal
Public Transport Network and local public transport services to
connect activity centres and link Melbourne to the regional cities
By 2020, the Government intends that public transport’s
share of motorised trips within Melbourne will rise to 20 per cent
from the current level of 9 per cent. Achievement of this target
will be influenced to a large degree by changes in travel modes
in outer suburbs.
It will also depend on development of two main
markets for public transport:
- trips that use high-quality public transport services for long-distance
fast travel to get to and from activity centres – traditionally,
this has meant rail transport and commuting to Central Melbourne,
but, increasingly, it will include light rail, tram and express
bus services on non-radial routes connecting Principal and Major
Activity Centres
- trips that use frequent local public transport for travel to
Neighbourhood Activity Centres and to provide easy connections
to Principal Public Transport Network routes – improved bus
and taxi interchanges and coordination of timetables and fares
will build better links with this network.
It will depend on major improvements to public
transport through the Principal Public Transport Network. More than
half of this network is already in place through metropolitan Melbourne’s
radial train and tram system. The rest of the network – some
40 per cent – will be added mainly through new cross-town bus
routes. It will be complemented by new fast train services that
serve key regional cities and townships and connect with Principal
and Major Activity Centres along the radial routes leading to Central
Melbourne (see ‘Bus, tram and train plans’). This will
open up many opportunities for stronger links between cities and
will help the economy to grow.
At present, there are gaps in the system. The Principal
Public Transport Network does not adequately service some Principal
and Major Activity Centres – particularly those that were sited
in the 1960s and 1970s as car-based shopping malls, so connections
to these must be improved. Planning will look at ways to improve
public transport services and interchanges at stand-alone shopping
centres, including the Frankston line and Southland shopping centre,
tram and bus services at Airport West and Highpoint, and improved
bus services at Chadstone and Doncaster.
In addition, particularly in the inner urban area,
gaps in the existing system (including light rail/bus) will be identified
and addressed. The network will need to be extended to connect with
these types of new activity centres as they develop.
Key strategic transport corridors will be identified
and planned to provide for fast, reliable and frequent public transport
services. Some of this work will involve developing and extending
the existing fixed-rail network.
In the 2002–03 Budget, the Government has
provided $98 million to electrify the rail line to Craigieburn and
$30 million for the first stage of extending the Burwood Road tram
to Knox City. Other extensions awaiting funding are the rail lines
to Cranbourne East and South Morang.
Figure 41. Melbourne's Principal Public Transport Network
- click for more detail
Possible future options reflecting
the priorities of Melbourne 2030 are the electrification
of the rail line to Melton, and an extension to serve Epping North.
Most gaps in the system, however,
will be met by new strategic cross-town public transport routes.
Due to the radial design of our rail network, a cross-town bus network
is needed to meet changing needs and land-use patterns across Melbourne.
The demand patterns of the former dormitory suburbs are changing
and interconnections with surrounding activity centres have become
more important.
The Principal Public Transport Network
must be supported by a comprehensive network of local public transport
services. Typically, buses and taxis will provide these local services
and other niche modes (such as ferries) may be appropriate to specific
travel needs and locations.
The provision of local bus services
has not kept pace with urban development and many people now live
beyond convenient walking distance (400 metres) of any form of public
transport. To ensure that public transport provides the majority
of people with a realistic travel option, it is necessary to provide
local bus services throughout the urban area. These local bus services
will be designed to meet the need for local travel as well as providing
for longer distance trips in conjunction with the Principal Public
Transport Network.
Other areas where performance needs
to be substantially improved include:
- improvements in public transport frequency, reliability and
ease of use
- faster on-road travel times
- coordination between services and interchanges
- the implementation of a new ticket and fare system
- better information, including maps and timetables.
Achieving greater use of public transport
will require action on many other fronts. Melbourne 2030
applies land-use planning to increase densities, maximise the use
of existing infrastructure and improve the viability of public transport
operation.
Figure 42. Travel mode, 2020 target - click for
more detail
Initiatives
| 8.1.1 |
Produce a service development and management plan for Melbourne
in 2003 that sets priorities and identifies the actions required
to achieve the 2020 public transport use target of 20 per
cent. This will include:
- improvements to the Principal Public Transport Network
- improvements for local public transport services with
a focus on transport interchanges at Principal and Major
Activity Centres
- completion of the fast rail upgrade projects linking Melbourne
to Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and the Latrobe Valley
- complementary activities, such as education and pricing
policy, aimed at reducing demand for private car travel
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| 8.1.2 |
Define and publish targets for
public transport service delivery (coverage, frequency and reliability)
to be met by the various elements of the public transport system |
| 8.1.3 |
Plan for the selective expansion
of the rail network to connect to new and existing Principal
and Major Activity Centres that rely solely on bus connections
and taxis |
| 8.1.4 |
Identify key public transport,
freight and private car routes between activity centres that
can be upgraded to cross-town transport corridors |
| 8.1.5 |
Work with the bus industry to identify,
reorganise and plan for improvements to bus routes that will
meet local travel needs and act as feeders to the Principal
Public Transport Network |
Bus, tram and train
plans
Separate, interconnected plans are being developed for each
travel mode, to set out priorities for investment in public
transport. These plans are essential if public transport is
to reach the 20 per cent mode share target by 2020 set out in
Growing Victoria Together. They recognise the hierarchy
of public transport services in the metropolitan area, and will
be integrated, on an area-by-area basis, so that mobility and
access, rather than provision of a particular modal service,
is the end point.
The Principal Public Transport Network plays a central role
in longer-distance travel, and most local route and feeder
services are provided by buses. Radial services are primarily
provided by train and tram, while a strengthened role for
premium cross-town services is to be developed using buses
or trams.
The plans are as follows:
Metropolitan Bus Plan - a comprehensive
plan to improve bus services throughout metropolitan Melbourne
and to maximise their value to the community. It will cover
the premium cross-town services, route and local feeder services.
State-of-the-art techniques for bus operations will be evaluated,
as will new methods and technologies for best practice in
service effectiveness, demand-responsive services, premium
services (such as the SmartBus program), vehicle design and
operation.
Metropolitan Tram Plan - this strengthens
the role of the existing tram network by improving its performance
and making it more competitive with private motorised travel.
In addition, extending the network to Principal and Major
Activity Centres and introducing new cross-town services on
the Principal Public Transport Network will complement the
Transit Cities program. Tram stops and interchanges with other
services will be reviewed, with a focus on access to services
by people with disabilities. Service levels and performance
standards for trams will be revised.
Train Plan - this will cover all Victoria,
due to the interdependence of metropolitan and Statewide heavy
rail infrastructure. In the long term, it will meet the needs
of the community and of people using the rail network and
will address issues ranging from capacity to network extensions
and infrastructure for improved operations. It forms a framework
in which projects can be assessed and implemented. A more
effective use of the network is expected. In the metropolitan
area, demand for train services will be altered by urban and
other developments envisaged in Melbourne 2030, so train operations
and infrastructure will also need to be flexible.
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