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www.ptua.org.au ISSN 0817 – 0347 Volume 30 No. 4 October 2006 State election looms: Parties challenged on transport Going into the state election, the PTUA is (including duplication of single track and challenging the major political parties to commit to signalling upgrades where this is necessary) funding real solutions to and ’s • transport problems. Upgrades to regional town bus services in line with those taking place in Melbourne: routes to With endemic traffic congestion and pollution, and operate 7 days a week into the evening (despite a brief respite recently) petrol prices set to • continue to climb, it is time to offer more people a Genuine priority for bus and services to genuine alternative to driving. ensure these vehicles are not delayed by heavy traffic Key commitments must include: • Commence removal of level crossings, • Reform of the Planning and Transport beginning with those worst affected by high Ministries to overhaul the management culture train frequencies, tram/train crossings and buses and ensure a holistic view of land-use planning held up in traffic and transport issues, to ensure the best “triple- bottom-line” (environmental, social, economic) The PTUA was highly critical of the government’s outcomes Meeting Our Transport Challenges document when it was released in May, because for all the money • Redesign of the bus system into a co-ordinated, being spent, very little is going towards getting direct, frequent, easy-to-understand network people out of their cars and onto public transport. that genuinely complements the train and tram With a few trivial exceptions, there is no systems in providing all of Melbourne with commitment to any the urgent priorities listed transport choices above. • Commitments to build rail extensions into Now is the chance for the government, opposition suburban areas that desperately need them now: and minor parties to commit to the types of South Morang, Doncaster, Rowville, and upgrades that will cut car use, and give more electrification to Baxter, Sunbury and Victorians real transport choices. Cranbourne East With this issue is a sticker you can display to show • Relatively cheap extensions to the tram network your support for better public transport. And see so that routes terminate in logical locations: inside for more information on our campaigning Route 48 to Doncaster; Route 75 to Knox City; leading up to the state election. Route 57 to East Keilor; Routes 3, 5, 6 and 67 For more details of the PTUA’s short-term transport to their local railway stations priorities: • New stations to better serve suburbs and traffic  www.ptua.org.au/publications/fiveyearplan generators close to existing rail services: Southland, Lyndhurst, Coolaroo, Campbellfield and North Eltham PTUA celebrates 30 years • Upgrades to service frequency to provide more of Melbourne with services at least every 15 – See pages 4-5 minutes, 7 days a week, including evenings PTUA News – October 2006 – Page 1 Keeping in touch… Committee Daniel Bowen – President, Newsletter – [email protected] PTUA office Alex Makin – Vice President, and Convenor, Outer East branch 247 Flinders Lane, Melbourne Anthony Morton – Secretary – [email protected] Telephone (03) 9650 7898 Kerryn Wilmot – Treasurer – [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Paul Westcott – Convenor, Geelong branch – [email protected] Phil Bourke Membership Enquiries Michael Graves Call or e-mail the office (see above) Mark Johnson Tim Long PTUA members can obtain cheap yearly Jeremy Lunn – see Anthony Pitt www.ptua.org.au/members/offers David Robertson Tim Petersen Internet Chris Trikilis Our web site is at www.ptua.org.au All committee members can be emailed at the addresses given above, The PTUA runs email lists for member or by the format: [email protected] discussions, and to stay up to date with Committee Meetings PTUA events, and view archived newsletters online: Meetings are on the second Thursday of each month. Members are www.ptua.org.au/members/resources welcome to observe. Please call or e-mail the office for details.

Events End of Suburbia in Manningham The PTUA is hosting another screening of the documentary ‘The End of Suburbia’ about the end of the age of cheap oil. Wednesday October 18th, 7pm Manningham Conference Centre 699 Doncaster Road, Doncaster Join thousands of other Australians in a peaceful walk urging action on climate change. Forum: Which political party is the most PT-friendly? Motor vehicles are among the largest and fastest growing sources of greenhouse emissions. Demand Monday October 23rd, 7:30 pm better public transport from our governments. Knox Civic Centre 511 Burwood Highway, Wantirna South Date: Saturday, 4th November 2006 Peak Oil – Imposed by Nature, Frankston Start: 1pm, Melbourne Town Hall This film sets out to explain the peak oil phenomenon, End: 3pm, Birrarung Marr giving an approximate date for the Peak and it draws up Bring: Family, friends, kids, bikes, placards and happy lines of possible consequences for Mankind as well. faces ready for a fun afternoon. Presented by PTUA in association with Environment Info: www.walkagainstwarming.org Victoria and Friends of Frankston Thursday October 26th, 7:30pm Samuel Sherlock Hall, Quality Street, Frankston (Melway 100A E8) More coming up Keep an eye on our web site for details of more events.  www.ptua.org.au

PTUA News – October 2006 – Page 2 Making the links to joined-up government Like Tony Blair in the UK before Malvern railway station and on to address these failings. The PTUA him, Steve Bracks came to power in Chadstone. has called on the government to 1999 and promised “joined-up release the final report completed Another monument to the failure to government”. Consistency across last month, however we believe a integrate transport and land use all areas of public policy is clearly number of measures are already planning lies almost due south of desirable. Vast sums of taxpayer clearly warranted, including: Chadstone. Like Chadstone, funds can be wasted on government Southland shopping centre is also • Establishing a central agency to services if the objectives are identified as a Principal Activity plan and manage Melbourne’s undermined by other government Centre under Melbourne 2030, public transport system, similar programs. however this complex abuts the to those operating in Zurich, Transport is one such area that is . Joined-up Vancouver and Perth closely interdependent with other government suggests that a • areas of policy such as health, the Principal Activity Centre next to a Properly integrating transport environment, economic railway line would have a railway and land use planning to reduce performance and social equity (see station, however many years after the need to travel and increase PTUA News March 2006). promising a feasibility study, the the accessibility of trip Bracks government appears no generators by public transport. One of the most glaring deficiencies closer to providing one. • of the Bracks government is the enshrine social and failure to integrate transport and Numerous symptoms of environmental sustainability land use planning. For example, institutional failure exist – principles into transport Chadstone shopping centre is that terminate a few hundred metres legislation that recognise the notorious for traffic snarls and from the nearest railway station impact of induced traffic and parking woes and is identified as a instead of meeting the train, buses the need to reduce motor Principal Activity Centre under that are scheduled to depart stations vehicle travel, energy Melbourne 2030. Planning approval moments before a trainload of consumption, pollution and has been granted for a major passengers arrive, lack of priority greenhouse emissions. expansion of Chadstone, however for public transport vehicles at While the PTUA is clearly hoping the government has failed to traffic lights and the privileged for solid commitments to public provide attractive, fast and frequent access enjoyed by roads to sources transport infrastructure ahead of the public transport services to the of funding beyond the reach of state election, it is institutional centre. If the government was public transport. reforms such as these that will drive serious about integrating the The draft report on congestion the fundamental change needed in Melbourne 2030 activity centres released by the Victorian transport policy. into the public transport network, Competition & Efficiency they would have started work on Commission (VCEC) in April extending tram route 3 to East flagged many possible options to

Geelong bus petition reaches 1000 signatures More than a thousand Geelong centre, better connections to trains The petition calls for suburban residents and visitors have signed a and wheelchair access to platforms buses to run at least every 15 petition demanding better public 2 and 3 at Geelong Station. minutes during the day and early transport services in the Geelong evening and at least every half-hour Whichever government is elected in region. from late evening until midnight. It November, the response clearly also calls for buses to the Bellarine The petition calls for more frequent shows that voters will be expecting Peninsula and Torquay to run up to buses running later into the evening public transport of a much higher every half-hour during peak times, as the key to making public standard. High petrol prices will and at least hourly during the rest of transport a viable transport choice continue to hurt Geelong while the day and evening. for more people. It also calls for the there is a lack of useable public return of bus stops to Geelong’s city transport throughout the region. Copy deadline for the next PTUA news is 15th November 2006 Newsletter contributors: Daniel Bowen, Alex Makin, Tony Morton, Chris Trikilis, Paul Westcott. Printed on recycled paper by Flash Print, Collingwood. Our thanks to Max Nicholson and the rest of the dedicated mail out team.

PTUA News – October 2006 – Page 3 PTUA celebrates 30 years of standing up for passengers The PTUA’s 2006 Annual General so proud that the association is still years, and trust that they will Meeting took place on Thursday, in existence and continues to have a continue to stay in touch. 28th of September at Ross House. strong public profile.” The video of highlights can be Members heard how the Apart from anniversary viewed on our web site: organisation (then called the Train celebrations, the normal business of  Traveller’s Association) was the AGM was also held, with the www.ptua.org.au/about founded (see below), and watched a committee for 2006-2007 being video of highlights from the past determined (see list on page 2). We few decades. would like to thank retiring committee members Beth Driscoll Founder Frank Casey’s daughter and Chris Loader for their Alison was present to cut the contributions over the past few birthday cake, and remarked afterwards that her father “would be

How it all began It’s the evening peak hour. A And he called for other disgruntled So while the organisation is thirty Lilydale train breaks down at commuters to form an organisation: years old, the PTUA name is 22 Ringwood station. Hundreds of the Train Travellers Association, years old – but that still makes it passengers trying to get home are which met for the first time a couple older than the names , told to find alternative transport. of months later. Connex Melbourne, , Some try and arrange lifts. Some the Department of Infrastructure, decide to start walking, perhaps and VicRoads. Only V/Line is even hoping to hitch a lift. A lucky older, by just a year. few manage to find taxis. Many more try desperately to cram into Some things have changed over the buses. years: in 1976 the TTA cautioned against the outright ban of smoking A man squeezes himself into a bus. on public transport. And given It won’t take him all the way home. regular strikes at the time, one of From the bus he’ll have to walk the key planks was refunds on another mile. But he squeezes periodical tickets when industrial himself on. And just as the bus action occurred. leaves, he hears from the station loudspeaker: “Lilydale train now Other issues remain constant: leaving – stand clear” and he regular fare increases, many above watches as his train – now empty – the rate of inflation; a tax system departs. and government priorities which favour car use over public transport. The man was Frank Casey, and the events of that night in February There have been some significant 1976 inspired him to write a letter wins: One early demand was multi- to The Herald. modal ticketing, which happened in 1983. A campaign during the He had the foresight not to simply nineties called “Seven day service gripe about his experience, but to for a seven day city” called for try to identify the causes, including better Sunday services, which were issues that sound all too familiar delivered – at least on the trains and today. For instance he wrote: trams – in 1999. There is no doubt that we are  Continued next page suffering from a quarter of a century of neglect of rolling stock, In 1984 the Train Travellers stations and services – while money Association widened to cover buses and attention has been concentrated and trams, and changed its on providing freeways and facilities constitution and name to match: the for the car traveller… Public Transport Users Association. PTUA News – October 2006 – Page 4 Scenes from the PTUA’s activities over the years

 Continued from previous page If it wasn’t for PTUA, the scale of the mess on New Year’s involved in early discussions that government’s Smartbus project Eve, which subsequently led to all led to the Nightrider buses and would have been all flashy night trains and trams. Metlink’s common branding. electronic signs (of doubtful reliability), but no extra buses. It was the PTUA that kept pushing These sorts of improvements only And it was video from the PTUA for the tram to Box Hill. come through the hard work of in 2003 which revealed the true PTUA volunteers, and something It was the PTUA that to bear in mind is that we are helped mobilise always looking for members to community groups contribute more – so if you have across Victoria to some free time, please do get fight the proposal in involved. the early Kennett years to slash Frank Casey passed away in 1994, country rail services, but his legacy – and that of his close the torturous trip home in February Williamstown and 1976 – lives on. Stony Point lines and run buses instead of We are compiling some information trains after dark in on the PTUA’s history for our web Melbourne. site.  www.ptua.org.au/about/history We were also PTUA News – October 2006 – Page 5 Tunnel freeway threatens inner north again Even before the ink was dry on strategy, yet another study aimed at West Link Needs Assessment” that Federal funding for the extension of proving the need for an inner-north gives them one more chance to the Eastern Freeway to Frankston freeway. search around for a pretext to build (a.k.a. Eastlink), the road lobby had this road. Given the road lobby’s There have already been a number begun agitating for the revival of privileged position in transport of studies into the transport needs of the westward extension through planning in Victoria (almost unique the inner north, most recently the Fitzroy and Carlton, one of the among international cities), Northern Central City Corridor inner-city freeways cancelled by sustainable transport activists will Study, released in draft form in Liberal premier Rupert Hamer in need to be wary. 2004 but never finalised. 1974. While the PTUA’s campaign in Without fail, the evidence has Last year the road lobby forced the 2004 helped elect several freeway shown that there is no case for “east-west tunnel” into a strategic opponents to Yarra City Council, linking the Eastern and Tullamarine report for Melbourne City Council heading off the freeway threat will Freeways, since the vast majority of despite the report’s author, William require action at state level. Neither traffic exiting the Eastern Freeway McDougall, saying after the report’s major party so far has signalled a is heading for the city. Meanwhile release that Melbourne would be departure from its historical record there is a perfectly good road - better off without it and that more of giving the road lobby whatever it Citylink - providing a freight route priority had to be given to wants while leaving public transport between the Port of Melbourne, the improving public transport (The in the hands of incompetent city and the industrial and freight Age, 1 Sep 2005). managers. But with transport set to distribution centres in the eastern be a pivotal issue in the coming The MCC report gave the road suburbs (very few of which are in election, real change is at last lobby the excuse they needed to Doncaster or Mitcham). possible. include, in the State Government’s Nonetheless, the road lobby is now Meeting Our Transport Challenges gearing up for a $5,000,000 “East

Transport focus: Northern suburbs The suburbs through which the For decades, successive problems in this corridor. While we Upfield line passes were identified governments have used the may in time see 15 minute as a public transport focussed existence of the Sydney Road tram frequencies on the Upfield line (but corridor even by the freeway-mad as an excuse to neglect the Upfield only in peak hour), our lazy Kennett Government in 1996. Ten line, even to threaten it with closure bureaucracy is using the ubiquitous years later, however, public on numerous occasions from the “capacity constraints” excuse to transport in this corridor suffers 1890s through to the 1990s. But in delay any improvements. Since we from the double-whammy reality, the train and the tram serve know this line had trains every 4 combination of poor service and entirely different needs: the tram for minutes in the 1920s, this just isn’t overcrowding. short-distance travel on Sydney good enough. Road and Royal Parade, and the The Upfield line remains one of the Meanwhile planners seem more train for longer-distance travel worst-provisioned train services in interested in counterproductive between suburbs and to the city. Melbourne, running only every 20 measures like widening Bell Street, minutes in peak hour and half- And of course the tram has which is sure only to give us a hourly after 7pm. At no time do difficulties of its own, suffering bigger road congestion and trains run at the minimum 15 from delays due to traffic. While pollution problem in five years’ minute frequency required to attract there have been some time. travellers with a car alternative. As improvements made to tram The PTUA will be seeking a result the service is attractive only priority, particularly with respect to commitments from election to central-city commuters in peak separating trams and cars in Royal candidates in this region to improve hour, and runs as a charity service Parade, bolder measures are peak and off-peak frequencies on at all other times. This is a required along the entire length of the Upfield line, speed up trams spectacular waste of resources when the route. though bold measures (such as parallel north-south roads are The government’s omnibus Meeting reconfiguration of car lanes in congested all day long. Our Transport Challenges strategy Royal Parade), and oppose costly promises little to rectify the road expansion.

PTUA News – October 2006 – Page 6 Transport focus: Melbourne’s East For seven years Eastern and South- After seven years, despite the Rowville line eastern Melbourne have waited for endless rhetoric, Melbourne’s outer a plan that, as promised back in east is still a public transport The concept of a rail line to Monash 1999, would ‘address the fixed wasteland. University and Rowville was first infrastructure requirements for the proposed in the 1969 Transport region’ (Page 11, Rebuilding a Rail extensions to match Plan. With the economic strength Transport Network, Labor’s Plan, urban growth and continued population growth of 1999). Unfortunately they are still the region, the rail line is needed In releasing Melbourne 2030, The more than ever. The Wellington waiting. State Government proposed an SmartBus is an inadequate measure activity centre known as ‘Casey Previous commitments such as rail in comparison. to Cranbourne East rail and Fields’, in Cranbourne. This Rowville, and off-peak express purposely built centre was to have Only a rail line can carry thousands services have been abandoned as its centrepiece a rail line with a of passengers per hour, which completely, and the one station at Cranbourne East. While would have the potential to remove commitment that was delivered, the the City of Casey dutifully followed one lane of traffic from the Monash Vermont South tram extension, was the State Government direction, the Freeway and provide competitive simply a watered-down version of government has simply turned its journey times to Monash and the the initial promise of a tram to back on Melbourne’s south east by CBD. Knox. failing to deliver the rail extension. ‘Let them ride buses’ – but Bus improvements have also been Meanwhile with continuing be expected to wait minor, with the Government taking population growth, a new station in The government seems content to a decade to deliver frequent bus Lyndhurst is required now and not – tell Melbourne to ‘let them ride services across just four orbital bus as the government’s plan stipulates buses’ and yet the minimum service routes in Melbourne, despite – a possibility in 2012. If a new standards are sorely inadequate. In internal reports stating that the station can be built in Ballarat Melbourne’s east, due to a failure to orbital routes could be operational within two years, there is no reason provide much needed rail and tram within five years. Most other bus why Lyndhurst residents must wait infrastructure, residents are being services still meander through six years for their station. told that in four years they may suburbs, providing unneeded The Pakenham and Cranbourne finally have better bus services. complexity and journey times lines, despite the urban growth have uncompetitive with car travel. The some of the most infrequent train Unfortunately the service much-hyped SmartBus service has services anywhere in Melbourne. improvements will do little to entice also largely failed to deliver, with Passengers expected to wait up to people onto public transport. mandated frequency guidelines not an hour for a train, and the Melbourne’s meandering bus routes being met along routes on government currently shows no remaining coupled with up to an Blackburn and Springvale Road. plans to rectify this situation. hour’s wait provides a level of service vastly inferior to that enjoyed by the tram network.

Transport focus: Regional services Town bus services don’t drive, and until now have particularly at off-peak, evening and been unable to reach many weekend times. While some parts of Melbourne are opportunities for education, But there is still anger from at last receiving basic bus services recreation and employment. on weekends and into the evenings, residents in a number of smaller people in regional towns must be The question then must be: why is towns in Gippsland, for whom the wondering why they are missing at least this basic level of service new timetables mean a longer wait out. not being provided on regional town for a train home. A number of bus services? services have been needless While nobody would claim that converted to expresses, bypassing hourly bus services will attract New V/Line timetables smaller stations in order to save a people out of their cars, the The new timetables for V/Line train few minutes. Commonsense should upgrades across Melbourne services have now been prevail, and these stops be added nevertheless do represent a step implemented across all lines, back, to ensure all residents can forward for those residents who providing additional services, enjoy the new train services. PTUA News – October 2006 – Page 7 Transport focus: North eastern suburbs Doncaster rail $400m, and include tunnelling redevelopment, but the main focus beyond Bulleen. Overcrowded of the hill, Doncaster Shoppingtown Out of control petrol prices have buses which are currently held up in is set to almost double in size. Yet shown we can no longer afford to traffic in the city in peak times no thought has been given for how leave two-thirds of Melbourne high could be far better utilised to get people to the Hill, and with and dry without transport providing frequent and reliable an enormous change of traffic alternatives. Now is the time to services to railway stations in patterns set to occur with the complete Melbourne’s rail network Doncaster, West Doncaster and opening of EastLink, there is no allowing frequent trains on all lines Bulleen by connecting with every better time to finally correct this serving most of the greater city train, seven days a week and gross oversight. area, and rolling out a proper extensively covering the region. network of feeder buses running This simple, 4.5km extension would longer hours between people’s A train line along the middle of the not be expensive, and would benefit homes and train stations. Eastern Freeway is the only way to much of Melbourne. It would also stop the choking of the inner city provide a unique opportunity for Rail along the Eastern Freeway with cars, and finally provide the tram/bus interchange at the popular through to Doncaster was promised north-east with its promised rail Doncaster Park+Ride as well as when the freeway opened in the connection and a viable transport serving the communities of 1960s, and is the only way to stop alternative – albeit 40 years late. Doncaster, North Balwyn, Kew, traffic jams along inner city arterial Richmond and the city. roads and at the city end of the Doncaster tram freeway in peak times. The The removal of the wasteful bus municipality of Manningham is the Finishing a tram route in the middle route 207 (which follows the tram only one within 15km of the CBD of nowhere makes no sense. Now is for over half its journey) could see still without any form of rail the time to ask why tram route 48 the redistribution of resources infrastructure, and the reality is now from North Balwyn to the City allowing immediate relief to an that it must be built sooner rather shouldn’t be continued to overcrowded and unreliable bus than later to improve a minimal Doncaster, given the areas beyond network in the north-east. The tram modal share. its present terminus have been to Doncaster is a simple, easy-fix residential for nearly half a century. project with numerous benefits for The cost of building the train from the whole region. Victoria Park as far as Doncaster Not only is Doncaster Hill is set to Shoppingtown would cost less than go through an enormous

Transport focus: Western suburbs Western suburbs residents have occurred to decision makers that the midnight to connect with trains and long felt they are the poor cousins reason so many people are driving better serve major destinations such of the east when it comes to across the bridge is that virtually no as Victoria University and shopping services and facilities, and the area station west of Footscray has a train centres at Highpoint and Moonee of public transport is no exception. more often than every 20 minutes – Ponds. even in peak hour. Poor, infrequent and unreliable With a growing population and services, overcrowding and traffic And out of peak hours, while most worsening traffic, it’s clear that congestion all plague Melbourne’s eastern suburbs lines run every 15 improved public transport – more west, with recent government minutes, all western suburbs lines frequent trains, upgraded and direct announcements indicating little if run less frequently. bus routes, and even strategic tram anything is to change. extensions such as to East Keilor – Many bus routes need upgrading to must be provided to the western Indeed, under the government’s tram-like frequencies, and tram 82 suburbs. transport plan, millions of dollars is from Footscray to Moonee Ponds to be squandered on adjusting lanes needs service upgrades to at least on the Westgate Freeway, 15-minutes in daytime, 10-minute apparently because it hasn’t peaks and 20-minute evenings until

PTUA News – October 2006 – Page 8