Minister Williams' top 5 local public transport priorities

 

Last week I welcomed the new Public & Active Transport Minister Gabrielle Williams and listed some important agenda items where she could make a real impact. These tended to be quite broad, even state-wide. 

Today I want to cover Dandenong area issues that are important in her capacity as local MP. As I've written extensively about most in the past I'll make this a short list with links for further detail. 

1. 7 day service on all Dandenong bus routes

First priority as it's important, cheap and easy to fix. Dandenong is amongst Melbourne's lowest income and most diverse areas but has the least 7 day bus service of any comparable area. There was a big push to fix that across Melbourne about 15 years ago but implementation was only half-hearted in Dandenong. Thus timetables for many routes remain untouched, retaining their early finish and limited Saturday afternoon and Sunday service. This is despite the buses that do run (especially the 800) being amongst Melbourne's busiest bus routes that lack 7 day service. 

Priorities for upgrade include 800, 814, 802/804, 885, 844 and 857, probably in that order. Funding for all these would be desirable in the 2024 state budget. 

2. Simpler, more direct and more frequent bus routes

Bus routes in Dandenong can be complex, overlapping and not have been reformed for decades. Along with the short operating days/hours mentioned above their frequency can be low, with 60 and even 120 minute service found on the network. Simplification of the network should allow some frequency increases especially if accompanied by some modest extra funding for weekend and evening operating hours. Simplification could mean that each route runs every 20 to 40 minutes at all times rather than every 40-120 minutes as currently. There could also be more even spacing on routes that continue to overlap. 

The simplest candidate for network simplification in Dandenong is a mini-review of the 802/804/862 corridor. Also worth considering is the complex network further west in suburbs like Keysborough and Mulgrave, which although outside Dandenong have implications for services in it. 

Network simplification often requires public consultation and takes more time to plan than a simple timetable upgrade. Thus it can't happen as quickly as a 7 day service roll-out. Nevertheless the 2024 state budget should allocate at least planning funding to enable a start to be made.

3. New bus routes to Dandenong South and the Monash precinct

Could be part of the network simplification reviews above but would require additional funding. Connections to jobs in Dandenong South is a key need with the desirability of direct routes to adjoining suburbs including Keysborough, Hampton Park and Narre Warren. Also important is better connections to the Monash precinct, which my Metro Tunnel Bus Network has from Dandenong via Heatherton Rd and Springvale. 

4. Trains every 10 min until midnight 7 days

Justified as Dandenong is Melbourne's busiest line. One hopes that this happens when Metro Tunnel opens next year, though Melbourne's record at adding service once infrastructure is built is patchy. Current waits for trains at Dandenong are 30 min on weekend evenings and Sunday mornings. This is despite high need for travel at these times with trains every 10 minutes from early morning to midnight, all week justified for the City - Dandenong portion. 

A good approach would be to extend the current daytime operating pattern (Pakenham/Cranbourne each every 20 min) into the night and Sunday morning as well.   

5. Regularly maintaining and cleaning the disgrace that is Dandenong Station

The centre of the area's transport network is dirty, dusty and unloved. And you can't blame vandals for most of it. Paint is badly chipped, platforms are unmaintained and certain areas look as if they have not been reached in for months if not years. Bus network maps are wrong, having not been changed since 2014. Hence there needs to be more regular maintenance and a deep cleaning regime. Stations that are a similar age to Dandenong (eg on Perth's Joondalup line) are better maintained. 

A spruce-up with regular maintenance and cleaning thereafter would do wonders for Dandenong's presentation. Better station maintenance is a no-brainer for the 2024 budget and/or should be a requirement of the new rail franchise currently being negotiated. 

Conclusion

Presented are five top priorities for the new minister. None are particularly expensive yet they together would make a big difference to how useful public transport would be in the Greater Dandenong area.