The media release mentioning train frequencies (although I'd have preferred off-peak to peak) was also good, drawing a link between development and service levels that was previously less articulated.
Having said that there was still room for improvement. With housing abundance must come transport service abundance. Housing activity centres need to be near 7 day frequent transport, day and night. Otherwise residents will be stuck in traffic, have high transport costs and be hardly less car dependent than those in less dense areas.
Despite our large train and tram networks, all week frequent transport is scarce in Melbourne, being accessible to under 5% of the population, as shown on these frequency maps by Philip Mallis. And such frequent transport access needs to be available not just by train to the city but by tram or bus between suburbs for a truly versatile and connected network.
Just as I discussed cost-effective network needs for six proposed social housing priority areas in 2020 and ten housing priority areas in 2023, here's my top service priorities for the 25 centres listed yesterday.
Sandringham line
North Brighton, Middle Brighton, Hampton, Sandringham
* Boost Sunday am rail frequency from 40 to 20 min on the Sandringham line
* Implement 10 min 7 day rail frequency upgrade as proposed in 2016 Metro Tunnel Business Case
* Bay Rd SmartBus from Sandringham to Southland and beyond (either straightened and upgraded Route 828 to Dandenong/Berwick or as part of extended Route 733 SRL SmartBus to Box Hill)
* Upgrade Route 703 SmartBus from Brighton to full SmartBus standards including service until midnight, more frequent weekend trips and a 10 minute off-peak frequency.
* Extend Route 824 from Moorabbin to Brighton via South Rd with higher frequency to replace current infrequent and complex 811/812 routes
* Reform complex 600/922/923 routes, with simpler and more frequent services
* Potentially extend 64 tram to Middle Brighton
Frankston line
Toorak, Hawksburn, Armadale, Malvern
* Boost Frankston line frequency to operate every 10 min or better between at least 7am and 10pm 7 days
* Stop all Dandenong line trains at Malvern to provide a direct Metro Tunnel connection and relieve stress on Caulfield as an interchange point
* Tram network reform and shorter/more legible interchanges at stations to make north-south travel easier
* 7 day tram frequency boosts for routes 3, 5, 6, 16, 64 & 72 with maximum 6 - 10 min waits off-peak during the day and every 10-15 min at night and Sunday mornings
* Extend Route 604 north to Victoria Gardens via Burnley to provide a new north-south connection
* Bus 605 upgrade with improved operating hours and weekend frequency
* Consider extending 5 tram to Darling station and 6 tram to Glen Iris station for better network connectivity
* Major upgrade for Caulfield station to facilitate accessibility and interchange between services
Pakenham/Cranbourne line
Carnegie, Murrumbeena, Hughesdale, Oakleigh
* Ensure Metro Tunnel trains operate every 5 min or better all day between 7am and 10pm between at least West Footscray and Westall 7 days
* Boost buses on Routes 900 and 903 to operate every 10 min or better 7 days with Sunday evening serviced added and 24 hour weekend service
* Major bus reform and service uplifts including: (a) Route 767 frequency boost and rerouting via East Boundary and Chesterville Rds with maximum 15-20 min waits over longer hours, (b) Route 623 upgraded to run every 15 - 20 minutes 7 days with operation via more of Neerim Rd (replacing 624) and Caulfield Station, (c) New north-south route from Caulfield to La Trobe University involving consolidated and more frequent routes 548 and 624 every 10-20 min or better.
* New bus rapid transit on Princes Hwy between Caulfield, Chadstone, Monash and Rowville incorporating network reforms to Route 900 and other routes in the Oakleigh area.
* 7 day tram frequency boosts for route 67 with maximum 6 - 10 min waits off-peak during the day and every 10-15 min at night and Sunday mornings.
* Consider extending 67 tram to Carnegie station for better network connectivity
* Major upgrade for Caulfield station to facilitate accessibility and interchange between services
Glen Waverley line
Tooronga, Gardiner, Darling
* Upgrade Glen Waverley line to run every 10 min or better 7 days between at least 7am and 10pm
* Frequent north-south bus link from Caulfield - La Trobe University via Tooronga Rd (incorporating existing 624 and 548) operating every 15-20 min over long hours
* New Burke Rd bus from Camberwell to Caulfield operating every 15-20 min over long hours to fill existing 'missing link'
* Extension of Route 734 bus from Glen Iris to Caulfield to provide a stronger terminus and boost to every 20 min or better 7 days
* Extend operating hours on 612 bus to at least 9pm and boost weekend frequency to 30 min
* 7 day tram frequency boosts for routes 5, 6 and 72 with maximum 6 - 10 min waits off-peak during the day and every 10-15 min at night and Sunday mornings.
* Potentially extend 5 tram to Darling station and 6 tram to Glen Iris station for better network connectivity
Belgrave/Lilydale line
Hawthorn, Glenferrie, Auburn, Blackburn, Nunawading, Mitcham
* Upgrade Ringwood train frequency to every 10 min or better between at least 5am and midnight 7 days and simplify peak stopping patterns with new greenfield timetable
* Introduce new frequent Chandler Hwy bus from Hawthorn/Glenferrie area to Northland/LaTrobe University via a reformed and extended Route 567 operating every 15-20 min 7 days
* Upgrade Route 703 SmartBus from Blackburn to full SmartBus standards including service until midnight, more frequent weekend trips and a 10 minute off-peak frequency.
* Upgrade service on Route 902 SmartBus between Nunawading and Springvale South, including 7.5 min peak frequency, 10-15 min evening and weekend frequency and Sunday evening service until midnight.
* Upgrade service on Route 907 SmartBus to Mitcham, including 10 min maximum waits 7 days until 9pm and evening service every 15-20 min.
* Wider bus network reform in Blackburn/Nunawading area, including a simple and frequent Box Hill - Ringwood bus along Canterbury Rd and a more direct Route 273.
* 7 day tram frequency boosts for routes 16, 48, 70, 75 and 109 with maximum 6 - 10 min waits off-peak during the day and every 10-15 min at night and Sunday mornings.
Sunbury line
Middle Footscray, West Footscray, Tottenham
* Ensure Metro Tunnel trains operate every 5 min or better all day between 7am and 10pm between at least West Footscray and Westall 7 days
* Boost frequency on routes 216 and 220 buses to every 10 min weekdays and 15 min weekends, with longer operating hours (eg earlier weekend starts) and potential other network reform in area
* New Ashley St bus route between Highpoint and Yarraville via Tottenham station operating every 15-20 min over long hours
* Upgrade bus route 411 to SmartBus standard with longer hours and frequent 7 day service (in conjunction with bus network simplification in Altona North area)
* Upgrade bus route 414 to operate 7 days with longer hours
* Consider bus network reform in West Footscray area including a direct bus to Highpoint
* Major upgrade for walkability, visibility and safety around Tottenham station and underpass
Toorak Village
* 7 day tram frequency boosts for route 58 with maximum 6 - 10 min waits off-peak during the day and every 10-15 min at night and Sunday mornings.
* Extend Route 604 north to Victoria Gardens via Burnley to provide a new north-south connection
* Bus 605 upgrade with improved operating hours and weekend frequency
That's it from me. Additions welcome in the comments below.
4 comments:
If the Sandringham train becomes the through train to Williamstown and Laverton, won't that mean a ten minute service day time service and better night and early Sunday morning services?
I think all tram routes should be daytime a ten minute or better service, weekends included, and fifteen minutes until 10pm before dropping to 20 minutes.
If that happens all the time, and they don't cheap out by terminating some trains at FSS then yes. There has been nothing official said that we'll get this through running since the 2016 Business Case.
Congratulations Peter on your work and articles. And congratulations on your award (!). Here is a copy of my letter to theage today: Premier Allan’s housing statement has fundamentally changed the debate. The future planning for Melbourne is now looking better than ever.
Finally we have an acknowledgment that growth largely focused on the fringes of our city is unsustainable.
Such historical development has been costly both in terms of providing infrastructure and costly in forcing first time new home owners to live away from jobs and centrally located attractions.
Skewing our planning system towards infill housing strategically located round railway stations operating with fast and frequent services is the way to go!
However going forward we still need to provide all the catch up and necessary services that are still missing for the outer areas. In transport they include the desperately needed railway electrification to Melton that has been promised for decades.
Also today we need to electrify other lines to places like Donnybrook that have grown exponentially and where the roads are clogged with traffic every peak hour.
Planning good cities is not easy but with this great start our government has shown it can do it.
Tim Hoffmann
19/99 Brickworks Drive
Brunswick Victoria 3056
0414769061
Good call on the 273 (there's no Timetable Tuesday entry for that one so I couldn't comment on it earlier), it's one of the many former National routes which fell under the radar after SmartBus was rolled out. As a bottom-tier service though (e.g. the current unreformed minimal Sunday-less timetable) it should probably be rerouted via Dunlavin Rd/Lemon Gr/Ashwood Dr for coverage, as duplicating the 902 for half the route isn't the best use of it. I gather what you meant by a more direct 273 was by removing the occasional side street deviation near The Pines.
Rooks Rd also could do with a slight upgrade by allowing the 738 to use the 273 stop, as well as adding a Knox-bound 738 stop at Thornton Cr opposite the already-existing Mitcham one. The 273 towards Nunawading would have to run via Whitehorse Rd so it can still use its current eastbound-only terminus.
I also had a reform idea for Mitcham earlier this year to extend the 907 to Boronia (replacing the 765 on Mitcham Rd, with the 907 running direct along Mitcham Rd instead of via the station interchange to save time), move the 765 to Rooks Rd in place of the 738, and replace the pointless 740 with a rerouted 738 to provide more services.
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