UN 234: Climate Action Merri-bek's transport ideas for Fawkner

Fawkner is geometrically a terrible suburb to plan public and active transport for.

Fawkner can claim two stations on the Upfield line. But this skirts the suburb's western edge, is severed from most homes by busy Sydney Rd and lacks a station at the suburb's nearest large shopping centre at Campbellfield. When the timetable is running perfectly peak trains run every 16 minutes. However reliability is fragile as even small delays can result in trains starting or terminating at Batman due to the single track section north of Gowrie (as happened this morning, in fact).

Fawkner is the sort of suburb that could see housing density intensification and gentrification. Both could mean more CBD workers who are more likely to commute by public transport. Gentrification also brings social capital which is associated with higher engagement in the political process, residents demanding more, seats becoming less taken for granted and eventually winning funding for upgraded services including better transport.   

Fawkner is somewhat of an island. Cemeteries limit road access to the west while Merri Creek blocks it to the east. This makes any east-west travel from most parts of Fawkner an ordeal. Which is is exacerbated by Reservoir's bus network being an unreformed mess with complex routes like the 553 and dead end routes like 558. And to the west the 536 has a weak terminus at Gowrie Station rather than extending into or nearer Fawkner, even if just to Campbellfield Plaza. North-south travel is via the busy and walking-hostile Sydney Rd or the unreliable Upfield line. 

Fawkner's existing bus network includes the hourly weekday-only 531 down Sydney Rd from Coburg North to Upfield (both weak termini) and the snaky 530 from Coburg to Campbellfield (both strong termini but very indirect). 

Given these limitations what should be done about improving transport to and within Fawkner? 

I could say more on this but today I won't. 

Instead I'll invite you to read these priorities for better active and public transport for Fawkner prepared by Climate Action Merri-bek.  

Note: We have since seen the state budget which included upgrades for bus services including higher weekend frequency for the 561 mentioned above. This will have large direct benefits for a broad strip across the north including Reservoir, Coburg and Pascoe Vale. 

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