Submission on East West Transport Options

On Tuesday 15th July the Victorian Government closed submissions from teh public on East West transport options. Below is my submission commenting on the recommendations and outlining some specific issues as pertains to the suburb where I live - Brunswick.

Transport policy in Victoria requires significant choices if we are to continue to aspire to be the world’s most liveable city, successfully combat social disadvantage and deal with the transition to a low carbon economy.

The East West Needs Assessment report correctly identifies that there is no silver bullet to growing congestion. It also argues that transport cannot be solved by championing one mode over another. The report finds that all modes are likely to be operating close to capacity in the near future and we face very high investment costs should we chose to increase capacity. The disappointment is that the report has little emphasis on behavioural change or the impact of pricing and other means of demand management.

I welcome and support the following:

• Upfront commitment to increased investment in public transport
• The commitment to providing high quality public transport links to the transport poor western suburbs
• Commitment to addressing rail capacity
• Commitment to high quality link to the university/hospital/biotechnology precinct – the source of a large number of jobs and education
• Strong commitment to supporting cycling as a key transport mode

The East West Needs Assessment report, however, falls into old traps. The study team has relied far too much on the discredited predict and provide model of road planning, and his modelling incorrectly assumes that the massive growth in public transport trips in inner Melbourne (and the decline in car trips) a temporary aberration. The Eddington report’s emphasis is mainly on new infrastructure spending - the benefits of which needs to be carefully analysed and assessed.

East West Rail Tunnel

Public transport patronage is growing rapidly due to employment and population growth in inner Melbourne, buoyant economic conditions and price instability for petrol. Our rail system is almost at capacity and we need a once in a generation project to transform it.

The construction of a east west rail tunnel will enable the Victorian Government to plan for new rail lines and extensions in outer suburban areas in the future. It will link the heavy rail system to important employment locations such as the University/Parkville precinct.

Cross City Road Tunnel

I oppose the constriction of the cross city road tunnel. Its unnecessary, backed by speculative demand forecasts, and is not viable as a PPP.

Roads do not solve congestion. There is no analysis of induced demand caused by increasing road space. And the reports proposal for an east-west cross city freeway does not recognise this essential fact. There is not the traffic volume to sustain this tunnel as a Public Private Partnership (PPP) except at the expense of building interchanges on inner city streets. There is no analysis of toll avoidance which has significantly impacted on toll roads in NSW.

No demand management

One of our more powerful tools in managing congestion is demand management. Yet the East West Needs Assessment does not recommend any demand management techniques. It’s the major omission in the report.

But what about climate change?

The greatest challenge of the 21^st century is climate change. It is not clear why you would address climate change by building more roads. While the East West Needs Assessment acknowledges the reality of climate change, it fails to walk the walk, instead placing faith in emerging automobile technology.

The East West Needs Assessment reports failure therefore is one of not breaking free of a business as usual response. The plan:

• is NOT a plan for carbon constrained future
• is NOT a plan for dealing with peak oil and the effects of higher petrol prices
• does NOT address the poverty of transport options in Melbourne’s outer suburbs – particularly the outer north and outer east
• makes no real commitment to the government’s modal shift target of 20 percent public transport journeys by 2020.
• Misses opportunities to get more port freight onto rail

Opportunities for Change – some alternatives

So what are the alternatives? Well firstly don’t build the cross city freeway –it will cost us more then it will benefit us and will only add to congestion. The money can be spent better elsewhere. Some ideas include:

• Improve public transport in the transport poor outer suburbs
• Accelerate smart bus and metropolitan bus improvements (expand service span of hours to equivalent of that of the train system)
• Invest in Bus rapid transit to Doncaster, Latrobe Uni, Western suburbs etc with real bus priority (ie, dedicated bus ways like in Brisbane)
• Better road space management and parking policies
• Better integration between land use and transport planning
• Roll out of transport demand programs like Travelsmart.

The Victorian Governments eventual response to Eddington must encompass the reality of climate change, the absolute need to address social disadvantage through transport policy and the need for a city wide transport plan.

Transport Needs in Brunswick

The transport needs in Brunswick are not for increased road space or a new freeway. We are experiencing congestion, but not for private car or freight. Our congestion, or more accurately, capacity choke points are:

North/South cycling links – in the AM peak the Upfield bike path is full, forcing cyclists onto Sydney Road which has no cycling markings and is dangerous.

• Trams routes. The 55, 19, 8, 1 and 96 trams are under stress in the peak. In some places commuters are unable to board trams.
• Upfield line – train commuters are still faced with an unreliable service with a cancelled or 3 car train being provided on average two or three times a week.
• In addition many of our east west bus routes have inadequate frequencies, and sub standard operating spans.

Brunswick is the biggest point of origin for cycling trips to work, and has large numbers of people also relying on public transport for journey’s to work and other local trips.

Our transport needs are for a greater Victorian Government investment in rolling stock (both tram and train), a accelerated expansion (and implementation) of the principal bicycle network, and an accelerated upgrade of local bus routes to MOTC standards or better.

We do not need the transport budget, and the political energy of the Victorian Government being consumed in a intractable, flawed and ill advised road tunnel. We need that capital – financial and political – being consumed on improving services and providing transport choice.

Regards,

Christopher Anderson