Transport in Melbourne

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Trams and trains in the Melbourne CBD

The City of Melbourne, Victoria is served by an extensive network of land, sea and air transport. It is home of one of the largest suburban rail networks in the nation, the largest tram network in the world ^[1], the most extensive freeway network of any Australian city, the busiest container port in the country, and the second busiest airport.

[edit] History and strategic planning

See also: List of proposed Melbourne rail extensions

Melbourne's transport system has been subject to strategic planning at several levels of government during its history.

Timeline:

• 1844 - First Princes bridge opened, forming a major thoroughfare over the Yarra River

• 1854 - First railway opened to Sandridge (Port Melbourne)

• 1885 - First cable tram to Hawthorn

• 1889 - First electric tram

• 1890 - Doncaster Railway line first proposed

• 1912 - Electrification of the train network

• 1919 - Current Flinders Street Station opened as major train

• 1934 - Flinders Street station declared the busiest in the world

• 1966 - St Kilda Junction remodeled and Queens Way underpass created, much cutting and demolition to create way for new highways at Dandenong Road and Punt Road.

• 1969
  • Melbourne Transport Plan commissioned, includes recommendation for Western Ring Road

• 1970
  • West Gate Bridge collapses

• 1971
  • Melbourne Underground Rail Loop project begins

• 1977
  • First section of Eastern Freeway opened with land reserved for a Doncaster Railway Line
  • $202 million West Gate Bridge opened

? Hoddle Highway created from widening of Hoddle Street by 4 lanes and demolishing buildings on eastern side of Hoddle Street.

• 1980
  • Lonie Report recommends closing half of tram system and replacing it with buses. This is rejected.

• 1981
  • First stage of Melbourne Underground Rail Loop opened.

• 1989
  • Construction of $631 million Western Ring Road begins.

• 1994 - Free City Circle Tram opened

• 1995 - Dandenong to Cranbourne rail extension opened.

• 1996 - Construction of $2 billion CityLink tollway begins.

• 1997 - Privatisation of the public transport network

• 1999
  • Opening of Western Ring Road
  • Opening of the Bolte Bridge forming the second major roadway over the Yarra River.
  • State government commissions Linking Victoria study and allocates $510 of budget toward the initiatives.^[2]

• 2002
  • Transport minister Peter Batchelor announced that Airport rail link to Tullamarine not viable for another 10 years. Commits to upgrading Skybus bus services to the airport.^[3]
  • State government commissions Melbourne 2030 planning report aimed at addressing population growth of up to a million new residents also contained recommendations for transport including the expansion major activity centres such as Dandenong and Camberwell with access to public transport and the triplication of the Dandenong line. The document contained a controversial aim of 20% of trips in Melbourne made by public transport by 2020.

• 2003
  • $23 million Box Hill tram/light rail extension opened.^[4]

• 2004
  • Linking Victoria: Metropolitan Transport Plan released. The report summarised findings from the Inner West Integrated Transport Study, North East Integrated Transport Study, Outer Western Suburbs Transport Strategy, Whittlesea Strategic Transport Infrastructure Study and Northern Central City Corridor Strategy and recommended investment to the tune of $1.5 billion. Much subsequent infrastructure investment. The Southern Cross Station redevelopment (which ran late and over budget), Docklands light rail extension and the Regional Fast Train system were aimed for the Commonwealth Games. The Eastlink freeway was also not in this report.
  • $30.5 million Vermont South tram extension begins.^[5]

• 2005
  • $2.5 billion EastLink Freeway project begins.

• 2006
  • State government released a $10 billion plan to improve both public transport and roads, Meeting our Transport Challenges. It included the "Think Tram" project aimed at speeding up tram travel times and contained recommendations for a new SmartBus system for the outer eastern suburbs. The Smartbus system had several delays.

• 2007
  • A new public transport ticketing system - Myki was to be launched. The project experienced several technical complications and was significantly delayed and over budget.
  • State government commissions East-West transport plan
  • Public transport ticketing Zone 3 abolished

• 2008
  • The Port Phillip Channel Deepening Project, a dredging project to deepen Melbourne's shipping channels, begins.
  • Release of the $18 billion Sir Rod Eddington plan, commissioned by the government in 2007 due to revised population growth estimates and increasing congestion problems. The report was aimed at reducing traffic congestion, particularly focused on East-West routes and included a controversial 18 kilometre road tunnel and 17 kilometre rail tunnel and a new rail line from Werribee to Deer Park, Victoria but did not address greenhouse emissions.^[6]
  • Eastlink freeway tunnel opened
  • Public Transport minister Lynne Kosky pushes back Airport link by another 20 years.^[7]

[edit] Public transport

D1 class tram operated by Yarra Trams

X'Trapolis 100 train operated by Connex Melbourne

National Bus Company operated bus

Trams and Taxis in Melbourne

Melbourne is served by an extensive public transport network. It has one of the world's most extensive tram networks, almost 300 bus routes and a train system with more than 15 lines. Unlike many major cities in the world, Melbourne has an integrated public transport ticketing system. With Metcard, users can buy one ticket and are able to use it on bus, train and tram services for a specified time period.^[8]

[edit] Tram

Main article: Trams in Melbourne

The city of Melbourne, the second-largest city in Australia, is home to the world's largest tram network, consisting of 245 kilometres of track, 500 trams, and 1770 tram stops. ^[9]

Melbourne's current tram network began with the introduction of cable trams in 1885 and then electric trams in 1906. The tram network now provides extensive coverage of most inner suburbs with several routes extending into the middle suburbs.

Operated by the private company Yarra Trams since privatization in 1999, Melbourne's trams contribute greatly to the city's distinctive character and are held in great affection by the people of Melbourne.^[10]

[edit] Suburban rail

Main article: Railways in Melbourne

The train network is run by Connex Melbourne. There are currently 16 suburban railway lines, as well as sections of several lines part of the V/Line network which fall into the metropolitan area covered by the Metcard ticketing system. With the exception of the Stony Point line and the greater metropolitan lines served by V/Line, the rest of the suburban railway network is electrified and services are operated by a fleet of 326 EMU trains.

See also: List of Melbourne railway stations

[edit] Bus

Main article: Buses in Melbourne

The bus network is run by several bus companies (approximately 50) under a franchise from the State Government. There are approximately 300 routes in operation with a varying range of service frequencies. The current Victorian Government is introducing Smart Bus orbital routes which are intended to facilitate cross city travel, which the current predominantly radial network does not adequately cater for.

See also: List of Melbourne bus routes and List of bus companies#Victoria

[edit] Taxi

Taxis in Melbourne are required to carry a canary yellow livery. Taxi licenses are valued at around $300,000.^[11]

[edit] Regional rail

V/Line operated VLocity diesel train

Main article: Rail transport in Victoria

Melbourne is the centre of a state-wide railway network, consisting of various lines used for both freight and passenger services.

Intrastate passenger services are operated by V/Line and a fleet of locomotive hauled trains and Diesel Multiple Units. There are seven passenger railway lines connecting Melbourne to various towns and cities in Victoria. Four of these lines were upgraded as part of the Regional Fast Rail project. The centre of the regional passenger railway network is Southern Cross Station located in the Melbourne CBD.

Melbourne is also connected to Sydney by the CountryLink XPT and Adelaide by Great Southern Railway's The Overland.

[edit] Freight rail

Pacific National locomotive at the Melbourne Steel Terminal

Main article: Freight railways in Melbourne

Melbourne also has an extensive network of railway lines and yards to serve freight traffic. The lines are of two gauges - 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) broad gauge and 4 ft 8½ in (1,435 mm) standard gauge, and are unelectrified. In the inner western suburbs of the city, freight trains have their own lines to operate upon, but in other areas trains are required to share the tracks with Connex and V/Line passenger services. The majority of freight terminals are located in the inner suburbs about the Port of Melbourne, located between the Melbourne CBD and Footscray.

Until the 1980s a number of suburban stations had their own goods yards, with freight trains running over the suburban network, often with the E or L class electric locomotives.

[edit] Airports

Melbourne Airport

Melbourne Airport, located in the north-western suburb of Tullamarine, is the nation's second busiest airport. Over 30 airlines and 22 million international and domestic passengers are served and service there each year.^[12] The airport is a hub for passenger airlines Qantas, Jetstar, Tiger Airways Australia and Virgin Blue and cargo airlines Australian air Express and Toll Priority.

Melbourne's second major passenger airport, Avalon Airport (Melbourne Avalon), is south-west of Melbourne, and north-east of Geelong. Avalon Airport is primarily used by Jetstar and operates flights to Brisbane, Sydney, Perth and Adelaide. AirAsia X is expected to commence flights from Avalon to Kuala Lumpur in October, providing a low-cost service. This will provide Melbourne with a second international airport, unique among all capital cities in Australia.

Melbourne's first major airport, Essendon Airport, is no longer used for scheduled international flights, though a small number of scheduled domestic flights operate from there. The airport is also home to the state's Air Ambulance service and services private aviators.

Moorabbin Airport is located to the south of Melbourne, and is primarily used for recreation flying and for flying lessons, conducted in Piper and Cessna aircraft. Moorabbin is also used for a small number of scheduled passenger services, most notably to King Island. Moorabbin is a GAAP airport and its code is YMMB.

Airbase RAAF Point Cook, where the Australian Air Force originated, is located near the city's south-western limits.

[edit] Road

See also: List of highways in Melbourne, List of freeways in Victoria, and List of old road routes in Melbourne, Victoria

Eastern Freeway, looking towards the City

Melbourne is served by the largest freeway network of any Australian city^[13], as well an extensive grid of arterial roads, the locations of which date back to the initial surveying of the city.

The beginnings of the freeway network was the 1969 Melbourne Transportation Plan, which included a grid of freeways that would cover the entire metropolitan area. In 1973 these plans were reviewed, with a large number of inner city projects deleted.^[14]

Freeways that were built throughout the 1960 and 1970s included the then South Eastern Arterial, the Tullamarine Freeway, the West Gate Freeway and the Eastern Freeway.

Further expansion occurred in 1980s and 1990s, with the 'missing links' ^[15] between the existing freeways built - completion of the Monash Freeway, CityLink, and the Western Ring Road. This period also saw further freeway expansion into suburbia with the Mornington Peninsula Freeway, Eastern Freeway extension, and the South Gippsland Freeway being constructed.

The present day has seen the construction of the EastLink radial freeway, as well as further extensions of existing freeways.

[edit] Cycling

Main article: Cycling in Melbourne

Melbourne has an extensive network of both on and off road bike paths. These paths are used for both recreation and for commuting.

[edit] Sea

Container crane and ship at Swanson Dock East

The Port of Melbourne is Australia's largest container and general cargo port.^[16] Regular shipping lines operate to around 300 cities around the world and 3200 ships visit the port each year. The Port of Melbourne is located in the inner west of Melbourne, near the junction of the Maribyrnong and Yarra rivers.

On 8 February 2008 the Port Phillip Channel Deepening Project, a dredging project to deepen Melbourne's shipping channels, began.

Station Pier in Port Phillip Bay handles cruise ships and the Spirit of Tasmania ferries which cross Bass Strait to Tasmania.

[edit] Sustainability

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. (May 2008)

Transport is one factor to development and if the transport strategies are designed inappropriately, this can result in and have impact on networks and services which may aggravate the condition of poor, harm the environment, ignore the changing needs of users, and exceed the capacity of public finances.^[17] Furthermore, transport not only consumes energy and produces the externalities such as emissions of pollution, accident, noise, and congestion, but also causes water and soil pollution, the waste from the production and disposal of vehicles, the use of public space of roads and parking, the severance effects, destruction of ecosystems, and visual annoyance.^[18]

Since the World War II, Melbourne urban form had changed to a dispersed city, car-oriented pattern which caused the declination of uses of public transport.^[19] Yet the old pattern of transport still reflected the Melbourne’s urban form.^[20]

In December 1999, Melbourne 2030 was initiated which results of combination of input from government, the private sector, and the people of metropolitan Melbourne and the other communities in the surrounding region.^[21] One of the policies considers on transport aspect about transport choices which it will offer viable alternatives for travellers. This is Direction 8 – Better Transport Links.^[22] In addition, Melbourne 2030 contains the Government’s position on many issues relevant to land-use and transport planning in Victoria which primarily focuses on the area covered by the 31 metropolitan municipalities.^[23] Also, important issues that affect local councils outside the metropolitan area, particularly those across the regional transport corridors between metropolitan Melbourne and the closest regional cities within current and potential commuting range of metropolitan Melbourne are raised.^[23] In addition, economic, social, and environmental matters (the triple bottom line) are vital to Melbourne 2030 which gives a high-level overview of the directions metropolitan Melbourne is expected to take. Therefore, Melbourne 2030 clearly focuses on the management of future growth, land-use and infrastructure investment which also provides an integral context in other sectoral plan in areas such as transport and housing.

Beyond to the point, from all the policies in Direction 8, it shows that Melbourne 2030 has emphasised and concerned in sustainable transport by setting the scope to reduce car dependence and car usage, encouraging people or patronage to use more public transport, plus, promoting walking and cycling.^[24] Nevertheless, there are some main issues that affect and being barrier to successful implementation of Melbourne 2030. These issues would be the city’s rapid growth, the spread of the urban area, and the growing reliance on private cars. Moreover, all these together have contributed to substantial transport-related issues for Melbourne include access problems for people without cars, especially in outer urban areas, limited access to work, school, and other activities, inequitable distribution of public transport services, and increasingly congested operating environments for trams and buses, resulting in slow and unreliable services.^[25] Also, these include general traffic congestion, with adverse effects on personal and freight movement, and growing costs for business and households, and lastly excessive air and noise pollution.^[26]

Another, from what can be seen in reality, most transport action plan in Melbourne now are stressing on integrated transport, more on transit cities by high-speed rail, and the east-west link freeway rather than highlighting in encourage more sustainable travel alternatives such as walking or cycling. However, there are some plans that concern about walking and cycling by reduce dependency on the car such as TravelSmart and Transport Program 2003-2006.^[27][28] Furthermore, the Transport Program 2003-2006 is not only about encouraging walking and cycling, it is also including efficient links and safe interchanges with public transport; developing a signage system which provides route and destination information to pedestrians and encourages walking throughout the city and enhancing the network of on-road and off-road bike lanes to improve connectivity and safety.^[29]

Besides, to achieve implementation in sustainable transport policies, this needs all parties’ co-operation (government, community, and relevant stakeholders and organisations). This is due to sustainability will require a massive and concerted of political will and technical initiatives, and a true ‘paradigm shift’ in the belief system.^[30] Not only these things are required but also education of the professional who shapers of the city such as engineers, urban planning, and economists.

Melbourne 2030 is one of policies that setting goal clearly to achieve sustainability, yet this is long-term plan. It really cannot predict or know what will happen along the way of development and implementation. However, the achievement of Melbourne 2030 may also need to consider such as urban consolidation which is also related to sustainable development and transport, the plan or strategy to encourage people to use more public transport, walking, and cycling. Additionally, Melbourne 2030 seems to be as ideal for planning not for actual action. When comparing to Toronto, although Melbourne and Toronto have the same public transport mode, train, tram, and bus, Melbourne cannot be equivalent as Toronto public transport. This may be supported by the statement stated in Mees that “transport choices in Toronto are probably developed than in any citied in the world…”^[31] Furthermore, Toronto also operates electrically powered public transport such as bus which electrical vehicles less consumes in non-renewable energy so being more sustainable, this is never been used in Melbourne.^[32] Thus in somewhat way, Melbourne may use Toronto as example to achieve transport sustainability.

[edit] External links

• Public Transport in Melbourne, Australia (RailPage Australia)
• Metlink Melbourne

[edit] References