Melbourne Publiic Transport Infrastructure

[K3]

Thought this article was really interesting and that it showed exactly why PPPs go wrong down the track


http://www.theage.com.au/travel/travel-news/skybus-lane-faces-fight-20130103-2c7ib.html

THE SkyBus would get its own lane on CityLink and the Tullamarine Freeway and have its fares slashed under a government plan to combat peak-hour congestion that is increasingly blowing out travel times between the airport and the city.

But the proposal, which involves turning emergency lanes into bus lanes on the freeway and the Bolte Bridge and putting SkyBus on a myki fare, is being challenged by CityLink operator Transurban, because it would limit its toll revenue, and by Melbourne Airport, because it would reduce its car parking profits.
Melbourne Airport has indicated that this would be a significant reduction in revenue.

Details of the Melbourne Airport bus rapid transit project were revealed to Fairfax Media through freedom of information. The aim of the Transport Department project is to put in place a ''first-stage mass transit link to the airport in advance of a rail link''.

SkyBus was designed to provide a 20-minute run between Southern Cross Station and the airport but is consistently failing to do this during peak periods, with times blowing out to as much as 51 minutes in the morning and 59 minutes in the afternoon peak.

A study by engineering and consulting firm Parsons Brinckerhoff found that ''the future will see a continuation of the significant but relatively gradual degradation of travel time on the CBD-airport bus route''.

The study provided three options for improving travel times, with the department's preferred one involving creating an express bus lane and putting SkyBus on a public transport fare.

A 2011 briefing to Transport Minister Terry Mulder said: ''Putting SkyBus on a Met fare and enforcing express lanes would significantly reduce travel time on the express lanes without significantly affecting travel times on the non-express lanes.''

It added that more detailed traffic modelling would need to be done.

But the briefing, by former director of public transport Hector McKenzie, warned that airport management had signalled it would expect financial compensation.
''The bus rapid transit study has also estimated a … drop in car parking at Melbourne Airport with the estimated … increase in Skybus patronage,'' Mr McKenzie wrote.
''Melbourne Airport has indicated that this would be a significant reduction in revenue, and that compensation through an appropriate access charge would be expected.''
Figures on the estimated drop in car parking revenue and increased SkyBus patronage were deleted from documents provided to Fairfax Media.

SkyBus transports about 2 million passengers annually, and the figure is growing. If the trend continues, it will carry 4 million people a year by 2026. It is privately run with a portion of profits going to the state government. It charges $17 for a one-way trip.

SkyBus is understood to pay Melbourne Airport an access fee of $1.50 per passenger. The airport would seek to impose a much higher fee. An Australian Competition and Consumer Commission report last year found that Melbourne Airport made an annual $87 million profit from car parking.

The SkyBus lane would be created relatively cheaply by removing the emergency lane and nominally narrowing the other lanes.

However, Transurban is believed to be bargaining hard to ensure it is not locked out from any extra lane on CityLink. A spokeswoman said: ''Transurban supports any further augmentation of CityLink for the benefit of all the travelling public.''

CityLink currently has right-hand transit lanes for high-occupancy vehicles, but this is unenforced and ignored by many drivers. The proposed bus lane would carry a SkyBus every 1½ to three minutes during peak times, carrying about 1200 passengers an hour, with a maximum 20-minute time.

The study warned: ''Negative comments from motorists may ensue from the use of motorway lanes by what would be 40 buses per hour or less.''

Its proposed solution was to also allow taxis and limousines into the lane. The study also proposed the lane could be used for new high-speed bus routes with major park-and-ride stations from suburbs including Essendon Fields, Westmeadows and Kealba.

Public Transport Victoria spokeswoman Andrea Duckworth said: ''The government does not have immediate plans to install myki readers on SkyBus or widen CityLink.''
Ms Duckworth said the investigation into a bus rapid transit lane was part of the government's $6.5 million airport rail link study.

''PTV's focus is on completing the rail link study, including identifying the best route for a rail line,'' she said.

Melbourne Airport spokeswoman Anna Gillett would not say how much compensation the airport would seek from the government if the bus lane plan ate into its car parking profits.
''We have been working with the government on the rapid bus transit lane study … and support any initiatives that will assist SkyBus to minimise travel time and also help to reduce congestion on the Tullamarine Freeway,'' Ms Gillett said.

The northern section of the freeway is currently used by about 42,000 vehicles a day, which exceeds its 40,000-vehicle capacity.


Just why does the airport need to be compensated again?

 

[mld]

Just why does the airport need to be compensated again?

Because the government would be reducing the airport's ability to price-gouge their customers.

 

[K3]

Because the government would be reducing the airport's ability to price-gouge their customers.

Ahhhhh... *slaps forehead* I knew it would be something simple! ;D

 

[KnightersRevenge]

There is an underground loop extension that was on the books when the original was built that will apparently "eventually" come through I think it is somehow intertwined with the regional rail link. I think it links Southern Cross and North Melbourne with maybe another station in there somewhere? Others probably know more. Here is something I would love to see that I think would be great for tourism too. Queen Vic Market station. Imagine that as part of the upgrade that is so needed at the market that they built storage complex for the market stalls as part of a large underground station. The line could link up Collingwood with North Melbourne running under Victoria St with a Station at St Vincent's and the Market. Too many benefits to count.

 

[Ian4]

are you referring to the proposed tunnel from dynon rd to south yarra KR? thats the only rail tunnel i am familar with (although ted the toff has shortened the project compared to the previous govt's footscray to caulfield tunnel).

But the proposal, which involves turning emergency lanes into bus lanes on the freeway and the Bolte Bridge and putting SkyBus on a myki fare, is being challenged by CityLink operator Transurban, because it would limit its toll revenue, and by Melbourne Airport, because it would reduce its car parking profits.
Melbourne Airport has indicated that this would be a significant reduction in revenue.

makes you sick reading that considering the obscene profits they make. but thats business i guess.

 

[K3]

makes you sick reading that considering the obscene profits they make. but thats business i guess.

The bit that makes me wonder, the most, is why the Govt should care about a lessening of 'car parking' profits for the Airport owners? Has there been some shady deal done at some point?

 

[Ian4]

Not sure about the airport, but citylink definitely does. Pretty sure citylink sued the state govt for breach of contract after wurundjeri way was opened coz it created an alternative to the bolte bridge

 

[KnightersRevenge]

are you referring to the proposed tunnel from dynon rd to south yarra KR? thats the only rail tunnel i am familar with (although ted the toff has shortened the project compared to the previous govt's footscray to caulfield tunnel).

From WIKI "In June 2010, Infrastructure Australia, the Commonwealth Government appointed advisory body for major infrastructure investment, defined Melbourne Metro as a "Ready to proceed" project in its report "Getting the fundamentals right for Australia's Infrastructure Priorities". The Commonwealth considers the recommendations of Infrastructure Australia when allocating budget priorities for major infrastructure provision.

The Commonwealth Government has previously provided $40–50 million to the Victorian State Government to undertake detailed route investigations for the rail tunnel. In July 2010, the Victorian Government announced the outcomes of these investigations, with the Melbourne Metro tunnel proposed to terminate at the Domain Interchange, with new stations at Arden (North Melbourne), Parkville (Royal Parade and Grattan Street), CBD North (connected to Melbourne Central), CBD South (connected to Flinders Street Station) and Domain Interchange.

The 2012 Victorian State Budget allocated $49.7 million for ongoing planning and geotechnical works to continue with the project now moving into the formal planning process phase. The project was again given priority in the Victorian Governments' submission to Infrastructure Australia in 2011, however no new funds were allocated in the 2012 Federal Budget. As of May 2012, a Community Reference Group has been setup to examine the social and environmental impact the project will have on surrounding inner city residents. The project awaits a dual funding commitment from both the State and Federal Government. The project is estimated to cost some $5 billion."

This is it in its current state. Ted let the deadline elapse on existing Infrastructure Australia proposals as his first order of business which set back many projects that had previously been guaranteed federal funding (I believe this is why there was "no new funds"). I imagine he did this so he could cry poor later. The result is that many of the things he is currently "investigating" could have already broken ground. A mate of mine did some engineering inspections of what he called "existing" infrastructure built as part of the loop to allow for the expansion last year, that is what I was referring to.

 

[Ian4]

FFS, what is going on? this time apparently bats have been the source of the problem. i mean, bats? how bad can our transport system be when there is a fault caused by bats that shuts down the busiest train line in the city? and what does ted the toff do about it? absolutely nothing:

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/pressure-rises-over-lack-of-transport-plan-20130205-2dwl1.html
February 6, 2013, Jason Dowling, City Editor for The Age

MORE than two years after taking office the Baillieu Government is yet to deliver a transport plan for Victoria detailing transport priorities, costings and construction dates.

The lack of a dedicated transport plan comes as business groups and unions express alarm at the lack of infrastructure projects in Victoria.

The Department of Transport is required to give the transport minister a plan that sets out ''medium-to-long-term strategic directions''.

It is unclear if this has occurred and no plan has been released by the government.

In July 2011, the Baillieu government said a ''transport solutions plan'' to address ''logistical bottlenecks in the transport networks'' would be out in 12-18 months. No plan has been seen.

In the lead-up to the last state election, the Coalition promised on public transport to ''do what John Brumby has failed to do and implement a clear plan to meet future growth in commuter numbers''.

Transport groups are now asking where is Victoria's transport plan, including a pipeline of new infrastructure projects.

They are critical of the number of feasibility studies, including rail links to Melbourne Airport, Doncaster and Rowville and the absence of a delivery plan with timelines.

''We would have expected to see by now some kind of plan that would explain how the still-growing patronage on the public transport network is going to be accommodated,'' Public Transport Users Association president Tony Morton said.

Dave Jones from the RACV said Victoria needed a long-term, integrated transport plan and an investment strategy.

''A long-term integrated transport plan that covers road, rail and public transport services and is integrated with a land use plan,'' he said. Mr Jones said Victoria needed an investment strategy to ensure plans could be delivered.

The Baillieu government is working on a new Metropolitan Planning Strategy that will include transport planning and has submitted an infrastructure funding priority list to the federal government that includes the east-west freeway link and Melbourne Metro Rail project.

Opposition public transport spokeswoman Fiona Richardson said the government had failed to deliver a complete transport plan. ''There's a clear and obvious reason why public transport is getting worse under the Liberals and that's because not only is there little if any new infrastructure investment but all plans to fix the problems remain a figment of the minister's imagination,'' she said.

A Baillieu government spokeswoman said the previous government had ''an unfunded glossy brochure with the words transport plan printed on it, yet weren't too fussed about funding it all''. She said the government had funded road and public transport projects that will start construction this year.

''The Coalition government has committed funding to progress its priority infrastructure projects that the Commonwealth government are yet to commit funding to,'' she said.

 

[KnightersRevenge]

FFS, what is going on? this time apparently bats have been the source of the problem. i mean, bats? how bad can our transport system be when there is a fault caused by bats that shuts down the busiest train line in the city? and what does ted the toff do about it? absolutely nothing:

Massive under-investment from successive governments of both stripes perhaps? The nuts and bolts of the system are owned by the government not the operator so they must be the ones who wear the shame for the state of the system IMO.

 

[Ian4]

Massive under-investment from successive governments of both stripes perhaps?

don't think anyone is denyng that. but as the article says...

In the lead-up to the last state election, the Coalition promised on public transport to ''do what John Brumby has failed to do and implement a clear plan to meet future growth in commuter numbers''.

hello baillieu/mulder? where are you?

 

[Ian4]

http://m.theage.com.au/victoria/brighton-jumps-the-queue-as-death-trap-waits-20130207-2e1d0.html

Brighton jumps the queue as death trap waits
by JASON DOWLING - 08/02/13, 3:00 AM

MONEY is tight in Victoria for TAFEs, teachers and hospitals, but the state government has found millions of dollars to upgrade a level crossing in the safe Liberal seat of Brighton.

The New Street crossing - ranked a lowly 223rd on a government priority list of level crossings in need of fixing - is to be upgraded this year.

The crossing is in the seat of deputy Liberal leader Louise Asher.

News of the upgrade comes in the same week Dianne Dejanovic visited the notorious Main Street level crossing in St Albans.

Ms Dejanovic's 31-year-old son Christian was killed at the level crossing a year ago - the 16th person to die at the crossing - and she has called on the government to fix it.

The crossing is on the priority list and the government has said work will begin this term but it has not allocated any money.

Public Transport Victoria said the Brighton crossing had been closed since 2007 because of safety concerns about its manually operated gates.

''There had not been any fatalities recorded at the New Street Level crossing, however in the three years prior to closing there were 17 near misses, some potentially fatal, including a train colliding with the gates,'' it said.

Opposition public transport spokeswoman Fiona Richardson deplored the decision to lift the priority of the Brighton crossing.

''Victorians will no doubt feel very angry about a level crossing in Brighton jumping the queue ahead of hundreds of other more dangerous crossings, particularly at a time when the Liberals are also cutting funding to schools and hospitals,'' she said. The decision was a ''disgraceful display of partisan politics''.

A spokeswoman for the government said ''separating a road from a railway line by going over or under costs around $150 million to $200 million, and St Albans is on the Coalition's list'' of 12 priority crossings.

''New Street level crossing is a completely different type of project - to install boom gates that were closed in 2007 - and is likely to be less than $5 million,'' the spokeswoman said.

She said the former Labor government had 11 years to fix the St Albans crossing, but ''as usual, ignored their heartland''.

''They should be ashamed that it takes a Coalition government to fix things for people that they take for granted.''

The government made an election commitment to restore access between New Street and Beach Road in Brighton after the level crossing was closed in September 2007.

Last year the government abandoned a multimillion-dollar plan to build an underpass to connect to Beach Road following a $2 million feasibility study that found it would not have provided value for money.
Instead the New Street level crossing upgrade will include new boom barriers, flashing warning lights and an automated pedestrian crossing.

Tenders for the work closed recently and a contract is expected to be awarded in the next few weeks.

 

[K3]

Wee, I think the Metro guy has it spot on but will any Govt listen?

New stations, longer trains tipped for Melbourne rail
Date
March 26, 2013 - 8:46AM
Jason Dowling
City Editor for The Age

"This train departs ... in five minutes, and has nine carriages." Photo: Jason South
Melbourne will have to move towards high capacity, nine-carriage trains carrying 1800 people and build new train stations in growth areas to meet expected demand in coming years, Metro boss Andrew Lezala predicts.

Mr Lezala said on Tuesday morning that if Melbourne was to remain prosperous, the number of people using trains would need to grow from about 10 per cent to 40 to 50 per cent of journeys.

He said the proposed Metro rail tunnel would need to be first of "16 underground lines in this city in 100 years".

Mr Lezala said a decline in train use in the past 12 months was a blip, and Melbourne train patronage would surge in line with population growth.

He said train use would grow, because it had to for Melbourne to remain prosperous.

Mr Lezala said in the next 10 years there would need to be new stations.

"We want to extend to the west to Melton, Wallan in the north and to Baxter in the south – that's all in the plan," he said

He said government funding was needed for the new extensions.

The train boss said there was also a lot of work being done on trains, with much more capacity on the Dandenong corridor.

"We ought to be running nine car trains, really, nine car high capacity trains, so 1800 people per trains instead of the 800 we have today," he said.

He said we also had to use our buses much smarter and not duplicate, tram and train routes. He said buses must be feeding trains stations.

Mr Lezala said the long term aim was to have all train line groups separated to ensure that one fault did not close down the network.

He said the aim was to have all lines on five or 10 minute timetables, so people did not need to think about when the next train was coming. "That would drive patronage growth," he said.

Mr Lezala said Flinders Street Station would also need to be upgraded to improve passenger flow with an "upper level western concourse" connecting to Elizabeth Street.



Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/new-stations-longer-trains-tipped-for-melbourne-rail-20130326-2gqx7.html#ixzz2Ob56x2w3

 

[Ian4]

some interestng ideas, but nothing will get on the ground anytime soon.

all this recent talk about building a line to doncaster and buiding a rail tunnel from northcote to flaggstaff is a deliberate ploy from the state govt to say that this idea is not feasible because of the cost. i'm expecting in the next 6-12 months that they will completely dump the doncaster idea (an idea they raised in their 2010 election campiagn).

i'm over all the talk, i want action FFS.

 

[TigerForce]

some interestng ideas, but nothing will get on the ground anytime soon.

all this recent talk about building a line to doncaster and buiding a rail tunnel from northcote to flaggstaff is a deliberate ploy from the state govt to say that this idea is not feasible because of the cost. i'm expecting in the next 6-12 months that they will completely dump the doncaster idea (an idea they raised in their 2010 election campiagn).

i'm over all the talk, i want action FFS.

I was over the talk a long time ago, and action is rare. They took years to promise the South Morang station and an eternity to build it, only to see that the population has now spread even further north to Doreen. We still have those 30 year old silver Hitachi rattlers running FFS. Third world.

 

[KnightersRevenge]

some interestng ideas, but nothing will get on the ground anytime soon.

all this recent talk about building a line to doncaster and buiding a rail tunnel from northcote to flaggstaff is a deliberate ploy from the state govt to say that this idea is not feasible because of the cost. i'm expecting in the next 6-12 months that they will completely dump the doncaster idea (an idea they raised in their 2010 election campiagn).

i'm over all the talk, i want action FFS.

?
I believe they now trying to scrap the Eastern Freeway rail reserve so they can add more lanes. Time to start a petition to have Victoria made a ward of the Federal Government and scrap the State Government all together.

 

[Ian4]

i believe you're refering to the article on page 1 of todays age...

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/eastern-freeway-tolls-loom-20130327-2guux.html

Eastern Freeway tolls loom
March 28, 2013, Jason Dowling

Tolls could be charged on ''new'' lanes on the Eastern Freeway, with a section of the rail reservation down its centre sacrificed for the lanes.

Work on the planned East-West Link from the Eastern Freeway to CityLink will include a ''widening within the existing Eastern Freeway road reservation to Yarra Bend Road to accommodate extra traffic lanes'', state government documents reveal. The documents were lodged with the federal government as part of the environmental approval process.

The state government has confirmed that part of the rail reservation down the freeway's centre - protected for more than 35 years for a train line to Doncaster - could be sacrificed for the new lanes.


''The reconfiguration of the lanes on the Eastern Freeway to join into the East-West Link would require some space in the median, but the East-West Link would not preclude the Doncaster rail project and both projects can work together,'' a government spokeswoman said.

Advertisement She said the engineers behind the Doncaster rail study had confirmed that the proposed rail alignment ''shifts to the south of the Eastern Freeway before there would be any conflict with an East-West Link''.

But the Doncaster study report released this month said the alignment would ''follow the Eastern Freeway corridor using the central median where possible''. A study map with the report shows the preferred rail alignment following the freeway all the way to Hoddle Street.

The new lanes created from the rail reservation may also be tolled. A government spokeswoman said the end of the freeway would ''need to be reconfigured so people can travel into the East-West road tunnel, which was a new road that the government had not ruled out tolling''.


She said drivers choosing ''to use the existing Eastern Freeway and its exits [e.g. Hoddle Street, Alexander Parade] will not pay a toll after the East-West tunnel is finished''.

Monash University transport expert Graham Currie said expanding roads would only encourage more people to drive. ''Increasing road capacity increases congestion. We don't have to look in theory, we don't have to be academic about this - go and have a look at the Monash Freeway,'' he said.

Professor Currie said governments were turning to toll roads because they did not have the money to fund other transport infrastructure projects.

''It is cheap from their point of view because they can get someone else to pay for it,'' he said. ''I think it is selling our future.''

how i read it is that the doncaster rail line will be built over the southern lanes of the freeway and the road will be realigned to the north, and tolls whacked on to pay for it. does that sound correct?

 

[Ian4]

another article in todays age (more of the same all talk, no action stuff).

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/airport-link-15-years-off-in-30b-public-transport-plan-20130327-2guqi.html

Airport link 15 years off in $30b public transport plan
March 28, 2013, Richard Willingham

Melburnians will have to wait at least 15 years before the long-awaited train link to Melbourne Airport and extension of the network to Doncaster and Rowville are rolled out, according to the state's peak public transport authority.

Public Transport Victoria's 20-year vision, released on Wednesday, includes a previously unannounced rail tunnel from Clifton Hill to Fishermans Bend via Parkville and the electrification of railway lines to Geelong, Melton and Wallan.

It is meant to create the capacity to carry a forecast 1.7 million passengers a day by 2031. But the plan is uncosted, features no new projects and contains just one dollar sign in its 140 pages. When pressed on a price estimate, PTV chief executive Ian Dobbs said: ''If you want a rough number it's probably about $30 billion.''

The development plan, dated December 2012, is broken down into four stages over 20 years. The project calls for upgrades to the city's signalling system to improve traffic flows, as well as duplication of railways and electrification of others.

PTV also says that, to deal with demand, new high-capacity trains should be used with room for up to 1100 passengers, compared with the present 798.

''The new timetables and operational changes, combined with the projects included in the plan, will provide a 50 per cent increase in peak-hour capacity within 10 years and a 130 per cent increase within 20 years. This will allow 130,000 additional passengers to be carried into the city in the morning peak,'' the report says.

One graphic, for the network in 2012, shows a train station at Southland - it has not been built, despite being an election pledge.

Transport Minister Terry Mulder denied that it was a politician's wish list, saying PTV was independent of government and that it was a ''working document''.

''We are very happy with the document and we believe that document should drive the future planning, growth and development of our rail network,'' he said. ''This plan is not just for the government of the day.''

He would not divulge any possible transport budget measures to fund the plan but said the Melbourne Metro tunnel and the east-west road project had raised the interest of plenty of international investors and companies.

PTV said the ability to deliver the project would be contingent on state and federal funds - the Melbourne Metro project is listed as a top priority by the federal Infrastructure Australia.

In 2008, the Labor state government released a $38 billion transport plan for Victoria, which included a new metro rail tunnel.

Shadow transport minister Fiona Richardson said the Coalition's promise to fix problems on public transport would not be met, saying, ''It's a plan to fail.''

Public Transport Users Association president Tony Morton criticised the elevation of the Melbourne Metro rail tunnel project, saying replacing the city's antiquated signalling system would do more to improve capacity.

THE PLAN

Stage 1: The next five years

•Regional Rail Link
•Seven new trains
•Hurstbridge line upgrade
•Eltham stabling
•33 new high capacity trains, able to carry up to 1100 passengers
•40 new V/Locity carriages
•Williams Landing Station
•Grovedale Station
•Southland Station
•High capacity signalling trial on Sandringham line.
Some projects already started

Stage 2: Within 10 years

•Melbourne Metro rail tunnel project
•Melton rail line duplication
•Dandenong rail corridor upgrade
•33 high capacity trains, order and deliver a further 70 trains
•High capacity signalling on the Sandringham, South Morang and Hurstbridge lines, and between Sunbury and South Yarra.

Stage 3: Within 15 years

•Melbourne Airport rail line
•Rowville rail line
•South Morang services diverted to rail tunnel between Clifton Hill and Southern Cross
•Doncaster rail line
•Melton line electrification
•More high-capacity trains
•Extend high-capacity signalling
•Second Dandenong rail corridor upgrade
Stage 4: Within 20 years

•More high-capacity trains
•City Loop reconfigured for seven separate lines through the Melbourne CBD
•Quadruple the line capacity between Burnley and Camberwell
•Altona Junction to Seaholme duplication
•Geelong and Wallan electrified lines
•Extend South Morang to Mernda
•Mooroolbark to Lilydale duplicated lines
•Extend Werribee to Wyndham Vale
•Extend South Morang line from Southern Cross to Fisherman’s Bend with a tunnel

 

[tigertim]

Same old drivel. I'm old enough now to have heard the Rowville, Doncaster rail line extensions a few times. They keep getting dusted off every 10 years or so. Like: a theme park at Docklands and a new airport in the south eastern suburbs.

 

[1eyedtiger]

There is a theme park at the Docklands. Hand on a sec, the Ferris Wheel that we copied from every other city in the world was a half arsed effort like everything else our politicians from the last 3 decades or so have come up with and still hasn't been built properly yet. :