The Eastern Transport Coalition has delivered a plan on behalf of one million eastern suburban residents direct to the Premier of Victoria in response to a request made by John Brumby and Public Transport Minister Lyn Kosky at a recent community cabinet meeting held at Ringwood

The submission highlights a wide range of short term projects that will help public transport deprived residents increase their public transport options and usage.

Cr Mick Van De Vreede said that the first submission concentrated on a number of large critical projects but that the Premier and Public Transport Minister were also interested in a range of smaller projects for consideration in the development of the Metropolitan Transport Plan.

“We know that in the eastern suburbs three out of five people would consider getting out of their cars if they had decent public transport options.

“Public transport usage in the majority of local municipalities is very low, at around 3 to 7 per cent compared with a much higher rate in other parts of Melbourne. This makes it clear that we need a generational step up in public transport.”

“The State Government needs to deliver public transport improvements so that families in the outer suburbs are provided with the choice to catch frequent, readily available and accessible public transport services”, Alex Makin Maroondah’s representative on the Eastern Transport Coalition said. “The Government must commit to these short-term priorities, including the much needed redevelopment of Ringwood Station into an accessible transport interchange, frequency improvements on the rail lines beyond Ringwood and substantial bus improvements.”

“If the State Government includes our short, medium and long term projects in the Metropolitan Transport Plan then we will eventually have all the public transport options we need to dramatically reduce congestion, to protect our families from rising fuel prices and to negate rising greenhouse gas emissions,” Cr Van De Vreede concluded.

The ETC’s plan which is available at www.etc.org.au includes the following suggestions;

• Upgrades to major public transport interchanges with an initial focus on Transit Cities such as Ringwood and Dandenong.
• Increased off peak frequency on Belgrave / Lilydale lines
• The immediate undertaking of full feasibility studies for Rail to Rowville and Doncaster and the duplication of the Belgrave/Lilydale rail lines.
• Bringing forward the SmartBus network so that it is complete by the end of 2009
• Bus routes into new and existing estates, including Warranwood and Canterbury Road between Ringwood and Box Hill
• Tram 75 extended to Knox City and Tram 48 extended to Doncaster
• Bus priority measures along Springvale Road, Stud Road, Cheltenham Road, Wellington Road, Doncaster Road, Hoddle Street and within the CBD
• Immediate extension of free early bird tickets to buses and trams

For media inquiries please contact Alex Makin on 0408 311 645

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