Transport in Melbourne

Chart of Melbourne's Metropolitan Transport Usage between 2000-2009 based on official state government figures.

Transport in Melbourne consists of extensive networks and a wide variety of transport services in the city of Melbourne, Australia, including:

• The world's largest tram network.
• Bus (which consist of 323 routes) and coach services.
• The suburban railway network (consisting of 16 lines, the second largest in Australia).
• Inter-city railway services.
• Interstate railway services.
• The largest freeway network in any Australian city.
• Two major passenger airports (including Tullamarine, the second busiest in Australia)
• Port of Melbourne (Australia's busiest port for containerised and general cargo).
• Multiple taxi services.
• Public bike-hire system (since mid 2010)

The dominant mode of transport in Melbourne is the private motor vehicle with 91% mode share of motorised trips in 2005. Melbourne has more roadspace per capita than any Australian city and its network of freeways is comparable with cities including Los Angeles and Atlanta. Melbourne is also home to much of Australia's Automotive industry. In 2002, the state government set an "aspirational goal" as part of Melbourne 2030 for this mode share to decrease to 80%, however the Eddington Report released in 2008 concluded that the mode share of private vehicles is likely to stay the same (or increase) to over 90% in 2005. This is despite booming figures for public transport growth in recent years and despite studies into road congestion in 2008, official Vicroads figures showed no growth in car travel on Melbourne's roads, possibly due to roads reaching full capacity.

Public transport

Trams pass trains on the Flinders Street Viaduct in the Melbourne CBD

Melbourne is served by a public transport system integrating rail, light rail and bus services. Its extensive tram network is one of the largest in the world, integrated into both bus and train networks. Almost 300 bus routes and a train system comprising 16 lines service Melbourne, Greater Melbourne and suburban regions. Metropolitan, rural and interstate railway networks link together at Southern Cross Station, in Melbourne's WCBD (Western Central Business District).

A Space Syntax Approach Multiple Centrality Analysis of Melbourne's public transport network (excluding buses which were deemed too inefficient) in 2009, found that approximately 8.8% of the greater urban area and approximately 448,000 residents were serviced within 30 minutes of anywhere in the greater Melbourne area. This concluded that only 10-15% of the residents in Melbourne are serviced by appropriate and timely public transport.

The public transport system in Melbourne carries 7% of all trips within the metropolitan area. In early 2009 this figure increased to 9%.

Since World War II, Melbourne urban form changed to a dispersed city, car-oriented pattern which caused a decline in public transport use by commuters. Yet the old pattern of transport still reflected the Melbourne’s urban form.

In 1999, operation of the city's public transport system was franchised with Government through a dedicated statutory office, the Director of Public Transport, contracting out operation of rail and tram services. In 2006, franchising was estimated to have cost taxpayers $1.2 billion more than if the system had remained publicly operated. With the franchise extensions in 2009, taxpayers will pay an estimated $2.1 billion more by 2010.

Unlike many major cities in the world, Melbourne has an integrated public transport ticketing system, through Metcard and myki. Metcard enables passengers to buy one ticket for use on suburban bus, train and tram services for a specified time period. The other ticketing system is designed to replace Metcard and is called myki. myki is a contactless smartcard currently operating on all of Melbourne's trains, trams and buses. The rollout for myki began on Tuesday 29 December 2009, beginning with Melbourne's metropolitan railway network, and progressively onto trams and buses. myki is currently fully operational in the Melbourne metropolitan area, however no date has been announced for its operation on regional train and bus services.

A public bike-hire system is expected to come into service by mid 2010.

Tram

D1 class tram operated by Yarra Trams

Main article: Trams in Melbourne

See also: List of Melbourne tram routes

Melbourne has the world's largest tram network, consisting of 245 kilometres of track, nearly 500 trams on 28 routes, and 1,813 tram stops. Two light-rail routes are also a part of the tram network. The tram network is a part of the Metlink network and a part of the Metcard ticketing system.

The tram network is operated by KDR Melbourne, a private company trading as Yarra Trams. Trams operate on many of the major roads in the inner suburbs, but only some trams operate on roads in middle and outer suburbs.

Heritage trams operate on the free City Circle route, intended for visitors to Melbourne, and privately-run Colonial Tramcar Restaurant trams travel through the city during the evening.

Train

X'Trapolis 100 train operated by Connex Melbourne, the previous operator

Main article: Railways in Melbourne

See also: List of Melbourne railway stations

Melbourne's suburban train network is operated by Metro Trains Melbourne, a private company, which took over from Connex Melbourne on 30 November 2009. The rail network consists of 16 railway lines and is a part of the Metlink network and a part of the Metcard ticketing system. Several sections of lines which are part of the V/Line network and which fall into the metropolitan area are also covered by Metcard.

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.

Bus

National Bus Company operated bus

Main article: Buses in Melbourne

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

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. A NightRider bus system operates on Friday and Saturday nights, and a Smart Bus orbital bus network is being set up, which is intended to facilitate cross city travel, while the current network is predominantly a radial network. Most of the bus network is a part of the Metlink network and a part of the Metcard ticketing system. The Skybus Super Shuttle is a non-Metcard based airport bus service. In addition, several local government councils operate free local community bus services within their local areas.

Taxi

Trams and Taxis in Melbourne

Taxis in Melbourne are regulated by the State government through the the Director of Public Transport and its operating branch, the Victorian Taxi Directorate. They are required to be painted canary yellow, but since October 2008 those that operate only at peak times, at night and special events must have green tops. Taxis operate and charge on a meter. There are 3,774 licensed taxis in Melbourne (including 235 wheelchair-accessible taxis). Taxi licenses are estimated to be valued at around $464,000, at October 2008.

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.

Passenger Mode share

Sign displaying the free Melbourne tourist shuttle bus

Melbourne metropolitan trips in 2008
Public Transport	9%
Car	91%

Trips to Melbourne CBD in 2006
Public transport	80%
Car	20%

Passenger trips by motorised mode
Mode	Million trips
Private Car (driver or passenger)	2190
Metro Train	201.2
Tram	170
Bus	91.3

Rail freight

Pacific National locomotive at the Melbourne Steel Terminal

Main article: Freight railways in Melbourne

The Port of Melbourne is Australia's largest container and general cargo port. 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.

Container crane and ship at Swanson Dock East

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

Melbourne also has an extensive network of railway lines and yards to serve freight traffic. The lines are of two gauges - 63 broad gauge and 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge, and are not electrified. 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 Metro Trains Melbourne 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.

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. 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 and Perth. AirAsia X was expected to commence flights from Avalon to Kuala Lumpur in October 2009, providing a low-cost service. This provides 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.

Car

See also: Road transport in Victoria; 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

Motor vehicles are the predominate travel mode, as a result the freeways and roads in Melbourne are critically congested during peak hours. Many residents are car dependent due to minimal public transport outside of the inner city - the city is one of the most car-dependent cities in the world. The freeway network is the largest of any Australian city, with an extensive grid of arterial roads; the locations of which date back to the initial surveying of the city.

The total urban road area in Melbourne is 21,381 kilometres.

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.

Freeways that were built throughout the 1960s and '70s included the South Eastern Arterial (now part of the Monash Freeway), the Tullamarine Freeway, the Lower Yarra Freeway (now West Gate Freeway) and the Eastern Freeway.

Further expansion occurred over the next thirty years, with the 'missing links' 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.

2008 saw the construction and opening of the EastLink radial freeway, as well as further extensions of existing freeways.

Despite government figures slowed growth in road travel since 2006 and zero growth in 2008/09 and the government's goal to reduce road use to 80% of all motorised trips, the State government announced a massive road infrastructure investment, continuing to complete some of the road projects from the 1969 Transport plan including Peninsula Link and North-East Link.

Bicycle

Melbourne Bike Share station on Macarthur St

Main article: Cycling in Melbourne

Melbourne has an extensive network of bicycle paths and bicycle lanes on roads. These paths are used for both recreation and for commuting.

Around 2 per cent of all journeys in Melbourne are made by bicycle.

On 31 May 2010 the first public bicycle sharing system in Australia was launched in Melbourne. On completion the system will consist of 50 docking stations with 600 bikes, situated around the Melbourne CBD.

Ferry

Station Pier in Port Phillip Bay is where cruise ships and ferries dock; the Spirit of Tasmania which crosses Bass Strait to Tasmania docks here. Ferries and cruises travel from Southbank along the Yarra River and around the bay to Williamstown, and also across Port Phillip Bay.

Legislation and governance

Transport Integration Act

The prime transport statute in Victoria is the Transport Integration Act. The Act establishes and sets the charters of the state agencies charged with providing transport services and managing the state's transport system. The Department of Transport is the agency responsible for the integration and coordination of Victoria's transport system and decision makers. The other key state agencies are -

• the Director of Public Transport
• VicRoads
• V/Line
• VicTrack
• the Port of Melbourne Corporation

Safety regulation and investigation

The safety of rail operations in Melbourne is regulated by the Rail Safety Act 2006 which applies to all commercial passenger and freight operations as well as tourist and heritage railways. The Act creates a framework containing safety duties for all rail industry participants and requires rail operators who manage infrastructure and rolling stock to obtain accreditation prior to commencing operations. Accredited rail operators are also required to have a safety management system to guide their operations. Sanctions applying to the safety scheme established under the Rail Safety Act are contained in the Transport (Compliance and Miscellaneous) Act 1983. The safety regulator for the rail system in Melbourne is the Director, Transport Safety (trading as Transport Safety Victoria) whose office is established under the Transport Integration Act 2010.

Rail operators in Victoria can also be the subject of no blame investigations conducted by the Chief Investigator, Transport Safety or the Australian Transport Safety Bureau(ATSB). The Chief Investigator is charged by the Transport Integration Act with conducting investigations into rail safety matters including incidents and trends. ATSB, on the other hand, has jusrisdiction over the same matters where they occur on the Designated Interstate Rail Network.

Safety regulation of the bus and marine sectors is also overseen by the Director, Transport Safety under the Bus Safety Act 2009 and the Marine Act 1988 respectively. These sectors are also subject to no blame safety investigations conducted by the Chief Investigator, Transport Safety.

Ticketing and conduct requirements

Ticketing requirements for rail, tram and buses services in Victoria are mainly contained in the Transport (Ticketing) Regulations 2006 and the Victorian Fares and Ticketing Manual. Rules about safe and fair behaviour on trains and trams in Victoria are generally contained in the Transport (Compliance and Miscellaneous) Act 1983 and the Transport (Conduct) Regulations 2005. Conduct requirements for buses are set out in the same Act as well as the Transport (Passenger Vehicles) Regulations 2005.

Timeline

During Melbourne's history, the transport system and infrastructure has been subject to strategic planning at several levels of government.

1837

• Hoddle grid is laid out, forming Melbourne's first street system which is used almost solely for horse and cart transport and pedestrians.

1844

• First bridge over the Yarra River opened: Princes Bridge on St Kilda Road as a toll bridge

1849

• Melbourne's principal streets are paved.

1850

• Princes Bridge reopened as a free bridge

1854

• Flinders Street railway station opened
• First railway opened to Sandridge (Port Melbourne)

1858

• Spencer Street Station built connecting Melbourne to regional Victoria

1885

• First cable tram to Hawthorn

1889

First electric tram

1890

• Doncaster railway line first proposed

1912

• Electrification of the suburban railway network

1919

• Current Flinders Street Station opened as the main suburban railway terminus

1934

• Flinders Street station declared the busiest in the world

1940

• Ashworth Improvement Plan details proposed improvements to the number of improvements to suburban railways in the inner city.

1966

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

1969

• Melbourne Transportation 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, with tolls
• 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.

1983

• Transport Act commences on 1 July. The new Act creates the State Transport Authority, the Metropolitan Transit Authory, the Road Construction Authority and the Road Traffic Authority. Various organisations abolished including the Victorian Railways, the Melbourne and Metropolitan Railways Board and the Country Roads Board.

1985

• Tolls on the West Gate Bridge abolished.

1989

• Construction of $631 million Western Ring Road begins.
• Public Transport Corporation and VicRoads established in place of the State Transport Authority and the Metropolitan Transit Authority (the PTC) and the Road Construction Authority and the Road Traffic Authority (VicRoads)

1994

• Free City Circle Tram opened

1995

• Dandenong to Cranbourne rail extension opened.

1996

• Construction of $2 billion CityLink tollway begins.

1997

• Design of the franchising of the public transport network commences

1998

• Legislation passed to establish a new statutory office to manage public transport services - the Director of Public Transport - and a new statutory authority, VicTrack, to hold ownership of public transport land and assets

1999

• Opening of Western Ring Road
• Opening of the Bolte Bridge forming the second major roadway over the Yarra River.
• State government commissions the Linking Victoria study and allocates $510 of budget toward the initiatives.
• Franchising of services commences as do new governance arrangements, ie start up of the Director of Public Transport and VicTrack

2002

• Transport Minister Peter Batchelor announced that Airport rail link to Tullamarine not viable for another 10 years. Commits to upgrading Skybus Super Shuttle services to the airport.
• 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.

2004

• Linking Melbourne: 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.

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.
• Rail Safety Act passed by State Parliament - commences on 1 August.

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
• First "Copenhagen style" cycleways in Australia implemented in Swanston Street, Carlton.
• Tim Pallas rejects Melbourne City Council plan for Copenhagen style cycleway on St Kilda Road.

2008

• The Port Phillip Channel Deepening Project, a dredging project to deepen Melbourne's shipping channels, begins.
• Release of the $18 billion Eddington Transport Report, 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.
• Eastlink freeway tunnel opened
• Monash-CityLink-West Gate freeway upgrade begins
• Australian Greens Victoria party transport plan, The People Plan, released.
• Public Transport minister Lynne Kosky pushes back Airport link by another 20 years.
• Victorian Transport Plan unveiled - the State Government's fourth "long-term" transport statement since 2002.
• New Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle proposes returning vehicle traffic to Swanston Street

2009

• Transport Integration Bill (later the Transport Integration Act) introduced into the Victorian Parliament on 10 December.
• Myki officially in late December to meet a State Government election promise, however it was launched to operate on suburban trains only

2010

• Transport Integration Act passed by the Victorian Parliament in February and commences on 1 July.
• A public bike-hire service is planned to be introduced by mid year.
• New State Government (when in Opposition) promises to create a new Public Transport Development Authority to plan and manage public transport services in Victoria and Melbourne.

Recent statistics

Between 2001 and 2006 - census data shows that Melbourne has had:

• 7.6% population growth
• 8.6% employment growth
• 15% increase in the number of passenger vehicles on the road
• 6% increase in the total number of kilometres driven by those vehicles
• 7.3% increase in CO₂ emissions from passenger vehicles

Further reading

• Dodson, Jago; Sipe, Neil (December 2005), Oil Vulnerability in the Australian City, Australia: Urban Research Program, Griffith University, ISBN 1 920952 50 0 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              920952 50 0      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              920952 50 0      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              920952 50 0      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              920952 50 0      end_of_the_skype_highlighting {{citation}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help); no-break space character in |isbn= at position 46 (help)

External links

• Metlink Melbourne
• Metro Trains Melbourne
• Yarra Trams
• V/Line
• Victorian Department of Transport
• Public Transport Users Association
• City Link
• VicRoads
• Melbourne Bike Share
• Transport Integration Act overview (official site)
• [http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au A copy of the regulations is available at the official Victorian Government l

[[Director of Public TDirector, Transport Safety ransport]]]