Responding to travel and public transport challenges - our Road and Public Transport Plan

Funding committed in 2018/19 Victorian Budget for section of Bridge Inn Road from Yan Yean Road to Plenty Road.

Transitioning rural roads to roads that are suitable for an urban area is part of developing growth areas. Urbanising Bridge Inn Road in Mernda will help improve the flow of all modes of traffic by upgrading facilities for all road users, as well as improving the footpath network. It will also assist to ease congestion in Yan Yean Road. The long-term needs will be duplication of the road.

Works to build the O’Herns Road freeway interchange began in September 2019 and are due to be complete in mid-2021.

These works will provide direct access to the Hume Freeway via new on and off-ramps. The bridge over the freeway will also be widened and three traffic light intersections will be built to deliver improved north-south connections between Cooper Street and O’Herns Road, making it easier to travel through Melbourne’s north.
Watch a short video about the O'Herns Road Upgrade here.

Edgars Road is a north-south arterial road from Mahoneys Road in Thomastown to Cooper Street in Epping that also connects to the Metropolitan Ring Road. A missing link exists between Cooper Street and O'Herns Road that could provide connectivity to the Cooper Street employment area and the residential estates north of O'Herns road.

The extension will provide an alternative north-south arterial connection to Epping Road as this section of Edgars Road would redistribute traffic through Epping and Epping North. It will reduce congestion on High Street, Epping Road, Mill Street and Cooper Street and increase peak period capacity along Epping Road and Cooper Street.

Wider benefits include bus, walking and cycling connections from the residential estates to Epping Central and the Cooper Street employment area to provide an increased level of accessibility for the community. Improved employment opportunities in Epping Central will also arise.

Funding committed in the 2018/19 Victorian Budget for duplication of Yan Yean Road from Kurrak Road to Bridge Inn Road.

Duplication of Yan Yean Road from the end of the current duplication project at Kurrak Road to Bridge Inn Road and its urbanisation to Arthurs Creek Road will complete the arterial road network. This will enable Doreen and Mernda residents to have improved access to employment and transport hubs at Greensborough and Eltham.

Funding committed in 2018/19 Victorian Budget for duplication from Memorial Avenue to Craigieburn Road

Epping North and Wollert are growing exponentially, with the combined population expected to grow from 28,114 to 40,154 residents by 2021 and 70,240 residents by 2031. This growth is increasing traffic volumes in the north-south corridor along Epping Road. Duplication of Epping Road from Findon Road to Craigieburn Road is required to reduce congestion and improve access to local community destinations, Epping Central and employment hubs to the south of the municipality.

We are advocating for the Victorian Government and VicRoads to prioritise delivery of this project. 

Funding committed: due early 2019

An additional lane in Plenty Road from McKimmies Road to Bush Boulevard will increase the capacity of Plenty Road, which is the most congested road in outer Melbourne.

We are working with VicRoads to enable its timely delivery.

Construction of the E6 within the existing easement from the Hume Freeway to M80 Ring Road will provide a fourth north-south corridor and improve capacity and access to regional employment areas from the northern growth areas.

On 3 April 2018, Council resolved to support the delivery of the E6 Transport Corridor as a freeway following extensive community consultation and traffic modelling.

The current plan for delivery of the E6 is within 15-30 years. We are working with the State and Federal governments to advocate to bring this forward.

Funding committed: due mid 2020

Many trips generated in the Mernda/Doreen growth corridor are destined for Plenty Valley Town Centre and/or employment areas to the south of the municipality.

Adding an additional lane to Plenty Road from Bush Boulevard to Bridge Inn Road was recently announced in the Victorian Government budget and will increase road capacity to address these trip patterns.

We are working with VicRoads to enable its timely delivery.

Funding committed in 2018/19 Victorian Budget

The duplication of Childs Road, from the E6 corridor including the bridge construction across Darebin Creek will provide continuity of the duplicated road network and eliminate lengthy delays at localised bottlenecks. 

The extension of Findon Road from Williamsons Road to Plenty Road will create the only continuous east-west link across the City, linking the existing north-south transport corridors Hume Freeway, Epping Road/High Street and Plenty Road. Improved regional access will be realised through this project, as well as improved local access to the proposed Marymede Station and the Danaher employment precinct. Council has committed to the construction of the crossing of the rail corridor as part of the Mernda Rail extension.

Duplication of Findon Road and its declaration as an arterial road will be required in the near future.

Donnybrook will grow from almost 150 residents to almost 50,000 in the next 20 years. This project will service the growing population by providing an upgraded arterial road connection to the Hume Freeway and employment in the town centres and employment areas to the west.

Funding committed: due late 2018

This intersection creates a critical bottleneck along the High Street and Epping Road corridor, more pronounced over recent years due to urban growth in Epping North.

An upgrade of the roundabout to traffic signals will improve traffic flow.

 An uneven flow of motor vehicles causes significant delays at this intersection.

Traffic signals are required to increase the capacity of the current road network and minimise queue lengths in The Lakes Boulevard.

Establishment of a new employment estate near this intersection will create a need to provide access for jobs and freight.

Traffic signals at this intersection will improve its functionality, especially for accessibility to the employment area. 

Delivered in May 2017.

The flow of traffic along Bridge Inn Road causes major delays for those wishing to enter from Independence and Painted Hills Roads. The installation of traffic lights has improved traffic flow along Bridge Inn Road reducing major delays.

Improve intersection to ease traffic congestion and to assist with flowing traffic. Provide pedestrian amenities to allow convenient movements across the road(s). 

Funding committed: due late 2018

Expansion of the metropolitan rail network from the current terminus at South Morang to the future town centre at Mernda is required to improve the accessibility for the 45,000 residents of the Mernda and Doreen growth areas.

Provision of public transport has been out of reach for the majority of residents (prior to the bus rollout) being more than 400 metres from services. The extension will enable residents who use train services to access community facilities at Plenty Valley Town Centre and employment hubs at South Morang and the CBD.

The Network Development Plan - Metropolitan Rail - released by Public Transport Victoria in December 2012 identified and prioritised a number of metropolitan heavy rail projects to expand the network and service Melbourne's growth areas.

These projects seek to either increase and improve the quality and the capacity of the existing network or expand the network. They include:

• Donnybrook Railway Station upgrade
• Clifton Hill signalling upgrade (to enable more frequent and reliable services to Mernda and Wollert)
• Wallan electrification and extension of metropolitan train services to growth areas
• Somerton flyover (to enable Wallan electrification)
• Lockerbie Railway Station 

Land has been reserved for a public transport corridor from Lalor Station to the Wollert Town Centre with over 80% of the required corridor either secured or strategically reserved.

A public transport corridor through Epping North and Wollert will enable improved access to jobs, education and services. It will service up to 83,000 residents, provide access to approximately 35,000 jobs forecast in Epping Central and the Cooper Street employment area and better connect the City of Whittlesea to the inner Melbourne employment market. The project will also act as a catalyst for development in planned activity centres with train stations planned at the town centres of Aurora South, Aurora North and Wollert.

We are advocating for this public transport corridor to extend from Lalor Railway Station to Wollert Town Centre and accommodate a fixed-route public transport service.

While the development of the heavy rail is the key objective, interim measures such as rapid bus service could be a viable interim measure. A feasibility study is recommended in the draft Victoria Infrastructure Strategy that would identify timing and scope requirements. 

Currently the most congested route for residents travelling to work is along the Plenty Valley corridor.

A high frequency public transport service connection from Mernda and Doreen linking the La Trobe employment cluster and Heidelberg with Mernda and Doreen is required. The feasibility and planning of the networks including transport technologies called for in the draft Victoria's Infrastructure Strategy will identify viable options. SmartBus services utilising an upgraded Plenty Road area  is a reasonable interim measure. 

Delivered January 2016

Expansion of the bus network to Epping North and Wollert occurred in 2016. With the population of Epping North expected to reach over 54,000 by 2037, continuing expansion of the bus service in terms of frequency, span of service and coverage is required. Council plans to work with the Victorian Government and Transport for Victoria to ensure these services are provided in a timely manner. The expansion of bus services in this corridor, from one route to three routes is a need identified by Public Transport Victoria.

Funding committed in 2018/19 Victorian Budget for bus improvements to access the 3 new stations as part of the Mernda Rail Extension, to be operational later in 2018.

Delivered mid-2016

Improving bus coverage to the growth areas of Mernda and Doreen will improve access to the local school network, the Plenty Valley Town Centre, South Morang Station and employment hubs such as the Latrobe National Employment Cluster and University Hill.

Future corridors to Mernda Town Centre, with co-ordinated train services, will be critical. This has been identified as a priority by Public Transport Victoria. 

Tram Route 86 Extension

The extension of Tram Route 86 from University Hill to the Plenty Valley Town Centre will improve access to local employment hubs, rail services at South Morang, local community destinations in University Hill and Plenty Valley Town Centre and regional education services at La Trobe and RMIT universities.

Land has been set aside along Plenty Road, Bush Boulevard and McDonalds Road. An extension of the tram would improve accessibility to 13,500 residents.

A feasibility study is being undertaken for Tram Route 86 to be extended from McKimmies Road to Plenty Valley Town Centre.

A further extension of Tram Route 86 from Plenty Valley Town Centre via The Lakes Boulevard to Plenty Road has been identified and requires further community input. 

Advanced E Class trams, which have 46 seats and carry 210 passengers, are now providing service for customers along Tram Route 86.

The Victorian Government is introducing 70 E Class Trams into service by 2018. 

• Darebin Creek Trail, M80 Ring Road to Findon Road
• Yan Yean Pipe Track, M80 Ring Road to Childs Road
• Dalton Road shared path, Parklands Drive to Wood Street 

• Plenty Road shared path, McKimmies Road to McDonalds Road 

Very High 

High

• McDonalds Road shared path, High Street to Civic Drive
  
  
•  Childs Road shared path, High Street to Plenty Road

•  High Street Bicycle Lanes, Keon Park to Kingsway Drive
  
  
• High Street shared path, Childs Road to Rufus Street

• Shared user paths in connecting to new Mernda Rail extension stations
• Improved local on road lanes and shared user paths to train stations
• Improved secure bicycle storage facilities at stations

High

Council is undertaking some key initiatives to encourage travel:

• travel plan fact sheet
• school travel kits
• safety and security
• urban design
• liveable streets
• effective design
• sustainable planning 

• Epping Road between O'Herns Road and Craigieburn Road
• Bridge Inn Road between Plenty Road and Yan Yean Road
• Plenty Road between Wealthiland Drive and McDonalds Road 

• Epping Road between Lyndarum Drive and Craigieburn Road
• Epping Road between The Mill and Tulum Lane
• Bridge Inn Road between Tomerhill Avenue and Plenty Road
• Harvest Home Road between Epping Road and Subiaco Road
• Epping Road between Harvest Home Road and Numurkah Common.

•  Harvest Home Road between Champions Parade and Epping Road
• McDonalds Road between Bush Boulevard and Oleander Drive
• Epping Road between Zoe Drive and Harvest Home Road
• Yan Yean Road between Cooling Terrace and Clark Avenue
• Epping Road, Fletcher Street pedestrian signals
• Plenty Road, Pipers Lane to Bridge Inn Road
• Bridge Inn Road between Painted Hills Road and Yan Yean Road.

• Epping Central green walkway to High Street (includes Davisson Street and Coulstock Street footpath widening)
• High Street revitalisation, Epping

• Epping Central High Street activation
• Lalor Activity Centre - streetscape improvements program
• Highlands Place, Thomastown - streetscape improvements
• Thomastown Activity Centre - new pedestrian crossing at Central Avenue and High Street.