MAROONDAH INTEGRATED TRANSPORT STRATEGY

4. Support for Economic Growth• Improve access to key freight areas• Improve national, regional and cross-town freight connections• Manage safety and environmental issues relating to commercial transportThe plan provides a background and overview of each key area with a list of priorityactions that are to be followed to implement each strategy.There are a number of these action plans that will directly impact on the promotion anddevelopment of an integrated transport system in Maroondah. These include:• Provide better storage facilities for bicycle activity centres and railway stations,starting with the installation of 250 new lockers in 2004 and 2005. From early2005, all bicycle lockers at stations will be free of charge.• The Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) requires that allpublic transport services to be accessible by 2022. A combined effort fromgovernment agencies, transport operators and local government is necessary tomeet this 2022 target as well as interim accessibility targets.• Develop Park & Ride facilities at strategically located train, bus and tramterminals. High-priority sites will be along heavily travelled routes where thereis an efficient peak public transport service.• Improve the State wide integration of fare structures across the metropolitanarea, the urban fringe, regional centres and regional Victoria.• Implementation of TravelSmart programs in schools – parents driving theirchildren to school contribute to congestion near schools and increase concernabout child safety in traffic. There is significant potential to reduce car travel byencouraging children to walk or cycle to school. A number of schools arealready piloting TravelSmart as part of the curriculum, or developing “SchoolTravel Plans” that employ TravelSmart principles. These programs will beexpanded, with a focus on areas with high traffic congestion.• Facilitate development of activity centres and “Transit Cities” – traffic studieswill be taken to identify traffic management objectives and to assist planning toenable the Transit Cities to operate effectively.• Develop and deliver the Doncaster to Frankston SmartBus orbital route onarterial roads including Dandenong to Frankston Road and Stud Road toMaroondah Highway• A program to upgrade stations, starting with Heatherdale, Dandenong, NoblePark and Kananook stations• Detailed investigation and planning for extension of the rail network to SouthMorang and options for the introduction of flyer trains on the Ringwood line• Construction of the 40km Mitcham-Frankston Project through Melbourne’seastern and south-eastern suburbs.These state government policies and initiatives have contributed to an environmentwhere local government, transport agencies and the community are now activelyseeking opportunities to develop sustainable integrated transport systems.7