Public transport is free until the end of April. This policy won’t work for everyone. But it will induce some people to switch from driving to public transport. It also highlights the glaring gaps in Merri-bek’s public transport. How can Merri-bek’s public transport network work better for more of us?

Summary of public transport campaign opportunities:
– Upgrade the Upfield Line and run trains every 10 minutes
– Seven days a week service on all bus routes
– Frequency of 20 mins or better till at least 9pm on all bus routes
– Additional, direct bus route for Fawkner
– Frequent 508 bus route for Brunswick
– Accessible Tram Stops

Merri-bek has a fairly decent coverage of public transport. About three-quarters of Merri-bek residents live within a 5 minute walk (400 metres) of a public transport stop. Nearly all live within 600 metres of a stop. Unfortunately most bus services run less frequently than trains and trams. Most buses don’t run all evening, and half of our bus routes still don’t run on a Sunday But the ability to track buses in real-time has been a game changer for users of these infrequent buses.

Unfortunately most of Merri-bek’s tram routes are not accessible. There is great local campaign for accessible tram stops along Sydney Road. But we also need accessible tram stops along tram routes 58, 1 and 6.

Click here for a map that shows the more frequent public transport routes. You can select for routes that run at particular frequencies.

In peak times, some buses in Merri-bek run more often than the Upfield Line, including routes 506, 903, 527, 513/514.

It is usually assumed that people will walk for 10 minutes (or 800 metres) to reach a decent public transport service. But half of train travellers actually walk more than 800 metres to reach a train service. A quarter walk 1.2 km (i.e. for 15 minutes). Presumably that is because they live further away.

While there are a few decent bus services, let’s look at train and tram services. Who in Merri-bek is within a 15 minute walk from a train or tram stop? Of course not everyone can walk this far – about one in five of adults aged over 45 have trouble walking 1 kilometre. This makes the closely spaced bus services important. (But if you ride a bike, you can go much further to reach a train station.)

We have used the TravelTime app to look at how far people live from a public transport stop. This app allows you to enter your address and then select from the following options: cycling, driving, public transport, walking, driving/train. You can then select how long you want to travel for and the date and time. The app will then produce a map of how far you can travel.

Brunswick (including East and West)

The Brunswick suburbs have four tram lines (mostly running north-south) plus the Upfield Rail Line. Most people live within a 10 minute walk of a train or tram line. For east-west travel, there are six bus routes. None are anywhere near as frequent as the trams, and three don’t run even on a Sunday. The best of these is the 508 bus (along Blyth Street and Victoria Street), but on Sundays it runs only every 40 minutes. There is currently a campaign to improve the 508 bus service. There are also campaigns for Sunday service on routes 503 (Albion St) and 506 (Dawson St and Glenlyon Rd).

Coburg

Most of Coburg is within a 15 minute walk from a train or tram stop. Coburg also has three bus service running east-west with reasonable frequency: the 903, 527 and 513/514 buses.

Coburg North

Coburg North is a mixed bag. Many residents in the east part (the Newlands and Coburg Hill estates) have to walk more than 15 minutes to reach the nearest tram stop. The local bus (route 526, along Murray Road and Elizabeth St) is a shockingly bad service – it runs only every 30 minutes, and doesn’t run on Sundays or after 8pm. Residents are currently running a petition to have the bus service improved.

Residents in the rest of Coburg North are mostly within a 15 minutes walk to the Sydney Road Tram (route 19) and the Upfield Line. But residents catching the train at Merlynston Station (and stations to the north) suffer from poor reliability. Too often, train are being turned back at Batman Station to make up time. You can get regular updates about this on the Angry Upfield Line Facebook page.

Fawkner

The Upfield Line runs to the west of Fawkner. However, about half of Fawkner residents are not within a 15 minute walk of the station. There is a bus services that covers much of Fawkner (the 530) but it is infrequent and takes a long time.

We have written extensively about the need for better public transport in Fawkner.

• Fawkner’s Public Transport demands: Minister responds
• Reliability of trains on Upfield Line gets worse
• Metro Tunnel delivers NO new services for Upfield line
• Fawkner residents need much better Public Transport
• What happened to the Fawkner Tram Link (i.e. shuttle bus)?
• Advocacy win on Sunday Service 536 bus Fawkner to Glenroy in State budget

Fawkner residents are greatly disadvantaged by the failure to upgrade the Upfield Line. But the benefits of a better Upfield service can only be achieved it the stations are easy to reach. We think Fawkner residents would also benefit from a frequent, direct bus service to the stations, in addition to the 530 bus. Note that there is also interest in improving the 531 bus service which runs along Sydney Road.

Glenroy and Oak Park

A reasonable proportion of Glenroy and Oak Park residents can walk to stations on the Craigieburn Line. This line has a good service at peak times (it runs every 8 minutes). Off-peak services are due to be improved (hopefully in the next few months) so that trains come at least every 20 minutes.

Unfortunately the bus services that help you reach the station are not good.

• We are still waiting for the promised upgrade to the 536 bus (Glenroy to Gowrie) to run on Sundays. But even if we get Sunday services, the 536 runs only every 30 minutes, and not after 8pm. You can read a 2020 review of the 536 bus service here.
• The 534 bus (Glenroy to Coburg, via Hadfield) is also a poor service, running only every 30 minutes – though it does run on Sundays.
• The 542 bus, which runs west of Pascoe Vale Road could be useful, as it takes passengers to Pascoe Vale Station and the Broadmeadows activity centre. However, it runs only every 40 minutes, and there are no Sunday services in the Merri-bek section.

Pascoe Vale and Pascoe Vale South

Most residents of Pascoe Vale South can reach the route 58 tram (along Melville Road) or Strathmore Station on the Craigieburn Line in a 15 minute walk. They also have fairly frequent buses running along Bell Street.

About half of Pascoe Vale residents can walk to one of the Craigieburn stations. Pascoe Vale also has the 527 and 513/514 buses, which are fairly frequent. The 561 bus also runs every 20 minutes and operates past 10pm. It runs from Pascoe Vale Station to Latrobe University and crosses several train and tram lines.

Hadfield

The Fawkner Cemetery lies between the residential parts of Hadfield and the Upfield Line station, meaning it is not a short walk to a station. The west part of Hadfield is serviced by the 527 bus, which is one of the better bus services in the north, running about every 15 to 20 minutes. Otherwise, residents are dependent on the 534 and 536 buses, which are infrequent.

Gowanbrae

Gowanbrae is poorly served by public transport. There is the infrequent 490 bus service, which takes passengers to the Airport West tram. It doesn’t run on Sundays.

So what are the opportunites?

Above we summarised some public transport campaign opportunities.

• Upgrade the Upfield Line and run trains every 10 minutes
• Seven days a week service on all bus routes
• Frequency of 20 mins or better till at least 9pm on all bus routes
• Additional, direct bus route for Fawkner
• Frequent 508 bus route for Brunswick
• Accessible trams stops.

Perhaps you have others to add to the list.

Clearly this analysis doesn’t apply to everyone. If you cycle to the train station, you can go much further. Some people have loads to carry, so public transport is impractical. For many people, the issue is not getting to the tram or train stop, but the whole distance they need to travel. Some routes just take too long. If you put in your address in the TravelTime app, you can see how far you can get by public transport in, say, 45 minutes.

The state government needs to do much more to make public transport work. Meanwhile, we have a state election later this year. There are quite a few campaigning opportunities even here in Merri-bek. So let’s get campaigning!

Here are the links to bus campaigns in Merri-bek, the Upfield Line campaigns, and the Sydney Road Accessible Tram Stops Campaign.

What can residents do? We suggest writing to the Minister and shadow Minister at:

• The Hon. Gabrielle Williams, Minister for Public and Active Transport, receptionminwilliams@transport.vic.gov.au
• The Hon. Matthew Guy, Shadow Minister for Public Transport, matthew.guy@parliament.vic.gov.au

And write to the local MPs.

• Ms Kathleen Matthews-Ward, MP for Broadmeadows, kathleen.matthews-ward@parliament.vic.gov.au
• Mr Anthony Cianflone, MP for Pascoe Vale, anthony.cianflone@parliament.vic.gov.au
• Dr Tim Read, MP for Brunswick, Tim.Read@parliament.vic.gov.au
• Ms Sheena Watt, MLC for Northern Metro Region, sheena.watt@parliament.vic.gov.au
• Anasina Gray-Barbario, MLC for Northern Metro Region, anasina.gray-barberio@parliament.vic.gov.au