This submission includes ConnectEast s comments on the All Things Considered paper. Infrastructure Victoria may publish this submission.

Transcription

1 17 June 2016 INTRODUCTION ConnectEast Group financed, developed and now operates the EastLink tollway and Ringwood Bypass. With a total length of 40km, EastLink is Victoria s largest privately operated road network. EastLink is Melbourne s safest freeway incorporating advanced safety systems, a 24/7 control room and dedicated incident response teams. It features twin 1.6km tunnels, distinctive public architecture, 12 public artworks, 480 hectares of landscaping and wetlands, and the 35km EastLink Trail shared use path. While EastLink offers Australia s lowest toll prices, it delivers the highest customer service standards by maintaining a local call centre, a walk-in customer centre, and comprehensive online services. ConnectEast congratulates Infrastructure Victoria on the recent release of its All Things Considered paper, and commends the robust process to develop Victoria s 30-year infrastructure strategy. This submission includes ConnectEast s comments on the All Things Considered paper. Infrastructure Victoria may publish this submission. SUMMARY Thank you for the opportunity to provide comment on the All Things Considered paper. As Melbourne s population continues to increase, ConnectEast believes in the importance of considered planning for growth to anticipate future demand. Melbourne faces an immense challenge that cannot be solved by a single transport mode, and will not be solved by only expanding existing or building new infrastructure - changes in people s travel behaviour will also be required. We believe that EastLink will continue to be a vital part of Melbourne s transport network and that there are opportunities to help Melbourne grow: > by making better use of the existing EastLink asset; and > by expanding the EastLink asset and improving its network connectivity. We support the building of North East Link the missing link in Melbourne s Orbital Ring Road. North East Link is a State and nation building opportunity to change the way that goods and people move within, across, and around Melbourne. Page 1 of 12

2 CHANGING BEHAVIOUR, MANAGING DEMAND Changes in People s Travel Behaviour will be Required Melbourne s population is undergoing strong growth, which continues to create challenges across all transport modes. Today, Melbourne s population is approximately 4.6 million people. This is forecast to grow by 54% to approximately 7.1 million people by 2046 (source: Infrastructure Victoria Laying the Foundations). Supporting the transport needs of a larger population while maintaining our city s liveability is an immense challenge that cannot be solved by a single transport mode, and won t be solved simply by expanding existing or building new infrastructure. Table 1 shows some of the required changes in people s transport behaviour. Table 1: Required behaviour changes Changes in behaviour Increase travel in shoulder periods How this changing behaviour will help manage demand Existing working day travel patterns with sharp peaks across transport modes in the morning peak and evening peak periods will not be possible with a much larger population. Significantly more people will need to travel to and from work in the shoulder periods, which will have the effect of broadening the peaks so they can contain many more trips. As the population increases, congestion and travel times will increase during the morning and evening peak periods. This will increasingly encourage people to change their behaviour by adjusting their travel times, changing routes and/or transport mode, helping to broaden the peaks across all transport modes. Pricing signals could also encourage longer peak periods across all transport modes. For example, higher priced peak period in conjunction with lower priced shoulder periods could be applied to encourage peak period travellers to shift to shoulder periods (Infrastructure Victoria designation: TNP) However the price differential would need to be significant to deliver real behavioural change, and we believe the introduction of shoulder pricing should be coordinated across all transport modes including private car (not just on tollways), train, tram and bus. These changes will also need to be supported by business and increased flexibility in working habits. Page 2 of 12

3 Changes in behaviour Increase vehicle occupancy - especially during peak periods Better route choice selection How this changing behaviour will help manage demand Increasing the occupancy rate of private vehicles would be beneficial especially during morning peak and evening peak periods when road capacity is most in demand. New technologies, including autonomous vehicles, have the potential to increase ride sharing and therefore vehicle occupancy (Infrastructure Victoria designation: DCR). Road use pricing, if introduced, does not need to be based explicitly on vehicle occupancy. A vehicle with two occupants uses the same physical road resource as a vehicle with a single occupant, so can be charged the same under a transport network price regime (Infrastructure Victoria designation: TNP). The price applied to a vehicle can be shared between the occupants the more occupants, the lower the cost per occupant. The ride sharing service can take care of calculating and charging the costs that each occupant should pay. We need more ways of providing quality and up-to-date information to motorists to assist them with route choice selection. The traffic information signs on Melbourne s freeways are accurate representations of travel times on the freeway ahead; however, they do not assist motorists with route choice selection as they do not show the conditions on the main alternative route/s. At some interchanges in Melbourne (including interchanges with EastLink and the Monash Freeway), there are now indicators to show traffic conditions on the freeway prior to joining it. These indicators could be more widely employed across the city. Push messaging services could be useful in providing motorists with optimum departure time. For example, when the evening peak is building or subsiding for the motorist s regular route home, a push message could be sent to the motorist s phone to advise that now would be a good time to depart (Infrastructure Victoria designation: TNI). At the beginning of a journey, satellite navigation devices with dynamic routing (also known as adaptive routing) can identify the best route based on real-time traffic data broadcasts. During the journey, the device automatically calculates an alternative route in advance of encountering any traffic congestion on the route being followed. If the alternative route will take less time, it is suggested as an option that can be selected or rejected. Greater adoption and usage of satellite navigation devices with dynamic routing will have a beneficial effect. Page 3 of 12

4 BETTER USE OF EXISTING ASSETS Making Better Use of the Existing EastLink Asset The existing EastLink asset has limits in terms of traffic flow and vehicle throughput. While EastLink traffic currently flows comparatively well, with traffic growth continuing at approximately 5% per annum, these limits will start to be exceeded. However, there are opportunities to increase EastLink s traffic flow and vehicle throughput. Table 2 shows some of these opportunities. Table 2: Opportunities to get better use from the existing EastLink Better use Improving traffic flow How this better use can be achieved We are already seeing early indications of traffic flow breakdown at some interchanges. This is being caused by vehicles joining the motorway and impeding the flow of traffic already on EastLink. Currently, this only occurs for short periods during the evening peak on occasional days, but frequency, duration and magnitude of impact is expected to increase. EastLink traffic will benefit from the installation of dynamic access ramp signalling at EastLink interchanges at the right point in the future (Infrastructure Victoria designation: TNI). There is an opportunity to extend EastLink s lane use management system, which currently only operates between Springvale Road and Maroondah Highway for managing tunnel incidents. We look forward to seeing the results of VicRoads recently announced trial of dynamic variable speeds on the Monash Freeway (Infrastructure Victoria designation: TNI). Most EastLink interchanges are signalised. Traffic signal sequences could be reviewed to increase the priority given to traffic entering or exiting the freeway and take into account increasing EastLink traffic. Increasing vehicle throughput Semi-autonomous and autonomous vehicle technologies (Infrastructure Victoria designation: ACT, DCR) and driverless freight vehicles (Infrastructure Victoria designation: DFV) will increase vehicle throughput on EastLink. For example, vehicles using this technology will travel closer together (including platooning) and respond more quickly and more accurately to changes in conditions, allowing vehicle throughput to increase. It is expected that there will be fewer accidents as the proportion of autonomous vehicles increases. Accidents have an impact on vehicle throughput, including traffic on the opposite carriageway as a result of rubbernecking. When the autonomous vehicle fleet using EastLink reaches certain levels, it could be possible to devote lane/s to autonomous vehicles. This would separate autonomous vehicles from less automated vehicles, allowing the throughput opportunity to be maximised. Page 4 of 12

5 Better use Public transport usage How this better use can be achieved Currently, no public transport bus services use EastLink but there is an opportunity for a rapid transit bus service to use EastLink to quickly and directly connect the Belgrave/Lilydale, Dandenong and Frankston lines, by stopping at a single train station on each line. This service could operate as part of the train network, which is radial from the CBD and currently has limited connectivity between lines. With very few stops and a well-defined, mostly freeway route, the rapid transit bus could take the form of a driverless shuttle bus using autonomous vehicle technology. With bus stops potentially located within each station s ticketed area, the rapid transit bus would not necessarily need Myki systems on board. Page 5 of 12

6 EXPANDING ASSETS Expanding the EastLink Asset and Improving its Network Connectivity EastLink has higher than average traffic growth and its economic contribution is important to the State. By expanding the EastLink asset and improving its network connectivity, ConnectEast will continue to meet increasing demand and support economic growth. EastLink is an essential transport artery in Melbourne s southeast and makes a significant contribution to the economy. For example, on a typical workday, i.e. Monday to Friday, EastLink traffic already includes: 20,000 heavy commercial vehicles conveying a wide range of goods, e.g. raw materials, manufactured goods, retail and food products, construction materials, construction machinery, fruit and vegetables, containerized freight, new vehicle transport, recyclables, waste and fuel supplies; 30,000 light commercial vehicles including small trucks, large vans and cab-chassis utility vehicles favoured by self-employed and small-medium sized businesses across industry sectors; 78,000 cars during morning peak (7am-9am) and evening peak (4pm-6pm), which mostly consist of commuter traffic conveying workers to and from places of employment across greater Melbourne; 81,000 cars between 9am and 4pm including many cars and small vans used for commercial purposes by builders, tradespeople, services, sales and small businesses; and 49,000 cars between 6pm and 7am including a mix of commuters, shift workers, and people travelling for leisure activities, e.g. late night shopping, dining out, event attendance, active sport participation, and visiting family/friends. While EastLink traffic currently flows comparatively well, traffic growth is occurring at approximately 5% per annum, driven by ongoing population and economic growth in the corridor. Assuming this growth continues, by 2021, demand for EastLink will have increased from the current 258,000 trips per workday to 329,000 trips per workday. This will occur before fully autonomous vehicles become a significant part of the vehicle fleet. Table 3 outlines opportunities to support the forecast population and economic growth for the period (see Appendix 1), which will continue to increase demand on EastLink. Page 6 of 12

7 Table 3: Opportunities to support increased EastLink demand Infrastructure Victoria Needs 1. Address infrastructure demands in areas with high population growth. 11. Improve access to middle and outer metropolitan major employment centres. How expanding the EastLink asset and improving its network connectivity will meet the need Maroondah City Council is forecast to experience significant population growth from 116,000 to 149,000 residents (28%) between 2021 and However, there is only one traffic lane on the ramp between EastLink northbound and Ringwood Bypass, and right turns are banned at the EastLink northbound Maroondah Highway interchange. This means that EastLink northbound is connected to Ringwood by a single lane. This lane is likely to be among the first areas of EastLink to experience congestion. The ramp capacity could be increased to two lanes and the EastLink northbound exit to Maroondah Highway could be modified to allow right turns. (Infrastructure Victoria designation: ARN) Ringwood, Dandenong and Frankston are major economic activity centres in outer metropolitan Melbourne that EastLink serves directly. These local government areas (Maroondah, Dandenong, Frankston) are forecast to experience 52% employment growth between 2021 and More broadly, the seven local government areas that EastLink passes through (Manningham, Whitehorse, Maroondah, Knox, Monash, Greater Dandenong, Frankston) are forecast to experience 47% employment growth between 2021 and Additional lanes could be added to EastLink to ensure these employment centres continue to benefit from efficient access as traffic demand grows. The EastLink freeway lease area has space reserved for additional lanes, which could be implemented in conjunction with new autonomous vehicle technologies. If the new lanes are dedicated to autonomous vehicles, they would have a higher throughput capacity and could therefore achieve a higher economic cost benefit ratio. 12. Improve access to jobs and services in regional and rural areas. The EastLink Peninsula Link interchange is a critical access point between metropolitan Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula regional area. Currently, there is a single lane off ramp between EastLink and Peninsula Link. More than 60% of EastLink s southbound traffic at this location exits to Peninsula Link using the single lane off ramp. Traffic queues can sometimes back up as much as 3km or more on EastLink, which also affects the traffic heading towards Frankston Freeway. This choke point will progressively worsen as traffic growth continues but it could be reconfigured so there is a continuous freeway-to-freeway connection instead of a single lane off ramp. Page 7 of 12

8 Infrastructure Victoria Needs How expanding the EastLink asset and improving its network connectivity will meet the need There is a gap in freeway connectivity between the Mornington Peninsula / Frankston regional area (2011 population 273,000) and the Gippsland regional area (2011 population 256,000), which could be filled by improving connectivity between these regional areas. For example, the EastLink Monash Freeway interchange could be expanded to a full diamond configuration to include a new connection between Monash Freeway westbound and EastLink southbound; and a new connection between EastLink northbound and Monash Freeway eastbound. 13. Improve the efficiency of freight supply chains Freight and logistics developments are steadily expanding southwards from the Dandenong Bypass / Greens Road area towards the Bangholme Road area. However, there is no interchange with EastLink at Bangholme Road (although space was allocated at the time EastLink was constructed). A new EastLink - Bangholme Road interchange could be constructed to service the local growth in freight and logistics developments. (Infrastructure Victoria designation: ARN) Construction of a new interchange could be integrated with land use and infrastructure planning in the area. For example, Bangholme Road could be upgraded and extended eastwards, potentially as far east to connect with the 185ha intermodal hub at Dandenong South, as has been proposed by Salta Properties (see Salta Properties proposal includes the use of shuttle trains between Port of Melbourne and the intermodal hub at Dandenong South to make better use of existing rail infrastructure at off peak times, and free up Monash Freeway road capacity for other transport demands. (Infrastructure Victoria designation: PMM) The intermodal hub would benefit from EastLink access, which would ensure connectivity with its customers in Melbourne s east. The new interchange and an upgraded Bangholme Road would encourage economic development in the area between the intermodal hub and EastLink. (Infrastructure Victoria designation: FPL) Page 8 of 12

9 BUILDING NEW ASSETS Building the North East Link ConnectEast supports the building of the missing link in Melbourne s Orbital Ring Road to connect the Metropolitan Ring Road with the Eastern Freeway. (Infrastructure Victoria designation: NEL). Greater Melbourne is forecast to experience rapid population growth from 4.6 million in 2016 to 7.1 million in 2046 ultimately becoming Australia s largest city during the mid-2050s. North East Link is a State and nation building opportunity to change the way that goods and people move within, across, and around Melbourne. Table 4 outlines our assessment of the ways in which North East Link will meet Infrastructure Victoria s identified needs. Table 4: How North East Link meets Infrastructure Victoria s Identified Needs Infrastructure Victoria Needs 1. Address infrastructure demands in areas with high population growth. How North East Link will meet the need The overall corridor that includes North East Link comprises the local government areas serviced by Northern Metropolitan Ring Road North East Link Eastern Freeway EastLink. This corridor is forecast to experience high population growth (+40%) and high employment growth (+49%) between 2021 and 2046 (see Appendix 1). North East Link will create essential transport infrastructure to help ensure that forecast population and employment growth is achievable and contributes to sustainable liveability in the corridor. 10. Meet growing demand for access to economic activity in central Melbourne. 11. Improve access to middle and outer metropolitan major employment centres. By taking through traffic away from the capacity-constrained Burnley and Domain tunnels, West Gate and Bolte bridges, and Monash Freeway corridor, additional capacity will be created for access to economic activity in central Melbourne. Significant travel time savings will be achieved when compared to the current arterial road connection between Metropolitan Ring Road and Eastern Freeway, and there will be improved connections for the La Trobe employment cluster. North East Link will add another Yarra River crossing in Melbourne s east with a much higher capacity than the other crossings in the region, and it will create a freeway connection between Melbourne s east and Melbourne Airport. Melbourne s east does not currently have a freeway connection to the airport with traffic using congested arterials such as Alexandra Parade, Bell Street, and Rosanna Road. Page 9 of 12

10 Infrastructure Victoria Needs How North East Link will meet the need North East Link will also create a new freeway route between Melbourne s southeast and Melbourne Airport. This new route will be more dependable as it bypasses inner city congestion. Local businesses and residents will benefit from more convenient connections to the freeway network. Heavy commercial vehicle through traffic will be removed from local and arterial roads that are unsuitable for such traffic. North East Link will alleviate congestion at a Top 10 RACV Redspot Survey location (Lower Heidelberg Road, Banksia Street). 12. Improve access to jobs and services in regional and rural areas. 13. Improve the efficiency of freight supply chains. North East Link will provide more reliable access between regional and rural Victoria and the whole of Melbourne by providing access to the far side of Melbourne while avoiding inner city congestion, port traffic etc. It will also provide more reliable access between regions on opposite sides of Melbourne (for example between Bendigo and Gippsland). North East Link will complete Melbourne s Orbital Ring Road as an essential freight and logistics connection, which will significantly improve connectivity between industries and businesses in Melbourne s fast growing northern suburbs and the strong economy in Melbourne s southeast. It will connect industrial, freight and logistics hubs in Melbourne s southeast with the Hume Freeway to Sydney and Brisbane, bypassing inner city congestion. It will also significantly improve access to the new Melbourne Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable market from producers in the southeast food bowl of Casey-Cardinia, Gippsland, and the Mornington Peninsula. North East Link will create opportunities for the Northern Metropolitan Ring Road, Eastern Freeway, and northern half of EastLink to join the High Productivity Freight Vehicle (HPFV) network. (Infrastructure Victoria designation: HPF) It will overcome the productivity constraints imposed by the truck curfews recently introduced on arterial roads in the area, and create infrastructure for the Port of Hastings. (Infrastructure Victoria designation: NCP). 19. Improve the resilience of critical infrastructure. North East Link will create additional capacity on route alternatives to four pieces of critical infrastructure the Burnley and Domain tunnels, and the West Gate and Bolte bridges reducing the economic impact of a critical infrastructure outage. Page 10 of 12

11 CONCLUSION ConnectEast believes Victoria will be well established to meet its future growth demands through initiatives such as those listed in the All Things Considered report as well as the initiatives outlined in this submission: > helping people make changes to their transport behaviour; > making better use of the existing EastLink asset; > expanding the EastLink asset and improving its network connectivity; and > building North East Link, which will have long lasting benefits for the State and nation. We fully support Infrastructure Victoria s process to develop Victoria s 30-year infrastructure strategy. ENQUIRIES For corporate enquiries relating to this submission, please contact: Doug Spencer-Roy Corporate Affairs & Marketing Manager / dsroy@connecteast.com.au For media enquiries relating to this submission, please contact: Kate De Clercq Communications Advisor / kdeclercq@connecteast.com.au Page 11 of 12

12 APPENDIX 1 POPULATION AND EMPLOYMENT GROWTH GROWTH FORECASTS FOR THE CORRIDOR THAT INCLUDES NORTH EAST LINK Northern Metropolitan Ring Road North East Link Eastern Freeway EastLink Local Government Area Population Forecast (Residents) Employment Forecast (Jobs) Banyule 132, ,000 53,000 84,000 Casey 344, ,000 79, ,000 Darebin 164, ,000 60,000 87,000 Frankston 144, ,000 60,000 91,000 Greater Dandenong 167, , , ,000 Hume 244, , , ,000 Knox 164, ,000 76, ,000 Manningham 125, ,000 37,000 54,000 Maroondah 116, ,000 55,000 84,000 Monash 193, , , ,000 Moreland 187, ,000 49,000 73,000 Nillumbik 64,000 77,000 17,000 25,000 Whitehorse 175, ,000 93, ,000 Whittlesea 246, ,000 67, ,000 TOTAL 2,465,000 3,461, ,000 1,490,000 INCREASE +40% +49% Page 12 of 12