Article: Transport groups push for outbound bus lanes upgrade

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From the Melbourne Age click here!

Transport groups push for outbound bus lanes upgrade

Transport groups push for outbound bus lanes upgrade
Jason Dowling
May 10, 2012

THE RACV and Bus Association Victoria are calling for the urgent introduction of dedicated bus lanes north bound on Hoddle Street and along Victoria Parade to increase the effectiveness of Doncaster buses.

The state government has given priority to the east-west extension of the Eastern Freeway to CityLink ahead of a possible new railway connection to Doncaster in a funding request to the federal government.

The RACV's Brian Negus said improving bus lanes in the CBD would allow for greater bus frequency to Doncaster. ''We already have bus lanes along both sides of Lonsdale Street, so what you want to have is continuous bus lanes in the peak period on Victoria Parade and Hoddle Street to the freeway, so the bus lanes on both sides are a continuous route,'' he said.
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''That will provide a significantly upgraded service to what's there now,'' he said.

The Bus Association's Chris Lowe supported the push for improved bus lanes.

He said there should be an increased frequency of busservices into the city so ''more and more people have better reason to leave the car and home and jump on the bus''.

''If buses are frequent enough you can throw away the timetable,'' he said.

VicRoads director of tram and bus projects, Brendan Pauwels, said VicRoads and the Department of Transport had failed to win support last year to create bus lanes during peak hours along Victoria Parade and Hoddle Street.

He said VicRoads was investigating other options to improve bus travel times.

City of Yarra mayor Geoff Barbour said the council supported dedicated bus lanes on Hoddle Street and Victoria Parade but did not support a ''part-time bus lane'' involving the removal of parking that local businesses relied on.

''Our council would prefer to see a car lane removed to make way for a bus lane,'' he said.

A spokesman for Public Transport Victoria said it was ''currently working with major stakeholders to examine options for an outbound bus lane on Hoddle Street and Victoria Parade''.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/transport-groups-push-for-outbound-bus-lanes-upgrade-20120509-1yd7j.html