The Grattan Institute’s revelation that north-east Melbourne has the worst traffic comes as no surprise (The Age, 3/7). It should also remind planners that the idea for trains to Doncaster Hill springs from a genuine need long recognised by the community.
Of all regions, Melbourne’s north-east suffers from the greatest historical imbalance between provision for private cars and public transport. Elsewhere in Melbourne, from the inner city to the fringe, every municipality has at least one train line traversing it. The City of Manningham is the outlier, despite a population equivalent to Ballarat’s and a history of urban development going back more than half a century.
The lack of fast, efficient mass transit linking Manningham to inner Melbourne is often excused by suggesting this suburban population has no particular need to travel to the city. The daily clog on the freeway should give the lie to this.
— Tony Morton, President, PTUA – in The Age 4/7/2017