Eddington report released

1. james Apr 02 2008 / 5pm

   Hi folks, from the initial media around the release, it doesn’t make much sense to me. How many Werribee / Hoppers commuters need to go to Doncaster or Brunswick to work? Trucks can already go from the ports to the princes hwy via citilink north or the west gate west. Where is the duplication of the westgate for commuters to the city or a consolidated truck route from the container parks to the Ports? Havent read the report yet so I may be missing something.
2. Jeremy Apr 03 2008 / 12pm

   Hi All,

   I understand the focus of your group is around the area of Francis St, and the bypass suggested by yourselves and the Eddington report addresses this. However, as a resident of Footscray, close to Footscray road, this provides no solution.

   The proximity of trucks to residential streets at the northern end of Whitehall street is equally problematic and needs addressing. This area is increasing in density through new residential and commercial development, and therefore a long term solution needs to see truck routes removed from ALL areas west of the Maribyrnong and north of Francis Street.

   I therefore suggest that any new exit from the West Gate should continue right through to Footscray and Dynon roads on the east bank of the Maribyrnong, with the aim of gradually removing all larger scale industrial premises from Yarraville altogether.

   A 1.5km tunnel between Hyde St and Coode Island, with a surface road continuing to Dynon Road, would deliver most trucks to their port destinations efficiently and would allow Whitehall and Napier streets to become local roads.

   Such a route would provide a clear delineation between port and industrial areas east of the Maribyrnong and residential and commercial areas west of the river. The plan above, however, continues this awkward interface between residential and industrial areas and truck routes that currently exists, albeit with alleviation of the problems for some.
3. Peter Apr 03 2008 / 2pm

   Actually the exit from the West Gate freeway includes a bridge over the Maribyrnong to the port for trucks so would take all trucks of the northern end of Whitehall.
   And our group is not just focussed on Francis St, but it has become emblematic of this struggle. Our next planned blockade is on the corner of Buckley St and Victoria St Footscray
4. Dylan Apr 04 2008 / 9pm

   Interestingly, most of the trucks I have observed coming up the northern part of Whitehall St at night come out of the port area via Footscray Rd, turn right into Whitehall and then up to Moore via Hopkins. In this case there is already a dedicated truck route within the port precinct (Docklink Rd) but they still choose to go through the residential strip instead.

   The new truck route proposals in the “Truck Action Plan” of the Eddington Report do look promising, however it is important to back them up with bans across all of the residential streets.
5. Peter Apr 05 2008 / 9pm

   Dylan, I’m not totally across the situation you mention with regards Docklink Rd. Would you be interested in coming to a meeting so we can all learn more about it?
   If so please email me on info at mtag.org.au
6. Jeremy Apr 10 2008 / 8am

   Thanks Peter. There is no mention of a new bridge over the Maribyrnong in the Truck Action Plan on the DOI website. It shows the map as per the one above, which suggests a link into Whitehall Street.

   In any case, I believe that longer term planning should aim to remove truck movements and freight industries from all parts of Yarraville. There is significant tracts of underutilised land between the Mobil terminal and Footscray Rd. Maintaining ANY truck movements through this area removes the possibility of longer term regeneration of the area for uses that are more appropriate to an inner city location.
7. Jeremy Apr 10 2008 / 9am

   On another matter, the Truck Action Plan suggests the widening of Ballarat road between Ashley St and Geelong road as a major truck route.

   This seems an absurd suggestion considering that several larger scale multi storey developments have taken place along that route, and it is mostly a residential road. The entire area east of Ashley St is mostly residential, and it would seem logical that freight traffic should all be sent south down the new Ashley St link to the Westgate.

   Again, if these suggestions have come from MTAG, it seems that the primary focus is to shift freight movements from Francis st and Somerville Rd at the expense of others within the broader area. Suggesting that freight be encouraged onto this section of Ballarat Rd would result in the exact type of negative amenity issues that Francis St residents are seeking relief from.
8. Peter Apr 10 2008 / 11pm

   This did not come from MTAG and we are currently having a good look at the plan before submitting a detailed response as part of the community consultation process.
   Certainly our aim is not to shift the problem.
   And we will be pushing for a bridge across the Maribyrnong
   Thanks for your input
9. Peter Apr 10 2008 / 11pm

   And can I encourage all readers to chip in here. The comments from Jeremy and Dylan are incredibly useful for the public consultation process that is happening over the next couple of months. We have to put in a submission as a response to the report. It’s important to remember that we are just residents, we are not transport experts and so input from other residents like this is just invaluable. We’re here to represent all residents of Maribyrnong and to trying to communicate the experience of living with all these trucks… so it’s not just about statistics and lines on the page
10. adam Apr 11 2008 / 9am

    The off ramp from the Westgate Freeway onto Hyde Street is really confusing. Will the proposed off-ramp allow trucks (and cars?) to exit the Westgate and EITHER go along Hyde Street (north of Francis St) or Whitehall Street?

    The map above somewhat indicates that it will not, but there are a few large tanks in the way preventing the proposed road to be constructed.

    Having x number of trucks travelling north along Hyde Street, would be equally (if not more) problematic than the issues along Francis Street.

    BTW, nice discussion.
11. Justine Apr 15 2008 / 11am

    I too am interested in this discussion. As a resident of Droop Street in Footscray I was alarmed to learn of the Eddington Report’s recommendation of a widening of Ballarat Road from Ashley street until the intersection with Geelong Road. As noted by Jeremy above, this road is primarily residential (with some industrial, medical and commercial usage).

    The DOI website appears to indicate that this was recommended as a way of taking truck traffic away from residential streets in Yarraville/Seddon (see Fact Sheet 5 on the Truck Action Plan). It seems to me that this is just shifting the problem from one residential area to another - less trucks in Francis St and Whitehall St but more trucks down Ballarat Rd (which already carries a large number of trucks).

    I have been concerned because from what I’ve seen in the media it seems as though both MTAG and Maribyrnong Council are supportive of this recommendation (because it has not specifically been excluded in any of the press releases I have read). I feel as though residents of Footscray, Maidstone and Braybrook are being done over in favour of those in other areas of Maribyrnong. As a number of people have noted above, it should be about shifting trucks from all areas in the west. It should be about getting smarter about our freight transport (e.g. less road widening and more rail improvements so that freight can be shifted from the port to pickup points for road freight which are in outer commercial/industrial parts of the city - this would be better than spending money on an east-west tunnel).
12. Justine Apr 15 2008 / 12pm

    Further to my previous comment, I know that there has been some research that indicates road widening does not lead to reduced traffic. It, in fact, increases traffic. So the net result of widening Ballarat Road may even see an increase in traffic on local streets as people seek alternative routes.

    The Eddington Report suggests that Ballarat Road is a bottleneck (’a constraint on the network’) and that widening it would increase traffic flow. However it seems to me that the bottleneck derives from the fact that both Ballarat and Geelong Roads connect and are funneled into a single crossing of the Maribyrnong River. Widening Ballarat Road won’t solve that problem.

    The Public Transport Users Association has some more information on their website about how reducing so called traffic bottlenecks does not alleviate traffic congestion.
13. Peter Apr 15 2008 / 1pm

    Thanks Justine
    We have never pushed for a widening of Ballarat Rd and it does seem problematic. Thanks for drawing it to our attention. The Paramount Rd link should take lots of port traffic off Ballarat Rd so it’s hard to see why a widening would be necessary
14. adam Apr 16 2008 / 10pm

    I agree, that one of the better ways to improve the freight situation, is to get smarter. How many trucks do you see that are not carrying any containers/goods? Why is it so hard to coordinate port activities?

    One of the reasons the Ballarat Road widening is often suggested, is probably due to the large number of properties already owned by VicRoads, particularly on the south side.

    Peter do you still have the figures for the stevedoring costs of rail compared with road?
15. Heidi Ranik Apr 17 2008 / 2pm

    Hello,
    Sorry guys, I’m not with you.
    . . .& the reason I’m against you is for all the good reasons why you are protesting in the first place. The new Eddington proposal simply replaces one suburban street with another. Ashley street is not just any industrial street - it has houses and residents just like you. It is bad enough that the (often) regionally marginalised people who live there have to put up with the chemical & other pollution that drifts there way with any southerly or westerly wind, but you wish to place all of those trucks there as well. Such people generally don’t have the voice & skills that you have in drawing attention to your problems. Let’s hope you truly understand that you are not in the moral high ground here by encouraging the Eddington solution . . by simply moving a problem from your back yard into someone elses.
16. Peter Apr 18 2008 / 9am

    Well what we’re trying to do is engage in the process of finding solutions for all, as I said. The last thing we want to do is to shift the problem. The Sunshine Rd/Westgate link will hopefully alleviate truck traffic in Paramount Rd, Sredna St and Ashley St through the creation of a dedicated truck route. We are taking all feedback on board and will be lobbying for the best possible solution for all. Thanks for taking part in the discussions. Please stay in touch with this.

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