8. This is not endorsing any
aspect of East West Link
• Royal Park West portal singled out because it
exemplifies proponents’ impoverished thinking
• Wider issues with putting inner city freeways
ahead of public transport are well understood
• Need to look at proponents’ base assumptions
• Alternative western approach avoids sensitive
areas and better connects deferred west half
• Implications for Moonee Ponds Creek corridor
9.
10. Disingenuous Assertions
in “East West Link News”
• Recent studies have updated previous data and dispel the
misconception about the destination of traffic travelling west
along the Eastern Freeway. Our recent traffic modelling shows
that most of the traffic is trying to get across town, not into the
CBD.Approximately 12 per cent of traffic from the Eastern
Freeway ends up in the CBD on average throughout the day.
• People often say that they notice a big difference driving on the
roads during school holidays, with traffic flowing faster and more
smoothly - but did you know that the reduction in traffic is
generally less than 10 per cent in peak periods? This goes to show
what a difference a small change in traffic makes to your trip.
13. 2001 data cited in 2007 report needs updating for 2013+
• Start with some reasonably high guestimates
• with respect to vehicles on Eastern Freeway
towards Alexandra Parade and Hoddle Street
• 10% City Link north/Tullamarine/Airport/Calder
• 10% across Maribyrnong River/Western Link
• 10% inner west/Flemington Road/City Link south
• some variation peak–off peak, cars–freight
• Happy for this to be challenged by substantiated
data, but can’t see it undermining what follows
35. Saner Alternative Portal
• Saves Royal Park West escarpment, skink,
baseball heritage & storm water scheme
• Saves Manningham Road built properties
• Adds no Eastern Freeway traffic to City Link
sound tunnel
• In keeping with extant elevated rail and road
• Makes connection to western link more direct
• Uses existing entry/exit ramps from/to Mount
Alexander, Flemington and Racecouse Roads
to interface north-south traffic on City Link
41. Moonee Ponds Creek
• 150+ years of ever increasing urban confinement
• Straightening and concreting alongside Tullamarine
Freeway before we learnt to value water retention
• With world leading environment protection program
from 1970 should have seen City Link construction
as opportunity to rehabilitate, but only made worse
• Steven Mayne’s rationalisation for leading the 6-5
Melbourne City Council vote agreeing investigative
drilling included promise of “Gold Plated” creek
• So why not gamble Royal Park West for prospect
of improvements up and down the Creek?
42.
43. A lifetime of memories along the Moonee Ponds Creek,
constructed and constrained though it so much may be.
My 47 years on re/discovery of Royal Park West.
Even greater concern about planning and politics of
public space and natural heritage with eye to tomorrow.
East West Link, even more so starting it from the east,
fails every test of good public policy for the 21st Century.
But even that is not my point here, so much as to show
the detail level incompetence of the project’s proponents.
Planning now must be at the human and ground level,
no more priority for cars nor the view from helicopters.
44. A lifetime of memories along the Moonee Ponds Creek,
constructed and constrained though it so much may be.
My 47 years on re/discovery of Royal Park West.
Even greater concern about planning and politics of
public space and natural heritage with eye to tomorrow.
East West Link, even more so starting it from the east,
fails every test of good public policy for the 21st Century.
But even that is not my point here, so much as to show
the detail level incompetence of the project’s proponents.
Planning now must be at the human and ground level,
no more priority for cars nor the view from helicopters.
π