THE CITY OF GREATER GEELONG
PUBLIC TRANSPORT SUMMARY DRAFT INTEGRATED TRANSPORT STRATEGY
PUBLIC TRANSPORT THE OUTCOME WE SEEK A frequent, reliable, accessible and connected public transport network that provides a practical alternative to driving Public transport will connect people to employment, education, health care, shops, services and community life. It will improve access for people who cannot or choose not to drive and allow central Geelong, activity centres and growth areas to develop without a corresponding increase in traffic and parking demand.
WHY IT MATTERS Greater Geelong cannot support future population and employment growth through private vehicle travel alone. As more people travel to central Geelong, activity centres, employment precincts, hospitals, schools and universities, car dependence will place even greater pressure on roads, parking and household transport costs. Public transport uses road and parking space more efficiently because it can carry many people at once. It also supports social inclusion, lowers emissions and connects people with opportunities. Better services will help Greater Geelong accommodate more homes and jobs around activity centres, railway stations and major transport corridors. Right now, the network falls short. Many services run too infrequently, take indirect routes or move too slowly to compete with driving. The bus network focuses heavily on journeys to and from central Geelong, which makes some suburb-to-suburb trips difficult. Parts of the Bellarine Peninsula, growth areas, employment precincts, townships and rural communities also have limited-service coverage and operating hours. Bus and train services do not always connect conveniently. Some stops and interchanges lack accessible paths, shelter, lighting and safe crossings, making public transport harder to use. Communities need public transport from the beginning. When services arrive only after neighbourhoods have developed, residents often establish car-dependent travel habits that become difficult to change. People will rely on public transport for daily travel only when it offers a genuine and practical alternative to driving.
WHAT THE FUTURE LOOKS LIKE Greater Geelong needs an integrated public transport network that supports different journeys and communities. The future network should include: direct and frequent bus corridors linking major residential areas, activity centres, stations, employment precincts, hospitals and education facilities Bus Rapid Transit styled services along key corridors will enable a staged approach to assess when and where light rail, or similar, could be reintroduced to Geelong cross-city and orbital services that allow people to travel between suburbs without always passing through central Geelong fast and reliable rail and coach connections to Melbourne and surrounding regional centres, including stations at Armstrong Creek Town Centre, a direct service between Werribee and Geelong, and services connecting Geelong to Bannockburn via the Western Growth Area on the existing rail as a step towards the extension of passenger services to Ballarat local services that connect neighbourhoods to centres, stations and frequent routes flexible, demand-responsive and community transport where conventional services cannot efficiently meet local needs. The bus network offers the greatest opportunity for improvement in the short and medium term. Reform should create a frequent core network built around high-frequency corridors, direct cross-city connections and local feeder services. Services should run more often and for longer hours. Routes should become simpler, connections with rail should improve, and new growth areas should receive services earlier. As passenger demand grows, some corridors may need bus-priority measures, Bus Rapid Transit or further investigation of light rail. Protecting these corridors, planning suitable land uses and providing strong walking, riding and connecting bus access will support any future high-capacity transport. A Port Phillip Bay ferry network will also play a larger role, giving people more travel options across the region and to Melbourne. Rail will continue to provide vital regional connections. It should also become a more practical choice for local trips within Greater Geelong, providing a metro style service for residents and visitors.
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Figure 7 - Representation of a potential Bus Rapid Transit system for Greater Geelong (see Bus Network Review Submission)
Figure 8 - Representation of a potential Port Phillip Bay ferry network 21
SECURE
MANAGE
ENABLE
Present ranked, evidence-based
Provide bus priority on council roads.
Deliver safe first-and-last-mile
advocacy priorities. Secure state funding and service commitments.
Improve stops, interchanges and
connections.
passenger access.
Provide wayfinding and bicycle parking.
Manage conflicts with traffic and parking
Align development and parking policy
Offer corridors, co-funding and
with public transport.
supporting works.
Now
As We Grow
Advocate for more frequent, direct and
Build a frequent core network
reliable bus and rail services, with better coverage during evenings and
connecting major residential areas with activity centres, workplaces, health and
weekends.
education facilities, and railway stations.
Increase capacity and give public transport greater priority along corridors with high passenger demand.
Upgrade bus stops and interchanges,
Give buses priority where congestion
Investigate and deliver higher-capacity
coordinate timetables more effectively, and improve walking and riding
affects reliability, while strengthening feeder routes and cross-city
options, such as Bus Rapid Transit or other rapid-transit solutions, where
connections to public transport.
connections.
evidence supports the investment.
Advocate for early public transport in
Increase service levels in step with
growth areas and protect the corridors
population growth, employment growth
that future services will need.
and higher-density development.
Indicators Access to frequent public transport Service frequency Service span Public transport competitiveness Reliability Patronage Mode share Accessible stops
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As Demand Matures
Support a mature network where public transport competes effectively with driving for a substantial share of longer urban journeys.
2.23% of people caught public transport to work in 2021. Our vision is that 30% of people are catching public transport to work by 2047.
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