The Station Access Task In Melbourne

This paper reviews rail station access outcomes and potentials across the Melbourne metropolitan area. Assumptions and discussions around rail transit access tend to emphasise the issue of park and ride (P&R) to a degree that is not borne-out by the reality of access to stations in usage statistics. Equally, a great deal of energy is invested in discussion of sustainable planning and 'integration', without making the vital connection between mass transit and new investments in walking and in cycling infrastructure for access to transit. In this paper, we critically review the level of performance in station access mode shares across Melbourne - using techniques such as cluster analysis, in combination with mapping and cross-references to broader demographic and land-use trends. We find that P&R in Melbourne are sometimes a 'poor fit' by being heavily utilised in some middle-suburban locations. Melbourne's bus-rail connectivity is patchy - with some locations delivering high levels of bus-based access to rail and other locations under-playing this important option. Trams are found to be a surprisingly important and high-impact mode of access to heavy rail, and implications from this finding are put forward. Melbourne demonstrates poor outcomes in generating trips to the station by bicycle - and the paper delivers discussion and suggestions around a potential new direction for cycling policy and infrastructure in Melbourne.