Point Cook residents left in a jam during commuter crush

Frustrated commuters in fast-growing Point Cook are spending more than 28 days a year stuck in traffic as roads and transport fail to meet demand.

Westgate motorists banked back to Old Geelong Rd.

Commuters in one of Melbourne’s fastest growing suburbs are spending more than 28 days a year stuck in traffic.

It took the Wyndham Leader nearly half an hour to crawl just 5km down Point Cook Rd to the Princes Freeway during the morning peak last week — a journey that would normally take about six minutes.

And if that's not bad enough, motorists spend both the morning and afternoon peaks driving into the sun.

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And with most western suburbs station car parks jam packed by 7.30am, and a lack of connecting bus services, driving is often the most viable option for commuters living in the west.

Wyndham mayor Mia Shaw said surveys showed about 40 per cent of Point Cook residents took more than an hour to get to and from work each day, despite living just 29km from the CBD.

It took the Leader nearly half an hour to drive just 5km along Point Cook Rd in peak hour traffic.

Fed up drivers have ranked the section of Point Cook Rd between Sneyeds Rd and Princes Freeway in the top 10 most congested roads in the state in three consecutive RACV Redspot Surveys.

Last year’s survey found the average speed on Point Cook Rd during the morning peak was just 27km/h between Shane Ave and Seabrook Blvd in Seabrook.

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Cr Shaw said road congestion and poor public transport were the most common gripes among residents.

“Many sections of Wyndham’s roads have reached capacity, and some are carrying more traffic than they were designed for (and) this is causing traffic jams, delayed bus services, and safety issues,” she said.

“The Victorian Government’s Western Roads Upgrade is a welcome improvement to our road network but more needs to be done.”

The car park at Aircraft station is completely full by 7.30am on weekdays.

Eight priority roads in the western suburbs will be upgraded as part of the $1.8 billion project, which also includes adding lanes to sections of Palmers and Dunnings roads, between Princes Freeway and Point Cook Rd.

A dedicated bus lane will also be installed in each direction from Wallace Ave to Dunnings Rd.

Works started last year and are expected to be complete by 2021.

But the state’s peak motoring body says Point Cook Rd should also be duplicated.

RACV general manager public policy Bryce Prosser said extensive urban development in the suburb meant extra lanes were needed on Point Cook Rd to help carry the load.

“In addition, a bicycle route should be provided along a duplicated Point Cook Rd so that commuters and school students have a safe route to ride to locals schools, the shops and Aircraft station,” he said.

He also called for more dedicated bus lanes and increased services to ferry people to Williams Landing and Laverton stations.

VicRoads has all but ruled out duplication of Point Cook Rd, saying more than 30 properties would need to be acquired by the government for the project to go ahead.

Metro north west transport and planning director David Teague said they would continue to look for ways to improve the notorious stretch of road in the growing suburb.

“We’re working closely with Major Road Projects Victoria which is upgrading a number of arterial roads in Melbourne’s western suburbs which will help reduce congestion and improve safety,” he said.

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