Major changes to boost city traffic flow

A raft of changes will be made to major inner-city intersections, with a hi-tech program set to give some vehicles priority at traffic lights.

Special kerbing will be built along some streets to reduce the number of accidents involving cars and trams. Picture: Paul Jeffers

Trams and buses will get priority at traffic lights across Melbourne under a hi-tech program to improve traffic flows.

For the first time, GPS sensors on the public transport vehicles will provide real-time data cross-checked against timetables to allow more green light time at key roads.

Starting mid-2023, the measure is part of the state Transport Department’s Smarter Roads program which will have reviewed traffic lights at nearly 3500 arterial intersections within three years.

It can also be revealed that more than 5km of special kerbing will be installed on Latrobe, Flinders, Swanston, Spring, Market and Spencer streets to reduce the number of cars crashing into trams.

It follows the first lot of special kerbing installed on Collins, Bourke and Elizabeth streets in 2021, which cut vehicle-to-tram collisions by about 30 per cent on the newly separated roads.

The new kerbing work is part of an $81m state budget pledge to make the tram network safer and more reliable.

Buses and trams will get priority at traffic lights under the new changes. Picture: David Crosling

New figures released by the department show tram patronage is at 72 per cent of pre-pandemic 2019 levels, with peak hour patronage at 65 per cent, and weekend patronage at 94 per cent.

Yarra Trams’ acting chief executive Adele McCarthy said the pandemic had changed travel patterns.

“What we’ve seen over the last year is there’s been a reduction in riders coming into CBD offices five days a week with the rise of remote working, with Mondays and Fridays comparatively quieter,” she said.

“Encouragingly however, we’ve seen a much more rapid recovery in passenger numbers on our trams on weekends and during the evening.”

“This is an important demonstration of Melbourne as a real destination city with a flourishing arts, culture and entertainment scene that attracts visitors at all hours of the day, even if they didn’t come in to do a day’s work.”

As at the end of October, total Victorian public transport patronage was at 68 per cent of 2019 levels.

Week day peak hour patronage on all Victoria public transport was at 59 per cent of 2019 levels, while off-peak patronage was at 74 per cent.

Patronage on non-holiday week days is at 64 per cent of 2019 levels, while weekend patronage is at 94 per cent of pre-Covid levels.

Regional bus patronage is at 88 per cent of 2019 levels – the highest of all modes, while metropolitan trains is the lowest at 61 per cent.

The 2022-23 budget also includes $158.7m to make public transport more accessible.

Six new level-access tram stops will be put along La Trobe St in the city. and a new tram stop on Park S and Clarendon St in South Melbourne.

A Transport Department spokesman said: “We are pleased to see public transport usage growing, and we will continue to support passengers and staff as we return to pre-pandemic levels.”