East: Tram 109 - Box Hill to City
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This route starts in Box Hill at Whitehorse Rd then heads towards the city along Whitehorse Rd-Cotham Rd-High St-Barkers Rd-Victoria St
Tram 109 and this PBN route
Route 109 to Box Hill has been the focus on work by Yarra Trams and the State and local Governments to improve the service of trams on this PBN route.
Phase Two: August 2005
On 19 April 2005 VicRoads held a Stakeholder Workshop meeting regarding the location and arrangement of the stops for the Tram 109 Project. Bicycle Victoria was invited as the route for this project is on the Principal Bicycle Network (PBN), namely High Street, Cotham Road and Whitehorse Road.
The Tram 109 team tabled two preferred tram stop options:
- Kerb Access Stops
-
Centre Platform Stops.
At this meeting Bicycle Victoria indicated we support the Kerb Access Stop concept particularly the front of platform cycle lane. We have previously supported the mirror concept of a back of platform cycle lane in Whitehorse Road.
Given a choice between these two, we prefer front of platform. We support this concept as it good for the tram route and good for riders and endorse this concept across the tram network for future projects.
We also strongly support the concept of kerbside platforms for buses.
Bicycle Victoria supports the kerbside access platforms here so cyclists can ride over the front of the platform
The Centre Stop option, however, with the consequent 2 x 3m traffic lanes looked like a significant negative for cyclists, allowing no provision for cyclists either travelling along the route or riding to destinations on the route.
It was indicated that the VicRoads team favoured the centre stop option as the preferred option for the Tram 109 team primarily as it preserved motor vehicle capacity.
The centre stop platforms make no provision for cyclists
Bicycle Victoria proposed a thorough and thoughtful process that might reveal an innovative solution, resolve the difference and avoid conflict and met with VicRoads and designers ARUP on 4 May 2005 to brainstorm many suggestions as to how cyclists could be provided for in 3m traffic lanes. We are awaiting feedback from VicRoads regarding our suggestions.
Phase One: June 2003
Tram stops on line extension from Union Rd to Box Hill
With the extension of the tram line to Box Hill tram stops have been redesigned along this route to provide improved access for tram users. Bicycle Victoria has some concerns about the impact some of the proposed measures may have on the safety of cyclists and has been working through them with the VicRoads project manager.
Given the constraints on the design, bikes have been fairly well catered for. The major concern is the loss of right of way at some minor intersections and the need to leave and then rejoin the road and the interaction with pedestrians. That said, cyclists are the only road user that gets to go by a stationary tram at the stops.
You can write to peter.batchelor@minstaff.vic.gov.au, the Minister for Transport, asking that bikes be considered in upgrades of all tram lines and stops.
Feedback on the operations and design of the Whitehorse Rd stops can be sent to VicRoads, Project Manager Tram 109, with comments tram109@roads.vic.gov.au or call the tram 109 information line on 1800 77 66 22 for the latest information. Please remember to copy Bicycle Victoria on any correspondence.
The design of the Tram 109 stops is a compromise for cyclists. Bicycle Victoria attended VicRoads’ trial of a full size mock up of the initial proposedeasy access stop design and thought it would be acceptable to cyclists as it retained cyclists' right of way through the stops and allowed adequate space to share the road.
The photo (below) shows the road rising 30cm above the tram tracks to the left of the picture.Unfortunately the originally proposed design was not accepted as it would have blocked some right turns into properties – local residents opposed the designs.
The final adopted design, however, means cyclists lose their ability to share the road space comfortably and their right-of-way at some minor intersections.
Cyclists are given the choice of a path behind the stops – a compromise for most cyclists using the road but a sensible solution, we think if done correctly, that should allow cyclists to negotiate the stops.