Background to Moreland Integrated Transport Strategy

What is the the Moreland Integrated Transport Strategy?

In March 2019, Council adopted the Moreland Integrated Transport Strategy , a plan to encourage sustainable transport, like walking, cycling, and public transport, as much as possible to keep Merri-bek as a great place to live. 

Merri-bek's population is projected to grow by 43,000 people and 18,000 households by 2036. 

The strategy helps to address the impact this population growth will have on liveability in terms of increased traffic and congestion, through achieving a shift towards walking, cycling and public transport use.

It was developed after 3 phases of community consultation held in 2017 and 2019. MITS 2019 is part of Council’s vision to address population growth’s impact on the community and the city.

Watch the video to help understand the strategy

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What are some of the key directions from the strategy? 

The objectives of the Moreland Integrated Transport Strategy (MITS) are a Merri-bek that is liveable, sustainable, safe, healthy, accessible, equitable for all, and prosperous.

The strategy outlines a plan to deliver:

  • A 10-year capital works plan to develop and deliver sustainable transport infrastructure to give greater priority to pedestrians, cyclists and public transport.
  • Advocacy to state government to improve public transport frequency, reliability and accessibility.
  • Safer, quieter streets through:
    • The continued implementation of 40km/hour speed limits on all local streets
    • Reduced speed limits on arterial roads near places like schools, hospitals and activity centres
    • A 12-month trial of 30km/hour speed limits in two select areas in south Merri-bek
    • Closure of some local roads to through traffic, while continuing access for pedestrians, cyclists and local traffic.
    • Better management of parking by:
      • Allowing new developments in Neighbourhood Centres and the Brunswick, Coburg and Glenroy Activity Centres to provide less parking, including no longer specifying a minimum parking requirement for Activity Centres.
      • Ensuring new developments can’t use on-street parking long-term, by expanding parking restrictions to cover our Neighbourhood Centres and within about 200 metres of Activity Centres.
      • Continue to provide residents, except those in newer developments (subdivided after August 2011), with greater opportunity to park near their home through Council’s parking permit scheme.
      • Expand 50 per cent discounts on resident and visitor parking permits to all Centrelink and Department of Veterans Affairs cardholders.
      • Investigate opportunities to expand the use of paid parking for all-day parking opportunities, introducing a $10 daily cap.
      • Creation of new permits for tradespeople working in the area, a business permit to park in business permits zones, and a user pays permit, a general-purpose daily or weekly permit for eligible residents.
      • A temporary broadening of the exceptional circumstances appeals process for parking permits, to allow for more exceptions to be considered as MITS is implemented.

What kind of consultation has taken place? 

In July and August 2018, we consulted on the Draft Moreland Integrated Transport Strategy (MITS) and what was then called the Draft Parking Strategy. This involved opportunities to provide feedback via an online feedback form, mail, phone and email, as well as a number of face to face “pop up” consultation events in Glenroy, Fawkner and Brunswick.

We sent almost 40,000 letters out to everybody directly affected by proposed changes to car parking informing them of the opportunity to provide feedback.

We also held a hearing of submissions in October 2018 giving people the opportunity to give feedback directly to Councillors.

Car parking attracted the largest amount of feedback, as well as the most mixed feedback. Most other feedback was supportive of proposed changes. We looked at the key issues raised in feedback and introduced changes to reduce potential negative impacts.

You can read more information about the feedback that we received on the Draft MITS and Draft Parking Strategy in:

View the Moreland Integrated Transport Strategy documents

Download the Moreland Integrated Transport Strategy documents that were adopted by Council:

We have prepared a fact sheet and frequently asked questions to help you understand these changes:

 

More information

For more information, please contact us by calling 9240 1111 or email the transport team.