By Timna Jacks & Adam Carey
New car parks at trains stations became the political salvo of choice on Tuesday, as both the state government and the opposition announced millions of dollars for more spots, in different suburbs.
Premier Daniel Andrews announced thousands of car parking spaces would be added to at least four train stations in Melbourne under a $60 million plan.
Belgrave, Sandown Park, Epping and Craigieburn stations will have 2000 new and upgraded car parking spaces.
Opposition leader Matthew Guy made a more modest promise to provide 150 new spaces along the Hurstbridge line at Greensborough, Montmorency and Eltham stations at an estimated cost of $4 million.
The duelling announcements came a day after the two parties made conflicting road project pledges - and seven months from the November state election. For the government, it is the third transport-related pre-budget announcement in two days, just one month ahead of the state budget's release.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is greeted by locals after announcing plans to expand parking facilities at Belgrave train station.Credit: AAP
Mr Guy said car parks at the stations he named on the Hurstbridge line usually filled up by 7.15am each weekday, and there was adequate VicTrack-owned land to provide the extra spaces.
"This is so important to get the cars off the suburban streets," he said.
"I think local residents are just sick to death of seeing cars in the streets, of seeing commuters clogging up local streets, so we've got to do something about it."
Under the government's announcement, Belgrave station will be fitted out with a new multi-deck car park to accommodate an extra 470 car parks, up from 160 spaces that are currently available. About 1200 people used Belgrave station on an average weekday last year, official figures show.
The funding is expected to be spread across other stations, and will also go towards secure storage for bicycles, station lighting, CCTV equipment, improved drop-off points for buses and clearer signage.
The Premier said the government had already built an extra 3000 car parks since taking office, and described the upgrades, which will be funded in the upcoming 2018-19 state budget, as "the biggest boost to train station car parking that the state has ever seen".
"It's a common-sense investment that's a critical part of a turn-up-and-go public transport system," Mr Andrews said.
He said station car parking was important in taking cars out of local streets and for safety, as people would not need to walk as far from their train station.
Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan said the upgrades were designed to encourage more people to use the train network.
"Car parking is a critical part of supporting passengers to use public transport more often," she said.
RACV’s manager of mobility advocacy, Dave Jones, said a lack of station parking was a significant bugbear for commuters, and applauded the government on the new investment.
However, commuters interviewed for a recent RACV survey indicated they also needed more bus connections at stations, he said.
On Monday, the Premier pledged to upgrade the Mordialloc Bypass to a freeway standard at the cost of $75 million. The opposition promised to tear up a plan to build a three-kilometre missing link in the popular off-road cycling trail alongside Beach Road, siding with locals who do not want to see any of the arterial road narrowed.
On Tuesday, The Age revealed government plans for a major new tram route between Caulfield railway station and Rowville. The government will set aside $3 million in the 2018-9 budget for planning and design.
A new carpark will be built at Craigieburn station on the eastern edge of the Hume Highway, east of the station. This will include 745 new spaces at the station, in addition to the 355 currently available.
Nearly 4000 people used Craigieburn station, on an average weekday, last year.
An extra 145 spaces will be built at Sandown Park station, which drew an average of 2300 commuters a day last year.
At Epping, about 74 new car parks will be built in addition to the 40 currently available. Nearly 3000 people used this station in 2017.