Melbourne’s first dedicated busway will be built as part of North East Link – slashing travel times and delivering more services, more often to the north eastern suburbs of Melbourne.
Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan today announced the Doncaster Busway – a Victorian-first, fully separated, high speed bus route that will run from Doncaster to Victoria Park.
Using the median in the Eastern Freeway, buses will be able to travel up to 100km/h unimpeded by traffic, slashing travel times by up to 30 per cent.
The new busway will include two separated bus-only lanes (one each way) that provide direct access to and from Doncaster Park and Ride and connect to the Victoria Park precinct.
The project will also provide more parking for commuters, with the opportunity to build a future Park and Ride in Bulleen.
The Labor Government’s Streamlining Hoddle Street project will mean further time savings and increased reliability for bus commuters on Melbourne’s busiest bus route.
Yesterday, the Labor Government announced the route for North East Link – the long-awaited missing link in Melbourne’s ring road.
The project will start at Springvale Road with a massive overhaul of the Eastern Freeway. The Eastern will remain toll-free.
It will then connect through to the M80 Ring Road through twin tunnels, protecting environmentally sensitive and residential areas above.
North East Link will be Victoria’s biggest ever investment in transport infrastructure and will take more than 15,000 trucks off residential streets in the north east. IT will also create an estimated 10,000 jobs.
The Labor Government has invested over $100 million to improve bus services across Victoria, introducing new routes and more services for Melbourne’s growing suburbs and regional towns.
North East Link Authority will be running drop-in community sessions over the coming weeks. For more information, visit northeastlink.vic.gov.au
Quotes attributable to Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan
“North East Link will not only take cars and trucks off local streets, it will provide a massive boost to public transport through our busiest bus corridor.”
“Buses will no longer be held up weaving on and off ramps. The Doncaster Busway will create a true express ride down the middle of the Eastern Freeway.”
“North East Link will make travel faster and easier for everyone – whether you drive, walk, ride or catch public transport.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020