JULY 2019 CHERRY STREET CONSULTATION REPORT

JULY 2019

CHERRY STREET CONSULTATION

REPORT

levelcrossings.vic.gov.auAuthorised and published by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne

Project overview 1

Introduction 3

Levels of feedback 3

Top three outcomes 4

Feedback - what we’ve heard 5

Community surveys 5

Contact centre enquiries 10

Community drop-in sessions 10

Feedback collection 11

Outcomes and next steps 12

Key outcomes 12

Contents

This allows us to use the irrigation channel reserve next to the Wyndham City Council offices as a direct connection from the Princes Highway to Railway Avenue and Tarneit Road.

Instead of driving through Cherry Street, cars would travel along Railway Avenue or Tarneit Road to the new road bridge, which provides direct access to the Princes Highway – meaning no more long waits at the boom gates.

We would close the existing crossing to road traffic and build a wide, well-lit underpass for pedestrians and cyclists to cross under the train line.

The other feasible design is to build a road underpass at the current location of the level crossing. Road users would travel from Market Road to Cherry Street, by lowering Cherry Street in a 4.6m-metre-deep trench, while keeping the rail tracks at their existing level.

Access to local shops and residential streets would change but would be maintained through additional one-way service roads.

The project is currently in the design development phase. The final design will be confirmed in late 2019.

The level crossing at Cherry Street sits in the middle of an important network of busy commuter routes, local roads and the vibrant Watton Street shopping precinct.

It is an important connection for about 20,000 vehicles that pass through each day. As well as many homes and businesses, there are critical services near the crossing, such as the VIVA oil pipeline. This makes building a structure at the existing crossing challenging.

Planning and technical work has identified two feasible designs for removing this level crossing. Rail designs were ruled out early because of the significant disruption it would

cause to passenger and national freight services.

Wyndham City Council is looking to the future to provide for the growing local population, with expansion of the Werribee CBD planned for the east, south and north. The preferred design to remove this level crossing by building a road bridge over the rail line at Tarneit Road aims to align with these future developments.

Preferred design: a new road bridge over the rail line at Tarneit Road Due to constraints at the existing crossing at Cherry Street, we investigated an alternative location for traffic to cross the rail line. This involves building a new road bridge linking Tarneit Road to the Princes Highway, about 300 metres east of the current crossing.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Current level crossing at Cherry Street

Construction will begin in 2020 and the project will be completed by the end of 2022.

LX Cherry Street level crossing consultation report 2019 | 21 | LX Cherry Street level crossing consultation report 2019

INTRODUCTION

Levels of feedbackThere was a high level of community interest in this consultation phase.

• A total of 315 community members attended the two drop-in sessions and 43 people attended the trader information hub. These events covered three crossing removal projects – Cherry Street and Werribee Street in Werribee, and Old Geelong Road in Hoppers Crossing.

• Community members completed a total of 164 surveys: 110 online surveys and 54 hard-copy surveys

• Website visits to the Cherry Street page on our online engagement hub totalled 805, with 137 documents downloaded and 60 new registrations.

The aim of this phase of consultation was to advise the community of the preferred design and another feasible design to remove the Cherry Street level crossing in Werribee, while allowing for feedback on the designs’ look and feel and use of public space.

The consultation period ran from the day that the designs were announced on Thursday 27 June, through to Friday 26 July 2019.

Feedback during this phase of consultation came via three main channels:

• Feedback surveys – online and hard-copy

• Two community drop-in sessions held at Encore Events centre in Hoppers Crossing on 13 and 16 July.

• Two full-day trader information hub events in Werribee on 1 and 2 July.

Top three outcomesDuring this phase of consultation, the community made their key concerns, needs and preferences of the Cherry Street project clear. The below table outlines the top three areas of focus for the project team. These three key areas ranked highest in responses/comments on the surveys and comments on the maps at the drop-in sessions.

Key area Description Figures

Design Ensuring that the design keeps with the look and feel of the local area.

89 out of 164 survey responses

Traffic Concerns including traffic congestion, increasing traffic on local roads and requesting signalised road intersections.

21 out of 58 comments on maps at the drop-in sessions

Feedback via the survey and the contact centre

Safe walking, cycling paths and crossings

Community members asked for more safe, signalised pedestrian crossings, and over/underpasses as well as local walking and cycling paths.

14 out of 58 role plot comments

Feedback via the survey and the contact centre

attended drop-in sessions

people completed surveys

315164

visits to our online hub805


FEEDBACK - WHAT WE’VE HEARDThis consultation aimed to gather information and feedback from the community on the designs' look and feel, landscaping and potential new community space.

Driving was the main mode of transport around the area, followed by walking and train travel.

Suburbs

Werribee Surrounding suburbs

71%

29%

Are you a:

Resident

Local Trader

Visitor

93%

3%4%

0

30

60

90

120

150

26

56

150

26

56

2

Main mode of transport

Bus Walking Vehicle Cycle Train Other

Most people who completed the online survey lived in Werribee.

Most of the online and hard-copy survey participants were residents. Two full-day trader information hub events were held in early July and were well-attended by local traders.

Community surveys The community survey asked for feedback about the designs’ look and feel, landscaping, and potential new community space.

LX Cherry Street level crossing consultation report 2019 | 6

5 | Open Space Consultation Report — August 2019

Most survey participants said that they wanted a design that “Keeps with the look and feel of the area”.

The visual appearance of the project after construction was very important/somewhat important/important to 148 out of 159 respondents.

*Please see above, one was the highest ranking in this graph.

0

20

40

60

80

10089

29

46

Do you want a design that...

Keeps with the look and feel of the area

OtherStands out as a feature in the area with bright and

vibrant colours

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

11

23

52

73

Visual appearance of the project

Not important

Important

Somewhatimportant

Very Important

0 2 4 6 8 10

Ranked most important to you

Exercise equipment

Public artwork

Playground

Bicycle hoops, racks and repair stations

Shelter

Seating

Additional carparks

Lighting features

Trees, plants and planter boxes

In the ‘other’ comments about what is most important in terms of the design of the project, most comments related to:

• connection to Watton Street and Werribee’s CBD precinct

• accessibility between the north side and the south side of the railway line

• easing traffic congestion and

improving traffic flow

• good design quality

• protecting trees on Railway Avenue and elsewhere in Werribee

• maintaining access to properties on Railway Avenue.

The survey asked people to rank the responses from 1-9 in order of importance, with one being the most important. In the graph below, the lower numbers indicate the items of higher importance to the community.

Trees, plants and planter boxes were seen as the most important for respondents to see in the area, followed by lighting features, additional carparks, seating and shelter. Exercise equipment, public artwork and playgrounds were seen as the least important.


The vast majority of survey participants wanted any new public space to include a “mix of the above”: grass, paving, concrete, trees and planting.

Priorities for public space

Grass

Concrete

Ground-level planting

Paving

Trees

Mix of the above

18

12

105

14

39

9

Community drop-in sessionsThere was a high level of community interest in this consultation phase.

Two community drop-in sessions were held at Encore Events Centre in Hoppers Crossing on Saturday 13 July from 10am to 12.30pm, and on Tuesday 16 July from 5pm to 7.30pm.

A total of 315 community members attended the two drop-in sessions.

Two full-day trader information hub events were also held at the Old Shire Office at Watton Street in Werribee on Monday 1 and Tuesday 2 July. Over the two days, a total of 43 people attended these events.

All events covered three crossing removal projects – Cherry Street and Werribee Street in Werribee, and Old Geelong Road in Hoppers Crossing.

We also asked survey respondents what else they would like us to consider as part of the project. Comments centred on:

• retaining the connection between the northern part of Werribee and the town centre

• increase parking spaces near Werribee Station

• walking and cycling paths to be made as important as the lanes for vehicles

• protecting the environment and local trees

• accessibility to Watton Street

• use the feasible design of a road underpass at Cherry Street

• upgrade the station

• build a new train station

• limiting noise

• building elevated rail

• pedestrian safety

• improved traffic flow

• new pedestrian bridges

• bike and walking paths.


Contact centre enquiriesAs part of the community consultation, 71 enquiries were made with our call centre in relation to the Cherry Street level crossing removal. These included phone calls, emails and written submissions. Many of these enquiries covered several topics.

The main topics raised were: • traffic congestion and flow

and requests for traffic modelling information

• design concerns (related to lane configuration, signalised intersections, property access, access to businesses in Werribee CBD, pedestrian and cycling paths, pedestrian crossings, lack of parking and tree removal)

• wanting a different design, e.g. elevated rail or the other feasible design (road underpass at Cherry Street)

• requests for detailed design information.


OUTCOMES AND NEXT STEPSCommunity members of Werribee and the surrounding suburbs were given a variety of opportunities to contribute

through face-to-face, online and written methods. Their feedback, concerns and suggestions will be used to inform the

next phase of design development to ensure the project reflects the needs and desires of the local community.

Key outcomes• The results showed that the

community thinks the visual appearance of the project is very important. The visual appearance of the project after construction was very important/somewhat important/important to 148 out of 159 respondents.

• Most survey participants said that they wanted a design that “keeps with the look and feel of the area” rather than standing out as a feature (89 out of 164).

• Regarding any new public space, most survey participants wanted any new public space to include a mix of grass, paving, concrete, trees and planting.

• Trees, plants and planter boxes were seen as the most important for respondents to see in the area, followed by lighting features, additional carparks, seating and shelter. Exercise equipment, playgrounds and public artwork were seen as the least important.

• Vehicle travel was the most common mode of transport, comprising 150 out of 316 responses.

Feedback collectionThe July drop-in sessions were aimed at gathering community information via hard-copy surveys and providing feedback onto maps of the area around the preferred and feasible designs. Members of the public were able to speak to engineers, designers, traffic modellers and communications team members to voice their concerns, ask questions and provide feedback.

The chart below shows the main comments and feedback provided onto maps of the area around the preferred and feasible designs during both sessions.

Comments on maps at drop-in sessions

Tree protection

Want elevated design

More safe pedestrian crossings

Want noise mitigation for new roads/intersections

Want signalised intersectionson Tarneit Road

Want new Werribee Station

Wattle Ave rat-run concerns

More parking needed

Traffic congestion concerns

Negative impact of preferred design on businesses

More safe walking and cycling paths

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

The most regularly raised comments were about: • easing traffic congestion and

improving traffic flow

• design concerns (related to lane configuration, signalised intersections, property access, access to businesses in Werribee CBD, lack of parking and tree removal)

• Suggestions for pedestrian and cycling paths and pedestrian crossings

• maintaining connection to Watton Street and Werribee’s CBD precinct

• accessibility between the north side and the south side of the railway line

• more parking especially at the train station

• protecting trees on Railway Avenue and elsewhere in Werribee

• wanting a non-feasible design option, e.g. elevated rail or the other feasible design (road underpass at Cherry Street).

We will incorporate this community feedback as the look and feel of the designs, landscaping and use of new open space progresses. We will continue to work with the community and stakeholders to prioritise and refine ideas to ensure we deliver

positive outcomes for the area. The final design will be confirmed in late 2019. The community will also have more opportunities to provide feedback on the look and feel, pedestrian and cycling access and community spaces as the project progresses.

The survey provided space for additional comments and detailed feedback on the project.

Follow us on social media @levelcrossings

CONTACT [email protected] 105 105 Level Crossing Removal Project GPO Box 4509, Melbourne VIC 3001

Translation service – For languages other than English, please call 9280 0780.

Please contact us if you would like this information in an accessible format.

If you need assistance because of a hearing or speech impairment, please visit relayservice.gov.au W

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Follow us on social media @levelcrossings

CONTACT [email protected] 105 105 Level Crossing Removal Project GPO Box 4509, Melbourne VIC 3001

Translation service – For languages other than English, please call 9280 0780.

Please contact us if you would like this information in an accessible format.

If you need assistance because of a hearing or speech impairment, please visit relayservice.gov.au

JULY 2019 CHERRY STREET CONSULTATION REPORT

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