> >How about building bigger car parks at stations in the inner suburbs.
> >For example Clifton Hill (CH) is serviced by the Epping & Hurstbridge
> >lines. If Park Safe built a large car park within a two minute walk of
> >the station and if an extra service terminating at CH ( turnaround on a
> >new siding or at Rushall or Westgarth ) was added, it would make
> >travelling to the city more economical. The carpark would hopefully
> >cost much less than the city ones and the petrol and time saved would
> >make it a possibility.
> >
> Victoria Park would be the ideal place rather than Clifton Hill as Clifton
> Hill short of ripping out the park across the road from the Down platform
> has nowhere for a car park. Whereas Vic. Park has the old goods yard where
> quite a large car park could be built. It could even feed off the freeway
> meaning a 20 minute car trip to the city could change to a 5 minute train
> ride. Not to mention the freeway traffic jam adding to the time. I believe a
> Vic. Park multi storey car park was suggested some years back under the
> Labour Govt but I am not sure if and when it was canned.
>
> In fairness many large car parks have been built at stations when the
> opportunity has arisen, eg Watsonia, Greensborough, Eltham, Heidelberg,
> Ivanhoe... and best of all they are free!
Mitcham has the biggest car park of about 750+ spaces. It almost always gets
full. This station is only two stations away from Zone 3. So a Zone 1+2
ticket, express trains every 2-3 minutes makes this a very well used station.
Then there is Hearthdale only 2 km away with 450+ spaces, same tickets, trains
etc.
Both stations had their car parks extended within the last 1-2 years.
Chris Gordon
cmgord@ecr.mu.oz.au
http://www.ecr.mu.oz.au/~cmgord