Growing Patronage - Think Tram?

Abstract

The emerging congestion crisis in Melbourne is underlined by Melbourne City Council’s recent prediction that visitation to the CBD will increase from current levels of around 690,000 people to one million people per day by 2017. Public transport has been identified as one of the keys to solving the demands of travel to and from the city, and to reducing the impact of traffic congestion. This has created a number of challenges for shaping patronage growth on Melbourne’s public transport network, and for making trams a competitive travel option for commuters - especially when a large proportion of the tram network shares road space with other vehicles and is caught in the congestion. The challenge of growing patronage on public transport not only requires incentives for behavioural change amongst commuters, but also for improvements to the level of service offered through tram speeds and frequency, and better access for mobility impaired passengers. This can be achieved through a program of service and infrastructure investments and by appealing to a concern for wider social responsibility (minimising the impact of car pollution, reducing congestion etc). Indeed, if public transport is to successfully address the broader issues of traffic congestion and city pollution, then it must provide the impetus for commuters to rethink their travel behaviours and create a modal shift. This paper will examine Yarra Trams’ approach to growing patronage on a tram system that shares its road space with other vehicles, and also discuss how the Think Tram program provides the foundation and the infrastructure to grow patronage by offering a service that delivers opportunities for a more consistent, accessible and efficient alternative to car travel.