News / Roads
Railway crossing closure floated in Hope Street plans
Streetscape improvements could also see a lower speed limit
Mark Phillips
THE Hope Street railway crossing in Brunswick could be closed to motor traffic under a draft concept plan for the area being developed by Merri-bek Council.
The railway crossing would become a pedestrian and bike zone if the level crossing removals for the Upfield line go ahead in the next few years.
The crossing closure is one of several major changes proposed in the concept plans, which were released for public consultation before Christmas and are now being reviewed by council staff.
Other changes could include a 30 kmh speed limit for the entire 2.1 km length of Hope Street (it is currently 50 kmh), another closure at the intersection with Pearson Street, new traffic lights at the Hope Street-Sydney Road intersection, and traffic calming infrastructure in side streets that feed into Hope Street.
If fully implemented, it would mean that most of Hope Street would become a shared local road, rather than a connector road with a bus route as it currently is.
The changes would also integrate Hope Street into a larger plan for a seamless route for pedestrians and cyclists between the Moonee Ponds and Merri creeks that would also include a proposed new park in Sydney Road.
The concepts build on advocacy over the past four years by a small group of Hope Street residents who initially joined voices to lobby for lower speed limits in the busy road which runs all the way from Sydney Road to the Moonee Ponds Creek.
One of those initial campaigners, Michael Santhanam-Martin said the concept vision prepared by the council exceeded expectations when the residents had first come together.
“When we started [former councillor] Mark Riley said if you want this to be on the agenda, you have to do the work because the squeaky wheel gets the most noise,” he said.
“These plans go much further than what we contemplated back in 2023.
“Nothing is locked in but we feel like this is heading in a positive direction and is a good example of grassroots democracy working as it’s supposed to between the council bureaucracy and residents.”
Traffic monitoring by Merri-bek Council and the Level Crossing Removal Project has found that Hope Street is used by between 4500 and 5500 vehicles a day and despite the 50 kmh speed limit, at least one vehicle is recorded as travelling at more than 60 kmh every hour.
It was a desire to reduce the speed limit that first brought Santhanam-Martin together with Kenna Morrison and Craig Fernandes more than three years ago. Their first step was to conduct a survey about attitudes towards Hope Street and its tributaries
About 300 local residents responded with almost two-thirds saying they were very or extremely concerned about speed and traffic volumes. One-in-five respondents had been involved in or witnessed a vehicle accident in Hope Street.
In addition to speed and reckless driving, respondents aired concerns about the narrowness of the street, congestion, dangerous intersections, lack of safe crossings for pedestrians and noise pollution.
About half of respondents supported a 30 kmh speed limit in Hope Street, and more than 60% were in favour of speed humps and other traffic calming measures. Forty per cent supported closing the railway crossing.
The survey was used to begin a conversation with the council about changes to Hope Street, which resulted in a small allocation of funding for capital works in last year’s budget but also a commitment to develop a masterplan.
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Some of the more ambitious ideas in the concept plan will require approval from the state government. These would include closing the railway crossing, installing traffic lights, and redirecting or suspending the 509 bus route, which uses part of Hope Street.
Brunswick West ward councillor Ella Svensson said there were plenty of positives in the concept plans, but she conceded parts of it had been poorly communicated, generating anxiety in the community.
“People have been advocating for Hope Street for what feels like forever, so I’m really excited to see there’s going to be some upgrades to make the street safe and green,” she said.
Morrison said most residents she had spoken to were broadly in favour of the changes, but the proposed closure of Hope Street on the eastern side of Pearson Street was contentious.
The council concept plans say this would reduce rat running in Hope Street.
But Morrison suggested there might be more support for relocating the closure to the western side which would still achieve the aim of fewer people using Hope Street as a short cut between Sydney Road and Melville Road.
Svensson said the Pearson Street closure and the impact on the bus route had both been raised numerous times with her in recent weeks.
“A lot of people are understandably concerned about what it will mean for their street and their commute,” she said.
She said if the council decided to trial a road closure, there would be a separate consultation process and the final decision would in the hands of the Department of Transport which was likely to be a multi-year process.
Svensson said the 509 bus route had low patronage but people who did use it were vulnerable members of the community who would struggle to access another route. She said one solution could be expanding the council’s booked mini bus service.
Morrison also believes there is more scope for tree planting along the length of Hope Street than envisaged in the concept plans.
“I think there could be at least 160 to 190 extra trees,” she said.
“There are lots of vacant spots for treets and many, many of the cut outs in the footpath could accommodate trees adequately. Let’s get some big, tall canopy trees in.”
The final designs for the Hope Street improvements will be presented to councillors for approval early this year and funding for some projects could be allocated from the Streets for People capital works program.
