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For often strange historical reasons, many of Melbourne’s tram lines end short of shopping districts, train stations and other desired destinations.

The Greens will invest in 56 kilometres of small tram extensions to better connect the community.

At a cost of $15 million per kilometre, our plan will invest up to $840 million in 17 low-cost tram extensions that will link existing services through areas that have missed out on connected public transport.

We have a vision for public transport that takes you where you want to go, when you want to go.

MISSING LINKS

We have identified 17 potential tram extensions that cover missing links across Melbourne.

TRAMS ARE A GOOD INVESTMENT

Trams are a better investment of public money than the polluting East West Toll Road, which will cost $1 billion ($1,000 million) per kilometre.

Cars can’t compete with trams and trains for inner city travel. Cars create congestion, they are slow in peak hour and it’s a waste of time and money to park a car in the city and inner suburbs.

You can just hop on and off a tram, so long as it is going where you want to go, when you want to get there.

WHICH TRAM ROUTES?

These tram extensions and in-fill connections have been identified by transport campaigners as being missing links, or useful extensions to get people where they need to go:

Route 1: Link Park Street South Melbourne to St Kilda Rd

Route 3: Extend to East Malvern station, then on to Chadstone

Route 5: Extend to Darling station

Route 6: Extend from Glen Iris to Ashburton station

Route 8: Extend to Camberwell Road

Route 16: Extend to Kew Junction

Route 19: Extend from Coburg North to Fawker Shops (via Gowrie Station)

Route 48: Extend from North Balwyn to Doncaster Hill

Fill the gaps from North Melbourne station to Victoria Street, then Queen Vic Market to St Vincent’s Hospital, creating an East-West tram link.

Route 57: Extend to East Keilor

Route 67: Extend to Carnegie Station

Route 72 north: Extend to Doncaster Rd (link with tram 48) and then to Ivanhoe station.

Route 72 south: Extend to Caulfield Station

Route 75: Complete Route 75 extension from Vermont South to Knox City

Route 82: Extend along Footscray Road to Docklands and the city

Route 86: Extend to South Morang

Route 112: Extend to Reservoir Station

GREENS SUPPORT PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Along with our policy of small cost-effective tram extensions to better connect Melbourne, we have committed to reducing tram overcrowding by buying an additional 50 trams.

The Greens have been consistently strong advocates for better public transport in Victoria. Our MPs regularly use Melbourne’s public transport system, experiencing first-hand the benefits and frustrations shared by many Victorians.

OTHER PARTIES

The Government has no plans to better connect tram routes with easily identified and cost effective tram extensions. They want to invest in a dirty $18 billion toll road rather than in fixing Melbourne’s public transport problems.

The former Labor government had 11 years to do something about fixing the tram routes, but they did nothing. Labor cannot be trusted on public transport investment.

WHY WE LOVE TRAMS

A new low-floor E-Class tram carries 210 passengers.

If those passengers were all in cars, they would make a queue nearly one kilometre long.