Buckley Street community update – April 2019

Thanks for your patience, Essendon

We’d like to say thank you for your patience and understanding as we farewelled the level crossing at Buckley Street, Essendon. Announced in 2015 as one of 50 dangerous and congested level crossings being removed from across Melbourne, work on Buckley Street began in 2016.

After extensive planning and consultation wrapped up in 2017, we began to prepare for major construction, which ran from June to September 2018, including a 52-day construction blitz.

And on Friday 28 September, just in time for the Grand Final long weekend, the new-look Buckley Street opened to vehicles for the first time.

With increased pedestrian safety, no more lengthy delays at the boom gates and improvements to the heritage-listed station, the future is looking brighter than ever for Essendon.

While the level crossing is gone, work around the station precinct continues. There’s big changes coming to the intersection of Shamrock Street – Mt Alexander Road, a new green space near the corner of Buckley and Sherbourne streets, brand-new parking and more.

More improvements on the way

Improving safety at Shamrock Street and Mt Alexander Road

During the project, you told us that improved road safety and better connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists were important to the community.

Over the past year, we’ve worked with key stakeholders, including VicRoads, Yarra Trams, Heritage Victoria and Moonee Valley City Council, undertaken site investigations and worked towards developing the final plans.

Now, we’re pleased to share that work will soon start on signalising the Shamrock Street–Mt Alexander Road intersection.

The signalisation will create a safe pedestrian crossing from the tram stop on Mt Alexander Road to Essendon Station and Rose Street, create a safer area for buses to turn and improve connections between transport hubs and local shops. It will also create a safe east–west pedestrian cycling route connecting existing cycling infrastructure on Mt Alexander Road, to Miller and Shamrock streets.

Works on the Shamrock Street intersection are due for completion by late 2019 and will include:

• New shared-lane marking for cyclists
• Upgrades to drainage and services
• Pedestrian-activated traffic lights
• Upgrades to street lighting
• New footpaths

Permanent stops for the 903 bus

Following community feedback on the location of the Mordialloc-bound 903 bus on Rose Street, we relocated this service to a trial stop on Mt Alexander Road.

Public Transport Victoria, along with the Level Crossing Removal Project (LXRP), has now reviewed the trial location and agreed this move will become permanent. Minor works will soon be taking place to make this new location accessible for people with a disability.

The Altona-bound bus will remain in its current location on Russell Street until works are complete on the Shamrock Street intersection. This service will then relocate permanently to the east side of Rose Street.

New car parks underway

Over the past few months, we have worked together with Moonee Valley City Council, Metro and VicRoads to finalise car parking around Essendon following the removal of the Buckley Street level crossing.

We’ve recently started works, and permanent changes to car parking will include:

• short-term parking spaces being created within the central median of Mt Alexander Road near the intersection with Buckley Street
• a number of parking spaces being returned to all-day parking in the Rose Street car park
• a small number of parking spaces in the Rose Street car park remaining as short-term parking
• retention of parking spaces on
• Rose Street, at the former Mordialloc-bound 903 bus stop
• long-term spaces being created in the Russell Street commuter car park.

These changes will be in place by mid 2019.

Pocket park

Throughout the planning and construction phases, community feedback remained an important part of our project. One great suggestion we received was to find a way to increase the amount of community open space around the station precinct.

And now, after months of planning, we're pleased to share that this idea is coming to fruition.

This leafy, pocket-sized park on the corner of Buckley and Sherbourne streets will provide additional greenery and community space for the area.

The park will include:

• timber seating
• landscaped retaining walls, flower beds and newly planted trees
• new footpath and curbing. Construction is scheduled to begin this month.

Landscaping works

There's been lots of planting taking place since the level crossing was removed, along the Buckley Street median and nature strips – the station precinct is certainly looking a lot greener!

We’ll be keeping an eye on these newly landscaped areas, helping to establish the plants and carry out any identified improvements along the way.

Trader profile

Lea Kewish Body Knowledge at Kells House

Essendon resident and director of Kells House and Body Knowledge, Lea Kewish, is passionate about offering clients unique solutions.

Combining her knowledge of occupational therapy, Feldenkrais and clinical hypnotherapy, Lea can help clients work through events such as trauma, pain management and environmental adaption in her capacity as a multipurpose therapist.

“I have clients come to me when they haven’t been able to fix a problem, be it psychological, physical or environmental,” says Lea.

With over 40 years of experience and focusing on a holistic approach to problem solving, Lea can provide clients with solutions tailored to the individual.

“I offer clients scientifically based treatments for a range of problems individually or in classes.” Lea says.

“I have to take all aspects of a person’s life into account to understand the issues and to find a solution for them”.

Kells House has recently been renovated, with additional room for practitioners in new shared group and clinical spaces

Kells House and Body Knowledge (87 Buckley Street, Essendon) can be contacted on 0411 715 687 for any room enquiries or appointments

The 2015–19 journey

View the PDF version of this community update PDF, 1.2 MB