The funding injection includes $68 million in park and ride facilities at six locations – Croydon, Mitcham, Ringwood, Ferntree Gully, Hampton and Bentleigh.

This investment will deliver more than 1,500 new car spaces for daily commuters who would otherwise have to sit in traffic when travelling to the CBD.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said additional car parking and removing pinch points and bottlenecks will make a real difference to the lives of people living in the outer east and south-east regions of Melbourne.

“Michael Sukkar, Tony Smith, Jason Wood and Tim Wilson have all called for congestion busting investments to help local families and businesses,” Prime Minister Morrison said.

“I am focused on delivering for Melbourne where congestion is increasingly taking away the time that families get to spend around the dinner table at night.

“We want people spending less time stuck in traffic and more time at home with their families and working in their businesses – this is what matters.”

The $121 million investment also includes:

• $20 million for intersection upgrades, including traffic lights, and widening works in the southbound direction on the Maroondah Highway from Melba Highway to Ingram Road.
• $17.8 million for eight intersection upgrades along the Princes Highway at Beaconsfield Avenue; O’Neil Road; Brunt Road; Bayview Road; Tivendale Road; McMullen Road; Arena Parade; and Thewlis Road.
• $13 million to upgrade the McGregor Road and Pakenham Bypass interchange on the Princes Highway to assist motorists needing to exit or enter the Freeway from the east.
• $2.5 million for improvements in the westbound direction on Plymouth Road between Narr-Maen Drive and Midhurst Road in Croydon.

In total, the Liberal and Nationals Government is delivering $261 million for 14 projects across Melbourne as part of the $1 billion Urban Congestion Fund.

Federal Member for Deakin Michael Sukkar said parking at local train stations has been an issue consistently raised by local residents.

“I am really pleased to be delivering this critical infrastructure, making life easier for local commuters who struggle to get a car park in the morning. Improving parking at our local train stations will also reduce congestion on our roads and further encourage commuters on to public transport,” said Mr Sukkar.

“The upgrade to Plymouth Rd will make school drop-offs and pick-ups safer for students and parents at local schools as well as take pressure off local roads around the McAdam Square Shopping Centre.”

Federal Member for Casey Tony Smith said $20 million of federal funding for duplication works and traffic lights in Coldstream will be warmly welcomed by the local community who have been advocating for these much needed improvements.

“Maroondah Highway is the key gateway to the Yarra Valley. When completed, the project will not only reduce congestion and improve safety for local residents and businesses, but also for those who commute from Yarra Glen and Healesville each day, and for the millions of tourists who drive through Coldstream to visit the Yarra Valley,” said Mr Smith.

Federal Member for La Trobe Jason Wood said he had been fighting for extra funding to help reduce congestion on local roads.

“I’m very pleased to deliver more than $30 million in funding to help with these two important local projects,” Mr Wood said.

“Because of our growing economy, we are able to deliver the services and infrastructure our community desperately needs.”

Federal Member for Goldstein Tim Wilson said car parking at train stations is critical to ease people’s daily commutes.

“This $8 million will be a game changer for public transport in Bayside and Glen Eira and conserve the liveability of our community,” Mr Wilson said.

Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population Alan Tudge said he understood the frustration of Melbourne commuters stuck in traffic on a daily basis.

“I’ve seen firsthand why congestion in Melbourne in now rated worse than Sydney,” Minister Tudge said.

“This investment will help to deliver a more reliable road network for Melbourne commuters and builds on a commitment of more than $20 billion to Victorian road and rail projects since 2013, including $7.8 billion in last year’s Budget.”

Major projects supported by the Liberal and Nationals Government, which are already underway across Melbourne, include the M80 Ring Road and Monash Freeway upgrades, the North East Link, and the Melbourne Airport Rail Link.

Source: The Australian Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities