Improving walkability for the new Wendouree Station

Wendouree Station is getting a second platform as part of the Ballarat Line Upgrade project, and the designs for the revamped station were just released - so just a quick post on them today.

Design of the footbridge and platforms (via RRR)

Visually speaking the design works well. Unlike other stations on the Ballarat line, Wendouree Station is not an old heritage station - it was only built about a decade ago, and its modern, angular design reflects that. So the steel-and-concrete design of the proposed additions work well here.

As is often the case, the amount of weather protection seems to leave a lot to be desired. The sheltered area only seems to run for a relatively short length of the platform, and it's hard to be sure how "deep" the shelters will be (ie, how wide the roof is and therefore how much protection it provides from rain coming in at an angle). What is clear from the renders, unfortunately, is that the walls will be the same mesh that seems to be used on most new stations - this lets the wind and the rain in.

Lots of greenery in the proposed station forecourt (via RRR)

The changes to the forecourt look pretty promising too. Presumably the trees won't be twenty feet tall from day one - I'm sure they'll take a while to grow and mature. But nonetheless a bit of added green space, and in the longer term some shade, is very welcome. That big apron of tarmac for the carpark makes the whole area heat up like a hotplate in summer, so anything they can do to mitigate that is a good thing.

Proposed layout - note north is at the bottom of the image (via RRR)

The broad layout of the new station works fine. For one thing it's definitely a positive that the new station should be DDA-compliant on both platforms.

For those approaching from the carpark or the bus stop, the layout works well - it's a fairly quick and direct walk to either platform. However it's more of a mixed bag if you're a pedestrian or cyclist.

If you're coming from anywhere north of the station, you shouldn't have too many issues. There is still really only one access point to either platform, around the middle, which means a relatively long walk from Gillies Street - but this is mostly direct enough if you're coming from north of the railway line, whether northeast or northwest or whatever.

Existing walkability around Wendouree Station

The problem comes if you're coming from south of the railway line. If you're coming from Gregory Street or anywhere in the Lake Gardens estate (or if you're getting off a southbound bus at the nearest stop) you have to walk past Platform 2, over the level crossing, and down the length of the platform to the station building - and that's if you're going to Platform 1. If you're going to Platform 2, you then have the extra step of walking over the footbridge - crossing the tracks for the second time in a few minutes. This is horrendous design for pedestrians and cyclists coming from this direction - the raw distance isn't all that much further, but it would add considerably to the walking time. For the footbridge, you need to factor in time to ascend and descend - whether walking up and down the stairs or ramps, or waiting for the lifts, this can be pretty substantial.

Given that the level crossing could be activated by a train pulling in - ie the train you want to catch - this could easily mean the difference between making your train or missing it. This means a huge amount of inconvenience for many people, but it also means danger for some - people will often risk dashing across the level crossing in order to make the train, and while they do need to take responsibility for their own actions, people who design infrastructure need to take responsibility for the effect their designs have as well. It is a fundamental principle of design that you should not set people up to make that choice - give them a way to get to the platform quickly and safely, and they won't be tempted to play chicken with a train.

Proposed added shared-use path and extra entrance (click to embiggen)

Gregory Street West has been closed to through-traffic for a long time, but there is a long-standing plan to reopen it (for example, Route 3 of the City of Ballarat's cycling plan will use it). So while this would be helpful for access from the southwest, it's fair to say that access from this direction is out of scope for the station project. However access from Gillies Street definitely should be included in this project. All that would be needed is a short shared-use path on the railway corridor - about 180m long to get to the same mid-platform entrance as the footbridge, although to make the walk as seamless as possible they should add an extra entrance at the eastern end of the platform. Plus a few bike hoops near the entrance, so that anyone who does approach from this direction can lock up their bike securely without having to cross the tracks.

None of this would be particularly outlandish or expensive - it would be pocket change in the context of a multi-million dollar project like this - so it's really low-hanging fruit to make the precinct more walkable.

Wendouree Station in 2015

Anyway - overall the look and feel of the new station is right, but with some minor tweaks the functionality could be made a lot better. The Regional Rail Revival team are seeking feedback on the designs - the survey is geared towards which plants they should use for landscaping, but they have provided an email address for more meaningful feedback. I will be letting them know my thoughts and I'd encourage you to as well.