An impasse over parking at South Morang train station may be broken after Whittlesea council and Public Transport Victoria met last week to broker a short-term solution.
The station’s 450 parking spaces fill up before 7am each day. Last year PTV arranged with Westfield, which owns vacant land opposite the station, to let train users park there until another carpark is built.
But recent wet weather has turned the paddock into a mud bath, and commuters are fed up.
PTV representatives last week agreed to “rectify the poor condition of the land as soon as possible,” the council said.
The talks also revealed that PTV is close to finalising plans for a new temporary carpark.
Plans include some additional permanent parking at South Morang station.
A PTV spokesman said a temporary carpark would be put in near the corner of Civic Drive and McDonalds Road.
He said PTV was also undertaking a wider survey of commuter parking at South Morang and Mernda to determine long term parking demand and requirements as part of the Mernda rail extension, including the South Morang precinct.
Last year the Liberal state government promised to build a new 300-space carpark next to the station.
The $3 million parking lot will be built from the Growth Areas Infrastructure Contribution fund.
Once complete, the station will have 750 parking places.
