Altona City Council Passes Mobility Improvement Plan, Adding Bus Routes for Outer Neighbourhoods

Altona City Council approved the Mobility Improvement Plan on a 7-4 vote at its July 7 meeting, allocating funds from the 2026 transport budget to extend bus service into Altona North and Altona West. The plan adds four routes and 12 new stops while increasing hourly parking rates in the central business district from $3.50 to $3.85. Residents who rely on public transport for work or medical appointments stand to gain shorter walks to stops, whereas daily drivers who park near shops and offices will pay the higher fee.

Why the vote occurred now

The council acted after the Altona Transport Authority reported that ridership on existing routes reached 1.2 million trips in 2025, up 9 percent from the prior year. Growth in outer neighbourhoods had outpaced service additions, according to the authority's annual ridership summary released in May. Council members cited the need to match service levels with population figures recorded in the 2025 municipal census before the next budget cycle begins in October.

Under the plan, Route 47 will run every 20 minutes between Altona North and the main hospital, while Route 52 will connect Altona West to the employment zone along Industrial Parkway. These additions are projected to serve an estimated 8,400 additional weekday riders by the end of 2027, the transport authority document states.

Effects on household costs and travel

A household in Altona North that currently drives 12 kilometres to the central hospital each week will be able to switch to the new Route 47 stop located two blocks from the neighbourhood library. The same household will avoid the parking fee increase if it leaves the car at home on those days. In contrast, a downtown retailer that pays for two employee spaces daily will face an extra $25.20 per month once the new rate takes effect.

The legislation states that revenue from the parking adjustment will cover 40 percent of the plan's operating costs in the first year, with the remainder drawn from the existing transport reserve. No new property taxes are required under the approved measure.

Implementation begins with route planning in August and full service launch scheduled for the first week of November. The transport authority will publish quarterly ridership updates starting in January 2027, and council will review the parking fee level again during the 2028 budget process.