Ringwood Activity Centre Car Park
- Project categoryRoads and carparks, Ringwood Metropolitan Activity Centre projects
- StatusUnderway
- Approx. start date4 December 2023
- Approx. end date31 December 2025
About the project
Construction is underway to build a new car park in the Ringwood Activity Centre.
The $33.2M project is being funded by the Australian Government ($29.7M), with Council funding $3.5M of the project.
The car park at 1 Bedford Road will:
- provide additional parking spaces for commuters, residents and visitors
- reduce parking congestion on the nearby local streets and station carpark
- improve amenity and connectivity to Ringwood train station
- improve connectivity to surrounding streets
- retain heritage elements
- provide an extended Shared User Path
- enhance environmental amenity and vegetation
- be compatible with the Ringwood Metropolitan Activity Centre Masterplan
Construction update - August 2025
To facilitate important infrastructure improvements, Council will be conducting road works at the intersection of Greenwood Avenue, Station Street and Bedford Road in Ringwood.
These works are being undertaken alongside the final stages of construction of the adjacent Ringwood Activity Centre car park.
The works will commence from Monday 11 August and are due for completion in late September.
The Greenwood Avenue intersection will be closed for northbound vehicles during the works, with detours in place to ensure the works can be carried out safely and in a timely manner.
Detour information
Station Street and the Greenwood Avenue intersection will be partially closed during the works as detailed below, with detours in place to ensure the works can be carried out safely and minimise disruption.
- No access for northbound vehicles out of Greenwood Avenue (no left or right turn onto Station Street)
- Access from Bedford Road into Greenwood Avenue will be retained as a left-hand turn only
- There will be no access for westbound vehicles on Station Street between Greenwood Avenue and Kendall Street
- Pedestrian access will be maintained where possible under supervised traffic control conditions
View detour plan(PDF, 302KB)
Intersection safety improvement works
After careful consideration of the road network operation, it was determined that the right turn into and out of Greenwood Avenue will be closed when the adjacent Ringwood Activity Centre car park becomes operational.
Traffic modelling recently conducted to evaluate the Greenwood Avenue intersection functionality, revealed extensive traffic congestion during peak times. If left untreated the congestion would lead to significant queues extending west down Station Street to Wantirna Road, and east toward Warrandyte Road and Bedford Road. The impact on Greenwood Avenue was also shown to be significant, with an increase in traffic volumes predicted, leading to long traffic queues and impacts on the local road network throughout the residential precinct.
The intersection changes, along with improved pedestrian and cycling connections along Station Street and Greenwood Avenue, will significantly improve traffic and pedestrian safety in the area, including for children from local schools and other local vulnerable people that navigate the roads in this area.
View intersection improvement plans(PDF, 297KB)
FAQs - changes to Greenwood Avenue
Why doesn’t the intersection plan include a roundabout at Greenwood Avenue anymore?
Prior to 2019, Council sought funding for commuter carparks in Maroondah, including Ringwood and Croydon, as part of a Federal Government congestion-busting grant. A high-level assessment was conducted and it was conceptually determined that a roundabout could offer a high level of service if appropriate. However, detailed traffic modelling was needed to validate the final access arrangement.
Why was the intersection modelling done after the funding application was made?
The car park site (1 Bedford Road) had a long-established access point to Station Street and Bedford Road which provided certainty for the future development of the land. Unresolved car park design challenges related to the building layout, heritage controls and major services, meant it was not appropriate to conduct the intersection modelling at the time (prior to the funding application being submitted).
Useful modelling required accurate traffic data, which was not possible during the COVID pandemic. Due to traffic disruptions related to the Level Crossing Removal Program (LXRP) works undertaken nearby at the Bedford Road rail crossing, modelling was also not able to be undertaken at that time.
Following the completion of LXRP works in late 2024 Council was able to undertake more useful data collection work and initiate extensive traffic modelling. In-house and externally contracted specialist traffic modelling engineers were engaged for this work.
Why isn’t Council building a roundabout?
Modelling showed that a roundabout at Greenwood Avenue would cause the road network in the entire Station Street precinct to fail, resulting in significant queuing and gridlock. The proximity of the roundabout to Bedford Road meant that queues from the traffic lights extended through the roundabout. This, in turn, blocked access for people turning right out of Greenwood Avenue.
As a result, if motorists turning right stored in the roundabout, they would block cars driving up Station Street, causing a queue back along Station Street and around the corner into Wantirna Road. With a roundabout, Greenwood Avenue would become a more attractive route, exacerbating the demand and potential for people to store in the roundabout. The roundabout being blocked also created a queue back in the other direction, then causing the Warrandyte Road / Bedford Road / Maroondah Highway intersection to fail.
Another factor taken into account was pedestrian safety concerns at this location, particularly during afternoon school peaks, where past accidents have involved motorists hitting pedestrians between Greenwood Avenue and the Station Street pedestrian operated signals. Roundabouts are not the optimal safety solution for pedestrians, and a heavily congested roundabout in this area would potentially further compromise pedestrian safety. To address this Council is also upgrading the existing footpath along Station Street to the west to connect to an upgraded Pedestrian Operated Signal crossing at the entrance to Ringwood Station.
What did Council do once the modelling showed that the roundabout didn’t work?
After determining that a roundabout was not feasible, Council explored alternative solutions, including traffic lights and uncontrolled arrangements, to address the traffic issues identified in the modelling. Various access options were evaluated to ensure safe and efficient traffic flow in the area.
The provision of a right turn into the car park was deemed crucial to maintain its catchment access. Without access to a right hand turn motorists would be required to take a detour, impacting accessibility and network congestion in the morning peaks. Introducing the right turn can be implemented safely and would facilitate lane formalisation on the approach to the Warrandyte Road intersection, improving clarity for motorists passing through the area or accessing the carpark.
Considering that the car park serves a train station in a Major Activity Centre, it aligns with the desired land use outcomes for the long-standing Ringwood Metropolitan Activity Centre structure plan. Prioritising this land use is reasonable given traffic and access to the road network can be redirected elsewhere in the road network without significant impact.
Why is Council removing the right turn into Greenwood Avenue?
Even under the pre-car park arrangements, the right turn movements for Greenwood Avenue were sub-standard from a traffic safety perspective. Modelling showed that retaining the right hand turn would lead to potential queues of up to 200m and seven-minute delays during peak times within Greenwood Avenue. These delays could result in risky behaviours by drivers and similar queuing issues as with a roundabout option.
Where will the right turn demand be distributed to?
Greenwood Avenue services a large local catchment, extending all the way to Canterbury Road. During peak times, the redistribution of traffic equates to one additional vehicle turning somewhere else within the nearby network every minute during peak times. This redistribution can be easily accommodated within the local road network and there are a number of alternative routes that motorists can take. This is further demonstrated by the ongoing intersection traffic improvement works that began in August 2025, which entail significant closures at both Greenwood Avenue and Station Street, yet have not resulted in any significant traffic network issues since the works began.
What are the most important points to know?
- The multi-deck car park at the corner of Bedford Road and Warrandyte Road is a new permanent asset for the Ringwood Metropolitan Activity Centre, with access from Station Street.
- The decision not to build a roundabout was based on extensive traffic modelling that showed significant network failures and safety concerns for all road users.
- The removal of the right hand turn from Greenwood Avenue aims to enhance overall intersection safety for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.
- The redistribution of the Greenwood Avenue right hand turn can be managed effectively within the local road network.
Timelapse video - May 2025
Construction update - May 2025
Construction to build a new car park in Ringwood is progressing, with exciting changes taking shape.
Last year we saw the original Blood Brothers storefront relocated to the south-eastern corner of the site, retaining the heritage elements and corner store significance of the original building.
The main car park structure is complete and we will soon start to see the exterior suspended brick façade come together.
As part of this project, Council will undertake safety improvement works at the intersection at Bedford Road and Greenwood Avenue, which will reduce congestion along Station Street, provide alternative paths for cyclists and create safer crossing conditions for pedestrians.
Intersection safety improvements
As part of this project, extensive modelling was conducted to evaluate the functionality of the intersection at Bedford Road and Greenwood Avenue. To enhance the safety and efficiency of the intersection, it was determined that the right turn into and out of Greenwood Avenue will be closed when the carpark becomes operational.
This decision was made after careful consideration of the road network needs. The modelling revealed that during peak times, traffic congestion in Greenwood Avenue became challenging, causing significant queues that extended beyond Wantirna Road. Additionally, the intersection of the carpark access and Greenwood Avenue created a crossroad, further exacerbating congestion issues.
In line with VicRoads’ Safe Systems approach, removing these right turns addresses the congestion problems but also improves overall safety. Right turn movements at Greenwood Avenue have proven to be challenging, and there are several alternative, safer options available within the existing road network for those who currently utilise this movement.
Furthermore, the intersection sees a significant number of pedestrians passing through and crossing at or near this location. By removing right turns, pedestrian safety will be greatly enhanced. These changes will result in a much safer and less congested outcome, particularly considering the proximity of Greenwood Avenue to Bedford Road.
It is important to note that these modifications align with a future Shared User Path connection that will be constructed in Greenwood Avenue, connecting the Ringwood Metropolitan Activity Centre to the Aquanation Leisure Precinct.
Heritage building relocation - June 2024
The remaining portion of the original Blood Brothers storefront has been retained and relocated to a prominent position on the site, retaining the corner store significance of the original building.
Plan renders
Render of building, including heritage Blood Brothers building, looking north:

Render of building, looking north-west toward Eastland from Bedford Road:

Render of building, looking north-east from Greenwood Avenue:

Render of building, looking north-east from Station Street:

Further information
For further information on the project, contact Council on 1300 88 22 33.
Maroondah City Council acknowledges the support of the Australian Government.

Contact details
Location
1 Bedford Road, Ringwood 3134 View map
-37.8155118,145.2308838
1 Bedford Road ,
Ringwood 3134
1 Bedford Road ,
Ringwood 3134
Ringwood Activity Centre Car Park