Integrated Transport Planning
Abstract
This paper provides an overview of best practice transport planning for a growing urban area and highlights a number of initiatives that have been undertaken in Perth in recent years.
The Perth Metropolitan Area has grown from a population of 313,000 in December 1950 to a current (2001) population of almost 1.4 million. Perth’s population will exceed 2 million some time between 2025 and 2030.
The rapid growth of Perth has occurred largely in the era of the motor car. Over the last 30 years or so, transport planners in Perth have sought to accommodate the relentless growth of motor vehicle travel. The road system has been expanded and bigger and wider roads have been constructed to cope with increased demand.
Despite large per capita expenditure, in world terms, on development of the road system, congestion has continued to increase, particularly in inner areas. In the early to mid 90’s, more and more transport planners began to question the "predict and provide" philosophy that had dominated planners’ thinking for the last 30 to 40 years.
As we enter the new millennium, it is fair to say that the majority of Perth’s transport planners and the majority of Perth’s people no longer believe that past practices will deliver optimum overall transport systems. There is a growing understanding that significant improvements must be made to the public transport system, as well as encouraging and making provision for more walking and cycling.
Market research undertaken for Transport WA in October 1999 showed that the Perth community supports a move away from the past system that put undue emphasis and investment into the development of a road system, in favour of the development of a more integrated transport system that will provide for a greater choice of ways to travel. This more sophisticated community, with greater access to information, expects its governments and its planners to adopt more inclusive planning practices that provide opportunities for greater involvement in the development of integrated multi-modal solutions.
This paper examines some of the more innovative ways that have been used in Perth to work with the community in planning and developing a more integrated multi-modal transport system.