Sustainable Transport and City Development –
Abstract
This paper looks at the transport systems we might expect in Australian and New
Zealand cities in about 50 years time. The future movement patterns and systems
and city form will be largely dependent on:
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Vision for social, environment & economic improvements, including health and
community safety;
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How existing and future infrastructure can be developed and adapted for use;
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The policy framework developed to influence travel behaviour and regulate travel and land use planning and development.
To understand how cities will function 50 years out, it is necessary to understand how they will function 10, 20, 30 and 40 years out. Transport and building infrastructure, in particular, has taken many years to develop. Its physical form and presence can only be changed gradually and at considerable cost and disruption to the community. Most city and state governments around Australia and New Zealand have endorsed community led visions of cities where people can move around freely with reduced car dependence, reduced congestion, reduced energy consumption, reduced pollution and an increased level of safety and amenity. The paper will examine both the community's preferences and demonstrated factors that have been influential in changing travel behaviour. Existing evidence from TravelSmart behaviour change programmes in Australia shows that a desire to improve health and fitness and to save money are the two factors most likely to reduce car use and increase walking, cycling and public transport.
In support of these visions most governments are working towards increasing the
capacity of the public transport system in the current infrastructure development
timeframe - 5 to 10 years. A much more significant increase in capacity will be
required to meet the anticipated long term change in demand.
The major conclusions of the paper are:
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Increased road capacity for private vehicle travel will induce increased demand for car travel and contribute to increased congestion over time.
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A very large increase in the capacity and service of the public transport system will be needed to meet the travel demands of future generations in growing cities.
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Public Transport infrastructure and rolling stock expansion takes years to plan
and deliver. There is an immediate need to put in place an ongoing
infrastructure and rolling stock expansion programme in each city.
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A comprehensive transport and land use policy framework is required for each
city. This should include the role and principles of all major elements of the
transport system, including integration with land use and the role of travel
demand management. It should also include guidelines on location, design
priority and funding, to assist development of the long term infrastructure plan.