Singapore’s success in managing congestion
Following our recent post on congestion charging in New York City, we’ve updated one of our most popular posts to continue the discussion on strategies to reduce traffic congestion. Let’s explore Singapore’s recent advancements in their “two-prong” carrot and stick strategy to tackle congestion: implementing a harsher and more advanced “user pay” strategy alongside premium […]
Mosman Council’s parking innovation journey
Mosman Council recently prepared a case study detailing its parking innovation journey. Since 2012, ptc. has been assisting the Council on various assignments including the development of their parking strategy, community engagement processes and advice on parking technology solutions. We are proud to see the development of parking in Mosman and happy to share their […]
Electric vehicles update: how do UK and Australia compare?
The number of new electric vehicle (EV) sales in London is increasing at a higher rate than in other parts of the UK. According to a Transport for London report, in 2018, 2.81% of sales in the city were EV whilst the UK average was 2.13%. Currently, EVs in London account for 20,600 private vehicles, […]
Can commuter car parks reduce congestion?
An interesting article published on The Conversation discusses the government’s Commuter Car Park Fund, a $500 million, ten-year package to facilitate commuters from suburbs and regions to drive to the nearest railway station with the objective of removing cars from the roads. The key question asked by the authors with regard to this package […]
NSW Health Infrastructure engages ptc. on a state-wide agreement
ptc. was recently awarded by NSW Health Infrastructure (HI) with a traffic and parking consultancy contract as part of HI’s Sustainable Hospital Car Park Investment Program (SHCPIP): a state-wide model for procuring, funding and management of new hospital car parks. Over the last six years, we have provided services to numerous NSW hospitals (see […]
Lane Cove PAMP study
Earlier this year, ptc. was engaged by Lane Cove Council to review and update the 2013 Pedestrian Access and Mobility Plan (PAMP) for the Lane Cove Local Government Area. A PAMP is a comprehensive strategic action plan which allows Council to prioritise its tasks to improve the pedestrian network. The aim of this type […]
Park and ride trials in NSW
The NSW Government recently announced the Opal Park & Ride trial at the Ashfield commuter car park. In the same way as the trial occurring in Dee Why, the scheme is designed to offer free parking for users who combine private vehicle and public transport use in their commute. How that works is that commuters […]
White Paper; Electric vehicles in Australia
Introduction In Australia, electric vehicles (EVs) still represent a small component of new vehicle sales. In 2016 the EV market share of new vehicle sales was 1.12%, a 5% decrease in relation to 2015 primarily due to the 80% decrease in sales of battery electric vehicles (BEV). Despite some European countries leaping ahead with…...
Strategies to reduce air pollution
Marylebone Road, in Westminster City, was recently named one of the 20 sites in London with very high pollution. As part of the plan to address the issue, the council wants to discourage the use of diesel vehicles by introducing a parking surcharge, as reported by The Telegraph. Therefore, from April, diesel drivers will pay […]
Lower Cycling Rates in Sydney
Road and Maritime Services numbers show that, in 2016, cycling rates in Sydney are lower than in 2013, as reported by SMH. The average daily cyclists during peak hours at the Anzac Bridge, Anzac Parade and Sydney Harbour Bridge was 3,830 in 2009 and reached a peak of 5,249 in 2013. However, the figures declined […]
The Social Inequality of Parking Requirements
Parking minimum requirements can generate an oversupply of parking spaces and encourage the use of private cars even in transit-rich areas. Donald Shoup, in an article for ACCESS Magazine, raised another issue on this matter: parking minimum requirements contribute to inequality. The logic is that the cost of building parking spaces to achieve compliance with […]
Managing parking demand and supply
Cities around the world are reducing their parking supply. San Francisco and Philadelphia in the United States noted an oversupply of parking spaces after conducting parking censuses. In 2010, the San Francisco census pointed out that more than 50% of the 441,541 spaces available in the city were free and on-street. Knowing that, allowed the…...
Open and Big Data Improving Mobility
Public and private sectors can work together to make commuters lives easier, that is the idea of Angus Taylor, Assistant Minister for Cities of Australian Government. Mr. Taylor believes that by providing “open data” about real-time traffic flows and parking spaces, private organizations will have information to develop applications that can benefit the community, as […]
Paris to become more pedestrian friendly
Popular squares in Paris are being redesigned to hand the city back to pedestrians and cyclists. According to CO.EXIST, seven Parisian plazas located in high traffic zones will be remodelled; the new designs will reserve at least 50% of the space for pedestrians and cyclists. The motivation for this shift is that “Parisians are […]
NYC’s World Trade Center Transportation Hub receives mixed reviews
Nearly 15 years after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, and US$4 billion later, the World Trade Center (WTC) Transportation Hub has now partially opened to the public, according to businessinsider.com.au. The Hub serves as a connection between New Jersey’s PATH trains and NYC subways. The design for the hub was first revealed in 2004. It was […]
5 year old cyclists leading the way in Odense, Denmark
Whilst in Australia parents are reluctant to let their children walk or cycle to school, things are certainly on the move in Denmark. School children in Odense are more likely to show up on a bike at school than be dropped off in a car, as posted in fastcoexist.com Contrary to statistics in Australia where […]
Impact of new laws for cyclists and drivers
As we reported last week in our Wayfinding Blog, “New fines for cyclists could see bikes dumped for cars”, there are many changes to road rules affecting cyclists and motorists, effective today. Here we outline the crux of these; New laws for drivers passing cyclists Drivers in NSW must leave one metre of space when […]
New fines for cyclists could see bikes dumped for cars
From the 1st March, NSW bike riders will be faced with a bevy of new and increased fines. Riding without a helmet will increase from $71 to $319, riding without ID will cost $106 (abc.net.au), while the penalty for running a red light will increase to $425, according to the SMH. The City of Sydney […]
V2V and V2I new transport technology in NYC
Vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication is fast becoming one of the biggest sea changes in transportation technology, following right behind the foot steps of self-driving vehicles. The core essence of this technology allows cars, signs and traffic to communicate with one another over Wi-Fi-like airways, according to theverge.com. As such, drivers will have access to more […]
Solar panels to hit the roads in France
Over the next five years, and with the support of the country’s Agency of Environment and Energy Management, France will install some 1,000km of solar roadways using cutting edge technology, according to treehugger.com. In a joint venture between France’s National Institute for Solar Energy and Colas (a transport infrastructure company) solar panels will be glued […]
Delhi Government tries to combat 1,400 new cars onto its roads
The Local Government has tried to take a proactive approach to reduce toxic air in Delhi by announcing an emergency car rationing plan. In an experiment that was to only last 15 days, cars with odd-numbered plates could drive in Delhi roads on odd-numbered days and even-numbered cars on even days, as reported in the […]
Challenging a parking fine? There is an app for that too
For an 18 year old in North London, new technology and creative thinking, has led to the creation of a website which allows motorists to contest parking tickets in seconds. The volume of parking tickets Joshua Browder was receiving was enough to inspire him to create his own website donotpay.co.uk to fast track the appeal […]
The woman behind 640km of bike lanes in NYC
Janette Sadik-Khan, NYC’s recent transportation commissioner, was instrumental in the introduction of over 640 km of bike lanes to the NYC cityscape. She was the driving force behind the impressive makeover of NYC’s Department of Transportation (DOT) from 2007 to 2013 with bikes, cycle paths and a new way of mobility top of mind. As […]
Vandalising parking meters: coming to a street near you!
I was recently directed to an article appearing in The Age about how the citizens of a Melbourne suburb literally dealt a blow to the Council’s attempts to manage parking in the district. They resorted to bashing up the meters with hammers and other hooligan-istic practices. I have to say that this is nothing new […]
Can Sydney develop its own digital traffic plan?
The world is embracing digital transformation with gusto and speed. Smart cities around the globe are reshaping and rebuilding themselves for the better and creating a more liveable and safe environment for residents. But for some reason Sydney is lagging behind. According to a recent report released by the Committee for Sydney, as reported in […]
Uber forces closure of London taxi college
Whilst Uber is yet to be legalised here in NSW (see abc.net.au), London cabbies claim Uber is responsible for the downfall of their training school, Knowledge Point (UK), as mentioned in the AFR. 70-year-old business owner, Malcolm Linskey, attributes Uber for the closure of the business he started 30 years ago in Islington, North London. […]
Sustainable public transport the key to Shanghai’s bold development program
According to ShanghaiDaily.com, the city is set to be developed into a ‘megacity’. However, it will be a long journey for planners and policy makers. The thoughts of local residents resonate with many residents here in Sydney – ‘long commutes and traffic jams’. Planners in both cities are faced with massive challenges to make them […]
Will driverless cars survive the test?
On 8th November, media and key industry personnel were exposed to the first demonstration of driverless cars in Adelaide. The SMH reported a ride in a driverless car was seamless. The feeling was the same – smooth, safe and structured. According to the reporter Adam Carey, the car cruised leisurely along the highway at […]
Transport planning and infrastructure key to the successful introduction of driverless cars
There is no doubt that driverless cars will be here within the next five to 10 years and the NSW Government is certainly putting planning and infrastructure at the top of the list. NSW Transport and Infrastructure Minister, Andrew Constance, recently announced in the AFR that “transport planners must prepare by reassessing investment priorities and […]
Is Sydney Ready for a Congestion Tax?
The topical and contentious issue of a congestion tax was again discussed in the SMH this week. As major transport projects are completed over the next few years, the Baird government has left the door open to consider introducing a congestion tax, whose aim would be to charge motorists to enter the CBD to […]