Sydney is not full yet
A recent poll conducted for Fairfax Media indicated that 66.4% of the 1,647 respondents believe that Sydney is full and that property development should be pushed out of the Sydney metro area. Although the local population may feel that the city is crowded, there are 103 cities in the world with a larger population than […]
Commuting in Melbourne versus Sydney
It may be commonplace to state that traffic in Sydney is worse than in Melbourne. After all, Sydney’s population is larger and the harbour splits the city in two making it harder to cross from one side to the other. Surprisingly, a new study challenges this common notion, as reported by The Conversation. Researchers from […]
What does a parking consultant do?
Not everyone is familiar with the intricacies of parking management or the complexity of this industry and we often find ourselves answering questions about what exactly we do. Although we have a specific set of skills and knowledge relating to the parking industry, our consultants’ daily activities are very similar to those of other professionals […]
Innovative line marking – pros & cons
Car park design made the news when NewsMail reported about a shopping centre using double lines to mark bays. While some drivers criticised the design, the car park owner seems supportive of its benefits in comparison to the traditional single line marking. According to Australian standard, the size of bays with double line marking must […]
In-ground traffic lights
A trial of in-ground traffic lights is being conducted by the NSW state government to reduce accidents involving pedestrians, especially those addicted to their mobile phones. In-ground traffic lights were installed at the intersections of Pitt and Goulburn streets, and Hay and Dixon streets, as reported by SMH. The lights turn red to signal pedestrians […]
Adelaide Airport welcomes driverless shuttles
Driverless vehicles may be soon integrated to the transport landscape and part of our everyday life. After the launch of RAC’s autonomous shuttle bus in Perth last year, exciting news come from South Australia in this area. Adelaide Airport intends to have driverless shuttles operating between the airport’s long-term car park and terminal. Last month, […]
Sometimes the car park IS the destination!
When you plan to attend an event it’s safe to say that the objective of your trip is not going to be the car park. Normally, car parks are just a stage in a journey whose final destination is the shop, office, venue, etc. In Adelaide, the VTWO/CyclingTips Carpark Climb event was hosted in a multi-storey […]
Share Your Parking Spot
The sharing economy is all around us and is disrupting industries especially by addressing specific consumer’s needs in a more convenient way than the traditional players. Even the parking industry isn’t escaping from it. Last week another parking share app was launched in Australia, more specifically in Coogee and Bondi Beaches. According to Dynamic Business, […]
Showing the Value of Parking
For the second year, the Town of Innisfil, near Toronto, Canada, is promoting the “Scrooge the Ticket” campaign. For three weeks, residents can choose between paying parking fines and making a donation to charity of equal or greater value. Parking offenders can donate children’s toys, gift cards or non-perishable food items to the community charity […]
Car-free developments
Architects are developing creative and new designs to support different lifestyles as a response to consumers who value sustainability and are willing to give up car ownership. In the Wayfinding Forum Blog, we have posted about innovative designs, such as Oslo Solar and Cykelhuset, which illustrate those kinds of initiatives. Oslo Solar is a new…...
Are there enough parking spaces in Australian CBDs?
ptc. regularly monitor the price of parking in Australia. In this article we review the prices in Australia’s largest capital cities investigating rate changes for daily and early bird parking across over 250 car parks. Price as a barometer The key factors that influence car park revenue are price and occupancy (as well…...
Booking Parking Spaces Online
Online shopping is part of contemporary life. We are as used to buying products as to booking hotels, plane tickets and restaurant tables. For some time now we can also book parking spaces not only in airports but in city centres as well; apps and websites allow us to compare offers and to choose in […]
Australia’s First Driverless Shuttle Bus
Last week RAC started the on-road test stage of the first autonomous and electric shuttle bus to operate in Australia. The RAC Intellibus trial is happening in South Perth and includes tests with passengers. The shuttle can carry 11 people and will travel at an average speed of 25km/h with the possibility of achieving 45km/h. […]
Car parks are still a sought-after investment
We have recently seen a flow of articles about the future of private vehicles and the changes that self-driving cars and the sharing economy will bring to our lives. However, in the foreseeable future, it is still not completely clear how and to what extent these trends will affect car parks. As we have been […]
Presentation; Mona Vale Town Centre
Andrew Morse, ptc.‘s Partner and Senior Traffic Engineer, presented the Mona Vale Town Centre – Balancing Place Making and Traffic Engineering at the AITPM National Conference, which was held in Sydney, 26th to 29th July 2016. Download the presentation:… Please Register or Log In for more....
Cycling uptake, safety and social equality
Last week, the USA’s National Association of City Transport Officials (NACTO) released a study showing the correlation between protected bicycle lanes, bike share increase and safety. NACTO compared data from 2006 to 2013 of seven American cities regarding the number of bike lanes miles (excluding signed paths with no other enhancements), the number of cyclists […]
What’s the impact of reducing parking spaces?
Conventional wisdom would say that when there is a decrease in the number of parking spaces, the occupancy rates of remaining lots and garages should increase. Another common and related argument is that a reduction in parking adversely affects retailers, causing them to lose customers; after all “no parking, no business”. It isn’t that simple,…...
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 […]
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 […]
Cristina Lynn re-appointed as President of Parking Australia
Congratulations to Cristina Lynn for her re-election to the board of Parking Australia and her appointment as President for another term. Parking Australia (PA) celebrates the inclusion of women in 4 key positions – President, CEO, plus two board members (Joy Addison and Sharon Prior). Gender balanced boards make good business sense, according to womenboards.org.au […]
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. […]
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 […]
Adelaide reinvents itself as a vibrant new city with less cars and more people
Placemaking plays a major role in the reinvention of Adelaide and has been the force behind Adelaide stepping into the world arena. The city is now becoming daring and exciting, according to AdelaideNow. It is receiving international recognition due to its recent transformation through a dedicated program of infrastructure and redevelopment. Adelaide City Council’s […]
Happy PARK(ing) Day
Creativity and a forward thinking group of innovative designers, Rebar, converted a single metered parking space into a temporary park in downtown San Francisco. Bingo – a worldwide event was created – PARK(ing) Day. From its humble beginnings in 2005, PARK(ing) Day has evolved into a global movement and it is here in […]
The future of driverless cars – how soon will they be here?
The South Australian Government have joined the driverless car movement with a recent commitment to “pass laws to allow driverless cars on the road within a decade”, according to the ABC. The SA Government hopes to “foster technological innovation and revive Australia’s manufacturing industry” with this initiative. Consequently, the first trials for driverless […]
Adelaide Car Park Value Hits the Roof
As reported in the Financial Review, a six level car park close to one of Adelaide’s major entertainment and higher education areas has sold to a local private buyer for $27 million. Located close to Rundle Mall and the University of Adelaide, the car park enticed a high level of interest due to the potential […]