Australia well-positioned after V2V technology given green light in US
Australian technology companies look to be well placed in what could become the future of road safety for light vehicles. The US Department of Transportation (DOT) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have recently announced that the US will begin taking steps to facilitate the introduction of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication technology. V2V technology […]
Contenders for confusing sign awards
We love this post by 3AW Radio in Melbourne featuring yet another confusing bit of signage found by one of their listeners. Working in the parking industry, initial thoughts were that we could probably figure this out – but no, we have to agree, it’s mighty unclear. Apparently, it means that Standing is allowed for […]
Hefty profit from Melbourne car park sale
Leigh Seymour made headlines last week with the announcement of the sale of a Melbourne car park for $40 million. As reported in The Australian, the Victoria University car park at 300 Flinders Street was purchased by Seymour in November 2011 for $28.2 million. Since that time, property improvements and a change of operator with […]
Melbourne’s congestion levy expanded
Last month, the Victorian government announced plans to expand the reach of the congestion levy imposed on Melbourne parking spaces. Introduced in 2006, the current levy is restricted to the CBD area, but commencing 2015, the tax will be extended in all directions encompassing most of the City of Melbourne municipality. The new “Category 2” […]
2013 from the rear-vision mirror
Hard as it is to accept it, another year is about to end. When we ask ourselves “Where did it go?”, we realise that we have been too busy working to notice the passing of time! Appreciating Our Regular and New Clients 2013 has been a very successful year for us at Parking & Traffic Consultants. […]
Brisbane’s UBAT project addresses congestion issues
As reported by the ABC news, the Queensland government recently announced a 5.4 km tunnel project in Brisbane, designed to ease the city’s congestion problems at a cost of $5 billion. Dubbed the UBAT (Underground Bus and Train), the double-decker tunnel will accommodate buses on the upper level and trains below. The combined project replaces […]
Entry point into the Sydney Property Market?
If you’re one of the thousands of Sydneysiders that feel the property market is out of reach, this story from Australian Business Traveller will either depress or delight you! Here’s your chance to own a plot of prime Sydney real estate for only $57,500. Not that long ago (OK, maybe 25 years), that sum might […]
Architecture accolades for Perth Arena
Perth Arena has added another accolade to its growing list of prestigious awards. As reported in ArchitectureAU, the designers ARM Architecture and Cameron Chisholm Nicol were recently recognised with the top national architecture award, the Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture. The award jury described the structure as a ‘radical, abstract, graphic alien that […]
Women in Parking lands in Australia
Cristina Lynn, Vice President of PAA at WIP Launch Event At a recent PAA event in Sydney, PTC Managing Partner and Treasurer of the Parking Association of Australia, Cristina Lynn, launched the Australian chapter of Women In Parking. Australia is the first outpost of the US association by the same name, and members will enjoy […]
$36 billion Transport Plan unveiled for South Australia
Making news this week is the South Australian government’s announcement of a new 30 year, $36 billion Transport Plan, as reported in the Adelaide Advertiser. It is the State’s first Integrated Transport and Land Use Plan, and it is now open for public comment. A collaborative effort between planning, transport and various interest groups, South […]
Sydney bike lanes to absorb some parking spaces
Not everyone will be happy with the NSW government’s new City Centre Access Strategy, and that is expected when dealing with complex transport issues, multiple stakeholders, and the fixed infrastructure in a city the size of Sydney. The Sydney Morning Herald reports this week that planned expansion of bike lanes will be particularly detrimental to […]
Profit squeeze for Melbourne Airport off-site parking operators
An article last week in The Australian reported complaints of off-site parking operators being squeezed out of the market by the new seven-storey car park at Melbourne Airport. With construction only just commencing and the car park’s scheduled opening in 2015, the complaint surely couldn’t be about the pricing of car parking (yet). The issue […]
Sydney car park sells for $8.05 Million
A short and sweet article in The Australian appeared this week regarding the sale of the car park at One Dixon Street, Chinatown by Hyperion Properties to a Singapore buyer. The 93-space car park sold for just over $8 million, which puts it at approximately $80,500 per bay. Interestingly, this same property traded in 2007 […]
Parking prize at Melbourne Airport
Forget lotto – here’s a prize you might actually have a chance of winning! Promoting its Short-Term Car Park and online booking service, Melbourne Airport is running a competition that will score 12 lucky winners a permanent, private car spot – not for a month, or a year, but until 2020! Patrons of the car […]
Cool Car Park no longer an oxymoron
The adjectives and imagery most often associated with the words “car park” would undoubtedly be summarised as “dull”. Well, be prepared to challenge your preconceived ideas and marvel at the shortlist of the World’s 10 Coolest Car Parks. Yes, they do exist! The contest, run by FX Magazine and Stress Free Airport Parking, recently announced […]
Putting the “Park” back in Parking
Mark your diaries – World Park(ing) Day will be celebrated around the globe on Friday, September 20th. This annual, worldwide “open-source” event gives people the opportunity to demonstrate their creativity and have some fun while “greening” our cities for the day. The concept is credited to the Rebar Group, a San Francisco design studio who […]
Car parks – the perfect solar opportunity
It’s a match made in heaven — car parks and the sun above. Why wouldn’t one take advantage of a free supply of energy will that could conceivably make a multi-story structure carbon-neutral? The beachside haven of Coffs Harbour has taken another step towards its goal of becoming a “solar city”. Councilmembers voted unanimously to […]
Driverless trains are headed for Sydney
The NSW budget handed down last week delivered significantly on transport, with over $6 billion pledged towards infrastructure projects. Along with the light rail project previously mentioned on Wayfinding Forum, heavy rail was the big winner with funding confirmed along the north-west corridor of Sydney. The NSW Government describes The North West Rail Link as […]
Opal expands to Sydney’s rail network
The NSW Government will extend the trial of its Opal smartcard ticketing system to some of Sydney’s trains from the end of this week. The trial, which has previously been introduced on two of Sydney’s ferry routes, will now include train stations on the City Circle and Bondi Junction lines. The rollout brings Sydney closer […]
Melbourne’s parking squeeze to tighten
As with many of the world’s big cities, Melbourne’s CBD is experiencing a chronic shortage of parking spaces, an issue that is likely to worsen in the coming years. According to The Age, over the past 13 years only 9551 car spaces have been added to the CBD’s supply of 38,085 commercial places while the […]
Tackling abuse of disabled parking spaces
Around the world, parking enforcement agencies battle with illegal use of disabled parking spaces by unauthorised drivers. On the Gold Coast, along with increasing fines, the city council hopes to ratify a proposal for photo IDs to be displayed with disabled parking permits. According to the Gold Coast News website, Councillor Bob La Castra admitted […]
Is paid parking the solution for Canberra?
Following our post on Wayfinding Forum in January, the parking landscape in the ACT’s Parliamentary Triangle is about to change forever, but it may not be to everyone’s liking. In last week’s budget, Federal Treasurer, Wayne Swan announced 9,000 pay-parking spaces will be introduced in Parkes, Barton, Russel and Acton from July next year. At […]
Can road pricing really improve urban productivity
The Grattan Institute has this month released a report entitled, Productive Cities: Opportunity in a changing economy offering solutions to help increase economic productivity and efficiency in Australian cities. The report analyses housing, income and transport data in Australia’s four largest cities to show that while highly paid and qualified workers are living close to city […]
Adelaide parking levy faces stiff opposition
CBD parking levies are still a hot topic of discussion around Australia following last week’s blog reporting on the Victorian government’s plans for an increased parking tax. This week has seen South Australia’s Opposition ramping up its fight against their state government’s planned parking levy for Adelaide’s CBD. The controversial plan is fast becoming a […]
Car parking levy in Melbourne on the rise
An increased parking levy is set to be included in Victoria’s state budget next Tuesday. The Age reports that property owners are currently charged $950 annual per long term (all day) parking space, however this will rise to $1300 p.a and will be extended to include short term parking as well. The levy will now […]
Plans to ease weekend congestion in Sydney
Earlier this week the Sydney Morning Herald reported on the State Government’s imminent plans to extend clearways on Sydney’s most congested roads to include weekends. The report tells us that there are up to 200,000 more cars on Sydney’s roads on Saturday mornings when compared with weekday mornings, and less people are using public transport. This […]
Brisbane to Melbourne high-speed rail, but at what cost?
Phase two of the Federal Government’s study to construct high-speed rail (HSR) spanning from Brisbane to Melbourne via Sydney and Canberra was released this week to a lukewarm reception. The ambitious infrastructure plan would be the largest investment of any national project, eclipsing the NBN many times over. The HSR network, comprising over 1,700 kms […]
George Street makeover a step closer
Both the State Government and the City of Sydney agree that light rail from Circular Quay to the city’s east along George Street will be a great thing for Sydney. The vision is for an integrated transport network able to move large groups of commuters quickly and effectively around the CBD and out to major […]
Transit Oriented Development needs to be more than transit and development
Transit Oriented Development (TOD) is not a new concept in urban planning. DNAinfo.com has published a story about the latest mixed development taking advantage of local public transport hubs in Chicago. The Wicker Park building contains 99 residential units but only 15 car spaces, supposedly reserved for visitors only. Whilst ratios vary around the world, […]
Businesses fight parking levy in Adelaide
A coalition of South Australia’s most influential property owners have joined forces to fight the State Government’s Transport Development Levy planned for Adelaide’s CBD. We posted about this levy earlier this year. Led by the SA branch of the Property Council of Australia, the State Coalition to Repeal the Parking Tax (SCRPT, or ‘SCRaP iT’) is […]