The use of technology and creativity to improve safety

Recent initiatives from around the globe demonstrate a wide variety of creative solutions aimed at improving safety for pedestrians and cyclists. India and China are using optical illusions to induce drivers to reduce their speed. Two artists from India, Saumya Pandya Thakkar and Shakuntala Pandya, created a 3-D crosswalk that tricks drivers into thinking they […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Fast cars and freeways come to an end in Los Angeles

Los Angeles City Council takes a leap of faith and approves a new transportation plan, (Mobility Plan 2035), that would remodel the LA streetscape over the next 20 years.   The new plan could see the “sacrificing of car lanes to make way for bikes and buses”, according to the NY Times.   The plan aims to […]

Roads: Were they built for cars?

  Separate cycle paths or fully integrated with roadways?  These early debates of the 1860’s till mirror the discussion today. A recent article posted on Sustainable Cities Collective, explains that roads were not built to cater specifically for cars.  Modern day commuters assume that roads became the way they are today, because of the infrastructure […]

Traffic Flow and Technology

If you think your next road trip is in your own hands, think again.   Behind the scenes of traffic flow there may be a number of technologies controlling your journey.  From road, to air to even the waterways, your path from A to B may be subject to change in real time.  Today we look […]

Uber Blamed for Traffic Congestion in NYC

Is penalising Uber the way to limit congestion on NY’s streets? According to the NY Times, traffic congestion in Manhattan is getting worse, rather than improving.  The average daytime speed of cars in Manhattan’s business districts “has fallen to just under 8 miles (12.9 km) per hour this year, from about 9.15 miles (14.8 km) per […]

Driverless Cars – Google’s vision for road safety

The Globe and Mail (Vancouver) reports on a recent TED Talk regarding Google’s driverless car program.  The man behind this program, Chris Urmson (Google’s Director of Self-Driving Cars) declares the technology designed to remove humans from the driver’s seat will be available within the next five years. Urmson remarks, “we’ve made some pretty exciting progress and at […]

Interactive Map Helps DC Manage Road Safety

The Swedish initiative of Vision Zero is gaining momentum in the USA.    Washington DC Mayor, Muriel Bowser, has taken a strong lead on Vision Zero as a direct response to the US Department of Transportation’s Mayors’ Challenge for Safer People and Safer Streets.  The aim for Vision Zero is to ultimately improve pedestrian and bicycle […]

Melbourne CBD – Motorcycles in, Cars Out

The Melbourne Age recently reported that “motorcycles and scooters will be given preferential treatment over cars and trucks in Melbourne’s inner city”.   As part of Melbourne City Council’s (MCC) 2015-2018 Motorcycle Plan, a key idea is to expand motorcycle parking across the municipality.  The document highlights that with more motorcyclists on the roads, this will result […]

Four days a year stuck in Sydney traffic

The Sydney Morning Herald recently reported a study by the GPS company TomTom which has named Sydney the most congested city in the Antipodes, and ranked it among the world’s worst, coming in at 21st place.  Tuesday and Wednesday were determined to be the worst days of the week, and for every half-hour travelled at […]

Decluttering Confusing Signage

The City of Sydney has been presented with a motion to simplify parking and traffic signage across the city.  As reported in The Daily Telegraph, Cr Jenny Green presented the motion asking the Council’s CEO to investigate what other cities and local councils are doing to simplify signage. Mosman Council is undergoing a plan to […]

School Traffic: Looking at reduction options

In the last of our school traffic series, we are taking a look at some of the school traffic congestion alternatives being put forward locally and overseas.   The alternatives relate not only to traffic congestion but also how school communities can encourage more active alternatives for children travelling to and from school. In Mosman, Councillor […]

Wayfinder signs encourage sustainable mobility

Wayfinder signs encourage sustainable mobility

In several towns and cities in the UK, wayfinder signs aimed at making it easier for pedestrians to navigate and explore are being installed.  The new look signage encourages sustainable mobility by helping residents and tourists to navigate their way around town centres and to local landmarks on foot. The Wayfinder system consists of six-foot […]

School Traffic Safety: why won’t parents learn?

School traffic campaign

In NSW the Police and school principals are appealing to motorists and parents to refrain from dangerous driving behaviour in and around schools.  In just the first four days of this school year, there has been a 17% increase in the number of motorists caught speeding and a 24% rise in illegal parking infringements issued […]

School traffic targeted by Brisbane City Council

Brisbane City Council plans to target school traffic in 2015 by deploying parking officers in school pick-up and drop-off zones.  The Council has commissioned eight marked cars for use by parking officers to enable them to enforce school zone traffic rules and deal with parking issues around the city’s schools. Council will also work with […]

London: Cycling now considered mass transport

Transport for London’s new Cycling Design Standards Policy begins with the words “Cycling is now mass transport and must be treated as such”.  Councils in London boroughs are now requiring developers to integrate this approach into their development plans. A recent example is the 250 City Road project which was required to include ample parking […]

School Traffic: How much can Sydney take?

During school terms it is not only traffic which increases but also pressure on public transport systems, localised congestion around schools and particularly at drop off and pick up zones.  All of this equates to an added strain on resources such as roads, public transport, police and local government and consequently to a drain on […]

Adding HEAT to transport planning

Photo Credit: For best results, ride hot and slow. (Getty Images) via Bicycling.com For planners and politicians convincing the public of the need to expand cycleways and walking paths is not always an easy sell.  For various reasons be it cost, impact on road users or inconvenience in public spaces, urban and transport planners often […]

Smart mobility can make cities sustainable

Image:  www.cleanmpg.com According to the World Resources Institute and World Bank, 2015 presents a great opportunity to work towards making cities more sustainable.  Helping put cities on the right path   will require investment in sustainable, low-carbon urban transport systems, infrastructure and technology. “We can either continue to build car-orientated cities that lock in these unsustainable […]

Australian Road Safety

2013-2014 Road Toll by State/Territory Image:  www.museumvictoria.com.au During the twelve months ending December 2014 there were 1,153 road fatalities in Australia.  Overall this is a 2.9% reduction on the 2013 road toll.  However, state by state analysis is showing concerning increases in Victoria (2.5%), South Australia (9.2%), Western Australia (11.7%) and the Northern Territory (5.4%).  […]

Toyota working with the World Business Council for Sustainable Mobility

Photo credit:  Volvo Traditionally achieving sustainable mobility in city centres has been the purview of town and urban planners in the employ of local, state and federal governments.  However, citizens around the world are becoming more concerned with the environment and mobility.  As citizens and governments become more focused on the achievement of sustainable mobility, […]

Paris plans car free city centre

  Photo credit:  Christopher Thomond for The Guardian The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo has announced plans to reduce traffic and pollution by converting the city centre to a primarily pedestrian and bicycle zone, in an interview with the Journal du Dimanche.  Hidalgo wants to tackle the level of pollution in Paris with a view […]

Are more roads the solution to Sydney’s traffic congestion?

By Cristina Lynn Yesterday I attended the first day of the NSW Major Projects Conference and listened with interest about all the infrastructure projects being planned for our state. Whilst the issue of traffic congestion on our roads was mentioned in pretty much all the presentations, there was no information about how this is going […]


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