Chinese High Speed Rail Set for Success
While China and Australia vastly different culturally, physically, and economically, a recent article in the Financial Review highlights something we have in common — both countries have a rail network that is required to cover an enormous amount of ground. According to this article, the contrast between our countries’ transport systems on long-distance journeys is […]
Transport Stats – Sydney vs Vancouver
Following on from our Vancouver Promotes Active Transportation story, we were pleased to see a post recently from The Urbanist, ‘How Does Sydney Compare to Vancouver on Travel’. Vancouver and Sydney are often grouped together when it comes to comparing cities around the globe. Built upon opposite shores of the Pacific Ocean, residents of both cities lead a very […]
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 […]
Vancouver promotes ‘active transportation’
Due to an innovative planning move by the City of Vancouver, the iconic Burrard Bridge handled about 300,000 bike trips per month between September and November last year, as reported in Streetsblog USA. Thanks to a protected bike path lane and an overhaul of the intersection at one end of the bridge, Burrard Bridge has […]
Dump The Pump Day – celebrating 10 years
A community initiative developed by the The American Public Transportation Association celebrated the 10th annual National Dump The Pump Day last week. Dump The Pump aims to raise social consciousness on how to save money (and the planet) by forgoing a visit to the bowser. APTA are encouraging people to take public transport and consider the potential to […]
The hidden cost of parking
Have you ever budgeted for the privilege of a car parking space in your apartment block? Probably not, because this cost is usually well hidden into the price of housing, land, construction, and maintenance. Over time this can certainly add up to a large proportion of your rental cheque or purchase price. According to Reinventing […]
Transport planning for “Millennials”
A recent US survey, presented by Progressive Railroading, found a majority of forward thinking citizens with an environmentally-friendly vision for the future, want access to public transportation options so they don’t have to rely so much on owning and driving a car. According to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), they have defined this […]
Your ride into the future
According to EcoBusiness.com, personal electric mobility devices (PMEDs) are an emerging breed of transportation in Asia. Singapore’s Marina Bay financial district has been trialling the use of “Airwheels” to help drive a shift to more sustainable urban transport. By 2030, Asia will account for almost half of all the vehicles in the world. PMED’s may […]
Hospital Cycling Initiative Reduces Carbon Emissions
Forward thinking, planning and initiative paved the way for the Seattle Children’s Hospital to develop a comprehensive Transportation Plan. According to a well-known American blog – Streetsblog USA, The Seattle Children’s Hospital is leading the way in “Sustainable Healthcare Architecture”. Launched in 2008, “the new target was to reduce the share of commuters who arrive […]
Mexico City promotes “less parking”
We love this short animated video from ITDP Mexico which provides a simple (subtitled) case for “less parking, more city”. Paul Barter of Reinventing Parking draws a link between the work of recently retired parking guru, Prof Donald Shoup, and the movement away from minimum parking requirements. Makes sense! Here is the link to “Menos […]
Dutch cycling experts offer advice on road safety
There’s no easy answer to the problems of cycling safety in Australia, but the first order of business is a change in attitude toward cycling and cyclists. This was the observation of Dutch experts, Arie Vijfhuizen and Martijn te Lintelo, recently visiting Australia on a national tour speaking about road safety and cycling, reports the […]
Barcelona Police first with green ride
Barcelona Police have taken delivery of a new fleet of 30 electrically powered scooters, giving them efficient, zero-emission mobility around the city. Already a leader in sustainable mobility, Barcelona was the perfect partner to showcase this fleet of fully electric scooters, manufactured by BMW. As reported recently on BMW Blog, this is the first fleet […]
Will infrastructure planning be compromised?
Australian planners may face working without the benchmark information and guidance supplied by the Australian Census. On 18th February the Australian Federal Government announced that it was considering abandoning the Australian Census in favour of smaller sample surveys. The Australian Census has been held every five years since 1911 with the last census being held […]
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
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?
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 […]
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 […]
Victoria Decides – Traffic congestion and public transport high on the agenda
In the days counting down to an election the promises and future party policies are announced in rapid fire as last ditch attempts to persuade the undecided. Every speech is an attempt to impress the overall electorate with the “trust us – we know what you really really want” persona of political parties. This process […]
Repurposing roads and cycleways for renewable energy
In the Netherlands the first SolaRoad will open this week. The SolaRoad experiment is using a 100 metre stretch of cycleway to test whether solar power generated from these types of roads could “eventually be used for street lighting, traffic systems, electric cars and even households.” With 35,000 kilometres of cycleways and over 18 million […]
Canberra Pay Parking sparks surge in Bus use
The introduction of paid parking in the Parliamentary Triangle has finally moved Canberrans to leave the car behind and utilise the bus network, reports the Canberra Times. The change was introduced in order to increase the number of spaces available to visitors to the national institutions ( e.g., National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Old Parliament […]
Mercedes self-driving Future Truck
Self-driving cars have been in the news for some time, but Mercedes Benz has just taken it up a notch with concept designs for an autonomous truck (semi) that aims to revolutionise the transport industry, reports Wired. The focus is on safety and addressing the cause of many trucking accidents by putting computers in control. […]
World’s first 3D printed car
At the International Manufacturing Technology Show 2014 in Chicago last week, Local Motors has unveiled the first 3D printed car, reports SBS. Manufactured in just 44 hours, the “Strati” (Italian for layers) is set to challenge the traditional methods of car manufacturing. The mechanical components – battery, wiring, suspension – are sourced from a variety […]
SA trials Bluetooth traffic monitoring system
Adelaide is trialling a new system of traffic monitoring that picks up data from Bluetooth receivers in passing cars, and provides real-time traffic advisories to help drivers avoid congested areas. The new technology has been developed by the SA Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure (DPTI), as reported in The Advertiser. The Adelaide trial involves approximately […]
Parking people adapt well to GenFlux
We have had permission from US-based Vanessa Solesbee to re-blog her recent article that appeared in The Parking Professional magazine on The Importance of People. The article explains why parking industry people seem to be adapting particularly well to the new paradigm, “Generation Flux”, where mastering change has become the defining characteristic of today’s successful […]