Moving people and goods more effectively in Australian cities

Jack McAuley, BITRE

BITRE Transport Colloquium18 - 19 June 2008

Mode share of urban passenger transport has been fairly stable for decades, until recently

Source: Unpublished BITRE estimates

Public transport dominates in some tasks:

• Students and others without licences: e.g. around two thirds of bus users in Vic have no licence (Victoria Dol 2005)

Public transport dominates in some tasks:

• Students and others without licences: e.g. around two thirds of bus users in Vic have no licence (Victoria Dol 2005)

• Trips to and from CBD: e.g. in Sydney approximately 63 per cent of trips to the CBD are by public transport (NSW DoP 2006)

Public transport dominates in some tasks:

• Students and others without licences: e.g. around two thirds of bus users in Vic have no licence (Victoria Dol 2005)

• Trips to and from CBD: e.g. in Sydney approximately 63 per cent of trips to the CBD are by public transport (NSW DoP 2006)

• PT share for more general tasks is constrained by the multipurpose nature of most trips, and low densities

In some cities, public transport has grown in mode share recently

• Brisbane: 7.8% pa growth in PT pkm, 2005-07• Melbourne: 3.4% pa growth in PT pkm, 2005-07

In some cities, public transport has grown in mode share recently

• Brisbane: 7.8% pa growth in PT pkm, 2005-07• Melbourne: 3.4% pa growth in PT pkm, 2005-07• Growth driven by many factors, including:

– petrol price increases– increased road congestion– PT service improvements

In some cities, public transport has grown in mode share recently

• Brisbane: 7.8% pa growth in PT pkm, 2005-07• Melbourne: 3.4% pa growth in PT pkm, 2005-07• Growth driven by many factors, including:

– petrol price increases– increased road congestion– PT service improvements

• Capacity constraints appear to be coming into play

Other forms of transport

• Apparent growth in cycling and walking, as cities become more dense

• Little reliable time-series data on non-motorised transport

Significant growth in public transport translates into only a slowing down of car growth

Source: BITRE (2008)

Brisbane

Significant growth in public transport translates into only a slowing down of car growth

Source: BITRE (2008)

Brisbane

Other approaches to congestion management?

• Pricing: road use, parking, public transport

Other approaches to congestion management?

• Pricing: road use, parking, public transport• Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS): some success in

Australia

Other approaches to congestion management?

• Pricing: road use, parking, public transport• Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS): some success in

Australia• Demand management and direct behavioural change

Other approaches to congestion management?

• Pricing: road use, parking, public transport• Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS): some success in

Australia• Demand management and direct behavioural change• Longer term: planning for increased population density near

public transport

Other approaches to congestion management?

• Pricing: road use, parking, public transport• Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS): some success in

Australia• Demand management and direct behavioural change• Longer term: planning for increased population density near

public transport• Outside of transport policy, future changes in transport costs

including oil price and emission pricing could be important

Truck use is growing faster than car use in cities, as freight growth is driven by GDP growth

Source: BTRE (2003, 2008)

Brisbane

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Cars: 1.5% p.a.

Rigid trucks: 2.0% p.a.

Articulated trucks: 4.2% p.a.

Projections

Freight issues

• Though heavy trucks constitute only 4% of urban vkt, because of size and slow acceleration, they have a relatively high impact on congestion

Freight issues

• Though heavy trucks constitute only 4% of urban vkt, because of size and slow acceleration, they have a relatively high impact on congestion

• Uncertainty surrounding growth in light commercial vehicles

Freight issues

• Though heavy trucks constitute only 4% of urban vkt, because of size and slow acceleration, they have a relatively high impact on congestion

• Uncertainty surrounding growth in light commercial vehicles• Possibilities of truck only roads or switch to rail, especially

for port bound traffic

But dispersion of freight destinations means rail is often unsuitable for urban freight

Destinations of containers coming through Port of MelbourneSource: Victoria DOI (2002)

Brisbane

References

BITRE 2008 (forthcoming), Projections of Australian transport emissions to 2020, base case 2007: greenhouse gas emission trends,

BTRE 2003, Urban pollutant emissions from motor vehicles: Australian trends to 2020, final draft report to Environment Australia, http://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/36/Files/ea_btre.pdf

BTRE 2007, Estimating urban traffic and congestion cost trends for Australian cities , Working Paper 71, http://www.btre.gov.au/docs/workingpapers/wp71/wp71.pdf

Department of Infrastructure Victoria 2002, Port of Melbourne container origin destination study

Department of Infrastructure Victoria 2005, Understanding the market for public transport

NSW Department of Planning 2006, Trip flows into Sydney and other regional cities, http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/tdc/documents/transfigures-mar2006.pdf