Page 900 - Week 03 - Thursday, 10 March 2005
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
network’s reliability. There is nothing worse than standing at a bus stop and not being sure whether the bus has already been, if you are late, if you are early or how long you have got to wait. Combined with other parts of the operation and expansion over time of busways, real-time information will contribute significantly to an increase in people using the public transport system. Experience interstate and overseas has shown increases of up to 25 per cent. At present the government is investigating the most appropriate technology for Canberra’s current and future needs, as well as determining how and where trials will be conducted to test the system.
I would now like to turn to some other transport modes, in particular, cycling. In line with the sustainable transport plan target of doubling the percentage of trips by bicycle by 2011, a 10-year master plan has been prepared to provide an integrated trunk cycleway network across the ACT. Implementation of the master plan to improve trunk cycle paths has already been commenced, with the recent completion of a major cycle lane linking Woden to Dickson and additional cycle lanes under construction now on Hindmarsh Drive and Melrose Drive.
Travel behaviour change projects: travel behaviour change is a strange name, but it is a key component of the transport plan and basically it means aiming to encourage people to get out of their cars and travel using more environmentally friendly modes—in other words, to walk, ride their bike or catch the bus wherever possible. It is called TravelSmart and the government is involved in two major travel behaviour change projects, giving people information so they can make informed choices about which travel mode they use.
The first project, the national travel behaviour change project, is jointly funded by the ACT government and commonwealth government. Altogether, over $1.3 million has been allocated to this project over the next three years. The project aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 74,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by reducing vehicle kilometres travelled by private cars by 232 million vehicle kilometres. This will be achieved by contacting individual households and informing them of the many alternatives to car travel available to them personally and encouraging them to travel in more sustainable ways.
The project will be undertaken in the Belconnen and Gungahlin areas, with over 10,000 households being approached to participate in this voluntary program. That means 10 per cent of all households in Canberra will be offered the opportunity to participate in this program. Programs like this elsewhere in Australia, and an earlier trial here in Canberra, have shown that Canberrans participating will achieve a 14 per cent reduction in vehicle kilometres travelled.
In addition to the national travel behaviour change project, the ACT has its own TravelSmart officer. Currently our TravelSmart program is focusing on individuals in the workplace and it is doing this by working with five workplaces, including the ACT’s Department of Urban Services and the Planning and Land Authority, to develop travel option plans for employees. This workplaces program is jointly funded by the Australian Greenhouse Office, Environment ACT and the planning authority. Like the national travel behaviour change program, the workplaces program is a voluntary program that encourages people to change the way they travel by reducing their reliance on cars and
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .