TRANSPORT POLICIES AND STRATEGIES
The transport policies and strategies outlined in this document provide a sound and comprehensive basis for the effective development and operation of the many complex transport facilities and services which are a vital part of the ACT's economic and social life.
Transport is a pervasive element in modern society. It has particularly important linkages with broader planning and land use development policies and practices, as well as substantial impacts on the economic, social and environmental aspects of our community.
The ACT, like the rest of Australia, is changing at an ever-increasing pace. Canberra is now a large and growing city, and a major challenge of the 1990's is to supply the transport facilities and services needed in a climate of financial restraint. This means we have to do things more efficiently and innovatively, often taking new directions with new priorities.
In this context, this transport strategy provides a framework of policies and principles against which specific transport issues and problems can be assessed and solutions determined. Essentially, it is about aims and directions, rather than detailed methods.
The strategy must also reflect the distribution of responsibility for transport across both government and private sectors. The ACT Government provides most of the road and urban public transport infrastructure and all the regulatory controls for road transport Rail services are provided and controlled by the New South Wales Government, while inter-state coach transport is mainly provided by private enterprise. Responsibility for the provision and control of air services is shared by the relevant Federal authorities, the commercial airlines and general aviation operators
The financial constraints on the ACT Government, the considerable costs involved in providing transport, and the social, economic and environmental importance of transport make it imperative that this strategy provides optimal transport infrastructure investment and use. As part of this process, the Government and the community must develop a better understanding of the full costs of all viable transport alternatives.
The policies and strategies must also be regularly reviewed to take into account changing circumstances and needs. It is envisaged there will be a major review of this strategy in 1995, and ongoing assessment in the light of public comment, operational experience and economic conditions
There are six key elements in the transport strategy
Transport needs to be considered in the wider context of development and planning policy.
Many of the basic transport decisions are taken in the early stages of urban or landuse planning or else they are influenced by development preferences. The subsequent ramifications for the Government of providing transport infrastructure and operating services should be fully taken into account in this process. Conversely, the availability of adequate and effective transport can, in some cases such as re-development, significantly affect community activities and the commercial viability of new projects.
The provision of transport facilities is expensive. For example,
Judging the benefits of any development proposal, whether residential or commercial, must include consideration of the full transport costs. The use of appropriate planning and design criteria can be important tools in this process, as is the identification of appropriate mechanisms to determine how costs are met and by whom.
Development and planning policies play a vital part in keeping infrastructure costs within the bounds of the Territory's financial capacity. There is a need to balance developmental requirements against efficient use of transport resources and protection of residential and environmental amenity. For example, Civic is often the preferred choice for many developments and its character probably dictates that some developments will only proceed in that location, and indeed, there are benefits in attracting a wider range of particular kinds of developments to Civic.
However, for social, environmental and infrastructure efficiency reasons, the Government wishes to encourage development in other commercial centres in the ACT. The advantages of such an approach include
Another important planning and development policy is that development options should encourage the efficient use of public transport, for example, the location of new developments along major public transport corridors. While it is important to have a good mix of private individual and public mass transport there is potential for considerable savings in Canberra through increased use of public transport, thereby lessening the need for increased road and carpark construction.
It has to be recognised that because of the planning responsibilities of the National Capital Planning Authority and the transport implications of landuse and employment decisions taken by other Federal bodies, it is also necessary to maintain close liaison with the Commonwealth, if we are to achieve the most efficient transport system possible. In addition, Commonwealth policies such as those relating to the location of its employees are vital, as are the planning responsibilities for major roads which have remained with the Federal Government.
The matters in this strategy statement fall into three broad categories, namely strategic issues for internal transport; external transport; and regulatory matters.
There are four key strategic concerns for internal transport which have to be progressed in the immediate future. These are
The Government has agreed on a number of principles which provide a basis for internal transport provision
This approach addresses key economic, environmental, social and development issues. It balances growth and infrastructure provision and provides a sensible basis for maintaining a good standard of transport access while preserving community amenity.
The following are some specific measures which have already been taken, or are proposed for the future, to implement this strategy.
In simple terms, people can get around Canberra either by private car, the bus system or by taxi. The balance in providing these services is important but there is no doubt that a more efficient and attractive public transport system will realise community savings through both Government and private expenditure.
Buses currently provide the vast majority of public transport services in the ACT. They are a flexible and cost-effective mode of transport given Canberra's low urban density and dispersed town centres. Yet buses are only one of a number of public transport alternatives which could be considered in the future.
There is a wide range of public transport options available to meet varying levels of service needs. The current situation of buses operating in mixed traffic can be improved by the selective use of bus lanes; these can be superseded by busways in exclusive corridors; and in turn such corridors can be used later for guided buses (such as the 'O-Bahn' system as used in Adelaide). There is also scope for using such corridors for light-rail or even monorail technologies at the higher volume end of the spectrum. Of course, various combinations of these options are possible, both in terms of the type of vehicle used and the timing and extent of introduction. Developments in transport technology and the growth and increasing population density of Canberra will make such options more realistic.
The Territory Plan will include a corridor for a dedicated intertown public transport route. This public transport priority route will allow fast, safe, high-capacity public transport operations between town centres and other key areas capable of accommodating a variety of public transport systems.
There must, however, be careful evaluation of the need for, and timing of, any new public transport alternatives, given the very substantial expenditure and lengthy lead times involved.
The Government will ensure that studies are undertaken to keep abreast of all relevant technological options, and ensure full assessment of their costs and benefits in both transport and wider social, economic and environmental terms.
Given the increasing pressures on roads and parking in Civic, public transport will be the most significant means of coping with the new travel demands to Civic in the medium and long term, because it provides a cheaper alternative to developing more expensive road and parking infrastructure. A switch to public transport by single occupant car commuters will also provide substantial environmental benefits.
The recommendations of recent reviews of ACTION services are currently being considered by the Government, and will provide a useful basis for further improving efficiency.
While ACTION must provide services in the most efficient manner possible, some additional capital and operational growth will need to occur to meet expected additional travel demands. The existing on-street Civic bus interchange will have to be expanded, and a decision taken on a future interchange. Extra buses will be needed to service new suburbs and to cope with bus patronage growth from car commuter transfers. Old vehicles will also need to be replaced.
A study is nearing completion which will identify a program for implementing bus priority measures. These could range from transit lanes reserving existing road space, to priority at traffic signals. For example, to provide Tuggeranong commuters with a much quicker bus service, the Government is planning to spend $1 million this year on commencing a program of bus priority measures on Athllon Drive, which will save ACTION $36,000 a year in fuel alone. In addition to the significant community savings and better customer service, these measures will also provide environmental benefits such as reduced greenhouse gas emissions, conservation of fuel, less congestion and less air and noise pollution.
Other means of encouraging public transport use which will be pursued, include price incentives through raising parking charges higher and faster than bus fares; express services from outer suburbs; provision of 'park-and-ride' sites; and marketing campaigns. In the context of achieving a higher mode split and increasing parking charges it will then be possible to address greater cost recovery for ACTION through fare revenue.
To ensure that public transport provides a cheaper and more convenient, user friendly service, the Government has established a number of important policies on public transport
The provision of effective and cost efficient public transport has considerable potential for reducing total infrastructure costs and maintaining the quality of the environment and urban amenity. It will also provide for a transport system which will answer the needs of the majority of commuters.
A particular initiative which will benefit many Civic-bound bus users, and indeed attract a lot more, is the introduction of 'City-express' services. These are services from outer suburbs to Civic which will not pass through the intermediate interchanges, giving substantial time saving and greater convenience. ACTION has already carried out public consultation on the proposed timetable and routes for the new services, and they will be introduced as soon as practicable.
Despite the moves towards public transport, Canberra, like every other Australian city, is still dependent on the car for the majority of its transport needs.
A major proportion of the capital works budget involves roadworks - either for access to land development (eg. arterials in Tuggeranong and in the future to Gungahlin) or to cope with increasing traffic to existing areas (eg. the extension of the Monaro Highway to link Tuggeranong to Civic and central Canberra).
Another important area involves projects which enhance road safety and improve traffic flows. Such projects are usually small scale but can have a marked impact in terms of road safety and traffic efficiency. At a more substantial level, a study is being undertaken to improve the amenity of Civic and increase transport efficiency by reducing through traffic in the city centre.
Road design and construction will continue to maximise efficient use and safety. This includes consideration of the maintenance burden road construction gives us and the appropriate level of funding required to protect our assets.
Recently enacted legislation to control vehicle mass and dimensions will assist in minimising road damage and thereby decrease maintenance costs as well as help to improve road safety. Design and location of roads will also take into account requirements for major freight movements.
The key factor in this area is to ensure maximum possible benefit is gained from road investment, and this can be done by addressing issues of modal choice and optimising both road use and car use. The former involves efficient design and construction and traffic management measures such as clearways. The latter task of increasing car occupancy rates is more difficult but can be encouraged through such measures as concessional price or free parking for high-occupancy vehicles, car pooling incentives and marketing. The potential for the use of bus-lanes by cars carrying three or more people will also be investigated.
Canberra is one of the few cities in Australia to provide free multi-occupancy car parks. Use of these carparks in Civic and Woden by vehicles carrying three or more people is growing steadily, and promises to be an important factor in helping to change peoples' travel patterns and behaviour. Indeed, this project will be formally evaluated as part of the Australian Transport Advisory Council's environment program - a good example of how the ACT can take the initiative in national efforts to improve transport efficiency and the environment.
Whilst car and bus travel are the dominant forms of transport, other modes also play a small, but important role in travel. Cycling and walking will be encouraged through measures such as expanding and upgrading cycle and footpath networks and facilities and better information for users of these systems. Recent initiatives include the release of a new ACT cycleways map and the commencement of studies to develop a cycling policy and plan and to identify the provision of on-road facilities to encourage commuter cycling.
The Government's policy basis for roads can be summarised as:
Given the economies of scale required for mass transit system options, roads will continue to be the most important part of Canberra's transport for the foreseeable future. The Government believes that these policies will ensure effective and efficient use of transport funds to give maximum benefit to the community
In addition to the economic and efficiency gains of improving the road transport network, there will also be environmental benefits such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, conserving fuel use and reducing air and noise pollution.
Use of unleaded petrol is an important element in reducing transport pollution, and the Government is introducing legislation to ensure that all super-grade petrol supplied to the ACT after 1 July 1991 will be the 'metropolitan' lower-lead grade.
As roads are the prime means of travel in the ACT, parking policies are equally important.
The Government has already taken a key decision in this area, in banning commuter parking in residential areas of Reid, Braddon and Turner between 9 to 11 am on weekdays. This initiative has been extended to include some residential areas near the Woden Town Centre where commuter parking intrusion was becoming unacceptable.
As roads and parking facilities reach capacity, it becomes important to emphasise even more the use of public transport, and a key strategy must be to shift a proportion of commuters from cars (especially single occupancy vehicles) to buses. The substantial increases in parking charges and much lower increases in bus fares which occurred in July 1990 are an important part of this process.
Another way of encouraging this change is to limit long-term parking supply in Civic to existing levels. This means that very minimal new parking stock would be supplied to cater for future growth, and if developments occurred on existing parking areas they would only be replaced by the same (or even less) number of parking spaces in more space-efficient (but more costly) parking structures. Accordingly, possible future sites for parking structures will be identified in the Territory Plan.
Effective control of parking has broad impacts on transport infrastructure and development. Parking is essential to much commercial life and effective management will maintain its role but careful pricing and supply management is vital to balancing infrastructure cost effectiveness.
Policies on parking therefore are:
The ACT is located near, but not on, the main national transport corridor and the Government is well aware of the importance of linkages to the surrounding area of New South Wales (NSW) and Canberra's importance as the main regional centre in the South-East. Even so, most of our external transport links are provided for and controlled by the Federal and/or NSW Governments, and the ACT is thus often in a reactive situation or a position of influence rather than power on transport issues. This however, only emphasises the need for the ACT Government to be totally committed to working with other Governments to develop national and regional transport strategies which also enhance ACT development.
The ACT, through the South East Economic Development Council, is conducting a joint project with NSW and local government authorities on identifying transport infrastructure needs as part of the wider South East Region Economic Development Strategy. Major issues for consideration include the planning and upgrading of regional road links to assist economic growth, particularly building on local industrial strengths; and tourist access from the region to the coast.
There are six key areas involved in providing external transport links to the ACT.
The ACT Government has already expressed its strong support for the VFT subject to satisfactory resolution of economic, social and environmental concerns.
The ACT stands to gain very substantial economic benefits from the VFT, particularly if it was linked to a new international airport in the Canberra area. Indeed, the project would change the whole structure and emphasis of the key Sydney to Melbourne transport route and make Canberra a far more important element in terms of economic and social linkages in this corridor.
The ACT VFT Advisory Committee concluded that the Government should support and encourage the proposal subject to the establishment of strict safety and environmental standards, adequate public consultation measures and early and detailed discussions with the VFT Joint Venture on financial and economic issues.
As with internal transport, roads are still the predominant medium for regional travel. For example over 85 percent of the ACT's freight is carried by road transport
Negotiations are continuing with the NSW Government to upgrade the Kings Highway A joint ACT/NSW submission to the Federal Government seeking national arterial status for the Highway was unsuccessful, but upgrading the Highway will be pursued through the South East Economic Development Council.
Discussions are also taking place with the Federal Government on funding responsibility for the Federal and Barton Highways and other roads of major national significance within the ACT.
The regional road and freight terminal infrastructure appears quite adequate for the short to medium term, particularly when current works programmed for such roads as the Hume, Federal and Monaro Highways are taken into account. The regional planning processes established by this Government will be crucial in developing longer term strategies to build on the region's strengths.
In recent years, following route service deregulation bus travel has become a very important part of interstate travel. The ACT and regional bus and coach industry will be fully consulted on any proposed changes to intra-state services. Cross-border services were effectively deregulated with self-government.
The potential for development of a single new coach terminal to centralise and upgrade facilities for charter, tour and long-distance route services will also be examined.
Close liaison is also being maintained with the NSW Government on the future of passenger and freight rail services to Canberra At present some 75 percent of ACT fuel is delivered by rail and this fuel represents 85 percent of rail freight to the ACT. The Government is continuing to press for commitments from NSW to maintain this service, and proposed NSW initiatives on passenger rail services to the ACT- give the promise of important future upgrading of both passenger and freight services.
Responsibility for air services to Canberra rests with the relevant Federal authorities, the commercial airlines and general aviation operators. Deregulation of airline services occurred in November 1990 and the long term effects on air services to and from Canberra are difficult to predict at this stage. although it is unlikely that any of the new airlines will be providing services to Canberra in the near future the Government will closely monitor the situation and liaise with the airlines and relevant Federal authorities s to ensure that the best possible aviation services are provided
A major aviation initiative which has been strongly supported by the ACT Government is the proposal to establish an international air-freight centre, to service the South Pacific region, at Canberra Airport subject of course to satisfactory resolution of economic, social and environmental issues. This project would have substantial benefit for the ACT and south-east region.
With the increasing pressures on Sydney airport, Canberra may also play an increasing role as a regional 'hub' for commuter and feeder air services.
Looking to the future, while the ACT's external transport needs may be adequately served at present by the national transport network, there are a number of key issues which the ACT must vigorously pursue with the Federal and NSW Governments to ensure that our longer term needs are met. These include the upgrading of the major national and regional road and rail corridors and resulting improvements in freight forwarding and distribution; reform of the rail system, including private sector participation in such initiatives as the 'Fast Freight Train'; airline deregulation; and the second Sydney airport.
It is important for the ACT to participate in national and regional transport forums to exchange expertise and experience with others and avoid duplication of effort 1 he ACT's participation in such forums as the Australian Transport Advisory Council (which is the peak national transport body, comprising Federal, State and Territory Transport Ministers), allows the ACT to present its own case on key transport issues and establish the Territory as an independent and valuable contributor on the national transport scene. Other important organisations on which the ACT is now represented include the Australian and New Zealand City Transit Association, AUSTROADS and the Australian Road Research Board.
There is also a need for close co-operation and co-ordination on transport issues at the regional level The Government and its agencies maintains regular liaison with the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority, State Rail and Local Councils on transport issues
In summary, external transport policies must ensure that the ACT's external transport links provide an effective service to business residents and visitors to the ACT and region. The Government's main priorities in this area are:
Transport controls cover a wide and complex range of specific traffic, vehicle and driver regulatory matters. Most of these issues need to be addressed in the specific industry contexts and some involve national uniformity concerns.
The Alliance Government is keen to ensure that regulation is not an un-necessary impediment to the efficient and effective operation of commercial and government business and peoples' normal social and recreational activities. This particularly applies to the transport sector, where such policies will be applied in specific areas.
The recent changes to motor vehicle testing procedures, which have exempted most cars under six years old from annual inspection, are a good example of changes to existing regulations which have meant greater efficiency to both the public and the Government without compromising safety.
Provision of transport facilities can be very expensive and has considerable impact on both the Government's and individuals' budgets. The most recent household expenditure survey showed that transport is Canberra's third major outlay after food and housing costs. The average transport expenditure per household of just under $90 a week, is about 11 percent of average weekly household income.
At the Government level, over $26 million has been allocated for roads and associated works, which represents about one-fifth of the total capital works construction program for 1990/91 . A further $24 million is spent annually on maintenance of roads, pedestrian areas and cycleways (including stormwater and lighting).
Much of the basic reasoning behind the Government's policies is to limit increases in total transport costs and improve system efficiency. This will be done by greater emphasis on public transport with its lower unit costs, whilst still recognising the importance of the appropriate economic and social mix of private and public transport. The policies aim to reduce public expenditure by maximising the use of existing infrastructure, and will reduce or defer the need for arterial roads expenditure although this reduction will be partly offset by an increase in public transport capital and recurrent expenditure. Within the medium term, it will also reduce the need for Government expenditure on parking in town centres by encouraging more effective use of cars by commuters through better cost recovery. Proper maintenance of the road system to maximise its economic life will also be an increasing priority.
These policies are a firm commitment by a responsible Government, which is always willing to learn and receive community feedback. Indeed the Territory Plan will embody those policies, appropriate to land use considerations and community comments will be sought on the Plan, including transport issues.
It is also important that these policies and strategies not be static and inflexible. They will be regularly assessed and 'fine tuned', with a major review envisaged in 1995. Indeed, if the VFT Project proceeds as intended, the effects it will have on both our urban and long-distance transport system will mean major changes much sooner.
In conclusion, it is the Government's firm intention and commitment to provide an efficient, flexible, safe and affordable passenger and freight transport system both within the ACT and with appropriate connections to the surrounding region and the national transport network. Only with such a transport system can the ACT go forward in economic growth with the confidence that environment and social amenity will also be enhanced.
May 1991
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Comments to Paul Ratcliffe at ratclif@pcug.org.au