Greener, cheaper, better

Yes we can!Janet Rice

Executive Officer, Sustainable Melbourne Alliance for Transport and Urbanism

Former Councillor and Mayor, City of MaribyrnongFormer Chair, Metropolitan Transport Forum

Convenor, Greens Transport and Planning working Group

The reality check.1. Land is expensive, and will remain

expensive. So to be affordable, homes need to take up less land.

2. Climate change & peak oil are real. We need to aim for zero carbon emissions

3. We can’t meet carbon reductions & the challenges of expensive oil by everyone shifting to renewably powered electric cars – expensive, inefficient & inequitable.

This is half a train carriage…

So what does our transport and planning need to deliver?

• Meet the community’s needs for travel• Zero carbon emissions• Accessible for all• Economically efficient• Healthy – low emissions & more physical

activity• Safe, clean and high amenity• Encourage and support community

interactions

This means we need…• fewer trips overall• better public transport: more trips by pt• Streets for people: more trips by bike and

walking • vibrant compact activity centres• less parking & more expensive parking• tax reform• better use of each car trip• remaining motorised trips to be zero

carbon

Good News!

•Parking in suburban Amsterdam: 2 Euro/ hour

•Residential parking permit: 51 Euro for 3 months that’s $A340 a year

More Good News!

The shift to public transport is happening

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

1994-99 2008

Survey Year

% o

f M

oto

rise

d T

rip

s

And vehicle kilometres are dropping% change in vehicle km

compared to population 2000 - 2006

-2.0

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06

% c

hang

e

inner

outer

total

population

So how to accelerate these trends?

Political will

Stop subsidising urban sprawl

Use extra revenue for social housing & rent assistance - commit to 20% affordable housing

Quality public transport as development occurs

1. Trains every two minutes on every track through the city centre

2. Trains to UGB, and new tram services3. Minimum 10 minute frequency

connecting activity centres4. Suburban bus services every 15

minutes, 7 days a week

No expansion of the urban growth boundary

• Commitment to Melbourne’s development as a more compact, poly-centric city

No big new roads• Not needed • waste of money

that could be spent on more sustainable equitable purposes

Local jobs:

Government to lead the way

Open space, community gardens, communityfacilities

Planning controls and regulations to deliver high quality, energy efficient development

Integrate mobility management

into all transport planning and delivery

So that the sensible, logical ,rational choice for people is to not drive most of the timeIf it’s cheap and easy to drive people will!

Governance is critical

Need an independent, transparent, accountable agency to manage public transport services and networks

Community engagement processes are critical to build understanding and support

Can we fix it? Yes we can!