Transport for Sustainable Cities

Emmerson Richardson, Sinclair Knight Merz

Peter Newman, Curtin University1

> A sustainable transport system:

o Allows the basic access needs of individuals and societies to

be met safely in a manner consistent with human ecosystem

health, and within and between generations

o Is affordable, operates efficiently, offers choice of transport

mode, and supports a vibrant economy

o Limits emissions and waste within the planet’s ability to absorb

them, minimises consumption of non-renewable resources,

limits consumption of renewable resources to the sustainable

yield level, reuses and recycles its components, and minimises

the use of land and the production of noise

A Definition of Sustainable Transport

2

Liveable/ Sustainable Cities

> Great places for social, cultural

and business exchange

> Great public places – to walk

around or stay a while

> Diverse mixed uses – leisure,

education, retail, employment and

a mix of housing types

> Preserve heritage and create new

urban art

> A human scale of urban design –

active interesting streets

> Easy to access and move around

3

Transport for Sustainable Cities

> Complement and fit the urban

form

> High capacity access without

high numbers of cars

> A walkable city – safe, secure,

comfortable and convenient

> A transit city – more than a city

with transit

4

What are the Drivers for Change?

> Climate change

> Road congestion

> Health and fitness

> Affordable living

> Road safety

> Peak oil

Less dependence on and use of cars

5

Transport and Climate Change

> Currently 14% of emissions for

transport

> High growth in transport

emissions in Australia:

o 28.4% growth (1990 – 2004)

o 60.5% estimated growth (1990-

2020) under BAU

> UK + 26.4% (1990 – 2002)

> USA + 27.6% (1990 – 2004)

6

Transport and Climate Change – International

Comparisons

7

AUSTRALIA UK USA

Population 20.1 million 60.3 million 296.4 million

Total greenhouse gas

emissions565 mt/yr 656 mt/yr 7147 mt/yr

Total greenhouse gas

emissions per person

28.1 t/yr

100%

10.9 t/yr

39%

24.1 t/yr

86%

Greenhouse gas from

cars per person

2.07 t/yr

100%

1.04 t/yr

50%

3.95 t/yr

191%

Analysis of data supplied under UN Framework on Climate Change, 2004

Melbourne/ London Comparison

8

Source: Bus Association Victoria Transport Emissions Report

Impact of Road Building on Delay – America’s

20 Biggest Cities

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Source: Urban Transport Monitor (1999)

Impact of Public Transport on Travel

Demand – America’s 50 Biggest Cities

Increase/Decrease Compared to Bus Only System Cities

Indicator Large Rail System

( 7 cities )

Small Rail System

( 16 cities )

Bus Only System

( 27 cities )

Public Transport Ridership

(kms per person) + 500% + 50% 0%

Car Driver Travel

(kms per person) - 20% - 10% 0%

Traffic Safety

(Deaths per 100,000

persons)

- 35% - 15% 0%

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Source: Rail Transit in America – A Comprehensive Evaluation of Benefits; Litman, T (2004)

Road Safety

> Worldwide, over one million people die each year from road

crashes and many millions more are injured

> More Australian lives lost in road crashes than the more

than 100,000 Australians killed in wars

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> Driving up prices and impacting on affordability

> Impact on house prices and the economy

> Could result in real shortages – rationing

Australia Petroleum Trade Deficit (12 month running totals), June 2002 to March 2008

Source: A Road Map for Alternative Fuels in Australia: Ending our Dependence on Oil.

Report of Jamieson Group to NRMA Motoring Services, July 2008

Peak Oil

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> High Capacity/ High Frequency Public Transport

> Mixed Use/ High Density Around Transit Nodes (TODs)

> Sustainable Mobility Management of Road Traffic

> Changing Vehicles and Fuels

> Radical Restructure of the Transport Budget

Implementing a Sustainable Transport Plan

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Public transport

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> High speed rail on major corridors

> Light rail in inner areas and day activity corridors

> Deliver capacity to move 4 times passengers by 2030

> High frequency (less than 10 minutes) all day

> Integrated bus/ rail systems

> More people in walking distance of major routes

> Major investment required

A Paradigm Shift for Public Transport –

A Transit City Approach

15

Potential Travel Scenario – Perth

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Year 2008 Year 2030 Change in

Trips/ Day

Population 1.5M 2.2M

Total Trips/ Day 5.25M 7.7M 2,450,000

Car Driver Trips 3.05M (58%) 2.80M (36.4%) (250,000)

Car Passenger Trips 1.05M (20%) 1.16M (15%) 110,000

Public Transport Trips 0.32M (6%) 1.28M (16.6%) 960,000

Walking & Cycling Trips 0.84M (16%) 2.47M (32%) 1,630,000

Lifestyles and

city form

change with

it...

PUBLIC TRANSPORT PASSENGER

KILOMETRES PER CAPITA VERSUS

CAR PASSENGER KILOMETRES PER

CAPITA

y = -4576Ln(x) + 40753

R2 = 0.4973

-

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

0.0 2000.0 4000.0 6000.0 8000.0

Annual per capita public transport passenger kilometres per capita

An

nu

al car p

assen

ger

kilo

metr

es p

er c

ap

ita

People living in TODs have 50% less

car use and save 20% of their

household income due to one less car.

Value retained in down times and good

in up times.

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2.3 – 7.67.6 – 10.110.1 – 12.612.6 – 15.015.0 – 18.418.4 – 24.524.5 – 39.0

Annual Vehicle Km per Household, 2004Outer

suburbs residents,

particularly those away

from rail lines, drive much more than inner

suburbs residents.

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TRAVEL SMART

- Creating a more resilient

transport culture....

• Developed from German Werner

Brog, applied first in Perth, then UK

now US.....

• Individualised marketing based on

direct intervention with

householders receiving educational

materials on alternatives to the car.

• Bikers and bus drivers become

eco-coaches...

35

Biofuels for

farmers....

Eg from OIL

MALLEE

Carbon

Accredited

Good for remote freight

and ecotourism

Only option for heavy vehicles; CNG

buses have shown how to do it. Australian

technology used to convert Mumbai and Chenai buses.

Australia has 77% of its population on

natural gas distribution system.

Can convert biomass to natural gas.

Leads into Hydrogen economy.

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4,400 tonnes ghg

$86 million infrastructure

savings($86,000 per block)

$250 million in annualised transport

savings over 50 years.

Health savings...

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