ITS Monday: Edition 1, 2026

‘It gave me wings’: E-buses empower communities

The first curated article for 2026 concerns on of our own recently completed projects, the Gippsland community e-Bus pilot. “Electric minibuses were launched in the remote communities of Venus Bay and Sandy Point, giving locals a fully electric, wheelchair-accessible transport option in an area where travel typically required a private car and where some residents were effectively unable to travel at all.”

Exploring community public budget preferences for transport electrification: Evidence from a contingent budget allocation study in New South Wales, Australia

A new academic paper, co-authored by Andrea Pellegrini, John Rose, and David Hensher, of the Instituye of Transport and Logistics Studies.

The abstract:

The allocation of funds across government functions often reflects political priorities that do not align with public expectations. This paper employs a contingent allocation method in which respondents are required to distribute a fixed budget across 12 different potential project types. The main goal of this research is to elicit community priorities for public spending with a specific focus on transport electrification.

Based on a sample of 727 residents from the state of New South Wales (NSW), Australia, our findings indicate that transport electrification is not regarded as a majority priority relative to initiatives aimed at improving healthcare, utilities, roads and education.

Further, we find that the prioritisation of decarbonising transport services is heavily influenced by households’ financial circumstances: individuals experiencing financial distress are less inclined to allocate substantial public resources to curbing transport-related emissions. These results suggest that policy actions should be designed to ensure that climate transition measures do not disproportionately burden financially vulnerable communities.

Related iMOVE articles:

• The Conductor Series: The electrification of transport

Related iMOVE project:

• ESP: Preparing for the electrification of transportation
• Electric school buses for regional WA: Challenges and solutions

Understanding charging duration patterns of electric vehicle users: Evidence from an Australian field study

As above, this piece is via the Institute of Tranport and Logistics Studes, a working paper co-aiuthored by Andrea Pellegrini, Elisabetta Cherchi, and John Rose.

The abstract:

In this study, we examine the charging location and duration choices made by Australian electric vehicle owners over a one-week period. To do so, we employ a multivariate multiple discrete-grouped extreme value (MDGEV) model (Bhat et al., 2020) that allows the simultaneous evaluation of where and for how long vehicles are charged across multiple locations, while also capturing potential correlation effects among charging sites. Further, state dependent variables are incorporated into the specification to capture habit persistence effects, whereby past charging choices influence subsequent decisions.

The empirical findings indicate that solar panel ownership increases the likelihood of home charging but is associated with shorter charging durations compared with households without photovoltaic access. Residing in major cities is found to be linked to a greater reliance on non-home charging, confirming the prolonged challenges faced by electric vehicle owners in densely populated urban areas. Habit persistence is estimated to play a key role in the charging-decision making process, with EV owners exhibiting routine behaviour when selecting the facility for their next charging activities.

The estimated results are next used to investigate how charging duration patterns change under the universal adoption of solar panels and flexible electricity plans, revealing that both policies will impact the rate and duration of charging across locations.

Related iMOVE article:

• Electric Vehicles: Info, Projects & Resources

Related iMOVE projects:

• An afterlife ecosystem for electric vehicle batteries
• Leading the charge in bi-directional charging
• Utrecht to Australia: Unlocking scalable, low-cost V2G
• Being a V2G trailblazer: Lessons for mass market adoption

Toward More Accurate and Responsive Congestion Costing

This downloadable is by Todd Litman, of the Victoria Transport Policy Institute. “Commonly cited congestion cost estimates are inaccurate. This can bias planning decisions to overinvest in roadway expansions, and fails to respond to traveler demands for affordability, cost
efficiency and safety. Let’s investigate.”

Related iMOVE article:

• Traffic Congestion: Info, Projects & Resources

Sydney unveils landmark Harbour Bridge cycleway
The long-awaited Sydney Harbour Bridge cycleway has officially opened to the public as of January 5, 2026, marking a new milestone in the city’s transport network and cycling infrastructure.

The $39 million project, which began construction in October 2024, provides step-free access to the bridge’s western side, connecting Milsons Point and North Sydney with the city centre.

The new ramp replaces the steep staircase ramp, a major barrier for cyclists and riders with mobility needs, completing a 15-month build that advocates have pushed for over two decades.”