ITS Monday: Edition 45, 2020

Why are young adults more likely to use public transport? (an exploration of mode shares by age – part 3)

The latest in a series from Chris Loader’s Charting Transport blog. Very much data0based, this ‘third post in a series looks at the relationship between public transport mode share and parenthood, the year in which people were born, whether people were born in Australia or overseas, and how recently immigrants arrived in Australia.’

How avoiding the commute is making us happier

A podcast (22 minutes long, either listen to the audio file or read the transcript at the link), featuring as a guest Professor David Hensher, founding director of the University of Sydney’s Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies.

‘Lost opportunity’: Melbourne considers slashing cost of parking as part of car-led recovery

This has caused quite a bit of discussion online! ‘The City of Melbourne is considering cutting the cost of parking in the CBD and seeking a reduction in the congestion tax in a bid to encourage motorists to return to the city centre.’

New cycleway planned down the centre of Sydney’s Oxford Street

Meanwhile, in Sydney this is a a quite different approach to transport matters post-pandemic. ‘A two-way cycleway will be built down a section of Sydney’s well-known Oxford Street as part of a push to fill in the missing links in the CBD’s bike network.’

Separated bike lanes means safer streets, study says

And speaking of separated cycle ways, this report on a 13-year USA study of safety aspects of cycleways. It finds that ‘… protected bike lanes led to a drastic decline in fatalities for all users of the road.’

Local councils advised to push ahead with traffic reduction schemes

In the UK, serious (?) noise is being made about transport adjustments to lessen congestion.  ‘The UK government is to push ahead with a new wave of traffic reduction schemes to help more people walk and cycle, telling councils that while they must properly consult on new projects, they should also not be derailed by a minority of noisy opponents.’

How a California county’s mobility mavens are creating a future with autonomous vehicles

Yes yes, the headline contains the word ‘maven’ (uggh). This is the tale of the Contra Costa Transportation Authority, and its work in creating partnerships to tackle its congestion problem.

London to host UK’s largest e-scooter trial

Details of a recent announcement by Transport for London (TfL). A ‘… third of the capital’s 33 boroughs have expressed an interest in taking part in e-scooter rental schemes, with a year-long trial due to start next Spring. TfL has launched a competition to select up to three operators to take part in the trial.

E-bike prices could be reduced by a third to get more people cycling

To finish this week’s ITS Monday, we stay in London, and a call from some MPs looking to implement a tax-payer funded discount scheme to offer financial incentives to anyone considering buying a new electric bike.