ITS Monday: Edition 26, 2022

Transport is blind spot in the vision for achieving net-zero by 2050

An opinion piece by Elliott Fishman, director of the Institute for Sensible Transport, complete with five actions for the new Labor government to adopt to “… stop the growth in transport emissions and bring them down in alignment with net zero by 2050.”

Related iMOVE projects:

• Developing a low/zero emission transport strategy for Australia
• Clean fuels, lower emissions in red meat processing transport
• Implementation of sustainable transport policies
  

On your bike: If we all cycled like the Dutch, global emissions would drop nearly 700 million tonnes

This story with a very descriptive headline springs from a recent University of Southern Denmark study. The figure in the headline “… exceeds the entire carbon footprint of most countries, including the UK, Canada, Saudi Arabia and Australia.”

Related iMOVE project: Safer cycling and street design: A guide for policymakers

Bank’s shock car loan announcement for customers

I’m not sure that I’d classify the institution in question as a major Australian bank, but it’s an interesting precedent all the same. “Bank Australia says it will cease funding for new fossil fuel vehicles from 2025 onwards, though will continue to offer customers finance for second-hand petrol and diesel cars.”

The road to new fuel efficiency rules is filled with potholes. Here’s how Australia can avoid them

From The Conversation, authored by Robin Smit and Nic Surawski of the University of Technology Sydney, Hussein Dia from the Swinburne University of Technology. “Without a robust set of mandatory transport emissions standards, Australia’s dependence on fossil fuels will deepen, and reaching our emissions reduction goals will become harder.”

Electric vehicles: four things that will help Australia shift gears after a ‘decade of denial’

Following on from the piece above, written in response to Chris Bowen’s speech last week’s Electric Vehicle Summit. The article picks up on four takeaways from the event’s speaker lineup.

Pink tax on transport: the role of MaaS

From the SkedGo blog, and written by Marlen Schoenig. “Gender bias in transportation is a serious problem that needs to be addressed. Transporting people around can be an expensive and time-consuming endeavour, which often leads to disparities in who gets to use transport and how. It impacts not only women but every aspect of society, from the economy to sustainability.”

Queensland commuters set post-COVID record as smart ticketing trial expands

“Public transport use in Brisbane has surged, new data has shown, but it is still well down on pre-pandemic levels.” Will a new ticketless payment trial help pump up the commuter numbers?

Australians baulk at the great resignation, leery of commute

The expected “great resignation” of Australians during the COVID-19 pandemic appears to be over before it began, with research showing a sharp fall in the proportion of people thinking about switching jobs.”

Related iMOVE content: Read about our various Working from Home projects

GPs to prescribe walking and cycling in bid to ease burden on NHS

A story from the United Kingdom, with GPs set to prescribe patients activities such as walking or cycling in a bid to ease the burden on the NHS by improving mental and physical health.

Here’s the official media release from the UK Government: Walking, wheeling and cycling to be offered on prescription in nationwide trial, which includes a link to the government’s Gear Change Plan.

10 images show just how attractive Australian shopping strips can be without cars

Another article from The Conversation, co-authored by a mix of Western Australian and one Danish academics. “We’ll discuss four reasons to reallocate parking space next to shops. But first, we’ve re-imagined ten car-centric Australian streets to illustrate the benefits of reallocating space to people ,,, to shoppers, diners, riders, children, prams and the mobility-impaired.”

30kph speed limits on WA streets as government expands ‘safe active streets’ program

“The WA government is set to drop the speed limit to 30kph on close to a dozen more streets in Perth and regional WA after seeing an increase in pedestrians and cyclists in areas where the speed limit has been lowered. Over the past seven years, the Department of Transport has lowered the speed limit on several Perth streets to 30kph as part of its ‘Safe Active Streets’ program to encourage cycling and walking in residential areas.”

Transdev backs hydrogen bus future

A press release from Transdev, announcing an investment in two hydrogen buses with support from the Queensland Government. Transdev is matching the government’s $1.5 million for the hydrogen fuel cell buses to be trialled in Brisbane’s eastern suburbs.

Foton and Transit Systems have entered into an Australian-first partnership on hydrogen fuel cell city buses

Australian-first? Maybe it is, but who can keep track as there’s been so many hydrogen bus stories announced lately! What this article doesn’t say is where these two hydrogen buses will go into action, but digging around a little I saw that “Transit Systems currently operate metropolitan bus contracts in Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales, Western Australian and Northern Territory.” So in one, same, or all of those places you may see these two buses on trial.

New York moves ahead with congestion pricing plan

The last article for this week’s ITS Monday, so let’s go out with the totally not hot topic of road use charging. The permission from state lawmakers to develop and implement the plan was given in 2019, and could be in place by late 2023. “Once federal, state and local leaders hammer out recommendations for toll rates — and any discounts, exemptions and other allowances — the final approval comes from the M.T.A. board.”

“The fees levied to enter the area are expected to create $1 billion for public transportation annually — money that is badly needed by the city’s subways, buses and commuter rail lines.”

Related iMOVE content:

• Innovative road network pricing models
• Road pricing reform: a thorny issue
• Charging electric vehicles for road use?