Getting the most out of existing infrastructure
We will work to continuously improve the capability of Canberra’s already excellent transport infrastructure. We will assess the performance of roads and paths and look for new solutions to maximise their use efficiently, sustainably and safely. We will embrace the opportunities created through new technology to better manage our network and increase capacity to accommodate future demand and emerging transport modes.
Getting the most out of our existing infrastructure recognises that we cannot ‘build’ our way out of congestion. Continuously expanding the road network will create future operational, maintenance and renewal burdens. Delivering the right infrastructure at the right time requires our infrastructure planning process to respond strategically to challenge and prioritise low cost, non-infrastructure solutions over large capital investments where possible.
To optimise the use of these networks, we need to consider the relationship with Canberra’s parking supply. Managing parking supply and demand effectively encourages efficient use of available parking resources and avoids parking shortfalls during busy periods. Managing parking demand also encourages those with viable alternatives to switch from driving, particularly in locations well serviced by public and active transport, such as the city centre.
Making our transport system resilient and flexible
In the first three months of 2020, Canberra faced a trio of events that altered the way people travelled almost overnight. These events – bushfires, a sudden hailstorm and the COVID-19 pandemic – each affected travel differently and highlighted the need to make our transport system resilient and flexible. Persistent smoke haze from bushfires prevented cycling and walking, the hailstorm left thousands of Canberrans without the use of their personal cars and the COVID-19 pandemic prompted Government to advise against non-essential travel. These events serve as a reminder of the need for a flexible and thus resilient transport system, able to effectively adapt to outside events.
A flexible transport system gives people a range of choices over how they travel by allowing people to seamlessly connect between transport types. Flexible responses include reallocating road space to public transport, walking, cycling or deliveries, or taking advantage of emerging car share or micro-mobility trends. For example, car share allows people to use public transport more flexibly in Canberra, combining the two modes unlocks more journey options than would be otherwise available. A 2018 survey of customers from one Canberra car share provider found that since joining
car share many members had started using public transport, cycling and walking more, and over a third stated they had used public transport and car share as part of an integrated trip.
A flexible and resilient transport system also includes anticipating and preparing for future trends, such as the uptake of electric vehicles and connected autonomous vehicles, as well as adopting management practices that are flexible and demand responsive to enable rapid change should conditions require it. For this reason, this strategy designates transport links based on the outcome they should achieve for the network as a whole while allowing flexibility in how this is managed.
Flexible street and kerbside management
COVID-19 has seen a shift in business practices towards retail innovations such as click and collect, kerbside pick- up, parcel lockers, and personal deliveries. Additionally, we can expect the upward trend of micro-mobility, car share and on-demand transport seen in other cities to become increasingly part of Canberra’s lifestyle. Autonomous transport such as small delivery vehicles and drones may also change the way our footpaths and residential and commercial driveways are used.
Getting the most out of our existing infrastructure will require a more flexible approach to how we manage our streets and kerbside environments. In our town and local centres, this could mean more short-term parking to pick up takeaway food or shopping ordered online and designated drop-off and pick-up areas. It may also mean expanding kerbside access for small commercial vehicles and time-of-day time management practices. In our central corridors, this could mean more space allocated to bus lanes and bus stops, cycling and walking, deliveries, bike-share, car-share or e-scooter stations.
