SCCANZ publishes urban mobility strategy

Smart Cities Council Australia New Zealand (SCCANZ) has published a new strategy advocating for reducing congestion on Australian roads by improving transport options for commuters.

SCCANZ’s Urban Mobility Task Force, a group which advocates for the development and adoption of sustainable and inclusive mobility solutions for cities, released the Mobility Now strategy to wrap up last week’s Smart Cities Week.

The strategy outlines six clear steps for reducing road and public transport congestion, which Infrastructure Australia estimates could cost the economy $40 billion by 2031.

Smart Cities Council Executive Director Adam Beck said Australia’s unprecedented city growth rate is creating urgent pressures to implement new mobility alternatives. The population is projected to grow by 24% to 31.4 million by 2036, with nearly 80% of this growth expected to be concentrated in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.

“We know half of all commuters in our capital cities live within 10 kilometres of their workplace — and as much as a third live within five kilometres. And yet most still drive. Our challenge is to boost transport options that help people overcome the first- and last-mile hurdle,” Beck said.

“If just 5% of driver-only commuters shifted to micro-mobility — cycling, scooting or walking in combination with public transport — we would remove 300,000 cars from Australia’s daily commuter traffic, while helping people’s wallets and waistlines.”

The six recommendations include adapting and redesigning the urban built environment in large cities; developing a new urban mobility operating system; and introducing more accessible and equitable mobility options for commuters.

Rounding out the list are adopting a modern urban mobility data system; developing a new mobility incentives regime; and implementing new decision-making and strategy development practices for city and transport planning.

“These six actions must be taken now to address the challenges associated with the ‘first- and last-mile’ problem and enable uptake of more sustainable transport modes,” Beck said.

“Mobility Now is not about pitching cars against bikes or pedestrians, but about curating a more balanced mix of transport modes to enhance the livability, sustainability and workability of our cities — not to mention the health and wellbeing of our citizens.”

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