Environment and Resource Management

Human settlements: Travel and transport

Authors

John Reynolds, Karen Macintosh and Jody Rossner, Queensland Transport

Reviewer

Randall Fletcher, Queensland Transport

Key findings

Indicators and summary of status


Indicator

Status of indicator

Car availability

The number of vehicles per household is increasing. Total vehicle numbers are growing faster than the population.

Distance travelled by passenger vehicles

Queenslanders are driving more often and are driving longer distances.

Mode share

The private motor vehicle still dominates our personal travel, compared to public transport, walking and cycling, although significant increases in use of public transport have been achieved in recent years.

Road congestion

Road congestion in urban areas is under increasing pressure. Proposed infrastructure, services, planning and policy initiatives will assist in mitigating future congestion.

Average distance
to work

The average distance from home to work is increasing; the average distance to work in the Brisbane Statistical Division (BSD) increased from 13.5 km in 1992 to 16.8 km in 2003-04. On average, people living in outer areas of the BSD travel 1.75 times further to work than people living in the inner city.

Freight movements

Freight movement in South East Queensland is expected to double in the next 15 to 20 years as a consequence of population growth and greater economic activity. Queensland is developing strategies to manage the increasing freight transport task.


Importance

The discussion of this issue describes how Queenslanders currently travel, transport system pressures (economic, social and environmental), and state government programs in place to manage and improve the system and lessen its impacts.

A person's ability to move about efficiently and gain access to personal and commercial activities can be evaluated in terms of mobility and accessibility. There is considerable debate among transport and environmental specialists about balancing the considerations of mobility and accessibility to deliver an effective transport system.

Mobility refers to an individual's ability to negotiate the transport system. Improved mobility can be evident in higher rates of private vehicle ownership, increased freight movements and increasing vehicle kilometres travelled (VKT). However, as mobility improves and our increasing population travels both more and further, there can be impacts on the transport system, including increased congestion and vehicle emissions. Mobility also does not ensure accessibility.

Accessibility takes into account people's opportunities to reach commonly used destinations-for example, work or recreation. Accessibility is a function of how effectively land use and transport are integrated: high integration will coincide with high accessibility and may result in reduced private VKT and reduced private vehicle ownership because people have more opportunities to travel on foot, by bicycle and by public transport. Accessibility can be considered for all modes of transport but is currently most often evaluated in terms of public transport. This can include evaluation of the existence of, distance to and frequency of public transport services; how well services are coordinated and the quality of the service, such as whether disabled access is available; the key facilities to which the service provides access; and how well the service coordinates with other transport links.

In this discussion, accessibility is considered in a regional and state context rather than at the local level of the transport system. Improved accessibility and increased use of public transport, walking and cycling help lessen congestion and overall vehicle emissions.

Rethinking travel needs and impacts

Governments need to influence movements of the population, using a range of planning, policy, infrastructure and service initiatives. This is particularly so in areas of significant growth such as South East Queensland (SEQ) and regional coastal centres.

If transport is not managed effectively, problems such as congestion, reduced air quality, increasing fuel emissions, greater pollution of waterways, unsustainable settlement, higher fuel use and ineffective travel patterns may arise.

People need to consider transport access to employment opportunities, schools, shopping centres and hospitals when selecting suburbs in which to live. Similarly, businesses should consider staggered work start and finish times or increased use of work-from-home strategies to ease peak-hour travel pressures.

Community trends

A number of key community drivers are influencing the Queensland Government's policies and strategies to improve the mobility of the general population, public transport services and freight. The heavy reliance on private motor vehicles and their impact are being examined by Queensland Transport.

Car availability

Car availability throughout Queensland, but particularly in SEQ, continues to rise, and the number of vehicles per household in the Brisbane Statistical Division (BSD) is increasing. The proportion of households with only one vehicle decreased from 40% to 38% between 1992 and 2003-04 while the proportion of those with two or more vehicles increased from 34% to 39% (QT 1994, 2005b).

Distance travelled by passenger vehicles

Vehicle kilometres travelled (VKT) is growing faster than the population. Passenger vehicle kilometres travelled in SEQ grew from 47.1 million in 1992 to 80 million in 2003-04 (QT 1994, 2005b).

Mode share

There remains a reliance on private vehicle travel in SEQ. This is shown by an increase in driver trips in the BSD from 52% of all personal trips in 1992 to 56% in 2003-04 (QT 1994, 2005b).

An in-depth travel behaviour survey conducted in Taringa, Aspley, Woolloongabba and parts of Redland Shire showed that approximately 40% of all current car trips could be replaced by walking, cycling and public transport (QT 2005a).

Public transport patronage in SEQ has grown since the introduction of TransLink in 2004.

Road congestion

Average travel speeds are fluctuating. The construction phase of transport infrastructure projects may reduce travel speeds on major routes but the completion of each project improves travel flows by providing more capacity and efficiency in the network. Over time, however, the trend suggests that increasing traffic growth consumes the improvements and travel speeds decrease.

The average speed between 1995-96 and 1999-2000 on a selected sample of SEQ routes decreased from 51 km/h to 40.1 km/h in the mornings and from 53 km/h to 43.3 km/h in the afternoons. With an increase in public transport services, road infrastructure and increased road capacity since 1999-2000, average travel speeds during morning and afternoon peak periods increased to 43.7 km/h and 49.4 km/h in 2003-04. This increase occurred despite the growth in population and vehicle numbers in the same period (EPA 2007).

Average distance to work

The average distance from home to work in the BSD was estimated to be approximately 16.8 km in 2003-04. The average distance in 1992 was 13.5 km (QT 1994, 2005b).

Freight movements

Freight movement in Australia is expected to double in the next 15 to 20 years because of population growth and greater economic activity. Managing road freight will be a significant challenge. In Queensland, the distance travelled and quantity of goods being carried by road freight vehicles are increasing and these vehicles are competing with private and public transport vehicles, particularly in congested urban areas.

Between 1990-91 and 2002 the volume of goods carried by road in Queensland rose by 56%. By 2011-12 the annual road tonne-kilometre task (the kilometres travelled by vehicles loaded with freight) is predicted to rise by 81% to 87.1 billion tonne-kilometres (Apelbaum Consulting 2004).

Pressure and condition

Settlement patterns

Many of SEQ's growth pressures are closely related to past and current patterns of development. These are described in more detail in the South East Queensland Regional Plan 2005-2026 (DLGPSR 2005).

Lifestyle changes are influencing how and where Queenslanders live, and the proportion of one- and two-person households is increasing. However, urban densities remain very low, even in SEQ, with only a small increase in the proportion of attached houses, townhouses and apartments over the past decade, mainly in Brisbane City and Gold Coast City. From 1994 to 2004 the number of small lots (less than 450 m²) as a proportion of all detached housing lots increased by only 1%, to 10% (DLGPSR 2005). A move towards a more compact urban form with higher densities in selected areas that are ready and appropriate for change could achieve benefits such as reduced travel demands, and, as a result, lower energy use and transport emissions.

Significant fragmentation of rural lands and bushland has taken place because of rural residential development on the urban fringe and in rural areas. Between 1991 and 2001, rural residential approvals accounted for over 70% of all land allocated for residential purposes, but accommodated only 15% of developed allotments (DLGPSR 2005). If population growth leads to new greenfield developments, urban expansion can cause an increase in the need to travel as well as an increase in travel distances. New developments need to be well planned and integrated to ensure that travel needs are well managed.

Increasing travel and vehicle use

Travel trends relating to total vehicle kilometres travelled (VKT), the travel mode taken (that is, public transport or private vehicle), travel speed and vehicle occupancy are measured to assess the mobility performance of the transport system.

The VKT travelled per day in SEQ increased by 75%, or 15.6 million kilometres, between 1992 and 2003-04. The latest travel survey shows that on an average weekday people spend 85 minutes travelling 39 kilometres (QT 1994, 2005b).

Current indicators suggest that congestion will increase in the future unless significant interventions occur. Congestion will continue to affect air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, most transport emissions being produced by road transport. Congestion as a result of interruptions to the traffic flow may account for as much as 40% of the fuel used by road vehicles in Australian cities and associated greenhouse gases and noxious pollutants (BTRE 2002).

The SEQ Regional Plan estimates that the SEQ region's population will increase by 50 000 people a year between 2005 and 2026-over one million extra people, producing a related increase in travel demand and the number of vehicles using available infrastructure (DLGPSR 2005).

The number of vehicles per household is increasing but average household occupancy has been decreasing, resulting in an increasing number of vehicles per person. The number of vehicles per person is increasing at a faster rate than the population is growing. Increased car ownership and travel distances are contributing factors to congestion, which is likely to worsen unless significant interventions occur.

On a positive note, the TransLink initiative has seen annual increases in SEQ public transport patronage of 9% in 2004-05 and 11% in 2005-06.

In 2001-02 SEQ households consumed an estimated $45.1 billion worth of goods and services, or around 15 million tonnes of freight (QT 2004). By 2026 it is estimated that household consumption will nearly triple, rising to around 41 million tonnes (QT 2004).

Freight movements are placing increasing pressures on the road transport network, shared with private and public transport. SEQ, in particular, is heavily reliant on road freight: more than 1000 articulated trucks a day use Priority 1 freight routes to reach existing and emerging industrial areas, and 250 a day use Priority 2 routes from factories to commercial and retail outlets (Department of Main Roads unpublished).

Travel patterns

In the BSD, the distance travelled for different purposes varies according to residential location. The greatest variation is evident in travel for work. In the inner-city suburbs, the average distance travelled to work is around 12 km, while the average distance to work in the outer areas is 1.75 times further, around 21 km (QT 1994, 2005b). Work locations for inner-city residents are concentrated around the inner city, whereas work locations for outer-area residents tend to be spread across the BSD (QT 1994, 2005b).

Air quality and greenhouse gases

The growing population and associated greater use of private vehicles increase the need to manage air quality. Chapter 3, Atmosphere, provides comparisons of air pollution levels and standards.

While the move towards transit oriented developments (TODs) in SEQ can encourage increased public transport use and lower overall regional pollution levels, there is limited understanding of the potential impact of co-located transport hubs such as bus and train interchanges on local air quality around TODs. Air quality assessments undertaken for transport infrastructure projects and air quality research being undertaken at busway stations are the only information currently available to assist in determining any potential cumulative impacts.

The behaviour and health effects of most pollutants produced by cars, trucks and buses are well understood, but understanding of pollutants such as air toxics and ultrafine particles is limited.

Reductions in vehicle emissions of most air pollutants were achieved over the past decade through more stringent vehicle emission standards, catalytic converters and new fuel standards, despite increasing population and VKT. However, this was not the case for road transport greenhouse gas emissions, which are still increasing rapidly at a rate similar to the rate at which VKT is increasing.

Queensland 's transport greenhouse gas emissions are compared to those of other sectors in 'Climate and greenhouse', page 48. Queensland's road transport produces 88% of all transport emissions. Passenger vehicles are responsible for 59% of road transport emissions; heavy vehicles account for 25%; and light commercial vehicles account for 16% (AGO 2007).

Recreational boating concerns

The growing popularity of recreational boating in Queensland is increasing congestion and pollution pressures on coastal waterways and rivers, where most recreational vessels are used. In 2006, the number of registered recreational vessels in Queensland exceeded 200 000, a 10% increase since the 2003 recreational boating survey (MSQ 2006).

Boat users indicated that fishing was their main activity. More than 82% of boat users reported daytime fishing as their main purpose, and 8% reported daytime cruising as their primary activity (MSQ 2006).

Owners reported carrying between one and three people in 83% of trips, and 17% carried between four and six people per voyage.

The majority of boat users indicated they were aware of the need to protect the seaways from pollutants, 88% stating they stored all rubbish on board and disposed of it when they returned to land. About 12% stored plastic and paper for later disposal but threw food scraps overboard.

The discharge of sewage into the sea and waterways, however, continues to present a serious environmental, educational and enforcement challenge. While sewage disposal at sea was decreasing in 2001, it continues to cause environmental concerns. Updated figures from the 2006 survey are not available but more attention is needed in this area. The 2003 survey (MSQ 2004) found that:

Response

Integrating infrastructure, planning and policy

Congestion is strongly linked to high levels of vehicle use (personal and freight). Strategies that provide transport system users with access to practical choices other than private vehicle use will help manage congestion and environmental impacts.

While delivering infrastructure is central to reducing congestion, it nevertheless has significant lead times, and will only be effective as part of an integrated solution. In its Queensland Infrastructure Report Card, Engineers Australia acknowledges that the government will not be able to build its way out of congestion (Engineers Australia 2004). Therefore, other measures are needed.

Queensland Transport (QT) has recently increased its emphasis on the integration of policy and planning to ensure that there is more recognition of land use and multi-modal transport policy and planning as tools for mitigating congestion, along with infrastructure. QT is also improving its capacity for stakeholder engagement, especially with councils and major developers, and improving modelling and monitoring to enhance planning and policy development.

Recent QT initiatives such as TravelSmart, TransLink, planning activities (Integrated Cycle Network and regional transport plans throughout the state) and projects (busways, bus lanes, cycling infrastructure) have been aimed at encouraging public transport use, cycling and walking.

The SEQ Regional Plan, Draft TransLink Network Plan and South East Queensland Infrastructure Plan and Program (SEQIPP) include strategies and projects which promote replacing some car journeys with walking, cycling and public transport use. These plans emphasise a compact urban form and the integration of transport and land use planning, such as transit oriented developments (TODs), as a means of providing transport users with options other than private vehicle usage.

Managing future freight growth as it doubles by 2020 is a national issue, described as 'Twice the Task'. Road transport is expected to remain the dominant mode of freight movement, as it can provide door-to-door service.

QT is working with the National Transport Council (NTC) and transport departments in other states to implement initiatives to manage road transport freight and encourage alternative modes where appropriate, such as rail for long-distance loads. The challenge in relation to rail is balancing the demands of freight carriers with rail passenger demand on a limited number of rail lines in the metropolitan network (DLGPSR 2005).

The SEQ Regional Plan announced multi-modal priority freight routes for SEQ to move freight around the region. The South East Queensland Regional Freight Network Strategy 2007-2012 was released in June 2007 to manage the impact of increasing freight in SEQ and to drive
future policy.

TransLink

TransLink was introduced to SEQ to better integrate public transport services in the region. Highlights since its launch on 1 July 2004 include:

Since 2004, more than $32 million has been spent on public transport service improvements, including the addition of 8.3 million kilometres of public transport service routes, services more attuned to commuter needs, and working with bus operators on facility and service upgrades.

Over the past two years $39.5 million has been spent on bus stops, bus stations and park and ride facilities in suburban areas, with a further $55.5 million allocated until 2008. Future infrastructure investments include $1.9 billion to be spent on the busway network.

A further $22 million has been spent on upgrades to rail stations, including disabled access improvements, park and ride facilities, bus interchanges and security enhancements. This program will continue to 2008 with a further $113 million intended to be spent.

Busway network

The Queensland Government is building a busway network across greater Brisbane to enhance public transport services. Busways are dedicated for buses only, providing public transport trips that are fast, frequent and reliable. At June 2006 an extra 3.6 million passengers had travelled on the ten main Brisbane Transport routes that have used the South East Busway since its opening in 2001, an increase of 168%.

Busways are alleviating pressures on the transport system by providing an attractive service that makes public transport into the CBD faster than trips by private vehicles.

The first stage of the Inner Northern Busway (INB) opened in 2004; the final underground link from Queen Street to Roma Street and new stations in other areas is now under construction.

Work has commenced on the Boggo Road Busway from the Eleanor Schonell Bridge to Buranda Busway station. Planning is under way for new corridors in the busway network, including the Northern Busway from the Royal Children's Hospital at Herston to Bracken Ridge, and the Eastern Busway from Capalaba to the South East Busway at Buranda.

Regional Queensland

While most of the transport pressure falls on SEQ, where population growth is greatest, regional Queensland, including Cairns, Townsville, Mackay and Wide Bay-Burnett, is also experiencing high growth rates. Elsewhere, there remains a need to better manage travel patterns and options.

Most regional centres throughout Queensland now have integrated regional transport plans (IRTPs) to coordinate road planning and public transport, and encourage the development of communities that take alternative modes of travel into account, such as walking and cycling. Current IRTPs can be accessed on the Queensland Transport website, www.transport.qld.gov.au.

The TravelSmart Communities program encourages communities to change their travel behaviour to use environmentally friendly transport. During 2003 QT, in partnership with the Australian Greenhouse Office, Townsville City Council and Sunbus, trialled the TravelSmart Communities program with 10 000 households in Mundingburra and Hermit Park in Townsville. The project produced increases in walking (26%), cycling (15%) and public transport use (13%). Information about TravelSmart programs is available from the Queensland Transport website, www.transport.qld.gov.au.

Active communities

QT plays a role in a number of whole-of-government initiatives, such as the Be Active Queensland campaign to increase physical activity in our communities. The campaign is aimed primarily at improving the health and wellbeing of Queenslanders. QT's involvement revolves around better planning options to increase physical activity and reduce reliance on private vehicles.

QT actions undertaken as part of Be Active Queensland include TravelSmart campaigns, establishing the Smart Travel Centre-Queensland, sponsoring cycling events, improving and distributing cycle education and network information, and improving public transport options, such as TransLink.

Further details can be found in Be Active Queensland 2006-2010, a framework for health sector action for physical activity in Queensland, Queensland Public Health Forum, September, 2006 on the Queensland Health website, www.health.qld.gov.au.

Protecting air quality

Reducing emissions from traffic

QT contributes to the review and setting of national standards for fuel quality and vehicle technology standards and is involved in the development and continual improvement of emission limits for new motor vehicles through the Australian Design Rules (ADRs).

QT's existing On-road Vehicle Emissions Random Testing (OVERT) program tests vehicle exhaust emissions. If a vehicle's emissions are high, the motorist is provided with information about how servicing can improve its performance and efficiency.

QT has recently trialled a new vehicle testing program measuring emissions from more than 13 000 vehicles in SEQ. The testing program's data will provide information about which vehicles in the fleet produce the most emissions and help inform future management strategies.

Through the Smoky Vehicles Hotline, the public can report vehicles that are expelling smoky exhaust emissions. QT then provides reported vehicle owners with information on improving maintenance and tuning their vehicles to reduce emissions.

Making buses cleaner

Advances in technology, such as improvements to fuel, catalytic converters, particle filters and use of natural gas, have greatly reduced pollution from buses. QT is conducting research into new bus technologies. Some of the TransLink bus fleet operate on compressed natural gas (CNG), and it is planned to replace some existing diesel buses with CNG or alternative cleaner fuel buses within the next three to five years. Funding is also available for operators to buy buses with cleaner engines.

Studies suggest that much of the pollution from buses on the road is caused by a small number of vehicles that have high polluting emissions. QT is currently working with the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) to test and investigate individual bus emissions.

Managing emissions from busways

Research has shown that vehicles travelling on congested roads use twice the amount of fuel used by those on free-flowing roads and produce twice the amount of pollution (BTRE 2002). By taking buses out of congested traffic on roadways, bus emissions are reduced.

Transport emissions research

QT has been undertaking collaborative research with QUT and Griffith University to develop a better understanding of transport pollutants and to create tools for monitoring, modelling and managing emissions. Some of this research has been supported by the Australian Research Council (ARC). QT will soon have access to modelling tools that predict pollution at particular locations (such as around bus stations and at traffic intersections) and at a network level. The network model will help predict changes to overall pollution levels if an addition is made to the transport network and enable future transport scenarios
to be tested.

Protecting the sea and waterways

The number of waterways in Queensland makes the enforcement of pollution laws difficult. Much of the success in reducing the instances of waste being discharged into the sea and rivers is the result of greater community understanding of pollution issues and willingness of the boating community to adjust their disposal practices.

In general, mariners demonstrate that their rubbish disposal practices are sound, 88% of them storing rubbish on board for disposal on land. However, those who dump sewage into sensitive areas of the sea present an environmental, educational and enforcement challenge.

Sewage management legislation changes proposed for introduction in 2007 and the associated education and increased awareness of boat owners will assist in
improved environmental outcomes and make it easier to enforce requirements.

References

AGO 2007, Australian Greenhouse Emissions Inventory System, Australian Greenhouse Office, viewed 3 April 2007, www.greenhouse.gov.au/inventory/index.html.

Apelbaum Consulting 2004, Queensland Transport Facts, 2002, report for Queensland Transport, Apelbaum Consulting, Melbourne.

BTRE 2002, Report 107 Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Transport Australian Trends to 2020, Bureau of Transport and Regional Economics, Canberra.

Department of Main Roads unpublished, Travel time surveys, unpublished research, Department of Main Roads, Brisbane.

DLGPSR 2005, South East Queensland Regional Plan 2005-2026, Office of Urban Management, Department of Local Government, Planning, Sport and Recreation, Brisbane, viewed 3 April 2007, www.oum.qld.gov.au.

Engineers Australia 2004, 2004 Infrastructure Report Card Queensland, Engineers Australia, viewed 3 April 2007, www.infrastructurereportcard.org.au.

EPA 2007, SoE On-line, Environmental Protection Agency, Queensland, viewed 3 April 2007, www.epa.qld.gov.au/environmental_management/state_of_the_environment/
soe_online.

MSQ 2004, Recreational Boating Survey Report 2003, Maritime Safety Queensland, Brisbane.

MSQ 2006, Recreational Boating Survey Report 2006, Maritime Safety Queensland, Brisbane.

QT 1994, 1992 South East Queensland Household Travel Surveys- Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast Areas, unpublished research, Queensland Transport, Brisbane.

QT 2004, Queensland Transport Freight Demand Study: Input and Output Freight Generation within South East Queensland, report prepared by Strategic Design and Development, Brisbane.

QT 2005a, In-depth Travel Behaviour Analysis Brisbane 2005, unpublished research, Queensland Transport, Brisbane.

QT 2005b, South East Queensland Travel Survey 2003/04 (Brisbane Statistical Division), unpublished research, Queensland Transport, Brisbane.

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Last reviewed 18 May 2011
Last updated 13 February 2008

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