EVs are not enough: we need more ebikes

Electric vehicles appear a promising solution to the climate change crisis, but looking closer, switching to an electric vehicle is not enough. The cities need to be built differently to reduce trip distances. We need to use more public transport and active travel. Electric vehicles help, but are not a panacea to reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG).

Close to home is best

Canberra is compartmentalised with different parts specialised, providing goods and services found nowhere else. We live in Gungahlin, work in Tuggeranong, buy furniture in Fyshwick and school our kids in Red Hill. Vast distances are travelled for things we could do locally. The 20-minute city is where we have all this at our doorstep. Fewer mega-stores, mega-schools, and mega-department-buildings, for a more decentralised approach. Think local.

IPCC Climate Change 2022 report

IPCC Climate Change 2022 report discusses amongst other things (in a 3000 page document) the importance of how we build our cities and the change to modes of transport can greatly increase our emissions as a society. Cycling has, apart from walking, the lowest emission of any transport mode. To make cycling for transport work, we need to build our city to support it. Here are highlights relating to these topics.

Traffic modelling for the new normal

Traffic modelling, for reasons discussed in this presentation, tends to move in that space where it is comfortable. We have accepted climate change and the need to change our society but our models poorly reflect this. We are reluctant to model for scenarios that we expect and rather follow instead the business as usual approach (BAU). What can be done?

Badvertising: more cars, no care?

In the era of climate change, one would expect less people to own an environmentally damaging car – but nothing can be further from the truth. The latest ABS survey from 2021 shows that car ownership in Canberra has increased in the last year by 2.3%, equal highest of all Australian states.

Section 5: Active travel

A brief introduction of active travel at a non-technical level. This submission is not about the technical aspects of active travel, which is well documented in the ACT Active Travel Key Documents. Combined with Austroads Standards there is enough there to build a good network. We are not failing because of a lack of standards. Rather the problem lies elsewhere.

Urban planning strategy

Three strategic document were released within a year. One for climate change mitigation, one for transport and one for urban planning. The ACT Planning Strategy 2018 sets the goals but not necessarily how to get there.

What is wrong with Whitlam Stage 2?

The active travel facilities planned for Whitlam Stage 2 fall short of expectations. As human behaviour follows infrastructure, this lack of future proofing active travel facilities is directly detrimental to achieving an increase in active travel in the ACT.

When strategies collide: climate change, active travel and environment

The ACT Government goals found in the ACT Climate Change Strategy 2019-25, the Molonglo River Reserve Management Plan 2019, and the Active Travel Framework conflict and are difficult to reconcile. These strategies show commonalities but there will be trade-offs. In the Molonglo Valley, active travel is poorly served.

Section 5.1 The reason why we need active travel

Clear words for clear goals: making Active Travel meaningful. A post inspired by an email we sent to Shane Rattenbury on 24 February 2020 relating to the ACT Climate Change Strategy 2019-25.