13 Oct 2009: Senate Committee Notes Freeways Increase Congestion

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Media Release 13th October 2009

Senate Committee Notes Freeways Increase Congestion

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport commuters has applauded the findings of the Senate Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport into the investment of Commonwealth and State funds in public passenger transport infrastructure and services (1).

Robert Dow, spokesperson for RAIL Back On Track said:

"The standing committee reported that it is by now generally accepted, including by road authorities, that urban traffic congestion cannot be solved by building roads and that building roads encourages the growth of traffic and entrenches patterns of urban development that create high car use. They also noted that past transport studies and experience have shown that building freeways does not solve congestion, and they will in fact increase congestion in the long term.?

?The inquiry also makes a number of key recommendations to increase the role of public and active transport in our cities as they, and only they, can decrease congestion.?

?We have spent 40 years trying to out-build congestion when we were really causing congestion to get worse.  In that same time Vancouver Canada for example has reduced the average time taken for the journey to work as a result of improvement to public transport and building no new major roads.?

?RAIL Back On Track calls for an urgent review of all freeway and major road projects throughout South East Queensland including the Kenmore Bypass, Pacific Motorway Upgrades and Ipswich Motorway Upgrade to name just a few.  Building these roads will only increase traffic congestion in SEQ.  The funding for these projects should be immediately redirected towards public and active transport major improvements."

"Urgent projects for rail that should be moved forward now include the triplication of the railway line from Darra to Redbank, triplication of the railway line from Kuraby to Beenleigh, duplication of the line from Beerburrum to Nambour.  Construction of the Petri to Kippa-Ring, and Richlands to Springfield railways.  Improved signalling and stabling facilities on the rail network and acceleration of the Cross River Rail project.?

?Further, the Department of Transport and Main Roads must review all it transport plans to address the incorrect modeling assumption that more road capacity reduces congestion.  Only this will correct the transport errors of the past that we are living with today?.

Reference:

1.   http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/rrat_ctte/public_transport/report/report.pdf

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org