Article: Put brakes on Brisbane's two-car families, say experts

[ozbob]

Isn't interesting that even the experts are now talking about cross-city transport. RAIL BoT has been putting forward discussion on this for some time.  The loop line suggestion is just one attempt to get some cross-city transport options ( eg. see Call for inner-city rail loop).

Good to see momentum for more circle type routes is building. 

From Courier Mail click here!

Put brakes on Brisbane's two-car families, say experts

Put brakes on Brisbane's two-car families, say experts
Article from: The Courier-Mail

By Melanie Christiansen

June 28, 2008 12:00am

BRISBANE needs more cross-city public transport and bikeways to help hold back the city's growing tide of two-car families, experts say.
An analysis of the 2006 census data showed a steady increase in multiple-car families in Brisbane, with every second household having two or more vehicles.

And the Motor Traders Association of Queensland says there is no evidence the city's two, three and even four-car households are selling any of their vehicles, despite rising petrol prices. "The propensity for two cars doesn't appear to have fallen," MTAQ group chief executive Aivars Blums said yesterday. "It has become a very acceptable configuration for the family of the 21st century."

The latest census data shows nearly 30 Brisbane suburbs where more than two-thirds of all homes have multiple cars.

While the biggest garages are mainly in the outer suburbs, suburbs such as Chapel Hill, 9km from the CBD, and Gumdale, 10km out, are also heavily dominated by two-car families.

Those suburbs with the fewest multiple vehicle families - mainly in the inner city - also include Carole Park, 19km from the CBD, Inala, 14km from the city and Chermside, 10km away.

Planning Institute of Australia Queensland president Dyan Currie said  a key problem for many residents of Brisbane's outer suburbs was the lack of cross-city transport options, with most buses, trains and roads leading directly to the CBD.

Bridgeman Downs couple, Hayley Grant and Brendan Mole, said they had little choice but to drive to their jobs at Chermside and Strathpine.

In a suburb where 72 per cent of homes have more than one car, the garage at Ms Grant and Mr Mole's home has her four-wheel-drive and his sedan, along with a motorbike, rally car and boat. "Neither of us ever catch public transport," Ms Grant said. "There isn't the public transport to get to work. Plus on the weekend, he plays golf and I'll go do girl things, so I guess we always need two cars."