Ministerial Statement: New Brisbane CBD congestion busting pilot starts Monday

[ozbob]

Minister for Transport
The Honourable Rachel Nolan
29/05/2009

New Brisbane CBD congestion busting pilot starts Monday

Some lucky Brisbane commuters will be sleeping in from Monday and others will be up at the crack of dawn as part of a new flexible workplace pilot program aimed to ease traffic congestion.

Transport Minister Rachel Nolan said the month-long flexible workplace Pilot, which includes both government and private industry in the Brisbane CBD, encourages employees to work from home, compress their working week, and change their typical working hours.

"By encouraging working from home or staggering work hours, we can ease traffic congestion and promote a better work-life balance," Ms Nolan said.

The Pilot, which runs from 1 to 26 June 2009, will focus on three flexible work practices that not only reduce congestion, but also provide greater flexibility in the workplace. These are:

?telecommuting;

?compressing the working week; and

?starting and finishing work either earlier or later.

"This Pilot program will challenge employers to increase flexibility in working hours and lifestyle. Additionally, it will decrease the daily number of trips into the city and reduce congestion," Ms Nolan said.

"In-line with our Q2 plan for Tomorrow's Queensland, the Bligh Government is taking action to ensure our region remains the liveable place it is now for future generations.

"Working from home, starting and finishing work earlier or later, or compressing the working week can offer real benefits.

"Travelling outside of the peak periods can reduce the commute time, as well as decrease congestion, and can assist with a healthier work-life-balance, and a happier workforce."

State Government Departments participating:

Department of Transport and Main Roads

Department of Public Works [including CITEC and QBuild]

Department of Premier and Cabinet Public Service Commission

Department of Justice and Attorney-General

Department of Infrastructure and Planning

Queensland Treasury

Department of Environment and Resource Management

Other organisations:

Brisbane City Council

KPMG

Hyder Consulting

GHD

AECOM

Transfield Services

Currie & Brown

ETM Search and Selection

Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM)

Queensland University of Technology

Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland Mirvac

For more information visit http://www.transport.qld.gov.au/Home/General_information/Congestion/Flexible_workplace_pilot

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[ButFli]

I would like to see a break down of what percentage of CBD workers are employed those companies and also what percentage of car commuters they are.
On a CBD-wide scale this sort of scheme will work. With only a small percentage of car drivers taking part it is doomed to failure.

The trial starts the same week that Uni students break for swatvac and then exams. It reduces Uni related traffic considerably. We would have seen a reduction in congestion next week whether this scheme was implemented or not.

[Derwan]

I think it is ridiculous that this pilot has only been aimed at reducing "traffic congestion".  It would also help to reduce overcrowding on peak public transport services.  I am sure that many people drive because of the overcrowding on public transport.

I am part of the Department of Public Works, but we have not been included in the pilot.

[brad C]

I think it is ridiculous that this pilot has only been aimed at reducing "traffic congestion".  It would also help to reduce overcrowding on peak public transport services.  I am sure that many people drive because of the overcrowding on public transport.

Whilst the State Government allows home garaging of its vehicle fleet (and there are over 5000 alone in the CBD), no amount of staggered hours will be effective in reducing traffic congestion.
In addition, some extension of bus and train frequencies in the period post 1800 hours may be a subtle incentive for workers to cease work a bit later.
A good example of this is the reversion of half hour rail services post 1800 hrs on most lines and the overcrowding which occurs in this period om the busier lines.
Commuters are still standing on the 1806 and 1836 services to Caboolture as far out as Zillmere.
Clearly persons finishing at these hours are disadvantaged, somewhat moreso than an early riser where 2 addional AM peak services (at 0523 and 0601) were introduced wearlier this year, but still no additional PM services.

[O_128]

How about morning peak services from 5-10 then evening ones from 3-7

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

New city working hours off to flying start

New city working hours off to flying start
Marissa Calligeros
June 1, 2009 - 8:45AM

An incident-free morning commute for inner-city workers today coincided with the beginning of the State Government's trial of staggered business hours designed to reduce congestion in Brisbane's CBD.

The pilot program, which began today, allowed employees from both government and private industry to work from home, work longer hours for four days a week, or alter their normal hours.

The program has been designed to ease the peak-hour rush and spread the number of people travelling to Brisbane on both private and public transport during peak hours, currently about 45 per cent of city traffic.

The Brisbane Traffic Management Centre reported no incidents on Brisbane roads this morning, although non-government workers faced typical congestion woes on the run to work.

"There is nothing out of the ordinary, or nothing worse than normal," a spokesman said.

In total, 16 State Government departments and private businesses, including KPMG, Hyder Consulting, AECOM and Transfield, will participate in the 26-day pilot program.

Transport Minister Rachel Nolan said flexible working hours could be spread to other city businesses if the program proves successful.

"Travelling outside of the peak periods can reduce the commute time, as well as decrease congestion, and can assist with a healthier work-life-balance, and a happier workforce," Ms Nolan said.

However, employers will just get a pat on the back, rather than any tax breaks or other incentives.

RACQ external relations manager Gary Fites has said the idea had potential but that a "combination of initiatives" would have a greater impact.

Studies overseas have shown that staggered working hours can significantly reduce commuting times.

In Honolulu, a pilot scheme in which 11,000 CBD employees staggered their start times cut peak-period travel time by 18 per cent.

A study in San Francisco involving 6000 employees found commuters saved nine minutes each way on their journeys by starting and finishing work 30 minutes earlier than usual.

[ozbob]

I came in on EMU59 being the lead set on the 6.11am ex Oxley for town.  Well patronised this morning, estimate around 450 pax at Indooroopilly.

[ButFli]

No change in traffic for the majority of my morning commute. The only thing out of the ordinary was some ridiculous congestion on North Quay.

[dwb]

Does anyone think traffic is generally better on a Friday afternoon than any other day during the week?

[ButFli]

I find friday afternoon is worse. Lots of people leave work early and it conflicts with school traffic.

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Flexible work trial gets early thumbs up

Flexible work trial gets early thumbs up
Daniel Hurst
June 10, 2009 - 6:13AM
Daniel Hurst

It's not the early mornings that cause Michael Osborne problems. It's getting away from work on time in the afternoon.

Mr Osborne is one of 888 city workers into the second week of a four-week trial of flexible work hours.

The trial has been organised by the the Department of Transport and Main Roads as a way of fighting congestion on city streets.

A GHD process engineer, Mr Osborne catches the CityCat or rides a bike from St Lucia in time to start work at his Eagle Street office at 7am.

Mr Osborne said ferries were not as crowded outside peak hours and the bike journey was less troublesome.

"It's a lot better," he said.

"There's not so many people here at the office so you can get more work done."

However, he admitted it was sometimes difficult to leave the office earlier than the traditional 5pm finish time.

"We have a lot of deadlines at the end of the day, and if you leave early it makes it a bit harder to meet them," Mr Osborne said.

Mary Brady, a senior government advisory services manager with KPMG, has instead opted to start and finish work later.

"I've got a three-year-old in day care, so the later start is good because I can walk him to day care in the morning and catch a bus to work from there," the East Brisbane resident said.

"It's good in the morning not to have to rush around."

Ms Brady, who avoids overcrowded buses by getting to the office after 9am, said flexible work hours were the way of the future.

But she said workers must communicate with colleagues and clients if they wanted to make it a success.

"It hasn't had a big impact work-wise, as long as people know what times we'll be in," she said.

"We can always take calls at home."

Twenty organisations are taking part in the trial, including seven State Government departments.

Staff are compressing their work hours into four-day weeks or nine-day fortnights, starting work earlier or later than traditional start times or attempting to telecommute from home.

A spokeswoman for the the Department of Transport and Main Roads said it was too early to tell what effect the trial was having on the city's traffic.

Collated results are expected in August.