By WestCycle Active Transport Manager, Dr Georgia Scott
AITPM National Conference, 12-14 August, Perth
This month, I spent time with hundreds of fellow transport enthusiasts at the Australian Institute of Traffic Planning and Management Ltd (AITPM) National Conference, that was held this year in Perth. AITPM is the national association for traffic and transport professionals, and I was surprised to find among an audience skilled in managing car traffic, there was significant discussion about the urgent need for a different transport approach that prioritised active and public transport.
Numerous presentations focused on making streets more people-friendly and reducing reliance on private cars, emphasising the necessity of this shift for rapidly decreasing transport emissions.
Here’s a 2023 presentation from one of the keynotes, Professor Simon Kingham.
There was extensive discussion on community engagement, particularly about how not to do it. Welsh MP Lee Waters, reflecting on the Welsh Government’s country-wide speed limit reduction, explained The Goodwin Curve, which illustrates how community sentiment shifts in response to initiatives like bike lanes, low traffic neighbourhoods, and congestion charging:
The concept is further explored in this article.
Importantly, AITPM released their issues paper, now open for comment, on Decarbonising Transport. This is significant for a sector that has historically been conservative and hesitant to engage with climate issues. The proposed approach is summarised here:
The biggest conference highlight for me was the engaging conversations with government and private sector leaders about their efforts to transform transport. They are developing models that integrate active transport, creating business cases for federal investment, crafting strategies to improve access to train stations for pedestrians and cyclists, and even reallocating road space for active and public transport. I hope attendees left the conference feeling supported by a community dedicated to building a sustainable transport system and empowered to advocate for prioritising these projects in funding and resource allocation.
Some other things from the world of active transport
- WestCycle joined bike riding organisations from around the country to call on the Australian Government to place active transport at the heart of a future Net Zero transport system in a joint submission. More on that here.
- I recently learned about how Ghent in Belgium transformed its whole city centre in a single weekend, and now it’s super easy to get around by bike or walking. Check out this short video.
- The Town of Victoria Park is looking for people to join its Urban Forest and Integrated Transport working groups. If you care about trees and being able to comfortably ride a bike around your town (why not both?), now is your chance to turn that advocacy into strategic advice. You can join here.
- A new section of train line opened in Sydney on Monday, and this article captures the wholesome enthusiasm of its first riders.
