tag:theconversation.com,2011:/id/topics/urban-transport-21423/articlesUrban transport – The Conversation2024-03-13T02:02:14Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2248442024-03-13T02:02:14Z2024-03-13T02:02:14ZE for equity? E-scooter and e-bike schemes can help people on low incomes and with disabilities<p>Interest in shared e-bikes and e-scooters, or “micromobility” devices, has skyrocketed in Australia. Every capital city and over 25 local councils <a href="https://micromobilityreport.com.au/infrastructure/bike-scooter-share/scooter-and-bike-share-schemes-are-growing-fast-across-australia/">have trialled</a> shared e-scooter systems through private operators including Lime, Beam and Neuron. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14649357.2021.1919746">Public perceptions of these programs</a> are extremely mixed. Some people still think of these small electric personal vehicles as a passing fad. Or, worse, they see them as a source of transport system disruption, public space anarchy and <a href="https://theconversation.com/e-scooters-are-linked-with-injuries-and-hospital-visits-but-we-cant-say-they-are-riskier-than-bikes-yet-222148">traffic injury</a>.</p>
<p>The truth is more nuanced. Shared scooters and bicycles are gradually being integrated into the transport system of our cities. <a href="https://theconversation.com/five-years-on-brisbanes-e-scooters-and-e-bikes-are-winning-over-tourists-and-residents-as-they-open-up-the-city-212464">Brisbane</a> has <a href="https://public.ridereport.com/regions/australia">led the way</a>, followed by Melbourne. </p>
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<p>Yet some are still wondering whether shared micromobility systems are simply a fun form of transport for young, mostly male and high-income tourists, or do they benefit a broader set of users?</p>
<p>Our <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S295010592400007X">new research</a> across cities in three different countries paints a very different picture. Our findings suggest subsidised micromobility programs can provide significant benefits to vulnerable user groups. </p>
<p>Most shared operators provide discounted rides to low-income customers. In partnership with Lime, we were able to find out how “<a href="https://www.li.me/why/community/lime-access">Lime Access</a>” customers use shared e-scooters and e-bikes and how this compares to non-subsidised customers.</p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/five-years-on-brisbanes-e-scooters-and-e-bikes-are-winning-over-tourists-and-residents-as-they-open-up-the-city-212464">Five years on, Brisbane's e-scooters and e-bikes are winning over tourists and residents as they open up the city</a>
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<h2>These schemes can help ease disadvantage</h2>
<p>We surveyed more than 1,000 respondents in Australia, New Zealand and the United States. We found Lime Access customers were five times as likely as non-subsidised riders (35% versus 7%) to use shared scooters and bicycles for daily travel. They were twice as likely to use them for essential trips (such as shopping or commuting) and to connect with public transport (44% versus 23%). </p>
<p>Half of Lime Access customers said one benefit of micromobility was that it allowed them to “get somewhere without a car”. This finding suggests these programs can help support a car-free or car-light lifestyle. This, in turn, makes transport systems more sustainable. </p>
<p>These benefits were highlighted by open-ended survey responses, such as:</p>
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<p>As someone on a low income who does not own a car, it feels very liberating to be able to take a scooter to an area that is not serviced by public transport whenever I like. (Melbourne, Australia)</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/thinking-of-swerving-high-fuel-prices-with-an-e-scooter-or-e-bike-5-crucial-questions-answered-179563">Thinking of swerving high fuel prices with an e-scooter or e-bike? 5 crucial questions answered</a>
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<h2>People with disabilities also benefit</h2>
<p>In our study, we did not directly ask about disability. However, a number of Lime Access customers wrote about how the program allows them mobility despite medical conditions or physical disability. </p>
<p>Many of those disabilities are “invisible” – the casual observer is unlikely to notice them. Yet for the riders, the electric motor of the e-scooter or e-bike reduced the fatigue and strain they would experience walking or riding a standard bike.</p>
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<p>I have kidney problems so the scooter saves me from fatigue of long walks. (Christchurch, New Zealand) </p>
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<p>For some respondents, their physical disability prevented them from driving a car. Shared micromobility filled the gap, helping them get to essential destinations.</p>
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<p>I’m ADA, which basically is handicapped, and I cannot walk all over like I used to be able to. Lime provides me independence I wouldn’t have without it! With the low-income program you offer, it literally saves me! I wouldn’t be able to get groceries or run errands or do most anything I do because of Lime. (San Francisco, California)</p>
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<img alt="Two e-bikes parked at the edge of a city street" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580635/original/file-20240308-18-slblqs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580635/original/file-20240308-18-slblqs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=423&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580635/original/file-20240308-18-slblqs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=423&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580635/original/file-20240308-18-slblqs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=423&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580635/original/file-20240308-18-slblqs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=532&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580635/original/file-20240308-18-slblqs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=532&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580635/original/file-20240308-18-slblqs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=532&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">The assistance of an electric motor enables people with a wider range of abilities to use e-bikes and e-scooters.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/sydney-australia-on-march-10-2019-1335274913">ArliftAtoz2205/Shutterstock</a></span>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-old-road-rules-no-longer-apply-how-e-scooters-challenge-outdated-assumptions-129074">The old road rules no longer apply: how e-scooters challenge outdated assumptions</a>
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<h2>What can governments do to maximise the benefits?</h2>
<p>Our study found shared e-scooters and bikes aren’t just for tourists to go joyriding. With the right frameworks and incentives in place, they can benefit vulnerable groups in society. In this way, they help create more equitable transport systems. </p>
<p>Yet these subsidised programs are relatively unknown and little-advertised. Only 24% of our respondents had ever heard of them.</p>
<p>The challenge remains: how to reach more travellers who could benefit from reduced-fare programs, without undermining the financial viability of operators? Unlike public transport services and <a href="https://www.vic.gov.au/multi-purpose-taxi-program">even taxi services</a>, there is no government support to encourage shared micromobility operators to expand their programs. </p>
<p>In the United States, city governments have been proactive in <a href="https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/trec_reports/238/">embedding equity requirements</a> into service contracts with micromobility providers. For example, <a href="https://www.dcregs.dc.gov/ContentSearch.aspx?searchText=3314.31&DocType=DCMR">Washington DC</a> reduces the fees it charges micromobility operators, with the reduction based on the proportion of travel by low-income customers.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/e-bike-incentives-are-a-costly-way-to-cut-carbon-emissions-but-they-also-promote-health-equity-and-cleaner-air-224312">E-bike incentives are a costly way to cut carbon emissions, but they also promote health, equity and cleaner air</a>
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<p>In Australia, local and state governments should be moving beyond how to regulate these programs to also focus on how to better integrate them into our transport system. With the right incentives in place, we can maximise the benefits of micromobility for people who are most in need of affordable and accessible transport solutions.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224844/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alexa Delbosc conducted this project in collaboration with Lime. Calvin Thigpen, an author on the research paper, is an employee of Lime. Lime provided access to distribute the survey to Lime customers and did not provide any financial support for the study. Dr Thigpen only became involved in the project during late-stage paper writing and qualitative data analysis.</span></em></p>Low-income customers who qualify for subsidised rates are five times more likely to use shared e-scooters and e-bikes for daily travel. People with disabilities also value them.Alexa Delbosc, Associate Professor in Transport, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2143232023-09-29T16:43:11Z2023-09-29T16:43:11ZSelf-driving buses that go wherever you want? How the UK is trying to revolutionise public transport<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551206/original/file-20230929-23-z1vo5d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=14%2C164%2C3015%2C1730&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Scotland’s CAVForth self-driving bus service began in May 2023, serving a 14-mile route that crosses the Forth Road Bridge on the outskirts of Edinburgh.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Stagecoachbus.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Futurology is littered with predictions that failed to materialise, not least in the field of transport technology. In Edwardian times, when public transport was largely powered by horse or steam, a number of new concepts emerged which were hailed as the “future of public transport”.</p>
<p>In 1910, the <a href="https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co27065/brennans-gyroscopic-mono-rail-car-model-gyroscopic-mono-railcar">Brennan Monorail</a> was a gyroscopically stabilised, diesel-powered monorail train that ran on a circular test track at the White City in London. One of the early passengers on this <a href="https://www.midnight-trains.com/post/on-board-louis-brennans-gyroscopic-monorail">50-person prototype</a> was then-home secretary Winston Churchill, who insisted on driving the train himself. The new technology <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19225780-125-histories-the-spinning-top-railway/">reportedly</a> “proved as interesting to the statesman as a new toy would to a child” – and Churchill is said to have told its Irish-Australian creator <a href="https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/louis-brennan-the-inventive-life-of-the-monorail-man-from-mayo-1.1757782">Louis Brennan</a>: “Sir, your invention promises to revolutionise the railway systems of the world.”</p>
<p>Buoyed by such designs, engineering writers of the time looked forward to a future of us all whizzing around the country on new forms of hi-tech transport. But there were concerns too: in one popular <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmsworth_Popular_Science">1912 encyclopaedia</a>, an artist’s impression of a monorail train crossing a gorge via an unfeasibly skimpy bridge was accompanied by the warning:</p>
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<p>When [note, not ‘if’] the monorail comes into general use, the feeling of insecurity – quite unnecessary but nevertheless inevitable – will be felt the strongest where there are single-rail bridges.</p>
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<p>In fact, despite Churchill’s support, the Brennan Monorail never got further than the test track. In both its target markets – cheaply built branch lines and the military – a far simpler technology easily outdid it on grounds of practicality, flexibility and cost: the motorised bus and truck.</p>
<p>More than a century on, we are in a new era of transport technology disruption. In recent years, across the world, we have seen the emergence of the <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/flying-electric-taxis-are-hailed-as-the-future-2v6jllgfc">flying taxi</a> and <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesmorris/2022/11/29/is-it-finally-time-for-high-speed-hyperloop-transportation/">hyperloop train</a> prototypes, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2021-08-10/hydrogen-highway-or-highway-to-nowhere">hydrogen highways</a> and <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/09/trackless-trams-help-revitalize-suburbs/">trackless trams</a>, as well as countless driverless <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2012/12/23/3797260/self-driving-cars-automated-vehicles">car</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/driverless-cars-what-weve-learned-from-experiments-in-san-francisco-and-phoenix-199319">taxi</a> and <a href="https://fortune.com/2017/01/14/vegas-self-driving-bus/">bus</a> pilots. At the same time, our most popular forms of public transport – the train and bus – are creaking under the strain of <a href="https://www.local.gov.uk/about/news/thousands-bus-routes-risk-amid-funding-uncertainty">government funding cuts</a>, <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/resolving-rail-disputes-would-have-cost-less-than-strikes-admits-minister-12789405">union disputes</a> and <a href="https://www.railpro.co.uk/railpro-magazine/april-22/staffing-strategies-must-be-fixed-to-secure-future-for-uk-rail">technological upheaval</a>.</p>
<p>Is this the dawning of a much-needed revolution in mass transit, led by a new breed of clean-powered, demand-responsive, driverless vehicles? Or for all the people young and old, rural and urban-based, who rely on public transport for their everyday needs, will these grand designs turn out to be little more than modern versions of the Brennan Monorail flop?</p>
<h2>Slow death of the bus</h2>
<p>A key factor influencing today’s public transport strategies is the commitment to limit planetary warming to 1.5°C by reaching net zero emissions – a strategy the UK prime minister, Rishi Sunak, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-66857551">recently appeared to row back on</a>. One global projection by the C40 network suggests public transport use in cities needs to <a href="https://www.c40.org/news/public-transport-cities-decade-1-5c-target/">double by 2030</a> to meet these targets.</p>
<p>But there are, of course, many other benefits of good public transport: from <a href="https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/resource-efficiency/what-we-do/cities/sustainable-transport-and-air-pollution">improving air quality</a> and <a href="https://www.urbantransportgroup.org/resources/social-inclusion#:%7E:text=Transport%20has%20a%20vital%20role,to%20fully%20participate%20in%20society.">social inclusion</a> to encouraging <a href="https://www.newstatesman.com/spotlight/economic-growth/regional-development/2022/07/transport-is-the-core-of-levelling-up">regional economic development</a> (aka levelling up) and <a href="https://oecd-opsi.org/innovations/pink-passes/">widening workforce participation</a>.</p>
<p>In the UK, trains continue to hog the headlines, amid the rumoured <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66909732">cancellation of the northern section of the HS2 route</a>, the general <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/oct/22/north-rail-system-franchises-london">lack of rail investment in the north</a>, ongoing <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/rail-strikes">industrial action</a> over pay and staffing levels – and even the agonising <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/sep/26/no-one-knew-anything-rail-passengers-11-hour-london-to-edinburgh-odyssey">11-hour ordeal</a> endured by rail passengers when their London to Edinburgh service was cancelled mid-route. Meanwhile, the long, slow <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/06/bus-neglect-national-failure-public-policy-motorists">collapse of the UK’s local bus services</a> has gone largely unnoticed – other than by the people who have lost this critical mode of travel.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/550306/original/file-20230926-15-nvzbgk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="BBC graphic of bus cuts" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/550306/original/file-20230926-15-nvzbgk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/550306/original/file-20230926-15-nvzbgk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=935&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/550306/original/file-20230926-15-nvzbgk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=935&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/550306/original/file-20230926-15-nvzbgk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=935&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/550306/original/file-20230926-15-nvzbgk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1176&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/550306/original/file-20230926-15-nvzbgk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1176&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/550306/original/file-20230926-15-nvzbgk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1176&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Changes in bus use in English counties.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64651414">Department for Transport/BBC</a></span>
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<p>In March 2023, the House of Commons Transport Committee <a href="https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/34612/documents/190548/default/">reported</a> that England’s long-term decline in bus use outside London – a 15% drop between 2010-11 and 2018-19 – had deteriorated by a further 15% despite the government’s temporary <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/2-bus-fare-cap">£2 cap on fares</a> (rising to £2.50 in November 2023). The situation is <a href="https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/scottish-transport-statistics-no-38-2019-edition/chapter-2-bus-and-coach-travel/#:%7E:text=380%20million%20journeys%20were%20made,cards%20in%20Scotland%20in%202019.">similar in Scotland</a>, where bus use has declined 22% since 2007-08.</p>
<p>In parallel with this decline, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64557250">services and routes have been cut</a>. Government bus grants have become increasingly selective, resulting in entire bus networks vanishing in a number of areas, and being left “<a href="https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/local-bus-services-hanging-by-a-thread-mps-warn/ar-AA19fI5V?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=e1abcf8487c34436b238e8eb141cacb9&ei=34">hanging by a thread</a>” in others.</p>
<p>This isn’t just in smaller towns and rural areas. Many larger settlements have also been affected, such as Stoke-on-Trent, where bus services have reduced by half since 2012-14. In June 2023, when <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3gz35wgpdyo">further cuts were announced</a>, <a href="https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/first-potteries-axes-journeys-cuts-8536993">local media</a> reported the impact on users such as this unhappy traveller:</p>
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<p>I use the bus to get to work and back, and losing the service would mean reducing my hours. It’s getting us down. My husband’s an Avon rep, so he’s on and off the buses all the time. And the 8am bus I get is packed.</p>
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<p>There are exceptions to this downward spiral. Manchester’s mayor, Andy Burnham, recently heralded the launch of the new, <a href="https://www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/news/local-accountability-at-centre-of-new-bus-network-as-operators-appointed-to-run-first-franchised-services-outside-of-london-for-almost-40-years/">“re-regulated” Bee network of buses</a> across Greater Manchester as “symbolic of a need to get more public control and ownership of critical services”. Praising this initiative, the Guardian wrote in its <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/sep/18/the-guardian-view-on-greater-manchesters-bus-revolution-the-public-at-the-wheel?CMP=share_btn_tw">leader column</a>:</p>
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<p>The cutting of bus services on purely commercial grounds has led to greater social and economic isolation, restricting opportunities for the elderly and those without other means of getting around. Publicly regulated buses will at last allow greater accountability in relation to a service that, for many passengers, is fundamental to their daily quality of life.</p>
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<p>But this is not the direction of travel in most parts of the country, where privatised, disconnected bus services remain dominant. A key structural reason for the decline in local bus use is that people’s patterns of travel have become <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1165693/our-changing-travel-how-people_s-travel-choices-are-changing.pdf">much more dispersed and complex</a> – behaviour that is hard to accommodate with a conventional, fixed-route public transport system such as the bus.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/288776/original/file-20190820-170910-8bv1s7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/288776/original/file-20190820-170910-8bv1s7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/288776/original/file-20190820-170910-8bv1s7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/288776/original/file-20190820-170910-8bv1s7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/288776/original/file-20190820-170910-8bv1s7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/288776/original/file-20190820-170910-8bv1s7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/288776/original/file-20190820-170910-8bv1s7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><strong><em>This article is part of Conversation Insights</em></strong>
<br><em>The Insights team generates <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/insights-series-71218">long-form journalism</a> derived from interdisciplinary research. The team is working with academics from different backgrounds who have been engaged in projects aimed at tackling societal and scientific challenges.</em></p>
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<p>In fact, the strongest recent growth in local travel – seemingly exacerbated by the pandemic – has not been along major corridors to city centres, but in <a href="https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=5f45c81567467d0a5f56899774153461b85b1e4e">suburban and rural areas</a>. Not only are people <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/articles/characteristicsofhomeworkersgreatbritain/september2022tojanuary2023">working in different ways</a> but our economy is increasingly <a href="https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn02786/#:%7E:text=The%20service%20industries%20include%20the,employment%20in%20January%E2%80%93March%202023.">service</a> and <a href="https://www.capitaleconomics.com/newsroom/uk-economy-returns-growth-driven-consumer-spending">consumer-focused</a>, and travel patterns have altered significantly as a result. The major areas of travel growth are now for <a href="http://www.demand.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/FutureTravel_report_final.pdf">social and leisure-related purposes</a> – and again, traditional fixed-route bus services struggle to accommodate these types of trip, while it is so much easier to simply use a car.</p>
<p>The advent of certain digital technologies – in particular, <a href="https://www.route-one.net/features/cashless-is-king-the-shifting-landscape-of-ticketing/">cashless ticketing</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/public-leaders-network/2016/sep/15/top-10-transport-apps-smarter-travel">journey planning apps</a> – may make using public transport more desirable for those comfortable with such technology. But they don’t change the core service. A smart app is just a high-tech insult if buses don’t run when and where you want to go.</p>
<h2>The emergence of trackless trams</h2>
<p>In 2011, a small but radical new service was established to connect passengers using Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 5 with their parked cars. These <a href="https://www.heathrow.com/transport-and-directions/heathrow-parking/heathrow-pod-parking-terminal-5">Heathrow Pods</a> consisted of driverless, four-seater vehicles available on demand, taking passengers straight to their destination along special elevated, segregated roadways. Users were promised they would “never have to wait more than 30 seconds for one to become available”.</p>
<p>While admittedly covering a very limited area, this radical alternative to the traditional fixed-route, scheduled model of public transport <a href="https://www.dailystar.co.uk/travel/travel-news/mans-video-futuristic-heathrow-airport-28010349">continues to garner praise</a> since reopening after a hiatus during the pandemic. In the wake of the Heathrow Pods’ introduction, it had been expected that similar tracked, autonomous transport systems would develop elsewhere – but that hasn’t come about.</p>
<p>Rather, they could be seen as a small-vehicle precursor to the <a href="https://citymonitor.ai/transport/trackless-trams-may-be-the-best-alternative-to-light-rail">trackless tram systems</a> that have subsequently emerged around the world. A combination of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Positioning_System">GPS</a> and <a href="https://www.mrlcg.com/latest-media/lidar-in-cars-how-lidar-technology-is-making-self-driving-cars-a-reality-299493/">Lidar (light detection and ranging</a>) guidance technologies are enabling battery-powered electric vehicles to fulfil the function of trams without the need for disruptive and costly track and overhead line infrastructure – making high-quality tram-style services viable beyond a handful of “global elite” cities.</p>
<p>The Chinese <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-Trackless-Tram-System-developed-by-CRRC-and-demonstrated-in-Zhuzhou-China-Source_fig1_330069521">pioneered this form of public transport</a> with the automated rapid transit (ART) vehicles, which <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-trackless-trams-are-ready-to-replace-light-rail-103690">first entered service in the eastern city of Zhuzhou</a> in 2018, then rapidly spread to other Chinese cities. Initially manually driven, these trackless trams are now moving to autonomous operation. In Zhuzhou, a four-carriage model was introduced in 2021 which can carry 320 passengers at a maximum speed of just over 40mph, running on batteries charged at each station stop.</p>
<p>And the concept is spreading beyond China: in 2022, a trial was announced for a five-mile route <a href="https://www.stirling.wa.gov.au/your-city/news/2022/march/exciting-new-phase-in-trackless-tram-feasibility">in the city of Stirling</a>, Western Australia. In the UK, however, there is less inclination to <a href="https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2022/10/uk-and-us-seek-to-undermine-chinas-growing-technological-influence/">depend on Chinese-controlled technology</a>. And of course, trams – trackless or otherwise – don’t solve the issue of people wanting services that take them beyond a fixed route.</p>
<p>Meeting the modern, disparate mobility needs of an entire population doesn’t just require new types of vehicle or clever booking apps. We need a new vision of what public transport could be – and in different corners of the UK, there are places starting to offer this.</p>
<h2>The UK’s self-driving public transport prototypes</h2>
<p>Scotland’s <a href="https://www.cavforth.com/">CAVForth self-driving bus service</a>, which came into public service in May 2023, is described on its website as “the world’s most ambitious and complex autonomous bus system”. Serving a <a href="https://www.cnet.com/tech/i-rode-the-worlds-first-autonomous-public-bus-service/">14-mile route</a> that crosses the Forth Road Bridge on the outskirts of Edinburgh, the buses drive themselves along ordinary roads, obey traffic lights, and mix with pedestrians and cyclists. The main reaction of passengers seems to be that they are unaware the buses are not manually driven, as one early user <a href="https://www.cnet.com/tech/i-rode-the-worlds-first-autonomous-public-bus-service/">wrote in CNet</a>:</p>
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<p>Though the bus is fully autonomous, you’d be forgiven for not really recognising it as such. You’ll find a regular steering wheel upfront, and behind it, a driver who’ll no doubt look as though they’re operating the vehicle as usual. UK law dictates that even fully autonomous vehicles must still have an ‘operator’ present who can take manual control, should the need arise.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Stagecoach video showing passengers on board the CAVForth self-driving bus service.</span></figcaption>
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<p>Using a combination of three sets of Lidar technology and a “suite of cameras and radar”, the autonomous system can currently manage 90% of the route, <a href="https://www.itpro.com/technology/meet-the-cavforth-project-the-worlds-first-autonomous-bus#:%7E:text=The%20five%2Dbus%20fleet%20began,will%20expand%20northwards%20to%20Dunfermline.">according to ITPro</a>, with the human driver “handling the exit from the depot and a few other locations”. The route is projected to expand further north, to the city of Dunfermline, in 2024.</p>
<p>Because the driver is a <a href="https://theconversation.com/free-public-transport-doesnt-add-up-unless-you-get-rid-of-the-drivers-97129">big part of bus running costs</a>, if buses can eventually be autonomous then the challenging costs of providing late-night services or thinly used routes will be reduced – meaning that services could be improved. But the IT-led potential extends much further than a driverless bus.</p>
<p>In south-east England, <a href="https://www.mi-link.uk/">Mi-Link</a> – billed as “the UK’s first fully electric autonomous bus service” – is a move towards something more radical. As well as being electric-powered, this self-driving bus service – which launched in January 2023 and now <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-65888336">runs on public roads to Didcot Parkway railway station</a> in south Oxfordshire – is linked to a real-time journey planning app which helps travellers plan their journey whether they are walking, cycling or taking the bus to the Milton Park trading estate. It keeps users updated according to their individual travel preferences through the likes of WhatsApp and Messenger.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">First Bus video launching the Mi-Link self-driving electric bus service in Oxfordshire.</span></figcaption>
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<p>The integration of autonomous technology with a smart journey planning system feels critical if public transport is to prosper by attracting traditional car users. App-linked self-driving taxi fleets may well prove another key part of this future, and there are already entirely driverless public taxi fleets such as Waymo and Cruise in <a href="https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=driverless+cars+san+francisco&docid=603485803253406102&mid=FACAC36B1FADD54CBAAFFACAC36B1FADD54CBAAF&view=detail&FORM=VIRE">San Francisco</a>, and the <a href="https://uk.pcmag.com/news/145977/visiting-chinas-capital-city-dont-be-surprised-if-your-taxi-has-no-driver">Robotaxi</a> in China. On the whole, these appear to be <a href="https://theconversation.com/driverless-cars-what-weve-learned-from-experiments-in-san-francisco-and-phoenix-199319">technically successful</a>, if highly subsidised and dependent on powerful 5G networks to operate. However, their emergence has been <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-66611513">met with resistance</a> both about perceived lack of safety and <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/f312c9ff-633d-480e-8887-4b5ad3f0ae5e">luddite-esque fears</a> of potential job losses.</p>
<p>But for one of the best clues to what local public transport could look like in the future, we should again look closer to home, to a UK city that has long been renowned – and sometimes mocked – for its futuristic visions.</p>
<h2>The future according to Milton Keynes</h2>
<p>After its foundation in 1967, the ambitious <a href="https://www.tcpa.org.uk/areas-of-work/garden-cities-and-new-towns/new-towns/">new town</a> of Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire soon began attracting an international reputation for anticipating future social, economic and cultural trends. Along the way, it was also derided as a <a href="https://inews.co.uk/news/uk/milton-keynes-turns-50-embracing-roundabouts-city-wants-lead-culture-tech-42699">city of roundabouts</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concrete_Cows">concrete cows</a>, with one architecture critic <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/oct/23/ruins-britain-owen-hatherley-review">calling it</a> “the doomed apotheosis of the fossil-fuel society”.</p>
<p>Today, its designers’ desire to accommodate extremely high levels of car use can be viewed as an environmentally irresponsible planning stance. But despite its detractors, Milton Keynes has proved extremely successful both economically and socially, and today has a growing reputation for being at the forefront of a <a href="https://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/news/2023/major-boost-advanced-rapid-transport-mk">more climate-friendly era of transport innovation</a>.</p>
<p>Recently, its planners have grappled with the need for a new type of public transport – something that is “demand responsive” in the way of a taxi, but without taxi-level fares.</p>
<p>Demand-responsive transport (DRT) services have been attempted by public authorities over the years – but <a href="https://oro.open.ac.uk/19345/1/">largely without success</a>. A <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/referencework/9780081026724/international-encyclopedia-of-transportation">global assessment</a> in 2021 concluded that when a new DRT service is set up, revenue from the low number of passengers could not cover the running costs, particularly those of the driver and back-office systems.</p>
<p>One early example was the <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2399505.stm">Corlink DRT service</a> in north Cornwall, which launched in 2002 to link rural communities with towns. The subsidy cost of over £28 per passenger trip was financially unsustainable and when special government support for the project ended, the service was withdrawn.</p>
<p>The Taxibus service to Bicester rail station, which launched around the same time, ran flexible routes off-peak and, by late 2003, was carrying 50,000 passengers a year. But even then, the service was eventually withdrawn as commercially unviable.</p>
<p>Twenty years on, however, Milton Keynes has addressed <a href="https://oro.open.ac.uk/85542/1/Corrected%20proofs%20TCP%20DRT%20article.pdf">the cost problem</a>, at least, with its DRT service, <a href="https://getaroundmk.org.uk/on-board/mk-connect">MK Connect</a>. Facing the familiar situation of decreased funding to support the rising cost of uneconomic bus services, the city council opted not to implement cuts. Instead, it replaced its subsidised routes with a new demand-responsive service in partnership with the international tech company <a href="https://ridewithvia.com/about?lang=en-gb">Via Transportation</a>. Introduced in 2021, MK Connect still requires a subsidy, but <a href="https://oro.open.ac.uk/85542/">half that of the conventional bus services</a> it replaced.</p>
<p>The service is booked by users like an Uber taxi, logging their pick-up and drop-off addresses through a smartphone app, web portal or by phoning the contact centre. The app directs users to a nearby pick-up point, and they are dropped near their destination. Other passengers may be picked up and dropped off along the way.</p>
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<p>The vehicles are small: as well as the fleet of eight-seater vans (many of which are electric), some cars are used. They generally arrive within 30 minutes of a booking being made, though the wait can be longer at busy times and in more rural areas. Fares are similar to that of traditional buses (payment is cashless), and the service covers the whole Milton Keynes city area – with far better coverage and operating times than the limited bus routes the service replaced.</p>
<p>An important feature is that the app will not allow someone to book on MK Connect if they could use a commercial bus route for their trip instead. In these cases, travellers are informed where to catch the conventional bus and when it will arrive. This ensures that MK Connect does not adversely affect existing viable bus routes, while improving the city’s public transport as a whole. Equally, if people cannot use existing buses due to a disability or other reason, they can register this and will always be accommodated on MK Connect.</p>
<p>The service is widely used, with some 40,000 trips being made each month (almost half a million each year) – a level of use that means its finances stack up. MK Connect has enabled trips to be made that previously were difficult or impossible using conventional buses, including for a man with sight loss who is the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQYnJ41CmTY">subject of a widely shared video</a>.</p>
<p>One of us – Stephen – has used MK Connect on a number of occasions, and offers this mixed review of his experiences of the service:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I booked a trip to get to the barbers for a haircut. You can only book an hour or so beforehand, but I found a service that would get me there on time, which picked me up from the end of our road (the app guided me to the exact pick-up point). One other person joined us on the way and another was dropped off en route, but I got to my drop-off point in time for a three-minute walk across to the barbers. Coming back was less smooth, though. Initially, I was refused a booking – no vehicles were available. I waited a few minutes and tried again. This time I got a vehicle, after a 50-minute wait …</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This mixed experience reflects the feedback that has been given in various <a href="https://oro.open.ac.uk/85542/1/Corrected%20proofs%20TCP%20DRT%20article.pdf">passenger surveys</a>. MK Connect is designed to serve modern, dispersed patterns of travel demands but is by no means perfect – some people find it harder to use than the buses it replaced, and there are problems with the vehicles being full at busy times, meaning prospective passengers are refused a booking or not accommodated for a long time. The booking system is also not yet reliable enough when a person has to get to an appointment or college lecture on time, say, or to connect with a specific train.</p>
<p>However, generally speaking, regular users appear to be getting used to the new system and its quirks. The real benefit to them, of course, is that this DRT service allows them to make trips that would be much more difficult, or impossible, using traditional route buses.</p>
<p>Another recently launched DRT, <a href="https://www.intelligenttransport.com/transport-articles/132018/transport-accessibility-hertslynx-drt-hertfordshire/">HertsLynx</a>, aims to serve the rural fringes of Hertfordshire using four electric-powered, 16-seater minibuses in an operating zone centred around the market town of Buntingford and surrounding villages. Passengers are able to travel between 250 virtual bus stops, as well as nearby towns including Stevenage, Hitchin, Letchworth and Baldock – although travel to these towns is limited to fixed points (hospitals, train and bus stations, and high streets).</p>
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<p>HertsLynx now makes 2,600 passenger trips a month and, like MK Connect, booking is by app, online or phone. With only four buses, it has hit a similar issue to MK Connect of being unable to take some trip requests when vehicles are fully in use, as noted in this <a href="https://busandtrainuser.com/2023/07/30/the-drt-renowned-for-its-success/">recent review</a>.</p>
<p>These two prototype services suggest a good model is emerging for local public transport, but that it needs refining. DRT services can best serve more dispersed trips, while conventional buses work well when a regular, predictable arrival time is needed and in situations of high demand. A good mix of the two is what is needed and Milton Keynes and HertsLynx, while heading that way, haven’t yet achieved it. Adding a in a <a href="https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/its-a-new-dawn-for-27759901">Manchester-style regulation structure</a> might well do that. </p>
<h2>The future of local public transport?</h2>
<p>As the Brennan Monorail flop illustrated more than a century ago, predicting the future is a dangerous thing. But there is clearly potential to <a href="https://theconversation.com/four-visions-for-the-future-of-public-transport-125443">rethink public transport systems</a> all over the world, in a way that makes a real difference to the planet and quality of daily life – by improving mobility while reducing costs, air pollution and congestion levels.</p>
<p>This revolution is being driven by a range of organisations, spanning powerful technology companies and IT startups as well as the existing public transport industry and both national and local policymakers. Central to a more diversified public transport future is easily accessed information and payment systems that allow users to customise different services for their own travel needs. Personalised apps on mobile devices to book and pay for public transport services will become increasingly important.</p>
<p>If you combine digital planning and payment systems, autonomous driving and a DRT service redesign, then a radically better form of public transport starts to emerge. Without the need for a driver, fixed-route buses could be smaller but run more frequently. Combined with DRT services to cover more dispersed trips, the potentially transformative, “small vehicle-small infrastructure” vision of public transport systems comes into place.</p>
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<em>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/driverless-public-transport-will-change-our-approach-to-city-planning-and-living-35520">Driverless public transport will change our approach to city planning – and living</a>
</strong>
</em>
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<p>The result could be that, rather than people needing to adjust their behaviour to the schedules and routes of a bus or metro, they can travel directly, whenever they want, on services operating 24/7 – overcoming the poor quality of infrequent evening, night and Sunday public transport services experienced today.</p>
<p>All that said, the future may still not end up quite as automated as <a href="https://blogs.worldbank.org/digital-development/automated-transport-could-propel-development-forward-can-we-turn-vision-reality">some technologists predict</a>. Driverless vehicles overseen by control centres cost an awful lot to set up and run, and this may limit the use of driverless bus and taxi systems to where use is high enough to make the sums add up – in other words, major cities. For a good while yet, public transport vehicles in most medium-sized UK towns, as well as rural areas, are likely to remain manually driven.</p>
<p>Rather than trying to jump straight to an IT-driverless ideal, a phased introduction of upgradable, adaptable system designs makes more sense. In this way, the spectre of the Brennan Monorail should remain a useful reminder that not all technological advances will change our world for the better, and there is a real danger that second-best fixes could impede potentially transformative change. This is a journey that has only just started – and it’s going to be a bumpy ride.</p>
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<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/313478/original/file-20200204-41481-1n8vco4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/313478/original/file-20200204-41481-1n8vco4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=112&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313478/original/file-20200204-41481-1n8vco4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=112&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313478/original/file-20200204-41481-1n8vco4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=112&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313478/original/file-20200204-41481-1n8vco4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=140&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313478/original/file-20200204-41481-1n8vco4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=140&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313478/original/file-20200204-41481-1n8vco4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=140&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><em>For you: more from our <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/insights-series-71218?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=TCUKengagement&utm_content=InsightsUK">Insights series</a>:</em></p>
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<li><p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/12-best-ways-to-get-cars-out-of-cities-ranked-by-new-research-180642?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=TCUKengagement&utm_content=InsightsUK">12 best ways to get cars out of cities – ranked by new research</a></em></p></li>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Amid bus route cuts and rail strikes, can the answer to our future public transport needs be found in the hi-tech prototypes being trialled around the UK?Stephen Potter, Professor of Transport Strategy, The Open UniversityMatthew Cook, Professor of Innovation, The Open UniversityMiguel Valdez, Lecturer in Technology and Innovation Management, The Open UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2124642023-09-11T02:26:13Z2023-09-11T02:26:13ZFive years on, Brisbane’s e-scooters and e-bikes are winning over tourists and residents as they open up the city<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547148/original/file-20230908-15-9hz65x.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C352%2C4538%2C2998&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Authors, courtesy of Brisbane City Council</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Five years after being the <a href="https://theconversation.com/limes-not-lemons-lessons-from-australias-first-e-scooter-sharing-trial-108924">first Australian city</a> to introduce rideshare e-scooters, Brisbane is leading the way after many <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-e-bikes-can-succeed-where-earlier-bike-share-schemes-failed-151844">growing pains</a> and a <a href="https://theconversation.com/limes-not-lemons-lessons-from-australias-first-e-scooter-sharing-trial-108924">lot of learning</a>.</p>
<p>Our <a href="https://business.uq.edu.au/article/2023/08/e-scooters-pave-way-memorable-brisbane-tourism-experience">latest research</a> explored tourists’ and residents’ perceptions and experiences of the city. We surveyed both users and non-users of e-scooters and e-bikes in a first-of-its-kind <a href="https://business.uq.edu.au/files/104406/micromobility-in-brisbane-report.pdf">study</a>. We received nearly 1,000 responses, with 29 follow-up interviews. </p>
<p>Cities around the world are making micromobility, such as e-scooters and e-bikes, part of their transport plans. They hope to reap the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1361920921000389">widely proven benefits</a> of encouraging active transport such as walking and cycling, reducing car trips and traffic congestion, cutting greenhouse gas emissions, improving access throughout cities and promoting residents’ overall wellbeing. </p>
<p>Still, micromobility is very much up for public debate. With more and <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-1-in-3-users-are-tourists-that-changes-the-bike-share-equation-for-cities-152895">more tourists</a> using rideshare bikes and scooters and some cities <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66682673">banning them</a>, important questions have been overlooked. How do these devices shape visitor experiences and a city’s image? How do residents view their use? And, what do non-users think? </p>
<p>Well, we found out. In Brisbane, these new forms of transport are being seen in an increasingly positive light as alternatives to private cars, public transport and ridershare services. Comparable to when <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/15/australian-e-scooters-bumpy-ride-like-when-automobiles-appeared-on-streets-filled-with-horses">cars replaced horses</a>, micromobility options offer a convenient and improved transport experience that showcases the best parts of the city.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1661643365409234944"}"></div></p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/limes-not-lemons-lessons-from-australias-first-e-scooter-sharing-trial-108924">Limes not lemons: lessons from Australia’s first e-scooter sharing trial</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Micromobility services are good for a city’s image</h2>
<p>When tourists arrive in a new city, they face a common challenge: where to go, what to see and, more importantly, how to get there?</p>
<p>Public transport is considered too stressful, confusing and at times unpleasant. Rideshare cars and taxis are easy and familiar, but they don’t provide an experience and miss out on the nooks and crannies of a destination. </p>
<p>A clear majority of the visitors in our study (83% users, 42% non-users) agreed e-scooters and e-bikes enhanced their tourism experience and their view of the city. This was because these forms of transport greatly increased the places they were able to see and experience. As a result, they regarded Brisbane as an active, modern city. </p>
<p>For many, riding e-escooters was itself one of the best aspects of visiting the city. One tourist told us:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Having an opportunity to use e-scooters while we visit Brisbane allows us to take in the beautiful environment that we would normally miss in a taxi or Uber.</p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="person rides an e-scooter through botanic gardens" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547115/original/file-20230908-19-io327w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547115/original/file-20230908-19-io327w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547115/original/file-20230908-19-io327w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547115/original/file-20230908-19-io327w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547115/original/file-20230908-19-io327w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547115/original/file-20230908-19-io327w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547115/original/file-20230908-19-io327w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">An e-scooter or e-bike easily gets you to places you might miss if using a taxi or Uber.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/e-scooters-are-becoming-wildly-popular-but-we-have-to-factor-in-the-weather-190917">E-scooters are becoming wildly popular – but we have to factor in the weather</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Another tourist said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I really enjoyed using it [an e-scooter]. It was a highlight of our trip actually.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Common reasons for such positive views included: accessibility, convenience, sustainability, independence, novelty, spontaneity, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, being outside, sense of community and ease of use.</p>
<p>Similarly, non-user visitors largely view e-scooters as a benefit to the city. They see them as good for its image and/or are indifferent but see the appeal for others. </p>
<p>One tourist, a non-user of e-scooters, said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I’d say right now, I don’t think it’s giving a bad image at all. On the contrary, I feel it gives an image of providing alternatives to cars.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Brisbane’s robust cycling infrastructure, referred to as “scooter highway” by study participants, was a factor in these positive views for all groups. </p>
<p>Another non-user tourist said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I feel like most people are generally responsible about riding them, and not in the middle of the sidewalk. I would say they’re a good resource for sure.</p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="e-scooters lined up at the edge of a city street" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547116/original/file-20230908-27-c5ry5k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547116/original/file-20230908-27-c5ry5k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547116/original/file-20230908-27-c5ry5k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547116/original/file-20230908-27-c5ry5k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547116/original/file-20230908-27-c5ry5k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547116/original/file-20230908-27-c5ry5k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547116/original/file-20230908-27-c5ry5k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Brisbane’s rideshare operators appear to be overcoming concerns about their e-scooters and bikes blocking footpaths.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/when-1-in-3-users-are-tourists-that-changes-the-bike-share-equation-for-cities-152895">When 1 in 3 users are tourists, that changes the bike-share equation for cities</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>How do tourist and resident riders’ views differ?</h2>
<p>We asked both tourists and residents for their views. All groups largely viewed e-scooters and e-bikes as alternatives to public transport rather than a supplement. Only a minority used e-scooters in combination with public transport. </p>
<p>Visitors to Brisbane who were not familiar with the public transport system found micromobility options incredibly useful. They were able to explore more attractions more quickly using e-scooters and e-bikes, without the hassle of buying travel cards and working out public transport timetables.</p>
<p>For visitors, micromobility itself is a tourism experience comparable to traditional attractions such as shopping and landmarks. For residents, it’s a convenient, independent, reliable and efficient way to commute, run errands, or go out and meet friends for dinner.</p>
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<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/wallets-on-wheels-city-visitors-who-use-e-scooters-more-spend-more-161886">Wallets on wheels: city visitors who use e-scooters more spend more</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What about non-users?</h2>
<p>We found differences between users and non-users. Users have overwhelmingly positive views (74%) of the benefits for themselves and others. Non-users either see the benefits to others, or are sceptical and worried about safety. </p>
<p>However, most non-users (65%) still viewed shared e-scooters and e-bikes as a public resource. Only a minority (35%) saw them as a nuisance. </p>
<p>So, what’s stopping more people using them? Commonly cited barriers included:</p>
<ul>
<li>safety concerns</li>
<li>not knowing how to ride</li>
<li>expensive</li>
<li>self-image – not seeing themselves as e-scooter/e-bike riders</li>
<li>lack of cycling-friendly infrastructure in some areas</li>
<li>post-COVID hygiene concerns</li>
</ul>
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<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/thinking-of-swerving-high-fuel-prices-with-an-e-scooter-or-e-bike-5-crucial-questions-answered-179563">Thinking of swerving high fuel prices with an e-scooter or e-bike? 5 crucial questions answered</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Micromobility is gaining ground</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://business.uq.edu.au/files/104406/micromobility-in-brisbane-report.pdf">results of our study</a> are clear: micromobility is a win for urban transport and tourism. Visitors and residents who are able and willing to use e-scooters and e-bikes are rewarded with a better way to get around and experience all the city has to offer. Users have strongly positive views of these transport modes and the general city impact. </p>
<p>Efforts to improve safety and access, by lowering personal barriers, would likely improve perceptions of micromobility and of the city. Further innovations in e-scooter design, supported by education campaigns, complementary infrastructure and policy, are likely to lead to greater uptake and more positive views.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/212464/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Richard Buning receives funding from Brisbane City Council. He is affiliated with Bicycle Queensland. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Wendy Pham does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Brisbane was the first Australian city to accept rideshare e-scooters. After some growing pains, residents, visitors and the city itself are enjoying the benefits, a new study finds.Richard Buning, Senior Lecturer in Tourism, School of Business, The University of QueenslandWendy Pham, Post-doctoral Researcher, Business School, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2067212023-06-27T12:23:22Z2023-06-27T12:23:22ZRight-to-charge laws bring the promise of EVs to apartments, condos and rentals<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533032/original/file-20230620-29-fy3zbe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=16%2C50%2C5590%2C3682&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Charging at home is more convenient for apartment dwellers, too.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/charging-of-an-electric-car-royalty-free-image/1042703278">Westend61 via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>More than <a href="https://www.veloz.org/ev-market-report/">3.6 million electric cars</a> are driving around the U.S., but if you live in an apartment, finding an available charger isn’t always easy. Grocery stores and shopping centers might have a few, but charging takes time and the spaces may be taken or inconvenient.</p>
<p>Several states and cities, aiming to expand EV use, are now trying to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2016.03.011">lift that barrier to ownership</a> with “right to charge” laws.</p>
<p>Illinois’ governor signed the latest <a href="https://wtax.com/news/101101-pritzker-signs-electric-vehicle-charging-expansion-plan-into-law/">right-to-charge law</a> in June 2023, requiring that all parking spots at new homes and multiunit dwellings be wired so they’re ready for EV chargers to be installed. Colorado, Florida, New York and other states have passed similar laws in recent years.</p>
<p>But having wiring in place for charging is only the first step to expanding EV use. Apartment building managers, condo associations and residents are now trying to figure out how to make charging efficient, affordable and available to everyone who needs it when they need it.</p>
<h2>Electric cars can benefit urban dwellers</h2>
<p>As a <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=MDz1iZAAAAAJ&hl=en">civil engineer</a> who focuses on transportation, I study ways to make the shift to electric vehicles equitable, and I believe that planning for multiunit dwelling charging and accessibility is smart policy for cities.</p>
<p>Transitioning away from fossil-fueled vehicles to electric vehicles has <a href="https://www.carbonbrief.org/factcheck-how-electric-vehicles-help-to-tackle-climate-change/">benefits for the environment and the health</a> of urban residents. It reduces tailpipe emissions, which can cause respiratory problems and warm the climate; it mitigates noise; and it improves urban air quality and quality of life.</p>
<p>Surveys show most EV drivers charge at home, where electricity rates are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2019.06.042">lower than at public chargers</a> and there is less competition for charging spots. In <a href="https://cleantechnica.com/2023/02/16/new-high-16-ev-adoption-in-california-in-2022/">California, the leading state for EVs</a>, 88% of early adopters of battery electric cars said they were able to charge at home, and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2019.11.011">workplace and public charging represented</a> just 24% and 17% of their charging sessions, respectively. Nationwide, about <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2018.04.002">50% to 80% of all battery electric car charging sessions</a> take place at home.</p>
<p><iframe id="7zkTl" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/7zkTl/2/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>Yet almost a quarter of all U.S. housing structures have more than one dwelling unit, according to the 2019 <a href="https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/ahs.html">American Housing Survey</a>. In California, 32.5% of urban dwellings have multiple units, and only a third of those units include access to a personal garage where a charger could be installed.</p>
<p>Even if installing a personal charger is an option, it can be expensive in a multiunit dwelling if wiring isn’t already in place. And it often <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2023.103776">comes with other obstacles</a>, including the potential need for electrical upgrades or challenges from homeowner association rules and restrictions. Installing chargers can involve numerous stakeholders who can impede the process – lot owners, tenants, homeowners associations, property managers, electric utilities and local governments.</p>
<p>However, if a 240-volt outlet is already available, basic charger installation <a href="https://www.jdpower.com/cars/shopping-guides/how-much-does-it-cost-to-install-an-ev-charger">drops to a few hundred dollars</a>.</p>
<h2>Right-to-charge laws aims for ubiquitous home charging</h2>
<p>Right-to-charge laws aim to streamline home charging access as new buildings go up.</p>
<p>Illinois’ new <a href="https://www.lplegal.com/content/electric-vehicle-charging-act-approved-illinois-legislature-what-illinois-community-associations-need-know/">Electric Vehicle Charging Act</a> requires that 100% of parking spaces at new homes and multiunit dwellings be ready for electric car charging, with a conduit and reserved capacity to easily install charging infrastructure. The new law also gives renters and condominium owners in new buildings a right to install chargers without unreasonable restriction from landlords and homeowner associations.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman unloads a shopping cart in a parking lot and puts items into her EV, which is charging from a public charger." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533031/original/file-20230620-17-shtr8z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533031/original/file-20230620-17-shtr8z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533031/original/file-20230620-17-shtr8z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533031/original/file-20230620-17-shtr8z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533031/original/file-20230620-17-shtr8z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533031/original/file-20230620-17-shtr8z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533031/original/file-20230620-17-shtr8z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Public chargers typically aren’t as convenient as charging at home, and chargers aren’t always available.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/electric-vehicle-lifestyle-royalty-free-image/1465286722">martin-dm/E+ via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Virginia also have <a href="https://pluginsites.org/legislation-reference-recharging-equipment-at-multi-unit-housing/">right-to-charge laws</a> designed to make residential community charging deployment easier, as do <a href="https://afdc.energy.gov/fuels/electricity_charging_home.html">several U.S. cities</a> including Seattle and Washington, D.C. Most apply only to owner-occupied buildings, but a few, including California’s and Colorado’s, also apply to rental buildings.</p>
<p>Chicago officials have considered an <a href="https://www.lplegal.com/content/proposed-electric-vehicle-charging-ordinance-chicago/">ordinance that would</a> include existing buildings, too.</p>
<h2>Sharing chargers can reduce the cost</h2>
<p>There are several steps communities can take to increase access to chargers and reduce the cost to residents.</p>
<p>In a new study, colleagues and I looked at how to design shared charging for an apartment building with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2023.103776">scheduling that works for everyone</a>. By sharing chargers, residential communities can reduce the costs associated with charger installation and use. </p>
<p>The biggest challenge to shared charging is often scheduling. We found that a centralized charging management system that suggests charging times for each electric car owner that aligns with the owner’s travel schedule and the amount of charge needed can work – with enough chargers.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="The view from high in an apartment building shows balconies below and the solar-panel covered roof over the parking area." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533034/original/file-20230620-21-rdga2x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533034/original/file-20230620-21-rdga2x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533034/original/file-20230620-21-rdga2x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533034/original/file-20230620-21-rdga2x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533034/original/file-20230620-21-rdga2x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=487&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533034/original/file-20230620-21-rdga2x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=487&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533034/original/file-20230620-21-rdga2x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=487&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Apartments in a tower in China look down on an EV charging station covered in solar panels.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/looking-down-on-a-community-parking-lot-with-solar-royalty-free-image/1343714223">Zhihao/Moment via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In a typical multiunit dwelling in Chicago – with an average of 14 cars in the parking lot – a small community charging hub with two <a href="https://afdc.energy.gov/fuels/electricity_infrastructure.html">level 2 chargers</a>, the type common in homes and office buildings, can cover daily residential recharging demand at a cost of about 15 cents per kilowatt-hour. But having only two chargers means residents are waiting on average 2.2 hours to charge.</p>
<p>A larger charging hub with eight level 2 chargers in the same city avoids the delay but increases the cost of charging to 21 cents per kWh because of upfront cost of purchasing and installing the chargers. To put that into context, the average electricity cost for Chicago residents is <a href="https://www.energysage.com/local-data/electricity-cost/il/cook-county/chicago/">16 cents per kWh</a>. </p>
<p>The future of charging management at multiunit dwellings <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2016.10.048">will be automated</a> for efficiency, with a computer or artificial intelligence determining the most efficient schedule for charging. Optimized scheduling can be responsive to the times renewable electricity generation sources are producing the most power – midday for solar energy, for example – and to dynamic electricity pricing. Automation can also eliminate delays for drivers while saving money and reducing the burden on the electric grid.</p>
<p>The current limited access to home charging in many cities <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2016.03.011">constrains electric vehicle adoption</a>, slows down the decarbonization of U.S. transportation and <a href="https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1825510">exacerbates inequities</a> in electric vehicle ownership. I believe efforts to expand charging in multidwelling buildings can help lift some of the biggest barriers and help reduce noise and pollution in urban cores at the same time.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/206721/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Eleftheria Kontou receives funding from the Department of Energy Vehicle Technologies Office, the National Science Foundation, the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, and the Office of Naval Research. </span></em></p>Illinois passed the latest law requiring new apartment buildings to be wired for EV chargers. Now apartment communities are figuring out the best ways to make shared charging work for everyone.Eleftheria Kontou, Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1999882023-03-17T01:28:36Z2023-03-17T01:28:36ZHow on-demand buses can transform travel and daily life for people with disabilities<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/514092/original/file-20230308-757-qhiyis.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C76%2C4598%2C3054&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>People with disabilities arguably stand to gain the most from good public transport, but are continually excluded by transport systems that still aren’t adapted to their needs as the law requires. <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/ee5ee3c2-152d-4b5f-9901-71d483b47f03/aihw-dis-72.pdf.aspx?inline=true">One in six people</a> aged 15 and over with disability have difficulty using some or all forms of public transport. One in seven are not able to use public transport at all. </p>
<p>Under the <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2018C00125">Disability Discrimination Act 1992</a>, Australia’s public transport systems were expected to be fully compliant with the 2002 <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure-transport-vehicles/transport-accessibility">Transport Standards</a> by December 31 2022. Not only have many of our bus, train and tram systems <a href="https://www.disabilitysupportguide.com.au/talking-disability/public-transport-remains-inaccessible-as-20-year-targets-are-not-met">failed to meet these targets</a>, but the standards themselves are outdated. The standards are <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure-transport-vehicles/transport-accessibility/2022-review-transport-standards">under review</a> and public consultation has begun.</p>
<p>For buses, the standards <a href="https://www.mcw.com.au/why-public-transport-operators-must-review-their-vehicles-in-2022/">largely focus on the vehicles themselves</a>: low-floor buses, wheelchair ramps, priority seating, handrails and enough room to manoeuvre. But just because a vehicle is accessible doesn’t necessarily mean a bus journey is accessible. </p>
<p>There are difficulties getting to and from the bus, limited frequency of accessible services, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17450101.2022.2126794">poor driver training, passenger conflict</a>, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/gusalexiou/2021/02/17/for-disabled-people-inclusive-transportation-is-about-much-more-than-lifts-and-ramps/?sh=322fc9c62b08">travel anxiety</a> and a lack of <a href="https://www.inclusivecitymaker.com/transport-accessibility-intellectual-disability/">planning for diversity</a>. In all these ways, bus travel excludes people with disabilities. </p>
<p>Infrastructure alone cannot overcomes these issues. <a href="https://translink.com.au/travel-with-us/on-demand">On-demand transport</a>, which enables users to travel between any two points within a service zone whenever they want, offers potential solutions to some of these issues. It’s already <a href="https://sifted.eu/articles/viavan-on-demand-transport/">operating</a> in <a href="https://ringandride.org/">cities</a> <a href="https://www.bcgomi.com/">overseas</a> and is being <a href="https://theconversation.com/1-million-rides-and-counting-on-demand-services-bring-public-transport-to-the-suburbs-132355">trialled in Australia</a>.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cZlMn6t4hmg?wmode=transparent&start=62" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Australian trials of on-demand bus services include several urban centres in Queensland.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/1-million-rides-and-counting-on-demand-services-bring-public-transport-to-the-suburbs-132355">1 million rides and counting: on-demand services bring public transport to the suburbs</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Accessible vehicles are just the start</h2>
<p>Making vehicles accessible is really only the tip of the iceberg. Focusing only on infrastructure misses two key points: </p>
<ol>
<li><p>our public transport journeys begin before we board the service and continue after we’ve left it</p></li>
<li><p>accessibility means providing people with quality transport experiences, not just access to resources.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Let’s imagine a typical suburban bus journey. It is industry accepted that passengers are <a href="https://australasiantransportresearchforum.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2013_rose_mulley_tsai_hensher.pdf">generally willing to walk about 400 metres</a> to a bus stop. That is based, of course, on the assumption that passengers are able-bodied. Long distances, steep hills, neglected pathways, few kerb cuts and poorly designed bus shelters all hinder individuals with disabilities from getting to the bus in the first place. </p>
<p>This issue resurfaced in the 2020 report <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/ee5ee3c2-152d-4b5f-9901-71d483b47f03/aihw-dis-72.pdf.aspx?inline=true">People with Disability in Australia</a>, by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. More than one in four respondents with disabilities said getting “to and from stops” was a major obstacle to using public transport. </p>
<p>But other barriers to making services inclusive are even more difficult to see. People with disabilities are forced to plan extensively when to travel, how to travel, who to travel with and what resources they need to complete the journey. Even the best-laid plans involve <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/gusalexiou/2021/02/17/for-disabled-people-inclusive-transportation-is-about-much-more-than-lifts-and-ramps/?sh=322fc9c62b08">added emotional energy or “travel anxiety”</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511522/original/file-20230221-20-dy18lw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511522/original/file-20230221-20-dy18lw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=626&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511522/original/file-20230221-20-dy18lw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=626&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511522/original/file-20230221-20-dy18lw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=626&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511522/original/file-20230221-20-dy18lw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=787&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511522/original/file-20230221-20-dy18lw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=787&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511522/original/file-20230221-20-dy18lw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=787&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Although vehicles are meant to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act, government policy still overlooks many social and operational barriers to bus travel.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Image courtesy of Liftango Labs</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-forget-buses-six-rules-for-improving-city-bus-services-94984">Don't forget buses: six rules for improving city bus services</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What solutions are there?</h2>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/1-million-rides-and-counting-on-demand-services-bring-public-transport-to-the-suburbs-132355">On-demand transport</a> offers potential solutions to some of these issues. Its key feature is flexibility: users can travel between any two points within a service zone, whenever they want. </p>
<p>This flexibility can be harnessed to design more inclusive bus services. Without a fixed route or timetable, on-demand services can pick up passengers at their home and drop them directly at their destination. This door-to-door service eliminates the stressful journey to and from a bus stop and their destinations. </p>
<p>And with services available on demand, users can plan their travel to complement their daily activities instead of the availability of transport dictating their daily activities. </p>
<p>The technology behind on-demand transport also helps reduce the need for customers to consistently restate their mobility needs. Once a customer creates a profile, extra boarding and alighting time is automatically applied to all future bookings. This eliminates the exhaustive process of added planning, and enables drivers to deliver a better experience for all of their passengers. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/electric-on-demand-public-transport-is-making-a-difference-in-auckland-now-it-needs-to-roll-out-further-189438">Electric on-demand public transport is making a difference in Auckland – now it needs to roll out further</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Examples of on-demand services</h2>
<p>Cities around the globe are already using on-demand services to overcome transport disadvantage for people with disabilities. </p>
<p>BCGo is one such service in Calhoun County, Michigan. A recent yet-to-be-published survey of BCGo users shows 51% of respondents face mobility challenges that affect their ability to travel. </p>
<p>Some 30% have “conditions which make it difficult to walk more than 200 feet” (61m). That means the industry’s assumed walkable distance (400m) is 6.5 times the distance that’s realistically possible for many users of the service. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511530/original/file-20230221-28-ru2ibg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511530/original/file-20230221-28-ru2ibg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=491&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511530/original/file-20230221-28-ru2ibg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=491&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511530/original/file-20230221-28-ru2ibg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=491&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511530/original/file-20230221-28-ru2ibg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=617&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511530/original/file-20230221-28-ru2ibg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=617&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511530/original/file-20230221-28-ru2ibg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=617&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Survey responses from BCGo users illustrate the diverse mobility challenges – not just wheelchairs – within the community that services must cater for.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Image and analysis courtesy of researchers at Liftango Labs.</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Ring & Ride West Midlands is the UK’s largest on-demand project. It operates across seven zones with over 80 vehicles. </p>
<p>The service, recently digitised using <a href="https://www.liftango.com/">Liftango</a>’s technology, is designed to provide low-cost, accessible transport. It can be used for commuting, visiting friends, shopping and leisure activities. </p>
<p>Ring & Ride serves as an example of how on-demand service can provide sustainable and equitable transport at scale. It’s completing over 12,000 trips per month.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511531/original/file-20230221-20-m9n2or.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511531/original/file-20230221-20-m9n2or.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=356&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511531/original/file-20230221-20-m9n2or.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=356&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511531/original/file-20230221-20-m9n2or.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=356&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511531/original/file-20230221-20-m9n2or.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=447&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511531/original/file-20230221-20-m9n2or.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=447&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511531/original/file-20230221-20-m9n2or.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=447&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">In this map of Ring&Ride service zones, the lines show the trips taken since June 2022.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Image and analysis courtesy of researchers at Liftango Labs</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-public-transit-can-learn-from-uber-and-lyft-85145">What public transit can learn from Uber and Lyft</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>A call to action for Australian governments</h2>
<p>Government policy needs to address not only inadequate bus infrastructure, but those invisible barriers that continue to exclude many people from bus travel. We need a cognitive shift to recognise accessibility is about creating quality experiences from door to destination for everyone. </p>
<p>This needs to be paired with a willingness to explore solutions like on-demand transport. Transport authorities worldwide are already embracing these solutions. We cannot continue to rely on the community transport sector to absorb the responsibility of providing transport for people with disabilities, particularly as <a href="https://theconversation.com/eight-simple-changes-to-our-neighbourhoods-can-help-us-age-well-83962">our populations age</a>. </p>
<p>Now is the time to have your say. The Transport Standards are <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure-transport-vehicles/transport-accessibility/2022-review-transport-standards">open for public consultation</a> until June 2023. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/eight-simple-changes-to-our-neighbourhoods-can-help-us-age-well-83962">Eight simple changes to our neighbourhoods can help us age well</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/199988/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ainsley Hughes is an Honorary Associate Lecturer in the Discipline of Geography at the University of Newcastle. She also works as a New Mobilities Specialist for Liftango.</span></em></p>Ensuring public transport vehicles comply with the laws on disability access is just the tip of the iceberg. Access issues across the transport system point to the need for on-demand services.Ainsley Hughes, Honorary Associate Lecturer in Geography, University of NewcastleLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1326642023-02-20T19:01:41Z2023-02-20T19:01:41ZRide-share companies are losing billions, so why their interest in unprofitable public transport?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/509375/original/file-20230210-18-9mcpe0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C13%2C4500%2C2977&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Why do Uber, Lyft, Didi, OLA and other ride-sharing companies want to partner with public transport agencies? For Uber and Lyft, the reason is simple: their <a href="https://digital.hbs.edu/platform-rctom/submission/ubers-autonomous-vehicle-transformation/">business plans</a> were based on eventually using driverless vehicles to eliminate their main cost, the labour cost of the driver. But human drivers <a href="https://www.autonews.com/mobility-report/uber-sees-some-time-avs-dominate-road">won’t be replaced for some time</a>. </p>
<p>While many of these companies have raised <a href="https://theconversation.com/billions-are-pouring-into-mobility-technology-will-the-transport-revolution-live-up-to-the-hype-131154">lots of cash</a> from <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/articles/markets/011516/companies-are-funding-uber-and-lyft.asp">venture capitalists</a>, they are burning though it at an alarming rate. Uber made a loss of <a href="https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/UBER/uber-technologies/net-income">US$8.8 billion</a> in 2022. Lyft, Uber’s main competitor in the United States, lost <a href="https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/LYFT/lyft/net-income">US$1.28 billion</a>.</p>
<p>These companies, collectively known as transportation network companies (<a href="https://mobilitybehaviour.eu/2017/07/26/what-are-ridesourcingtransportation-network-company-tnc-services/">TNCs</a>), have two options to become profitable. They need to increase how much they charge for their services, or find other revenue streams. So most have ventured into e-bikes and e-scooters, food and freight delivery and public transport. </p>
<p>Uber aims to become the “<a href="https://www.ft.com/content/47516aec-d717-11e8-a854-33d6f82e62f8">Amazon of transportation</a>” by creating a one-stop platform for all transport services — known as <a href="https://theconversation.com/all-your-transport-options-in-one-place-why-mobility-as-a-service-needs-a-proper-platform-157243">mobility as a service</a> (MaaS). Its move into public transport is a natural progression. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1511989838878318596"}"></div></p>
<p>Uber <a href="https://www.protocol.com/bulletins/uber-super-app-transportation">added trains, buses, planes and car rentals to its UK app</a> last April. While it’s not providing these services, the aim is to partner with other transport providers so customers can use the Uber app to buy tickets. If this service succeeds, Uber intends to expand it to other countries.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/victorians-wont-miss-myki-but-what-will-best-practice-transport-ticketing-look-like-197620">Victorians won't miss myki, but what will 'best practice' transport ticketing look like?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>There are <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/04/25/tech/uber-public-transportation/index.html">more than 4 trillion passenger miles</a> taken on public transport annually. Given this volume, surprisingly few public transport agencies make money. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/mar/19/how-public-transport-actually-turns-a-profit-in-hong-kong">One of the few is in Hong Kong</a>, due to the operator developing the large amount of property it owns around its stations. </p>
<p>Public transport is subsidised because it is essential for our cities; they couldn’t function if everyone used a car to get around. </p>
<p>So how do ride-sharing companies think they can make money by getting involved in public transport? Do they know something they’re not revealing? </p>
<h2>How widespread are these partnerships?</h2>
<p>By 2019 <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/07/technology/uber-train-bus-public-transit.html?referringSource=articleShare">Uber had about 20 such agreements and Lyft about 50</a>. Neither company has disclosed whether the number of agreements has increased or decreased in the post-COVID environment.</p>
<p>Uber’s 2021 report, <a href="https://d1nyezh1ys8wfo.cloudfront.net/static/PDFs/Transit+Horizons+vF.pdf">Towards a New Model of Public Transportation</a>, identifies four main areas of co-operation with public transport agencies. </p>
<p>The most common is the integration of public transport information into the TNC app. Uber has done this on a limited scale, including <a href="https://www.uber.com/en-AU/blog/sydney/sydney-public-transport/">Sydney</a> where its app has provided public transport information since mid-2019.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1155716159229943808"}"></div></p>
<p>The second most common area of co-operation involves providing first mile, last mile transport – transferring a commuter between a public transport stop and their home or destination – or providing transport in areas with low public transport frequency. Dallas, in 2015, was the first city to subsidise short <a href="https://www.uber.com/blog/dallas/dart-pool/">shared Uber rides</a> to and from a train station. Dallas transport officials <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/07/technology/uber-train-bus-public-transit.html?referringSource=articleShare">said</a> it cost US$15 per rider on one of their buses, but only US$5 per rider with Uber.</p>
<p>The third area is enabling users to buy public transport tickets on their Uber app. The first of just a few operating examples was in <a href="https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2019/05/uber-denver-transit-ticket-bus-train-light-rail-fare-app-rtd/588559/">Denver</a> in 2019, followed by <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/06/tech/uber-bus-tickets-ces-las-vegas/index.html">Las Vegas</a> in January 2020. A year later a consortium of 13 small transit agencies in Ohio and northern Kentucky was added to this <a href="https://www.mobility-payments.com/2021/01/01/uber-expands-mobile-ticketing-to-more-u-s-public-transit-agencies/">Uber feature</a>. </p>
<p>The fourth area is as a substitute for public transport. To date there is only one example – in <a href="https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2019/04/innisfil-transit-ride-hailing-bus-public-transportation-uber/588154/">Innisfil, Ontario</a>. Innisfil had no public transport, but needed a service for its growing population. The town engaged Uber to provide a bus service. Within a year it was carrying about 8,000 passengers a month. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Street view of the town of Innisfil, Ontario" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510227/original/file-20230214-20-765lwf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510227/original/file-20230214-20-765lwf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=334&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510227/original/file-20230214-20-765lwf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=334&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510227/original/file-20230214-20-765lwf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=334&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510227/original/file-20230214-20-765lwf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=420&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510227/original/file-20230214-20-765lwf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=420&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510227/original/file-20230214-20-765lwf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=420&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Instead of establishing its own bus service, the Canadian town of Innisfil turned to Uber.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/all-your-transport-options-in-one-place-why-mobility-as-a-service-needs-a-proper-platform-157243">All your transport options in one place: why mobility as a service needs a proper platform</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What’s stopping more public transport deals?</h2>
<p>Are such partnerships a <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-01-26/what-to-make-of-uber-s-bid-to-help-public-transit">good idea</a>? While there are some advocates among public transport officials, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/07/technology/uber-train-bus-public-transit.html?referringSource=articleShare">many others remain sceptical</a>. Their reasons include: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>ride-sharing <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-020-00678-z">reduces public transport patronage</a></p></li>
<li><p>concerns about whether these companies want to cooperate or divert riders</p></li>
<li><p>enticing people from public transport to ride-share vehicles has <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-020-00678-z">increased traffic congestion</a></p></li>
<li><p>these companies historically have not shared their data</p></li>
<li><p>the agencies don’t want to become dependent upon companies whose financial viability is questionable – how can they make money and continue this cooperation when public transport agencies cannot? </p></li>
</ul>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1394491934455078916"}"></div></p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/can-an-app-change-australias-car-culture-only-if-all-moving-parts-work-together-167450">Can an app change Australia's car culture? Only if all moving parts work together</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>So why do some public transport agencies sign up?</h2>
<p>What is the motivation for public transport agencies co-operating with these companies? For large public transport agencies it’s about <a href="https://nytransit.org/resources/transit-tncs/205-transit-tncs">improving operations</a> related to:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>increasing public transport use by subsidising rides to and from commuter rail, bus and tram stations</p></li>
<li><p>late-hours services when it is expensive to run routes, or to provide services where public transport routes are not operating</p></li>
<li><p>increased mobility due to having multiple transport options</p></li>
<li><p>paratransit, a supplement to public transport that provides individualised rides without fixed schedules or routes, which is costly for public transport agencies because they lack vehicles of the right size and the ability to respond efficiently to demand.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>However, most of these partnerships can be <a href="https://nytransit.org/resources/transit-tncs/205-transit-tncs">found in smaller cities</a>. This is because small improvements – such as ride-sharing replacing a low-use bus route – can have a significant impact on their budgets. </p>
<p>Another trend emerging from the pandemic is that public transport agencies are rethinking how they operate and how they can improve services. While some have partnered with transportation network companies, other have decided to implement <a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2022/08/17/can-uber-like-public-transit-replace-old-fashioned-buses">TNC-like services in house</a> in an effort to increase ridership.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-if-opal-and-myki-became-one-itd-help-more-of-us-than-youd-think-197684">What if Opal and Myki became one? It'd help more of us than you'd think</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>While things were evolving rapidly before the pandemic, progress slowed due to lockdowns and more people working from home. How these companies will fare in a post-COVID environment is still unclear, including whether travellers will use them as a substitute for some public transport services, particularly on low-frequency routes and for first mile, last mile trips.</p>
<p>The companies have indicated the goal of these partnerships is to get people out of their cars. If they can make it easier for people to use public transport, then it is good for these companies because people might buy fewer cars and use more of their services in the future.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-battle-to-be-the-amazon-or-netflix-of-transport-103351">The battle to be the Amazon (or Netflix) of transport</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/132664/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Neil G Sipe receives funding from the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p>Around the world, very few public transport agencies make money, while ride-sharing companies are making huge losses. So why partner up, and how do those partnerships work?Neil G Sipe, Honorary Professor of Planning, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1976842023-02-08T19:09:32Z2023-02-08T19:09:32ZWhat if Opal and Myki became one? It’d help more of us than you’d think<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505496/original/file-20230120-25-ukj4ie.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=177%2C0%2C5034%2C3341&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Melburnians know Myki, Sydneysiders know Opal. These two electronic ticketing systems for public transport may be streets ahead of what they replaced, but are now decidedly old-fashioned compared with systems elsewhere in the world. </p>
<p>In the Netherlands you can buy a single card and use it on public transport anywhere in the country. In Japan you can buy a card to travel on the majority of public transport options.</p>
<p>Why can’t Australian public transport work the same, starting with Myki and Opal?</p>
<p>These two systems cover about 40% of Australia’s population. Melbourne and Sydney are the two cities most visited by international and domestic tourists, and travel between the two cities is one of <a href="https://www.traveller.com.au/worlds-busiest-flight-routes-sydneymelbourne-surges-back-into-top-five-despite-reduced-capacity-h29agb">the world’s busiest</a> routes. </p>
<p>Research shows the easier it is to use public transport, such as through <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2017.03.004">integrated ticketing</a>, the more people will use it. It stands to reason more travellers will use public transport if they can use the card they already have in their wallet or purse. Few Australians hold more than the card from their home city.</p>
<hr>
<p><iframe id="lAQin" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/lAQin/2/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<hr>
<h2>Upgrading Opal and Myki</h2>
<p>Now is the time to do something about this, before NSW and Victoria spend hundreds of millions of dollars upgrading (and reduplicating) Opal and Myki. </p>
<p>The NSW government committed almost <a href="https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/news-and-events/media-releases/next-generation-of-opal-to-revolutionise-travel">A$570 million</a> in its last budget to upgrade Opal. The Victorian government is <a href="https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/public-transport-ticketing-expression-interest-process-commences">looking at options to upgrade Myki</a> and will sign a new contract with an operator this year. The current contract is worth about $100 million a year. How much it will commit to upgrading the system is still unknown, but it is reasonable to assume it’s comparable to NSW. </p>
<p>You can only imagine the duplication happening in these parallel processes.</p>
<p>Moving to a system as in the Netherlands and Japan is not without its challenges. It means overcoming the same constitutional arrangements and state-based cultures that once led to incompatible rail gauges, and why we have state-based driver’s licences and vehicle registrations. </p>
<p>But the potential benefits of national integrated ticketing include lower ticketing costs and ease of transport access, leading to better service provision, cheaper fares and overall greater public transport use.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="woman holds a phone to a reader at a train station ticketing barrier" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505494/original/file-20230120-16562-os9hya.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505494/original/file-20230120-16562-os9hya.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505494/original/file-20230120-16562-os9hya.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505494/original/file-20230120-16562-os9hya.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505494/original/file-20230120-16562-os9hya.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505494/original/file-20230120-16562-os9hya.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505494/original/file-20230120-16562-os9hya.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Japan and the Netherlands have shown what’s possible with public-transport ticketing integration.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Implementing account-based systems</h2>
<p>Both NSW and Victorian governments are touting the benefits of moving from their wallet-based systems to what are known as “account-based systems”. </p>
<p>Instead of buying a standalone card (which you or anyone else can use), account-based systems tie your card (or credit card, or “tappable” device) to your travel account. You can pay using a credit card in some cities in Australia (Melbourne isn’t one of them – one reason for the Myki upgrade) but they are just a payment mechanism, without other benefits.</p>
<p>Account-based ticketing brings with it a far more powerful back-end system upgrade, providing better fare and payment flexibility and data collection. </p>
<p>Most importantly it can enable greater integration between transport operators. Data collected on how and when people use public transport enables operators to better plan and integrate services. For travellers combining several transport legs, it could mean cheaper fares. For operators in the system, it could open new ways of working together to make better journeys for passengers. This greater collaboration may also lead to benefits we can’t yet predict. </p>
<p>Yet there appears to be no attempt to discuss collaboration across state lines.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/victorians-wont-miss-myki-but-what-will-best-practice-transport-ticketing-look-like-197620">Victorians won't miss myki, but what will 'best practice' transport ticketing look like?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Travellers want compatible systems</h2>
<p>Our <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2022.04.013">research</a>, using a survey of 715 people across all capital cities (except Darwin), indicates intercity travellers would choose public transport over private car options at a ratio of about two to one, if given the option to use their home card when travelling in another city.</p>
<p>It may be argued public transport in Australia is very different to the Netherlands or Japan, notably in terms of population densities. But similar single account systems are also under development in New Zealand, Britain and California.</p>
<p>So how do we get a common system?</p>
<p>Constitutional arrangements are not insurmountable. And while there are differences between Australia’s cities, they are not so wildly different that ticketing needs differ. The basics of tapping on and off for most trips are the same. Fares are programmable. </p>
<p>The greater challenge will be in overcoming the institutional inertia of state-based bureaucracies. </p>
<p>The first step is for the states (and territories) to talk to one another and develop a common understanding of the benefits of collaboration. Starting with NSW and Victoria makes sense, though it is also worth starting a conversation about a national system.</p>
<p>The challenge will be for states to look past their immediate self-interest, and for transport ministers to agree on the same policy directions.</p>
<p>But this is all quite possible. They’ve done it before, as evidenced by the fact you can now get a train from Melbourne to Sydney without needing to change at the border. Though that did require some federal intervention.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/197684/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>James Bushell is affiliated with the University of Sydney.
He received a PhD scholarship which was in part funded by Metro Trains Melbourne.</span></em></p>Given the numbers of people who travel between Sydney and Melbourne, it’s time for greater integration of public transport payment systems.James Bushell, PhD Candidate and Research Associate, Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1976202023-01-19T19:13:00Z2023-01-19T19:13:00ZVictorians won’t miss myki, but what will ‘best practice’ transport ticketing look like?<p>With fewer people using public transport and more working from home due to the COVID pandemic, public transport agencies need to do everything they can to encourage more people to use their services. An essential step is to make the ticketing and payment process as easy as possible. That means it needs to keep pace with emerging technology and trends.</p>
<p>Some agencies, such as Singapore’s <a href="https://www.lta.gov.sg/content/ltagov/en/getting_around.html">Land Transport Authority</a>, have done so. Others have not – the <a href="https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/tickets/myki">myki card system</a> in Victoria falls into this category. The state government has announced a “<a href="https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/andrews-backs-smartphone-and-card-payments-over-myki-20230110-p5cbk2.html">best practice</a>” system will replace myki when its operator’s contract expires later this year.</p>
<p>Myki represented state-of-the-art technology when it <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/the-end-is-nigh-for-metcard-20120119-1q8f4.html">replaced paper tickets</a> a decade or so ago. It’s the ticketing system for travelling on trains, trams and buses in Melbourne, on trains from Melbourne to certain regional destinations, and on buses in major regional centres. However, the system now <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/finally-an-opportunity-to-fix-all-that-s-wrong-with-myki-20230110-p5cbls.html">clearly needs to be updated</a>. </p>
<p>This article outlines what a “best practice” replacement should look like. The new system must overcome the limitations that have emerged with myki, add the best features developed in other cities and build in the flexibility to keep up with the evolution of urban transport. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/electric-on-demand-public-transport-is-making-a-difference-in-auckland-now-it-needs-to-roll-out-further-189438">Electric on-demand public transport is making a difference in Auckland – now it needs to roll out further</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What’s wrong with myki?</h2>
<p>The first problem with myki is its restricted payment options. It does not allow direct payment with a credit or debit card when getting onto a train, tram or bus. </p>
<p>In 2019, the system was updated to allow direct payment for a trip using a digital myki on Android phones, but not Apple phones. This means about half of Victoria’s potential public transport users cannot use their phones to pay for their trip. (Nationally, the split is <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/245191/market-share-of-mobile-operating-systems-for-smartphone-sales-in-australia/#:%7E:text=As%20of%20March%202022%2C%20Android,share%20over%20the%20past%20decade.">54% Android and 46% Apple</a> – no city-level data are available.) </p>
<p>While Apple users can now automatically top up their myki card using their phones, they must still buy a physical myki card for $6, or $3 concession. </p>
<p>Second, while not directly impacting users, the myki terminals at public transport stations and on buses and trams use 3G wireless technology. This wireless network is due to be shut down in June 2024. Terminals will have to be updated to the 5G network.</p>
<p>Third, it is not easy for visitors to Victoria to understand the system. Before they can board public transport, they must first stop to buy a myki card for $6 (available at <a href="https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/tickets/myki/buy-a-myki-and-top-up/where-to-buy-and-top-up/">only some stations and retail outlets</a>) and add money to cover the fare.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-subscribe-to-movies-and-music-why-not-transport-119538">We subscribe to movies and music, why not transport?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What is current best practice?</h2>
<p>Contactless payment with a credit card, smartphone or smart watch is becoming standard practice on public transport. The pandemic accelerated this trend because operators wanted to minimise contact points associated with either cash payments or buying a physical ticket or card. </p>
<p>Two large public transport systems in London and Amsterdam are now contactless and cashless. In Australia, Sydney and Adelaide have contactless payment in place. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Woman holds phone as she uses a card to pay for her bus trip" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505253/original/file-20230118-21616-regee0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505253/original/file-20230118-21616-regee0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=436&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505253/original/file-20230118-21616-regee0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=436&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505253/original/file-20230118-21616-regee0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=436&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505253/original/file-20230118-21616-regee0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=547&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505253/original/file-20230118-21616-regee0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=547&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505253/original/file-20230118-21616-regee0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=547&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Contactless payment systems typically allow people to pay with a credit or debit card or a phone.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Sydney’s example is worth noting because, while upgrading to contactless payment options, it has maintained the use of the <a href="https://transportnsw.info/tickets-opal/opal#/login">Opal card</a> as well as the option of buying a single-trip ticket. Thus, Sydney has kept the payment options as broad as possible so as not to disadvantage any potential users. Many systems lack this flexibility — particularly those that have gone contactless and cashless.</p>
<p>Something that is often overlooked, but is a critical feature of exemplary public transport systems, is a well-designed seamless website or app that supports the payment system. Infrastructure Victoria highlighted this issue in its report, <a href="https://www.infrastructurevictoria.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Fair-Move-Better-Public-Transport-Fares-for-Melbourne-FINAL-1.pdf">Better Public Transport Fares for Melbourne</a>.</p>
<h2>And how will public transport evolve?</h2>
<p>Mobility as a service (MaaS) is one of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/all-your-transport-options-in-one-place-why-mobility-as-a-service-needs-a-proper-platform-157243">emerging trends</a> in public transport. The goal is to allow users to have access to a range of transport options in a single app. However, COVID has slowed <a href="https://theconversation.com/for-mobility-as-a-service-maas-to-solve-our-transport-woes-some-things-need-to-change-105119">its progress</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/all-your-transport-options-in-one-place-why-mobility-as-a-service-needs-a-proper-platform-157243">All your transport options in one place: why mobility as a service needs a proper platform</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Most of the cities that have implemented mobility as a service are in Europe. They include: Vienna, Austria; Antwerp, Belgium; Turku, Finland; the West Midlands region in Britain; the Flanders region of Belgium; and all of Switzerland. Tokyo also has it. </p>
<p>However, many cities across the globe are hopeful of implementing the idea. Among them is Sydney, which is trialling the bundling of transport services – including taxis, ride-share vehicles and e-bikes – in one transaction. Public transport agencies are attempting to provide access to the full range of traditional public transport (trains, trams, buses and ferries) and non-traditional options (taxis, e-bikes, e-scooters, rideshares and so on).</p>
<p>Another innovation being trialled in Singapore is <a href="https://www.smartnation.gov.sg//initiatives/transport/contactless-fare-payment">“hands free” ticketing</a>. It uses radio frequency identification technology to detect a commuter’s fare card when passing through a sensor. This will do away with the need for pausing to tap on with a phone, card or watch.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Person holds their smart watch against a scanner to pay for their trip on public transport." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505258/original/file-20230118-15-4s5mz5.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505258/original/file-20230118-15-4s5mz5.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505258/original/file-20230118-15-4s5mz5.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505258/original/file-20230118-15-4s5mz5.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505258/original/file-20230118-15-4s5mz5.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505258/original/file-20230118-15-4s5mz5.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505258/original/file-20230118-15-4s5mz5.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">While some public transport systems allow users to pay with a smart watch, Singapore is going a step further to eliminate the need to pause at a scanner.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/160866001@N07/49586372688/">Marco Verch/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/for-mobility-as-a-service-maas-to-solve-our-transport-woes-some-things-need-to-change-105119">For Mobility as a Service (MaaS) to solve our transport woes, some things need to change</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>3 things Victoria’s new system must deliver</h2>
<p>Victoria’s next public transport ticketing contract should deliver the following:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>multiple payment options, including smartphones, smart watches, bank cards and single-ticket cash purchases, so users who don’t have smart devices or credit cards aren’t disadvantaged (though this represents a small minority of riders, they are often the most dependent on public transport)</p></li>
<li><p>5G wireless technology to connect the ticketing network</p></li>
<li><p>the flexibility to accommodate a MaaS model that allows third-party integration with a single interface where users can pay for all their transport options.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Only a system that does all of the above will deliver on the promise of a “best practice” replacement for myki.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/197620/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Neil G Sipe has received funding from the Australia Research Council. </span></em></p>The Victorian government has announced it is replacing the state’s public transport ticketing system. So what essential features should a state-of-the-art system offer users?Neil G Sipe, Honorary Professor of Planning, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1964912022-12-21T19:11:33Z2022-12-21T19:11:33ZUber plans a kids service to replace mum and dad’s taxi. What’s wrong with that? Plenty<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501463/original/file-20221216-24-ityp8l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C296%2C2995%2C1967&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Ride-share company Uber has just <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/uber-installs-child-car-seats-in-melbourne-edges-closer-to-kids-service-20221212-p5c5ib.html">rolled out an option</a> to book vehicles equipped with a children’s car seat across Melbourne. Uber is also considering allowing unaccompanied children to use its service.</p>
<p>In Australia, a recent <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1369847822000341">study</a> found most parents remain unwilling to let their children use a ride-share service unaccompanied. (Uber policy, like <a href="https://www.finder.com.au/apps-like-uber">most ride-sharing companies</a>, currently <a href="https://help.uber.com/driving-and-delivering/article/requests-from-underage-riders---?nodeId=43b84de6-758b-489e-b088-7ee69c749ccd">requires</a> a solo passenger to be over 18.) There appears to be more acceptance in countries such as the United States where child-specific ride-shares are more <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/dfw/news/rideshare-services-cater-to-children/">widespread</a>. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1463923762689191944"}"></div></p>
<p>Many time-poor families are desperate for better alternatives to having to drive their children everywhere they need to go. There are indeed high <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1353829222000806">social</a>, <a href="https://ubibliorum.ubi.pt/handle/10400.6/10376?locale=en">economic</a> and <a href="https://apo.org.au/node/236476">environmental</a> costs associated with parental taxis. </p>
<p>But outsourcing this role to ride-share services is not the best solution. It will reinforce an over-reliance on cars, which is demonstrably harmful for children’s <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2214367X16300734">health and wellbeing</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/cars-have-taken-over-our-neighbourhoods-kid-friendly-superblocks-are-a-way-for-residents-to-reclaim-their-streets-187276">Cars have taken over our neighbourhoods. Kid-friendly superblocks are a way for residents to reclaim their streets</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What are parents’ main concerns?</h2>
<p>The Australian <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1369847822000341">study</a> identified several factors that mattered to parents. These included:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>being able to decide the route of the vehicle</p></li>
<li><p>who is able to drive and ride in the vehicle</p></li>
<li><p>the presence of a designated adult waiting at the child’s destination</p></li>
<li><p>technological features such as GPS tracking and two-way cameras to communicate with the child during the trip.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Clearly, a few roadblocks need to be overcome before these services gain broader appeal for families with children in Australia. But what would be the impact if they did go ahead? We should consider both the problems these services could solve and the problems they might create. </p>
<p>“<a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/inner-west/rydhero-is-a-new-sydney-ridesharing-service-for-busy-parents-designed-to-ferry-children-to-afterschool-activities/news-story/c23d52188866ee321013bd0ec323d81e">Busy parents</a>” is a phrase that comes up often when talking about children’s transport challenges and solutions. Child-specific ride-sharing seems to be a logical response to that problem. And Uber is <a href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/kids/stretch-ride-the-new-car-service-for-kids-travelling-without-their-parents/news-story/3f5d00df3e282d8b437727ff2638b241">not the the first</a> car <a href="https://www.shebah.com.au/ride">service for kids</a> in Australia. </p>
<p>However, the benefits gained from these “care-drivers” (driver/babysitter) are likely to be offset by new anxieties for parents. </p>
<p>In particular, parents worry about their children’s safety in the company of an unknown adult. When it comes to trusting a service to transport unaccompanied children, <a href="https://research.monash.edu/en/publications/parents-willingness-to-allow-their-unaccompanied-children-to-use-">Australian research</a> found parents were more likely to voice concerns about ride-share services than autonomous vehicles. </p>
<p>This is likely to remain the case despite technologies enabling real-time monitoring of the child and other desired features of the ride-share vehicle. And these surveillance technologies raise additional <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/chso.12016">ethical questions</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/from-covid-anxiety-to-harassment-more-needs-to-be-done-on-safety-in-taxis-and-rideshare-services-149911">From COVID anxiety to harassment, more needs to be done on safety in taxis and rideshare services</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1237723966669754370"}"></div></p>
<h2>There’s also health and wellbeing to consider</h2>
<p>Children’s dependence on cars to get around also affects their health. The risks range from <a href="https://www.unicef.org/documents/unicef-technical-guidance-child-and-adolescent-road-safety">road safety issues</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jun/02/traffic-noise-slows-childrens-memory-development-study-finds">noise</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/12/children-risk-air-pollution-cars-former-uk-chief-scientist-warns">air pollution</a> to being <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23219100/">less active physically</a>. A ride-share service for children would reinforce their families’ car dependence and the associated health issues.</p>
<p>Any child-specific ride-share service is also likely to magnify existing social and economic issues. To name a few:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>the services would tend to be exclusive in nature, being more accessible for those who are <a href="https://escholarship.org/uc/item/82w2z91j">well-off</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2214367X22000722">able-bodied</a></p></li>
<li><p>passive commuting in cars would become even more passive in the absence of adults known to the children, further reducing their opportunities to construct their <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14733281003691418?journalCode=cchg20">social identities</a> and develop <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14733285.2020.1787950">independence</a> and <a href="https://www.achievementprogram.health.vic.gov.au/news/latest-updates/benefits-of-active-travel-to-school.html">self-reliance</a> – parents, too, could have fewer opportunities to interact with each other and the broader community at school or sport events</p></li>
<li><p>both parents and children place a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/23800127.2022.2071060">high value on the togetherness</a> aspect of family trips to schools and extra-curricular activities, even when travelling by car. Child-only ride-share services would reduce the time spent together.</p></li>
</ol>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501725/original/file-20221218-61132-9xiiz2.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501725/original/file-20221218-61132-9xiiz2.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501725/original/file-20221218-61132-9xiiz2.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501725/original/file-20221218-61132-9xiiz2.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501725/original/file-20221218-61132-9xiiz2.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501725/original/file-20221218-61132-9xiiz2.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501725/original/file-20221218-61132-9xiiz2.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Child-only ride services might relieve parents of driving duties but would reduce the time families spend together.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/designing-suburbs-to-cut-car-use-closes-gaps-in-health-and-wealth-83961">Designing suburbs to cut car use closes gaps in health and wealth</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>It all comes down to car dependence</h2>
<p>The heavy reliance on private cars by families with children is one of the key challenges facing most <a href="https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/09/joseph-henrich-explores-weird-societies/">WEIRD</a> (Western, educated, industrialised, rich and democratic) countries. The emergence of ride-share services for children highlights the difficulties with children’s lifestyles <a href="https://apo.org.au/node/236476">dominated by the need to get to extra-curricular activities</a>, often at non-local places. </p>
<p>Like any profit-driven approach, this kind of service raises concerns about exploitation of system-wide weaknesses. In this case, it’s the transport challenges faced by families with children.</p>
<p>These “solutions” also undermine various policies and programs that aim to create more socially and environmentally just communities. These include, for example, local living policies – such as so-called <a href="https://theconversation.com/people-love-the-idea-of-20-minute-neighbourhoods-so-why-isnt-it-top-of-the-agenda-131193">20-minute neighbourhoods</a> – which are central to most planning strategies across Australia.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/people-love-the-idea-of-20-minute-neighbourhoods-so-why-isnt-it-top-of-the-agenda-131193">People love the idea of 20-minute neighbourhoods. So why isn't it top of the agenda?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Allowing unaccompanied kids to travel in high-tech, ride-share vehicles might help some parents in the short term. In the long term, though, it will create more complex problems. These parallel many of the well-reported issues associated with lives and societies shaped by the car – known as <a href="https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/display/document/obo-9780199874002/obo-9780199874002-0206.xml#:%7E:text=obo%2F9780199874002%2D0206-,Introduction,and%20shaped%20by%2C%20the%20automobile.">automobility</a>. </p>
<p>Happier and healthier children should be the lens to look through at any new approaches to how children get around. Plenty of equitable and cost-effective solutions exist. The most obvious involve creating the social and environmental conditions for safe and convenient walking, cycling and public transport. </p>
<p>Having these solutions available instead of having to drive children would help time-poor families. And children can use all these transport options in groups, which eases safety concerns. There are, for example, <a href="http://www.walkingschoolbus.org/">walking school buses</a> and <a href="https://www.walkbiketoschool.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/SRTS_BikeTrain_final.pdf">bike trains</a>. </p>
<p>People and cities have much to gain from a move away from a narrow view of technology – such as retrofitting cars for monitoring and controlling children. Instead, we can use <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279450305_Parental_fear_as_a_barrier_to_children%27s_independent_mobility_and_resultant_physical_activity_Final_Report">technology</a> to promote healthier, greener and more equitable ways of getting around.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/196491/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hulya Gilbert does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Uber is eyeing a service to take children wherever their parents would otherwise have to drive them themselves. Some might see it as a lifesaver, but it’s problematic for many reasons.Hulya Gilbert, Lecturer in Planning and Human Geography, La Trobe UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1933922022-11-07T19:01:40Z2022-11-07T19:01:40ZThe challenge for ‘chauffeur mums’: navigating a city that wasn’t planned for women<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/493700/original/file-20221106-26-jx0xp9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4000%2C2670&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Chauffeur mums are a well-known Australian phenomenon. A lack of convenient transport options coupled with gendered roles has made many <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0016-7185(99)00048-2">suburban women (and their children) car-dependent</a>, whether they like it or not. And, more often than not, the demands of household chores and child rearing <a href="https://theconversation.com/mind-the-gap-gender-differences-in-time-use-narrowing-but-slowly-191678">fall more heavily on women</a>. </p>
<p>The car is the default option because public transport services are a poor fit for the complex travel patterns of working mothers. Schools and childcare are often not conveniently located close to either home or the workplace. Managing drop-offs in peak hour while trying to get to work on time can be a nightmare.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.wgea.gov.au/publications/gender-equality-workplace-statistics-at-a-glance-2022">Lower workforce participation</a> and <a href="https://apo.org.au/node/311283">higher rates of part-time and casual work</a> among women are also sometimes due simply to the fact that women can’t get to work quickly and efficiently. </p>
<p>So many of the issues women face are a result of urban planning that hasn’t properly considered their needs. As one planner <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07293682.2021.2017994">explained</a> to researchers:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“The way that we learn and do planning in Australia is a derived Victorian model. The reasons why development is regulated and the way that planning is regulated and the language we use is hugely around those very white male concepts.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>These gendered impacts need to be placed at the heart of all stages of urban planning, an approach known as <a href="https://eige.europa.eu/gender-mainstreaming/what-is-gender-mainstreaming">gender mainstreaming</a>. Until this happens, our cities won’t be woman-friendly.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/sexism-and-the-city-how-urban-planning-has-failed-women-93854">Sexism and the city: how urban planning has failed women</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>A blind spot in the quest for gender equality</h2>
<p>The federal government’s recent <a href="https://budget.gov.au/2022-23-october/content/womens-statement/download/womens_budget_statement_2022-23.pdf">Women’s Budget Statement</a> recognises that “gender inequality is holding Australia back”. It commits the government to “advancing gender equality as a national priority and closing the gender gaps in our community”.</p>
<p>The government promises significant investments to support structural changes in favour of women. Key topics include women’s economic equality, safety, health and wellbeing. Better financial access – to housing, child care, health care and so on – is a recurring theme of the statement.</p>
<p>This is all highly desirable. What the federal budget fails to explicitly recognise is that poor urban planning causes, or makes worse, so many of the difficulties facing Australian women. </p>
<h2>How is urban planning to blame?</h2>
<p>The budget statement highlights, for example, the housing affordability crisis and a lack of shelters for homeless, battered women. But these issues are also part and parcel of urban planning. </p>
<p>Physical access to work is mentioned in relation to disability, but it affects able-bodied women as well. Part of the problem lies with the layout of our cities and the design of our public transport systems. </p>
<p>Inflexible trunk lines link suburbs to central business districts and run on rigid schedules. They do not cater well for trips that are not a simple commute, but which instead might involve various destinations across the suburbs. </p>
<p>On-demand services, such as those provided by ride-hailing companies, may better suit many women. So may micromobility services, such as bike-sharing, provided that dedicated, safe infrastructure is in place. Yet, unlike conventional public transport, those services are not subsidised in Australia. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1530368271895216129"}"></div></p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/1-million-rides-and-counting-on-demand-services-bring-public-transport-to-the-suburbs-132355">1 million rides and counting: on-demand services bring public transport to the suburbs</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Gendered practices add to car dependence</h2>
<p>Women generally <a href="https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/males-and-females">drive less</a> than men. But mothers who choose to shun cars can be stigmatised as immature or irresponsible. One <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cstp.2021.04.001">study of car-free lifestyles</a> notes:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Here, parents are expected to ensure that their children have access to a range of after-school activities, even where these are located quite far apart. The onus is on the parents to drive their children any distance lest they miss out on opportunities for enrichment.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>These gendered practices are costly – and <a href="https://theconversation.com/children-in-the-car-era-bad-for-them-and-the-planet-105377">environmentally unfriendly</a> – but the way we plan our cities forces women to adopt them. </p>
<p>The budget report contains a section on “climate change and gender” but does not elaborate on how the two may be related. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/children-in-the-car-era-bad-for-them-and-the-planet-105377">Children in the car era: bad for them and the planet</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Another issue is physical access to childcare. The budget talks about “cheaper childcare”, which is obviously crucial. But where it’s located matters too. </p>
<p>If kindergartens are not integrated with people’s workplaces or placed near people’s homes, the extra travel to get to them lengthens and complicates women’s work days. A helpful intervention would be to require all large employers to provide childcare on site. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1127925025531674624"}"></div></p>
<p>Finally, the budget statement treats gender-based violence as something that only occurs behind closed doors. But women lack safety in many public spaces too, even on public transport, leading to inequitable use. </p>
<p>According to an <a href="https://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/topics/safety/">OECD report</a>, only 61% of Australian women feel safe when walking alone at night in their suburb, compared to 77% of men. As a professional planner <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/07293682.2021.2017994">observed</a>: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“I don’t think men realise that women travel through the city differently. […] I had the experience of walking along the bike path the other evening and a jogger came up behind me, and instinctively I thought, ‘Is this OK? Is it a safe situation?’ But men don’t have those moments, even if they’re fleeting moments. I understand that statistically young men are much more likely to be victims of violent street crime than women. But women are more fearful, and that perception changes behaviour.”</p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-does-the-new-normal-look-like-for-womens-safety-in-cities-140169">What does the 'new normal’ look like for women’s safety in cities?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Put gender at the heart of planning</h2>
<p>In future, the women’s budget might benefit from being structured around the concept of <a href="https://eige.europa.eu/gender-mainstreaming/what-is-gender-mainstreaming">gender mainstreaming</a>. In urban planning, it means gender issues are considered in all stages and aspects of the process: research, advocacy, dialogue, legislation, resourcing, implementation and evaluation. </p>
<p>In Australia, city planning rarely applies comprehensive gender mainstreaming techniques. Yet a number of generic toolkits and guidelines are available. </p>
<p>The United Kingdom’s <a href="https://www.rtpi.org.uk/media/3518/genderequality-planmaking.pdf">Royal Town Planning Institute</a> produced one of the first of these resources in 2003. This year, the global consultancy Arup, together with the United Nations Development Programme and the University of Liverpool, released a <a href="https://www.arup.com/perspectives/publications/research/section/cities-alive-designing-cities-that-work-for-women">gender mainstreaming guide</a>, which contains a wealth of best practice examples from around the world. </p>
<p>In addition, the <a href="https://ppp.worldbank.org/public-private-partnership/library/toolkit-gender-equality-%E2%80%93-results-and-indicators">World Bank</a>, the <a href="https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/institutional-document/33901/files/gender-tool-kit-transport.pdf">Asian Development Bank</a>, the <a href="https://www.afdb.org/sites/default/files/documents/policy-documents/checklist_for_gender_maintstreaming_in_the_infrastructure_sector.pdf">African Development Bank</a> and the <a href="https://www.undp.org/kyrgyzstan/publications/toolkit-gender-mainstreaming-practice">United Nations</a> all have released gender mainstreaming toolkits and guides for various urban planning subfields, such as transport or international development. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/crowd-mapping-gender-equality-a-powerful-tool-for-shaping-a-better-city-launches-in-melbourne-105648">Crowd-mapping gender equality – a powerful tool for shaping a better city launches in Melbourne</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>It is time for Australia to follow suit, based on the premise that women-friendly cities work better for all. But a note of caution: generic gender-mainstreaming solutions will need to be tailored to work in the Australian context. Cookie-cutter policies and targets are not the way to go.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/193392/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dorina Pojani has received funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC) and the Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network (AURIN)</span></em></p>The layouts of our cities and their transport systems were not planned with women in mind. Inflexible services and inconveniently located schools, childcare and workplaces pose daily challenges.Dorina Pojani, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1827352022-05-31T12:10:25Z2022-05-31T12:10:25ZDeaths and injuries in road crashes are a ‘silent epidemic on wheels’<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465585/original/file-20220526-20-xx46kf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C10%2C6699%2C4456&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Pedestrians pass the aftermath of a crash in Gaza City in the Gaza Strip on Oct. 11, 2021.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/palestinians-walk-next-to-a-car-that-was-involved-in-a-news-photo/1235821622">Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The COVID-19 pandemic has generated mind-numbing statistics over the past two years: half a billion cases, 6 million deaths, 1 million in the U.S. alone. But another, less-publicized global scourge preceded it and is likely to outlast it: traffic deaths and injuries. </p>
<p>Around <a href="https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/estimated-number-of-road-traffic-deaths">1.35 million people die each year</a> on the world’s roads, and another 20 million to 50 million are seriously injured. Half of these deaths and many of the injuries involve pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists – the most vulnerable users of roads and streets. </p>
<p>Around the world, someone dies from a road accident every 25 seconds. The head of the United Nations Road Safety Fund has called road deaths and injuries <a href="https://genevasolutions.news/global-news/road-accidents-are-a-silent-epidemic-on-wheels-says-un-road-safety-fund-boss">a “silent epidemic on wheels</a>”.</p>
<p>I have <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=oMPNYhQAAAAJ&hl=en">studied cities and urban policy</a> for many years, including <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-is-the-u-s-unwilling-to-pay-for-good-public-transportation-56788">transportation</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-us-cities-are-becoming-more-dangerous-for-cyclists-and-pedestrians-111713">road safety</a>. In my view, making <a href="https://www.iii.org/insuranceindustryblog/reducing-traffic-fatalities-and-injuries-through-vision-zero/">transportation systems safer</a> is <a href="https://www.un.org/en/un-chronicle/role-united-nations-system-improving-road-safety-save-lives-and-advance-sustainable">feasible</a> and isn’t rocket science. The key is for governments to prioritize safer roads, speeds and vehicles, and to promote policies such as <a href="https://www.ite.org/technical-resources/traffic-calming/traffic-calming-measures/">traffic calming</a> that are known to reduce the risk of crashes. </p>
<p><iframe id="APeot" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/APeot/6/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<h2>The costs</h2>
<p>It may seem like hyperbole to talk about road deaths as equivalent to pandemic diseases, but the numbers make the case. Road fatalities are now the <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/the-top-10-causes-of-death">top cause of death</a> for children and young adults worldwide between the ages of 5 and 29, and the <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/the-top-10-causes-of-death">seventh-leading cause of death</a> overall in low-income countries. </p>
<p>Crashes cause serious economic harm to victims and their families, as well as to the broader society. A 2019 study estimated that between 2015 and 2030, road injuries will cost the global economy almost <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(19)30170-6">$1.8 trillion</a>. </p>
<p>Because death and injury rates are highest in low- and middle-income countries, dangerous roads add to the costs of being poor and are a <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2018/01/09/road-deaths-and-injuries-hold-back-economic-growth-in-developing-countries">major inhibitor of economic growth</a>. That is why one of the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals is to <a href="https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/topics/sdg-target-3_6-road-traffic-injuries#cms">halve the number of global deaths and injuries</a> from traffic incidents by 2030. </p>
<p><iframe id="LbxTf" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/LbxTf/2/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<h2>More deaths in lower-income countries</h2>
<p>There is <a href="https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/estimated-number-of-road-traffic-deaths">considerable variation in traffic fatality rates worldwide</a>. Road traffic death rates range from 27 per 100,000 population in Africa to only 7 per 100,000 in Europe. </p>
<p>Richer nations have had mass automobile traffic longer than lower-income countries, so they have had more time to develop strategies and tactics to reduce accidents and fatalities. For example, in 1937 – in an era when traffic death in the streets of cities like New York was considered a <a href="http://cup.columbia.edu/book/down-the-asphalt-path/9780231083911">routine part of metropolitan life</a> – the U.S. road death rate was <a href="https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/historical-fatality-trends/deaths-and-rates/">31 per 100,000</a>. That’s about the same as today’s rate in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. </p>
<p>Lower-income countries tend to have vehicles that are less safe; poorer roads; more vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists, sharing urban space with vehicles; and poorer medical care, which means injury can more easily lead to death. These nations also have less ability to introduce or enforce traffic laws. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465167/original/file-20220524-21-fbg07g.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A crowded minibus moves through an urban square" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465167/original/file-20220524-21-fbg07g.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465167/original/file-20220524-21-fbg07g.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=314&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465167/original/file-20220524-21-fbg07g.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=314&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465167/original/file-20220524-21-fbg07g.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=314&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465167/original/file-20220524-21-fbg07g.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465167/original/file-20220524-21-fbg07g.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465167/original/file-20220524-21-fbg07g.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Traffic in Manila, Philippines.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">John Rennie Short</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Traffic incidents in higher-income counties often only involve one or two people. In lower-income countries, incidents tend to involve multiple passengers. </p>
<p>For example, in 2021 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a fuel truck collided with a crowded bus 110 miles outside the capital of Kinshasa, <a href="https://www.trtworld.com/africa/deadly-crash-between-bus-and-fuel-truck-leaves-dozens-dead-in-drc-48866">killing 33 people</a>. Deadly road incidents are frequent in the DRC, where the roads are poor, there are many unsafe older vehicles, many drivers are not properly trained and drinking and driving is common. </p>
<p>For many <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iatssr.2020.12.006">middle-income countries</a>, the challenge is a very rapid increase in vehicular traffic as the population becomes more urban and more people earn enough money to buy motorcycles and cars. This quick rise can overwhelm the carrying capacity of urban roads. </p>
<h2>In the US, less regulation and more deaths</h2>
<p>There also are differences among richer countries. In 1994, Europe and the United States had the same traffic death rates, but by 2020 Americans were over <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2022/05/21/road-deaths-fatalities-safety/">three times more likely to die on the road</a> than Europeans. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jLMm83I4dqc?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Traffic deaths in the U.S. rose by more than 10% from 2020 to 2021.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Today, 12 people are killed in traffic per 100,000 annually in the U.S., compared to 4 per 100,000 in the Netherlands and Germany, and only 2 per 100,000 in Norway. The difference reflects more aggressive programs across Europe to reduce speeds, greater investment in mass transit and stricter drunk driving enforcement. </p>
<p>The U.S. doesn’t just <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-big-idea/2016/11/30/13784520/roads-deaths-increase-safety-traffic-us">lag behind</a> other rich countries in promoting road safety. In recent years, traffic deaths in the U.S. have increased. After a gradual reduction over 50 years, fatalities soared to a 16-year high in 2021 when almost 43,000 people died. Pedestrian deaths hit a 40-year high at 7,500. </p>
<p>What caused this <a href="https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-12-08/traffic-deaths-surged-during-covid-19-pandemic-heres-why">surge in deaths</a>? Roads were less busy during COVID-19 lockdowns, but proportionately more people engaged in riskier behaviors, including <a href="https://newsroom.aaa.com/2022/02/solving-a-puzzle-with-fewer-drivers-on-the-road-during-covid-why-the-spike-in-fatalities/">speeding, drinking and driving, distracted driving and not using seat belts</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/why-us-cities-are-becoming-more-dangerous-for-cyclists-and-pedestrians-111713">Cyclist and pedestrian traffic deaths</a> were rising even before the pandemic, as cities encouraged walking and biking without providing adequate infrastructure. Painting a white line on a busy street is not a substitute for providing a fully protected, designated bicycle lane. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1513646739139571725"}"></div></p>
<h2>Two harmful narratives about traffic safety</h2>
<p>Two narratives often cloud discussions of traffic fatalities. First, calling these events “accidents” normalizes what I view as a slaughter of innocents. It is part of the cult of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2018.10.008">automobility</a> and the primacy that the U.S. affords to fast-moving vehicular traffic. </p>
<p>Automobility has created a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17450101.2021.1981118">special form of space</a> – roads and highways – where deaths and injuries are considered “accidents.” In my view, this is an extreme form of environmental injustice. Historically disadvantaged groups and poorer communities are <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/26622434?seq=1">overrepresented in traffic deaths and injuries</a>.</p>
<p>The second misleading narrative holds that nearly all road deaths and injuries <a href="https://usa.streetsblog.org/2020/10/14/the-94-solution-we-need-to-understand-the-causes-of-crashes/">are caused by human error</a>. Public officials regularly blame poor drivers, distracted pedestrians and aggressive bicyclists for street deaths. </p>
<p>People do take too many risks. In recent years, AAA’s annual traffic safety culture survey has found that a majority of drivers view unsafe driving behaviors, such as texting while driving or speeding on highways, as extremely or very dangerous. But significant numbers of drivers report <a href="https://aaafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/2020-Traffic-Safety-Culture-Index-October-2021.pdf">engaging in those behaviors anyway</a>. </p>
<p>But as urban studies expert <a href="https://www.davidzipper.com/">David Zipper</a> has pointed out, a <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/11/deadly-myth-human-error-causes-most-car-crashes/620808/">persistent myth</a> often cited by government agencies and the media asserts that 94% of accidents in the U.S. are caused by individual drivers. This bloated figure has successfully shifted responsibility away from other factors such as <a href="https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/suvs-other-large-vehicles-often-hit-pedestrians-while-turning">car design</a>, <a href="https://smartgrowthamerica.org/dange;%20rous-by-design/">traffic infrastructure</a> and the need for <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3893966/">more effective public policies</a>. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vTRPg6wqjn4?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Former New York City transportation commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan visits a street in Queens that was closed to cars during the COVID-19 pandemic. Advocates are campaigning to make the closure permanent.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Governments have the tools</h2>
<p>As I see it, road traffic deaths and injuries are not accidents. They are incidents that can be <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/road-traffic-injuries">prevented and reduced</a>. Doing that will require governments and urban planners to reimagine transportation systems not just for speed and efficiency, but also for safety and livability. </p>
<p>That will mean protecting motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians from vehicular traffic and reducing traffic speed on urban roads. It also will require <a href="https://www.pps.org/article/livememtraffic">better road design</a>, <a href="https://extranet.who.int/roadsafety/death-on-the-roads/#speed">enforcement of traffic laws</a> that make the roads safer, and more effective and enforceable measures that promote safety devices like seat belts, child restraints, and helmets for bikers and motorcyclists. </p>
<p>Unlike the COVID-19 pandemic, making streets safer doesn’t require designing new solutions in laboratories. What’s needed is the will to apply tools that have been shown to work.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/182735/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>John Rennie Short does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Traffic crashes kill and injure millions worldwide every year and are a major drain on economic development. Improving road safety would produce huge payoffs, especially in lower-income countries.John Rennie Short, Professor, School of Public Policy, University of Maryland, Baltimore CountyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1794642022-03-20T19:01:28Z2022-03-20T19:01:28ZAs federal government spending on small transport projects creeps up, marginal seats get a bigger share<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/452684/original/file-20220317-8303-1k7qwtw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C24%2C5448%2C4066&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Brace for the federal election – the transport promises have begun. Some are pretty big, such as Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce’s A$678 million for the <a href="https://www.afr.com/politics/coalition-s-678m-outback-road-plan-links-perth-to-townsville-20220220-p59y1n#:%7E:text=The%20Coalition%20is%20sharpening%20up,and%20other%20politically%20contested%20regions.">Outback Highway</a>, and Opposition leader Anthony Albanese’s $500 million down-payment on <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/labor-promises-500m-for-sydney-to-newcastle-leg-of-future-high-speed-rail-20220101-p59l8m.html">faster rail</a> between Newcastle and Sydney. If history is any guide, a rush of small local promises won’t be far behind.</p>
<p>As a <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/roundabouts-overpasses-carparks-hauling-the-federal-government-back-to-its-proper-role-in-transport-projects">new report</a> from Grattan Institute reveals, federal government spending on small local transport projects has grown dramatically in recent years. </p>
<p>Under the two most recent Labor terms of government, each electorate received an average of $26 million worth of small transport projects (projects worth up to $10 million each) per year. In the following three Coalition terms, that number increased tenfold to $264 million per electorate per year, on average. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/452931/original/file-20220317-12943-1fsmla8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/452931/original/file-20220317-12943-1fsmla8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/452931/original/file-20220317-12943-1fsmla8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452931/original/file-20220317-12943-1fsmla8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452931/original/file-20220317-12943-1fsmla8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452931/original/file-20220317-12943-1fsmla8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452931/original/file-20220317-12943-1fsmla8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452931/original/file-20220317-12943-1fsmla8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Federal government spending on small local transport projects has grown dramatically in recent years.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Grattan Institute</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But just because there’s more spending on small local projects, does it follow that it’s partisan political spending, or “pork-barrelling”? This new report shows what really matters is whether or not the money is allocated under objective, transparent criteria.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/of-australias-32-biggest-infrastructure-projects-just-eight-had-a-public-business-case-166847">Of Australia's 32 biggest infrastructure projects, just eight had a public business case</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/452685/original/file-20220317-8693-193flae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A car park is seen from the air" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/452685/original/file-20220317-8693-193flae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/452685/original/file-20220317-8693-193flae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=447&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452685/original/file-20220317-8693-193flae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=447&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452685/original/file-20220317-8693-193flae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=447&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452685/original/file-20220317-8693-193flae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=562&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452685/original/file-20220317-8693-193flae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=562&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452685/original/file-20220317-8693-193flae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=562&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">One part of the Urban Congestion Fund, the $660 million commuter carpark fund, attracted public interest after the auditor-general published a scathing report on it last year.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Taking a closer look at transport spending patterns</h2>
<p>Two long-standing transport programs allocate federal funds according to relatively objective criteria: the <a href="https://investment.infrastructure.gov.au/about/local-initiatives/black-spot-program/index.aspx">Black Spot</a> program, and <a href="https://investment.infrastructure.gov.au/about/local-initiatives/roads-to-recovery-program/index.aspx">Roads to Recovery</a>. </p>
<p>The Black Spot program helps fund road-safety initiatives. To be eligible for funding, initiatives must have a benefit-to-cost ratio of at least 2-to-1, and the site must have a history of at least three casualty crashes in the past five years. The program was worth $104 million in 2020–21.</p>
<p>Roads to Recovery helps fund maintenance of local roads. The federal government provides funding to all local councils, using a formula based on population and road length. The program was worth $592 million in 2020–21.</p>
<p>Both programs are designed to favour rural and remote electorates. And that’s what’s happened under both Labor and Coalition governments, even though rural and remote seats are mostly held by the Coalition, often very safely. </p>
<p>In urban areas, too, the pattern of distribution of funds under these two programs has been remarkably similar under both Labor and Coalition governments. Black Spot and Roads to Recovery funds have been about as likely to go to safe as to marginal seats, and about as likely to go to government-held as to opposition-held seats.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/452932/original/file-20220317-17-rjud8o.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/452932/original/file-20220317-17-rjud8o.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/452932/original/file-20220317-17-rjud8o.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452932/original/file-20220317-17-rjud8o.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452932/original/file-20220317-17-rjud8o.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452932/original/file-20220317-17-rjud8o.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452932/original/file-20220317-17-rjud8o.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452932/original/file-20220317-17-rjud8o.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Two long-standing transport programs allocate federal funds according to relatively objective criteria.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Grattan Institute</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In contrast, the $4.9 billion <a href="https://investment.infrastructure.gov.au/about/national-initiatives/urban-congestion-fund.aspx">Urban Congestion Fund</a> does not have eligibility criteria on its website. It’s the clearest case of a slush fund on the federal government’s books.</p>
<p>One component of the Urban Congestion Fund, the $660 million commuter carpark fund, has attracted significant public interest since the auditor-general published a scathing <a href="https://www.anao.gov.au/work/performance-audit/administration-commuter-car-park-projects-within-the-urban-congestion-fund">report</a> on it last year. But the allocation of the remaining $4.2 billion has received less attention. </p>
<p>Grattan Institute’s <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/roundabouts-overpasses-carparks-hauling-the-federal-government-back-to-its-proper-role-in-transport-projects">latest report</a> shows marginal seats clearly get a bigger share of funds than safe seats under the Urban Congestion Fund. More funding has gone to the most marginal seats, such as Lindsay in Sydney, Higgins in Melbourne, Moreton in Brisbane, Hasluck in Perth, and Boothby in Adelaide. </p>
<p>And seats held by a Coalition member get a bigger share of the funds than seats held by Labor, the Greens, other minor parties, or independents. </p>
<p>For instance, the luckiest electorate in Sydney was Lindsay, centred on Penrith, which received close to $200 million; Melbourne’s Aston, centred on Boronia, received close to $300 million; and Brisbane’s Forde, centred on Beenleigh, received $234 million.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the electorate containing Sydney’s CBD got no funding, the electorate containing Melbourne’s CBD got $5 million, and the electorate containing Brisbane’s CBD got $2 million.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/452965/original/file-20220318-10625-i67js4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/452965/original/file-20220318-10625-i67js4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/452965/original/file-20220318-10625-i67js4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452965/original/file-20220318-10625-i67js4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452965/original/file-20220318-10625-i67js4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452965/original/file-20220318-10625-i67js4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452965/original/file-20220318-10625-i67js4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452965/original/file-20220318-10625-i67js4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Marginal seats clearly get a bigger share of funds than safe seats under the Urban Congestion Fund.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Grattan Institute</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Some might say a similar pattern of allocation of small funds, regardless of which party is in government, looks like a fair distribution. But there’s a broader issue: there has been massive growth in these small grants in recent years. </p>
<p>Aggregate federal transport spending has crept up only modestly over recent years, so a bigger proportion of the aggregate is now being directed to small projects – which is the proper and agreed remit of the state or local government, not the federal government. </p>
<p>The spending on small local projects by a national government should stop. Whichever party wins the 2022 federal election should strengthen the transport spending guardrails. </p>
<p>Instead of sprinkling public money on small projects around the country, the federal government should retreat to its proper transport funding role as a national government – no more roundabouts, overpasses, or carparks, just nationally significant infrastructure funded in an even-handed way.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/452689/original/file-20220317-8334-13aoelz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/452689/original/file-20220317-8334-13aoelz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/452689/original/file-20220317-8334-13aoelz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452689/original/file-20220317-8334-13aoelz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452689/original/file-20220317-8334-13aoelz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452689/original/file-20220317-8334-13aoelz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452689/original/file-20220317-8334-13aoelz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452689/original/file-20220317-8334-13aoelz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Instead of sprinkling public money on small projects around the country, the federal government should retreat to its proper transport funding role as a national government – no more roundabouts, overpasses, or carparks.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/179464/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Grattan Institute began with contributions to its endowment of $15 million from each of the Federal and Victorian Governments. In order to safeguard its independence, Grattan Institute’s board controls this endowment. The funds are invested and Grattan uses the income to pursue its activities. Marion Terrill does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any other company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond the academic appointment above.</span></em></p>There’s more spending on small local projects, so does it follow that it’s ‘pork-barrelling’? A new report shows what really matters is if the money is allocated under objective, transparent criteria.Marion Terrill, Transport and Cities Program Director, Grattan InstituteLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1735452022-01-05T18:21:53Z2022-01-05T18:21:53ZParklets, traffic-free zones and outdoor eating: how COVID is transforming our cities<p>The pandemic, as the United Nations secretary general, António Guterres, <a href="https://www.un.org/en/coronavirus/covid-19-urban-world">acknowledged in July 2020</a>, is a deeply urban crisis. COVID has flourished due to the things that are a city’s strengths: population density and diversity, concentrations of logistics and mobility networks, fluid population bases. </p>
<p>It has also flourished due to the deep, structural flaws in many of our cities: poor air quality, food inequalities, crowded or unaffordable housing, poor provision of public space, often unhealthy populations. Long-standing systemic health and social inequities have exacerbated the impact of the pandemic on city residents, disproportionately affecting racial and ethnic minority groups. </p>
<p>When the coronavirus first hit, people <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/the-death-of-the-city-coronavirus-towns-cities-retail-transport-pollution-economic-crisis/">speculated</a> that it might even bring about <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/12/upshot/covid-cities-predictions-wrong.html">the end</a> of the city. <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2021/03/02/future-of-cities-will-shape-post-covid-19-world">Evidence</a> from around the world, however, suggests that cities are simply adapting, as they have always done. </p>
<p>In response to the crisis, city governments have altered the urban environment rapidly and effectively. A 2020 review of city-based COVID-19 innovations <a href="https://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/cities-policy-responses-fd1053ff/">by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)</a> shows how councils have tinkered, trialled and retrofitted in ways that were unthinkable before the pandemic hit. </p>
<h2>Tactical responses</h2>
<p>Both cities and citizens have often shown that they can adapt rapidly under crisis conditions. A two-day transport strike in London in 2014 <a href="https://academic.oup.com/qje/article-abstract/132/4/2019/3857744">prompted</a> approximately 250,000 commuters to reconsider their regular routes, changing their mobility habits permanently.</p>
<p>Centuries earlier, the rebuilding of London after the great fire of 1666 ended up being more improvised than planned. But it also resulted in English physicist-architect Robert Hooke helping <a href="http://www.neam.co.uk/hooke/london.html">to develop</a> the city’s first meaningful building codes. </p>
<p>More broadly, responses to infectious diseases have influenced the way the urban environment has evolved. The <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7150208/">British surgeon apothecary John Snow</a> is known for his experiments on a Soho water pump in 1854. He identified cholera as a water-borne disease, which led to systemic transformations in the urban water supply. </p>
<p>During COVID, street usage in cities around the world has shifted, partially, and at least temporarily, towards walking, cycling, outdoor eating, greenery and the local economy. Small parks – sometimes called <a href="https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/about-us/our-work-in-action/campaigning-for-parklets">parklets</a> – have sprung out of reconfigured car parks or taken over on-road parking spaces. Diners have eaten out on temporarily rethought pavements. </p>
<p>Embracing such <em>al fresco</em> possibilities has of course been a health necessity, precipitated by the pandemic. It has also emphasised the essential value of convivial places with cultural activity, local engagement – and fresh air. </p>
<p>New York offers an example of how cities might capture data and learn from these tactical, reactive solutions – which can be thought of as prototypes – to improve people’s lives in the long term. With its <a href="https://www1.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/pedestrians/openrestaurants.shtml">Open Restaurants program</a>, the city has focused on expanding outdoor seating options for thousands of food establishments, documenting everything via a publicly accessible platform. </p>
<p>At the same time, many of these changes have simply been about projecting some tangible sense at normality. They have often only served a relatively small number of residents. </p>
<h2>From fix to fixture</h2>
<p>More broadly, the <a href="https://www.covidmobilityworks.org/">Covid Mobility Works</a> website has collated examples of fixes, from more than 245 cities, that have sought to aid equity and accessibility, the transport of goods and people, public engagement and health and safety, among other categories. In Berlin, some new bike lanes were designed and approved within ten days, rather than the months it had previously taken. Pop-up bike lanes have appeared everywhere elsewhere too, from Budapest and Bogotá to Mexico City and Dublin. The city of Mumbai has appointed cycle councillors to all 24 of its civic wards.</p>
<p>In England, the quieter, safer and sometimes modified streets meant the number of cycling trips made by women <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/sep/22/cycling-trips-made-by-women-in-england-rose-50-in-2020-study-finds">rose by 50%</a> in 2020. London fast-tracked its low-traffic neighbourhoods by some years, even if the rush to implement them meant engagement and planning was sometimes lacking. Similar schemes in <a href="https://at.govt.nz/projects-roadworks/innovating-streets-for-people/">New Zealand’s cities</a> and <a href="https://vancouver.ca/home-property-development/places-for-people-downtown.aspx">Vancouver</a> to create healthy, sustainable neighbourhoods have been comparatively well considered.</p>
<p>These aren’t exactly new endeavours. Urban development experts have been working on such concepts for years. These include Barcelona’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/superblocks-barcelonas-car-free-zones-could-extend-lives-and-boost-mental-health-123295">superblock</a> car-free zones and the <a href="https://www.wired.co.uk/article/15-minute-neighbourhood-covid">15-minute city concept</a> – which aims to have residents live, work and shop all within a 15-minute radius – that has been implemented in Paris. In Sweden, meanwhile, the hyperlocal <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-01-05/a-tiny-twist-on-street-design-the-one-minute-city">one-minute city</a> model involves planning focused at single-street level: residents have a say in how much space is given over to cars. And in <a href="https://www.seattle.gov/transportation/projects-and-programs/programs/stay-healthy-streets">Seattle</a>, the local government is opening up 45 miles of neighbourhood greenways – not only as a COVID-19 fix, but a step towards making the city liveable in the long term. </p>
<p>The impact of increased shopping and working online also predates the pandemic, yet a diverse array of urban lockdowns has pulled focus on these awkward questions too. Only a handful of cities are coherently addressing all of these linked challenges systemically.</p>
<p>The pandemic can be seen as having instituted a period of <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/9502904/">forced experimentation</a> and forward thinking. But beyond the immediate tactical responses by local governments, and the visceral experiences of residents, cities face deeper strategic challenges. If we can see the links between these patterns associated with COVID-19 and other, deeper crises – the climate crisis, mass migration, social justice – there may be much to gain from the apparently mundane COVID-induced changes to our urban environments. Cities thrive not simply as economic powerhouses but also as inclusive, diverse communities and <a href="https://covidandsociety.com/economics-urban-wellbeing-population-mental-health-critical-economic-resilience-cities/">regenerative places</a>. </p>
<p><em>A <a href="https://covidandsociety.com/fix-to-fixture-which-covid-driven-urban-innovations-here-to-stay-long-term/">longer version</a> of this article can be read on the IPPO Cities website.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173545/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michele Acuto receives funding from the Australian and UK governments, several philanthropic organisations and three UN agencies. He is also affiliated with the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dan Hill works for Vinnova, the Swedish government’s innovation agency, which coordinates and funds the One-Minute City projects referenced in the article.</span></em></p>Residents across the world have seen how the pandemic has ushered in changes – shall and big – to the way their cities look and function.Michele Acuto, Professor of Global Urban Politics and Director, Connected Cities Lab, The University of MelbourneDan Hill, Visiting Professor of Practice, UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose, UCLLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1733882021-12-09T10:44:59Z2021-12-09T10:44:59ZCycle lanes blamed for urban congestion – here’s the reality<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436501/original/file-20211208-23-t1wcy9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5699%2C3782&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/bicycle-traffic-lights-london-734928964">Patrick Shutterstock/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The average driver in London spent 148 hours in traffic jams in 2021 – twice the national average, according to <a href="https://inrix.com/scorecard/">a new report</a> by Inrix, a firm that analyses road traffic. These findings prompted <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-59559863">a BBC story</a> that attributed London’s new supposed status as the world’s most congested city to <a href="https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2020/december/major-boost-for-london-s-cycling-network">an increase in cycle lanes</a>, implemented throughout the capital to maintain socially distanced travel during the pandemic. This analysis would seem to overlook the fact that congestion during 2021 was about the same as it was in 2019, before the pandemic. </p>
<p>To make sense of what is happening, we need to remember that the amount of time available to each of us constrains the amount we can travel. There are many things we need to fit into 24 hours, and on average, people spend just an hour <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03081060.2020.1851445">on the move</a>. This limits the build-up of congestion in cities.</p>
<p>Road traffic congestion happens when there is a high density of people and high car ownership and not enough road space for all the car trips that might be made. If traffic volumes grow for any reason, delays increase and some people who might otherwise drive make other choices instead. They might travel at a different time or take another route, use an alternative mode like the bus, change their destination and go to a different shopping centre, for example, or decide not to travel at all, by shopping online for instance. </p>
<p>If road space is taken away from cars to create cycle or bus lanes, then congestion will initially increase. But the additional delays will prompt some drivers to make other arrangements, and congestion will revert to what it had been.</p>
<p>The overall effect is to reduce the share of trips by car. This is <a href="https://content.tfl.gov.uk/travel-in-london-report-13.pdf">what has been happening</a> in London for many years as the population has grown and as there has been large investment in public transport. Private transport use fell from 48% in 2000 to 37% in 2019, while public transport use grew from 27% to 36% over the same period. Cycling increased from 1.2% to 2.4% while walking held steady at 25%. </p>
<p>The London mayor’s transport strategy aims to cut private transport use to <a href="https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/mayors-transport-strategy-2018.pdf">20% of all trips by 2041</a>. This would probably diminish the total amount of traffic congestion, although not necessarily its intensity at peak times in the busiest areas.</p>
<h2>The limits of cycle lanes</h2>
<p>Creating cycles lanes reduces the space available for cars but does not get people out of cars. Copenhagen is a city famous for cycling, with <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-a-uk-cycling-and-walking-revolution-wont-reduce-car-travel-144689">28% of journeys</a> made by bike. Yet car traffic is only slightly less than in London. Aside from cycling, the other big difference is that public transport accounts for only half the proportion of trips compared with London. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Cyclists on a road in Copenhagen city centre." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436503/original/file-20211208-68670-y7w87k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436503/original/file-20211208-68670-y7w87k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436503/original/file-20211208-68670-y7w87k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436503/original/file-20211208-68670-y7w87k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436503/original/file-20211208-68670-y7w87k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436503/original/file-20211208-68670-y7w87k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436503/original/file-20211208-68670-y7w87k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Copenhagen has some of the highest urban cycling rates in the world.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/copenhagen-one-most-bicycle-friendly-cities-337279727">S-F/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The experience of Copenhagen shows that people can be persuaded off of buses and onto bikes, which are cheaper, healthier, better for the environment and no slower in congested traffic. Yet buses are an efficient way of using road space to move people in urban areas. Replacing their diesel engines with electric or hydrogen propulsion could cut carbon emissions, too. Getting drivers out of cars and onto bicycles has proved more difficult, even in Copenhagen, a small, flat city with excellent cycling infrastructure and a strong cycling culture.</p>
<p>Across a range of European cities, there are diverse patterns of journeys by different travel modes, reflecting the history, geography, size and population density of each place. But there are no major cities with high levels of <a href="https://epub.wupperinst.org/frontdoor/deliver/index/docId/7033/file/7033_Living_Moving_Breathing.pdf">both cycling and public transport</a>. The prospects for a substantial increase in cycling in London are far from certain given the relatively high level of past public transport use. Still, the very act of creating cycle lanes reduces road space for cars, regardless of the extent to which these lanes are used.</p>
<p>COVID has had a major impact on public transport use in London, with bus and tube journeys still at <a href="https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiMjZjMmQwYTktZjYxNS00MTIwLTg0ZjAtNWIwNGE0ODMzZGJhIiwidCI6IjFmYmQ2NWJmLTVkZWYtNGVlYS1hNjkyLWEwODljMjU1MzQ2YiIsImMiOjh9">70-75% of pre-pandemic levels</a>. The financial shortfall may mean Transport for London has to <a href="https://www.onlondon.co.uk/transport-for-london-prepares-for-managed-decline-of-network-as-government-fails-to-engage-on-funding/">reduce services</a>, unless the government offers more support.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman walks down an empty escalator on the London Underground." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436502/original/file-20211208-17-6hcvti.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436502/original/file-20211208-17-6hcvti.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436502/original/file-20211208-17-6hcvti.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436502/original/file-20211208-17-6hcvti.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436502/original/file-20211208-17-6hcvti.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436502/original/file-20211208-17-6hcvti.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436502/original/file-20211208-17-6hcvti.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Public transport use may take a while to fully recover from the pandemic.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/london-england-june-8-2020-underground-1756044071">Chaz Bharj/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Further investment in new rail routes, both tube and overground, would not be possible in these circumstances. Investment in cycling infrastructure would then make the most sense for reducing car use in London, both by encouraging cycling as an alternative and by lessening the scope for people to drive.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173388/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Metz does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>London was rated 2021’s most congested city.David Metz, Honorary Professor of Transport Studies, UCLLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1701312021-11-16T12:44:10Z2021-11-16T12:44:10ZBirmingham plans to become a supersized low-traffic neighbourhood – will it work?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/432012/original/file-20211115-17-si2syr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">New transport plans aim to remove private cars from Birmingham city centre.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/birmingham-uk-february-24-2016-view-384967783">Chris Baynham | Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Birmingham was redesigned in the 1960s to make travelling by car as easy as possible. But the UK’s second city has been falling out of love with cars ever since. The council’s latest plan (<a href="https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/20013/roads_travel_and_parking/2032/birmingham_transport_plan">Birmingham Transport Plan 2031</a>) makes it clear: the days of private cars are numbered.</p>
<p>To <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-cut-emissions-from-transport-ban-fossil-fuel-cars-electrify-transport-and-get-people-walking-and-cycling-154363">reduce carbon emissions</a> and the negative effect cars have on people, the council plans to reallocate road space to public transport, extending the metro, improving bus services and expanding the cycle-lane network. </p>
<p>To prioritise walking and cycling and the use of public transport, it will build a ring road around the city centre within which private vehicles cannot travel. The council will also impose <a href="https://theconversation.com/slaves-to-speed-wed-all-benefit-from-slow-cities-152756">a 20mph limit</a> on all local roads and car-free zones around schools. </p>
<p>Lastly, it will reduce the number of parking spaces and increase fees for those that remain (including fining companies for providing parking for employees). But can this plan really work? </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Cars speed on an underpass in Birmingham" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/432003/original/file-20211115-13-kooyg0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/432003/original/file-20211115-13-kooyg0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432003/original/file-20211115-13-kooyg0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432003/original/file-20211115-13-kooyg0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432003/original/file-20211115-13-kooyg0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432003/original/file-20211115-13-kooyg0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432003/original/file-20211115-13-kooyg0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Birmingham does not have a great track record with ring roads.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/SbU4hWfFiWI">Adam Jones | Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://artlibre.org/licence/lal/en">FAL</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Reducing carbon emissions</h2>
<p>For the city to reduce its carbon emissions, the proposed ring road is crucial, but, when it comes to ring roads, what works in one city won’t necessarily work in another. However, <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/18/4973/htm">research has shown</a> that ring roads can reduce traffic when supported by the promotion of environmentally friendly transport alternatives as well as changes to the layout of the city so where people live, work and play are within easy reach of each other. Without these add-ons, traffic is doomed to increase. </p>
<p>Crucial to Birmingham’s success, then, is a prolonged commitment from the council to support public transport and land-use changes. This is because the reason we travel is to get to and from places, so where those places are located, and the options we have for getting to them, matter. The risk is that such commitment is costly and easily falls victim to funding cuts and changes in the political wind.</p>
<p>Birmingham’s previous ring road, built between 1960 and 1971 and later dubbed the concrete collar, was a social and economic disaster. It <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-23319775">destroyed</a> heritage buildings and isolated the city centre from the surrounding communities, it made walking and cycling <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/23288863?casa_token=Dt-DKkH4-WkAAAAA%3AVu9UdCAkjfg84hYMxaoid0eVb4qyJdMMZd-YntRFZweASOob42QCHtH2v7rIjrXp9m_Tzuip51jRySdBUa-TKEBQVDpuV1HC-ZFgmRcG-ocar-XrdQ&seq=3#metadata_info_tab_contents">unsafe</a> and it <a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12046-007-0026-6.pdf">limited</a> the growth of the city centre. </p>
<p>In the end, it was removed – mostly. The tunnel sections remain, as do some of the raised sections, now at ground level. The process took decades and cost millions of pounds. It was a high price to pay for poor design.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An aerial view of Birmingham city centre and the Gravelly Hill Interchange on the M6, AKA Spaghetti Junction." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/432011/original/file-20211115-27-1nrhoif.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/432011/original/file-20211115-27-1nrhoif.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432011/original/file-20211115-27-1nrhoif.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432011/original/file-20211115-27-1nrhoif.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432011/original/file-20211115-27-1nrhoif.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432011/original/file-20211115-27-1nrhoif.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432011/original/file-20211115-27-1nrhoif.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">An aerial view of Birmingham city centre and the Gravelly Hill Interchange on the M6, AKA Spaghetti Junction.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/aerial-view-birmingham-city-centre-spaghetti-541140553">UAV 4</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Improving lives</h2>
<p>Birmingham wants its city centre to become a super-sized low-traffic neighbourhood. This means no access for private vehicles and no more rat runs. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/media/3843/lcc021-low-traffic-neighbourhoods-intro-v8.pdf">evidence</a> from existing low-traffic neighbourhood schemes suggests that traffic won’t necessarily be displaced, causing problems in surrounding streets. The picture as to why isn’t completely clear, but it could be that in some cases displaced traffic is finding different routes through the city. </p>
<p>Public opinion is deeply divided over the efficacy of low-traffic neighbourhoods. This is not surprising given that what constitutes a low-traffic neighbourhood varies from existing roads blocked by large potted plants to purpose-built neighbourhoods. Some designs will inevitably be more effective than others.</p>
<p>The problem here is that Birmingham is attempting to apply the concept not to a residential neighbourhood community but a city centre.</p>
<p>Neighbourhood-scale living is, of course, possible in cities. Local centres, those that already exist and new ones that develop, form a network of so-called <a href="https://www.inclusivedemocracy.org/journal/pdf%20files/pdf%20vol3/Localism%20and%20the%20city.pdf">urban villages</a> within which both daily and essential services must be provided. In Birmingham, however, such services – the bus network, in particular – currently decrease with distance from the city centre. </p>
<p>Other cities have opted for the <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2624-6511/4/1/6/htm">15-minute city model</a>, which promotes meeting people’s needs within a quarter-hour walk or cycle from where they live. The problem with this is that when time, and by extension speed, is prioritised it compromises equitable access as the distance people can traverse in any given period of time isn’t the same.</p>
<p>Birmingham Transport Plan 2031 moves Birmingham towards what urbanists call the <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2399808320951205">polycentric city</a> - that is, a city with many “centres”. Such cities require transport solutions that focus on <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40534-014-0054-y">local trips</a> within the context of the wider city. Compared to the traditional monocentric city - that has only one centre into and out of which traffic flows - polycentric cities should mean shorter journeys.</p>
<p>The plan’s success will depend on the city council taking a truly holistic approach to the city and supporting fair access to services. This requires a shift in focus away from the city centre and towards local centres – something the city doesn’t look entirely ready to do.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/170131/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Joanne Leach receives funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC, epsrc.ukri.org). She is affiliated with the UK Collaboratorium for Research on Infrastructure and Cities (UKCRIC, <a href="http://www.ukcric.com">www.ukcric.com</a>)</span></em></p>When it comes to ring roads, Birmingham has a poor track record. Can the city’s new transport plan buck that trend and benefit both its inhabitants and the environment?Joanne Leach, Research Fellow, Department of Civil Engineering, University of BirminghamLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1399692021-06-24T20:10:51Z2021-06-24T20:10:51ZCOVID has disrupted our big, and regional planning has to catch up fast<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/407606/original/file-20210622-4255-1ggwemi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C10%2C3592%2C2387&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/blaineo/4748540414">Blaine O'Neill/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Since the 1950s, the world has experienced a <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/urbanization">sixfold increase in the number of people living in cities</a>. City dwellers now <a href="https://population.un.org/wup/">outnumber rural residents</a> globally and in many individual countries. But the COVID-19 pandemic has <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969720359209">begun to disrupt</a> the trajectory, scale and form of urbanisation. </p>
<p>Cities, by virtue of their size, have <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/coronavirus-excess-deaths-tracker">recorded more deaths</a> than surrounding rural areas, though this <a href="https://www.jhsph.edu/news/news-releases/2020/urban-density-not-linked-to-higher-coronavirus-infection-rates-and-is-linked-to-lower-covid-19-death-rates.html">may not be linked to density</a>. In the USA, <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/09/22/914578634/americas-200-000-covid-19-deaths-small-cities-and-towns-bear-a-growing-share">small cities and towns</a> have been hit hard. And social and economic disruption appears worse in <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/05/covid-19-will-hit-the-developing-worlds-cities-hardest-heres-why/">cities in the developing world</a>.</p>
<p>The pandemic is refocusing planners’ attention on the vulnerability of cities to natural hazards and other threats. Securing food, water and energy, sustaining health services and maintaining critical supply chains are seen as more important than ever. Planners are also concerned about rising <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-coronavirus-will-deepen-the-inequality-of-our-suburbs-143432">social inequality</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-coronavirus-will-deepen-the-inequality-of-our-suburbs-143432">Why coronavirus will deepen the inequality of our suburbs</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>The pandemic has fast-tracked some trends</h2>
<p>In developed nations like Australia, more city dwellers are <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/-/ddn-20200316-1">moving to the suburbs and beyond</a>, believing they offer better security and quality of life. Australian Bureau of Statistics data from 2020 show our capital cities experienced <a href="https://theconversation.com/has-covid-really-caused-an-exodus-from-our-cities-in-fact-moving-to-the-regions-is-nothing-new-154724">a net loss of 11,200 people</a> from outward migration. This is also happening in less developed countries, where rural-urban <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10708-021-10394-6">migration patterns have in some cases reversed</a>. </p>
<p>It’s too early, though, to tell if these shifts are permanent.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/has-covid-really-caused-an-exodus-from-our-cities-in-fact-moving-to-the-regions-is-nothing-new-154724">Has COVID really caused an exodus from our cities? In fact, moving to the regions is nothing new</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-covid-all-but-killed-the-australian-cbd-147848">impacts of COVID-19</a> have heightened de-growth and counter-urbanisation trends. Reduced public transport use (<a href="https://theconversation.com/cars-rule-as-coronavirus-shakes-up-travel-trends-in-our-cities-142175">down by as much as 52% nationally in 2020</a>) and lower demand for commercial space (occupancy rates <a href="https://www.afr.com/property/commercial/city-workplaces-filling-faster-as-covid-19-retreats-20210329-p57ey6">fell to as low as 24%</a> in some cities), are changing the look and feel of many central business districts. Business profits and government revenue have been reduced. </p>
<p>The opposite is occurring in some suburbs and towns. These areas are experiencing a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/oct/17/getting-out-of-town-australians-rush-to-rent-in-the-regions">squeeze on rental availability, rising property prices</a> and more traffic congestion.</p>
<p>Some commentators are suggesting the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20201109-coronavirus-how-cities-travel-and-family-life-will-change">future of cities</a> will be radically different. So what does this mean for urban planning?</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-covid-all-but-killed-the-australian-cbd-147848">How COVID all but killed the Australian CBD</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Cities require co-ordination to function properly</h2>
<p>Cities are complex entities. They require a high degree of co-ordination in providing services (such as water supply, waste management), housing and infrastructure (for example, energy generation and distribution). Regional planning often performs that role.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00343404.2021.1875128">Regional planning</a> was developed following the second world war to co-ordinate decision-making across jurisdictions within metropolitan areas. To achieve desired city planning objectives, planners needed a way to better manage rapid population growth and the many interactions of landowners, property developers, businesses and local governments.</p>
<p>Regional plans developed by Australian states from the 1940s to 1970s, for example, sought to contain and focus urban growth pressures. This was done by managing land use, designating urban growth corridors and boundaries, and protecting key resources (forests, water catchments, farmland) from incompatible development. Most regional plans were based on a central core surrounded by suburbs, with radiating transport lines (railways and freeways) connecting the two.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="1948 poster promoting the Cumberland County Plan for Sydney" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/408056/original/file-20210624-23-5hk1gz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/408056/original/file-20210624-23-5hk1gz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=911&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/408056/original/file-20210624-23-5hk1gz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=911&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/408056/original/file-20210624-23-5hk1gz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=911&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/408056/original/file-20210624-23-5hk1gz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1144&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/408056/original/file-20210624-23-5hk1gz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1144&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/408056/original/file-20210624-23-5hk1gz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1144&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The cover of a public information booklet about the Cumberland County Planning Scheme for Sydney (1948)</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">City of Sydney Archives</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/covid-shows-working-from-home-the-best-way-to-beat-congestion-148926">COVID shows working from home the best way to beat congestion</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Beware quick fixes that ignore new trends</h2>
<p>As countries recover from the pandemic’s impacts, the temptation is to use quick fixes to stimulate economic activity — such as unlocking large areas of land for housing. But planning urban areas to meet the needs of present and future generations requires strategic decision-making. Will we need all those new houses or large infrastructure projects if our <a href="https://mccrindle.com.au/insights/blog/how-covid-19-is-likely-to-affect-australias-population-forecast/">urban populations grow more slowly</a> than expected?</p>
<p>The forces currently driving people away from cities and the impacts this is having on built environments and urban populations cannot be ignored. We need to ask if they are temporary, or if they signal a long-term change to our cities. </p>
<p>We also need to recognise that huge investments in urban infrastructure have been made since the 1950s. It is unlikely we will simply abandon our cities.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-covid-19-wont-kill-cities-144342">Why COVID-19 won't kill cities</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Even with larger numbers of people moving to suburbs and the countryside, we will still need to supply infrastructure such as new roads, powerlines, water pipes, sewers and waste management facilities. But regional planning must adapt to the “new normal”, as the current approaches might no longer be fit for purpose.</p>
<h2>What does the future hold?</h2>
<p>Trends in working from home, online shopping, peer-to-peer transport such as Uber, <a href="https://arena.gov.au/renewable-energy/distributed-energy-resources/">distributed energy generation</a> (from rooftop solar and other local sources), waste recycling (such as <a href="https://www.thenatureofcities.com/2018/07/24/urban-metabolism-real-world-model-visualizing-co-creating-healthy-cities/">circular metabolism</a>) and new models of finance and funding (such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/bernie-sanders-economic-adviser-has-a-message-we-might-just-need-130182">modern monetary theory</a>) are all affecting the complex systems needed to keep urban areas functioning.</p>
<p>Although vaccines may help life return to some level of normality in the coming years, many of the drivers of counter-urbanisation will continue. Some people will want to keep working from home. Other will want more opportunities to interact with nature. Many will want to live in what planners are calling <a href="https://theconversation.com/people-love-the-idea-of-20-minute-neighbourhoods-so-why-isnt-it-top-of-the-agenda-131193">20-minute neighbourhoods</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/people-love-the-idea-of-20-minute-neighbourhoods-so-why-isnt-it-top-of-the-agenda-131193">People love the idea of 20-minute neighbourhoods. So why isn't it top of the agenda?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Changing supply chains may result in a rise in <a href="https://theconversation.com/three-ways-to-fix-the-problems-caused-by-rezoning-inner-city-industrial-land-for-mixed-use-apartments-121566">new types of local manufacturing</a>. Hydrogen-based energy could make new modes of transport viable — such as smaller, <a href="https://theconversation.com/covid-impacts-demand-a-change-of-plan-funding-a-shift-from-commuting-to-living-locally-144802">on-demand buses for suburban public transport</a>. We may see the rise of more <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-close-is-sydney-to-the-vision-of-creating-three-30-minute-cities-115847">polycentric cities</a>, like Los Angeles, where suburban centres of employment include local manufacturing. </p>
<p>Regional planning must adjust to these trends. Some large-scale infrastructure projects might need to be rethought. Transit systems will likely need to include autonomous vehicles. <a href="https://lens.monash.edu/@science/2021/05/13/1383127/with-our-cities-getting-hotter-its-time-for-a-radical-tree-change">Large-scale greening</a> of cities will be necessary to reduce higher temperatures accompanying climate change, if we are to <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-do-we-save-ageing-australians-from-the-heat-greening-our-cities-is-a-good-start-112613">prevent avoidable deaths among older populations</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Elderly couple sit on a bench in shade under street trees" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/407863/original/file-20210623-15-nxo9s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/407863/original/file-20210623-15-nxo9s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/407863/original/file-20210623-15-nxo9s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/407863/original/file-20210623-15-nxo9s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/407863/original/file-20210623-15-nxo9s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/407863/original/file-20210623-15-nxo9s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/407863/original/file-20210623-15-nxo9s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Climate change means urban greening needs to be part of strategic urban planning to counter extreme heat.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/old-couple-sitting-alleyway-city-4292476">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-do-we-save-ageing-australians-from-the-heat-greening-our-cities-is-a-good-start-112613">How do we save ageing Australians from the heat? Greening our cities is a good start</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>We will probably also experience new ways of involving citizens in decision-making, such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-future-of-transport-how-local-people-are-helping-to-design-new-metro-trains-152473">co-design</a>.</p>
<p>Regional planning has the capacity to stimulate innovation in housing provision, alternative forms of employment and co-ordinating new systems of transport and energy distribution. But planners must catch up fast if they are to play a role in shaping the future of our cities.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/139969/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jason Byrne undertakes research in partnership with the Southern Tasmanian Councils Authority, Local Government Association of Tasmania and Tasmanian Climate Change Office. Jason has previously received research funding from the Australian Research Council. He is a member of the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA), and sits on the PIA Tasmanian Divisional Committee</span></em></p>The pandemic has accelerated some urban trends and reversed others, while focusing attention on the vulnerabilities of cities. The old planning certainties will have to be revisited.Jason Byrne, Professor of Human Geography and Planning, University of TasmaniaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1618862021-06-21T20:11:24Z2021-06-21T20:11:24ZWallets on wheels: city visitors who use e-scooters more spend more<p>Shared e-scooters are becoming common across Australia and in major cities around the world. Initial safety concerns about e-scooters left some councils wary, but early results from our <a href="https://github.com/abeleung/TourismEscooterTownsville/blob/main/NeuronGriffithTownsvilleTouristSurvey_Reportv2.pdf">research survey</a> shows major benefits from e-scooters for tourists and local economies.</p>
<p>We already knew vistors and local residents <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-1-in-3-users-are-tourists-that-changes-the-bike-share-equation-for-cities-152895">use bike-sharing schemes differently</a>. The effects for tourist attractions and visitors – an <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2021.104328">increase in visits and better experience</a> – are complementary. But that’s bikes. </p>
<p>Until now there has been limited evidence that e-scooters help tourists either visit more local attractions or spend more. <a href="https://theconversation.com/limes-not-lemons-lessons-from-australias-first-e-scooter-sharing-trial-108924">Australia’s first e-scooter trials</a> began in Brisbane as recently as 2018. Services have since been launched in <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-e-bikes-can-succeed-where-earlier-bike-share-schemes-failed-151844">South Australia, the ACT, North Queensland and the NT</a>.</p>
<p>While e-scooters may offer a low-carbon option for post-COVID tourism, do these schemes benefit tourist cities? </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/limes-not-lemons-lessons-from-australias-first-e-scooter-sharing-trial-108924">Limes not lemons: lessons from Australia’s first e-scooter sharing trial</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Avid e-scooter tourists spend more</h2>
<p>Our research team at <a href="https://www.griffith.edu.au/cities-research-institute">Griffith University’s Cities Research Institute</a> partnered with <a href="https://www.rideneuron.com/">Neuron Mobility</a> to conduct a survey of Townsville tourists between December 2020 and February 2021. The <a href="https://github.com/abeleung/TourismEscooterTownsville/blob/main/NeuronGriffithTownsvilleTouristSurvey_Reportv2.pdf">survey</a> collected shopping and travel patterns of 140 visiting e-scooter users, as well as the patterns of 80 Townsville residents (see the interactive map below). Some of these users had bought multi-day subscription passes.</p>
<iframe width="100%" height="800" frameborder="0" src="https://gcp-australia-southeast1.app.carto.com/map/e1f5768c-fe62-44a8-b14a-c322bebb1c7f"></iframe>
<p><br></p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/when-1-in-3-users-are-tourists-that-changes-the-bike-share-equation-for-cities-152895">When 1 in 3 users are tourists, that changes the bike-share equation for cities</a>
</strong>
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<hr>
<p>We analysed the visiting e-scooter users’ travel and spending behaviours. Though their e-scooter hire costs were identical, the visitors who rode the e-scooters the most spent more money in Townsville each day. The more avid e-scooter users (the top third by distance travelled) spent 41% more per day than those in the bottom third for use. </p>
<p>The avid users completed on median 11 e-scooter trips, covering nearly 26km each, while in Townsville. The map above shows how these visitors dispersed, experiencing more local destinations in the city. </p>
<p>Many of these trips (60%) would have been completed by walking if e-scooters were unavailable. They would have taken longer to complete each trip on foot, thus limiting the total number of destinations visited. Other trips wouldn’t have occurred at all. One user commented:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“We enjoyed being able to travel to areas that we would not normally have seen or were too far to walk in a reasonable amount of time.” </p>
</blockquote>
<p><iframe id="7HEAr" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/7HEAr/17/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>Many of these users said they did not need to use a car thanks to the e-scooters. This meant they were able to travel the Townsville CBD and the Strand without clogging the already busy roadways. </p>
<p>Across all the e-scooter users surveyed, most (69%) had never ridden an e-scooter before, but 91% reported they were easy to use. Confirming the positive impact of e-scooters on both city image and visitor experience, 93% said they enjoyed travelling within Townsville. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“It was amazing to see so many people enjoying scootering along the Strand and the mix of pedestrians and scooters worked well.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p><iframe id="Y9Gyf" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/Y9Gyf/10/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<h2>Boomers on scooters – and it’s mostly women</h2>
<p>A major misconception is that e-scooter riders tend to be younger and mostly men. Our survey found instead that 46% of the visitors who used the e-scooters were over the age of 40, many of them much older than that. The majority (55%) were female. </p>
<p>Of the visitors, avid users spent more money at restaurants and cafes, dining in. Light users spent a greater proportion on shopping and services. </p>
<p><iframe id="VXHiY" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/VXHiY/12/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>When asked, visitors tended to be very positive about the e-scooter experience: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Particularly liked the weekly pass which was extremely cost-effective. Would highly recommend and will use again.”</p>
<p>“A great option for a first-time visitor to Townsville to quickly see the sights and get my bearings of local attraction(s).”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Of the few negative issues raised, some visitors wanted the service area in which the e-scooters could operate expanded. Others would like some signage at preferred scooter parking locations to make drop-offs easier.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p><iframe id="tc-infographic-591" class="tc-infographic" height="500px" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/591/2c0a134a15ca388901ae9f0ac446e3adc96eb438/site/index.html" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<figure>
<figcaption>The word cloud above maps the words most commonly used by respondents to describe their experience with e-scooters in Townsville.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>To sum up, our research finds:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>e-scooter sharing schemes are a convenient and enjoyable way for tourists to explore a city</p></li>
<li><p>many users are travelling 26km or more on e-scooters while in town</p></li>
<li><p>e-scooters assist tourist dispersal</p></li>
<li><p>e-scooter use encourages tourist spending. </p></li>
</ul>
<h2>More questions to be answered</h2>
<p>Our methods have been applied in Townsville only. We have also not yet compared tourist outcomes across different forms of mobility. But, on the face of it, there is now a case that tourist cities that adopt e-scooter sharing are boosting their image and tourism economy. </p>
<p>There are many things that we still don’t know about e-scooters and tourism. What is the scale of these benefits? How might cities calculate them when assessing mobility proposals? </p>
<p>When tourists disperse more widely, are they spending more in local “mum and dad” businesses and less in multinationals? What are the best pricing packages and bundles for tourists? And how can these technologies be further improved, and integrated with other modes of transport, to provide seamless, integrated mobility for urban tourists? </p>
<p>We will try to answer these questions in future. But for now, at least, it looks like e-scootering has been a major win for Townsville.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/161886/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Abraham Leung's research at Griffith Cities Research Institute is funded by the Transport Academic Partnership (Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads, The Motor Accident and Insurance Commission) and Transport Innovation and Research Hub (Brisbane City Council). He is also an active member of AITPM and PedBikeTrans.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Benjamin Kaufman is completing his PhD research at Griffith Cities Research Institute in partnership with the Queensland Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads. He is the Managing Consultant at Microtransit Consulting which has performed analyses for the micromobility operator Bird. He is also an active member of AITPM and PedBikeTrans industry groups.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Elaine Chiao Ling Yang does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond her academic appointment.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Matthew Burke receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads, the Motor Accident and Insurance Commission, Brisbane City Council, and the City of Gold Coast. Matthew is a member of the Queensland Government's Fares Advisory Panel, Cycling Advisory Group and Bus Safety Forum, the Brisbane Lord Mayor's Transport Strategy External Advisory Group, and the City of Gold Coast's Active Transport Committee. Matthew is a member of scientific committees with the Australasian Transport Research Forum, the Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies and the Transportation Research Board of the US National Academy of Sciences. He has been part of the Institute's collaboration with Neuron Mobility since their arrival in Australia.
This project was funded by Griffith University but the research team is extremely grateful to Neuron Mobility for their support and their willingness to share de-identified data.
The views expressed are solely those of the authors and do not represent the views of any institution. All errors and omissions are the authors' alone. </span></em></p>A new study shows e-scooter hire schemes increase the number of tourism destinations visitors can reach. And once at these destinations, e-scooter users spend more.Abraham Leung, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Cities Research Institute, Griffith UniversityBenjamin Kaufman, PhD Candidate, Cities Research Institute, Griffith UniversityElaine Chiao Ling Yang, Senior Lecturer in Tourism, Griffith UniversityMatthew Burke, Professor, Cities Research Institute, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1621832021-06-08T20:06:30Z2021-06-08T20:06:30ZTowards the 30-minute city — how Australians’ commutes compare with cities overseas<p>The ease of reaching urban amenities underpins city life. We led a global research team that compared access to jobs in 117 cities across the globe, including eight capital cities in Australia, and examined strategies that might improve transport in our cities. The <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42949-021-00020-2">newly published research</a> finds access to jobs increases with population and that our two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, compare favourably with similarly sized cities overseas.</p>
<p>Transport infrastructure and land use patterns form the backbone of a city. It’s the reason so many people choose to live and work with other people in cities – despite the noise, congestion and negatives of city life – because they can easily reach a variety of destinations. Towards this objective, many planning agencies set themselves a “30-minute city” goal, which is behind many planning decisions.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/404975/original/file-20210608-136167-cap00p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="heat map showing number of jobs accessible within 30 minutes across Greater Sydney" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/404975/original/file-20210608-136167-cap00p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/404975/original/file-20210608-136167-cap00p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=355&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/404975/original/file-20210608-136167-cap00p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=355&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/404975/original/file-20210608-136167-cap00p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=355&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/404975/original/file-20210608-136167-cap00p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=446&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/404975/original/file-20210608-136167-cap00p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=446&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/404975/original/file-20210608-136167-cap00p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=446&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Heat map showing access to jobs across Greater Sydney. Red denotes more jobs and green fewer jobs within 30 minutes’ travel time.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/access-across-australia-mapping-30-minute-cities-how-do-our-capitals-compare-117498">Access across Australia: mapping 30-minute cities, how do our capitals compare?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What did the study find?</h2>
<p>The ease of reaching destinations can be measured by the number of jobs reachable within 30 minutes. Job locations offer both employment opportunities and amenities; restaurants, schools, hospitals, shopping centres and so on are also job clusters. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42949-021-00020-2">research</a> measured how many jobs were accessible within 30 minutes (travelling one way) for four different modes of transport – cars, public transport, cycling and walking. The 117 cities studied are in 16 countries on six continents. The research finds cities really differ in the convenience of transport, but also finds significant similarities between cities from the same country. </p>
<p>Australian and Canadian cities have poorer car access than US, European and Chinese cities. They have better public transport, walking and cycling access than US cities, but access via these modes is generally not as good as in Europe and China.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-city-workers-average-commute-has-blown-out-to-66-minutes-a-day-how-does-yours-compare-120598">Australian city workers' average commute has blown out to 66 minutes a day. How does yours compare?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Cities in the United States have reasonable car access, but lag behind globally in public transport, walking and cycling access. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/405235/original/file-20210609-23-sztbig.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Chart showing numbers of jobs accessible within 30 minutes' cycling plotted against population for global cities." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/405235/original/file-20210609-23-sztbig.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/405235/original/file-20210609-23-sztbig.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=554&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405235/original/file-20210609-23-sztbig.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=554&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405235/original/file-20210609-23-sztbig.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=554&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405235/original/file-20210609-23-sztbig.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=696&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405235/original/file-20210609-23-sztbig.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=696&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405235/original/file-20210609-23-sztbig.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=696&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Number of jobs accessible within 30 minutes’ cycling plotted against population for global cities.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42949-021-00020-2">Urban Access Across the Globe 2021</a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In Chinese and European cities, compact development combined with an intensive network produces the highest access globally across all modes of transport. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/405238/original/file-20210609-17-17b0500.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Chart showing number of jobs accessible within 30 minutes’ walking plotted against population for global cities." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/405238/original/file-20210609-17-17b0500.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/405238/original/file-20210609-17-17b0500.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405238/original/file-20210609-17-17b0500.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405238/original/file-20210609-17-17b0500.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405238/original/file-20210609-17-17b0500.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=693&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405238/original/file-20210609-17-17b0500.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=693&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405238/original/file-20210609-17-17b0500.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=693&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Number of jobs accessible within 30 minutes’ walking plotted against population for global cities.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42949-021-00020-2">Urban Access Across the Globe 2021</a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One surprising finding is the middling car access in US cities. Despite the reputation of US cities being built around the car, urban sprawl has made it difficult to reach destinations even by car. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/405231/original/file-20210609-23-1gnc78a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Chart showing numbers of jobs accessible within 30 minutes' drive by car plotted against population for global cities." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/405231/original/file-20210609-23-1gnc78a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/405231/original/file-20210609-23-1gnc78a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=550&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405231/original/file-20210609-23-1gnc78a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=550&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405231/original/file-20210609-23-1gnc78a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=550&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405231/original/file-20210609-23-1gnc78a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=691&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405231/original/file-20210609-23-1gnc78a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=691&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405231/original/file-20210609-23-1gnc78a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=691&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Number of jobs accessible within 30 minutes by car plotted against population for global cities.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42949-021-00020-2">Urban Access Across the Globe 2021</a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This sprawl also exposes the Achilles heel in mass transit and non-motorised modes. Immense spatial separation makes for worse access by public transport and active modes of transport such as cycling and walking. US cities have the largest disparity between public transport and car travel.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/405230/original/file-20210609-23-10ue63m.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Chart showing number of jobs accessible within 30 minutes by public transport plotted against population for global cities." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/405230/original/file-20210609-23-10ue63m.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/405230/original/file-20210609-23-10ue63m.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=552&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405230/original/file-20210609-23-10ue63m.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=552&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405230/original/file-20210609-23-10ue63m.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=552&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405230/original/file-20210609-23-10ue63m.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=694&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405230/original/file-20210609-23-10ue63m.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=694&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405230/original/file-20210609-23-10ue63m.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=694&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Number of jobs accessible within 30 minutes by public transport plotted against population for global cities.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42949-021-00020-2">Urban Access Across the Globe 2021</a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This research also finds access to jobs increases with city population, so reaching a greater number of desired destinations would be easier for people in larger cities than in smaller cities. So, despite traffic congestion, larger cities are still more efficient in connecting people with places they want to go. </p>
<p>However, this benefit has diminishing returns. Doubling the metropolitan population results in less than a doubling of access to jobs. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-close-is-sydney-to-the-vision-of-creating-three-30-minute-cities-115847">How close is Sydney to the vision of creating three 30-minute cities?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What are the lessons for Australian cities?</h2>
<p>The moral of the story is that we don’t need to choose between the US-style sprawling development and European-style compact cities. We can and should have the benefits of both development patterns. We need both density and a well-developed transport network for better access. </p>
<p>Massive road building alone can improve access by car to only a limited extent. The problem is that investments in road infrastructure are often accompanied by lower-density development. That makes it harder for people who walk, bike or use public transport to reach increasingly separated places.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/three-changes-in-how-we-live-could-derail-the-dream-of-the-30-minute-city-110287">Three changes in how we live could derail the dream of the 30-minute city</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>In cities that do have compact land-use patterns, access to jobs remain high across all modes of transport, including cars. So, despite congestion, it is still easier to reach desired destinations in these compact cities. Roads are not race tracks, and high-speed roadways connecting nobody with nowhere are not better than lower-speed paths connecting people and places. </p>
<p>The Australian government is investing <a href="https://investment.infrastructure.gov.au/">A$110 billion</a> over the next ten years in transport infrastructure. This will have significant implications for the future of our cities. If we want our cities to continue to be vibrant, liveable and accessible by all modes of transport, we will need to keep our cities compact and invest more in public transport, walking and biking.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/people-love-the-idea-of-20-minute-neighbourhoods-so-why-isnt-it-top-of-the-agenda-131193">People love the idea of 20-minute neighbourhoods. So why isn't it top of the agenda?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/162183/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Levinson has received grants as a Professor at the University of Sydney, including funding from the iMOVE CRC. He has also received funding from the World Bank. He is on the Board of WalkSydney. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hao Wu does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A global study of 117 cities finds Australian capitals have fairly poor access by car. Public transport, cycling and walking access is better than in the US, but not as good as in Europe and China.Hao Wu, PhD Candidate, School of Civil Engineering, University of SydneyDavid Levinson, Professor of Transport, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1609332021-06-03T20:10:33Z2021-06-03T20:10:33ZDon’t forget the need for zero-emission buses in the push for electric cars<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/403699/original/file-20210601-25-1v0qzgl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=7%2C23%2C5168%2C3422&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nh53/11048683445">NH53/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As part of efforts to decarbonise urban transport, <a href="https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/news-and-events/media-releases/first-electric-bus-for-sydneys-south-west">Australian</a> <a href="https://transport.vic.gov.au/our-transport-future/future-directions-for-transport/our-strategic-directions/environmentally-sustainable-transport/transport-sector-emissions-reduction-pledge">states</a> and the <a href="https://www.cmtedd.act.gov.au/open_government/inform/act_government_media_releases/chris-steel-mla-media-releases/2021/strong-interest-in-the-acts-zero-emission-bus-transition">ACT</a> have <a href="https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/the-future-now-solar-powered-bus-takes-first-passengers-20210412-p57ijq.html">announced</a> various zero-emission bus trials and targets for replacing diesel buses. These trials are designed to help resolve some of the complex technical and contractual issues facing bus operators and public transport agencies. </p>
<p>It is important to remember the vital role of buses, and public transport more generally, in decarbonising the transport sector — Australia’s <a href="https://www.industry.gov.au/data-and-publications/national-greenhouse-gas-inventory-quarterly-update-december-2020#download-the-full-report-and-data">third-largest source</a> of greenhouse gas emissions. We fear this point has been lost in recent <a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/5bEMBARGOED5d-AGE-EV-tax.pdf">climate advocacy</a> highlighting the slow pace of the transition to green propulsion for private cars in Australia. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/403730/original/file-20210601-19-1r9uw3v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Chart showing Australian transport sector greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 to 2020" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/403730/original/file-20210601-19-1r9uw3v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/403730/original/file-20210601-19-1r9uw3v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403730/original/file-20210601-19-1r9uw3v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403730/original/file-20210601-19-1r9uw3v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403730/original/file-20210601-19-1r9uw3v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403730/original/file-20210601-19-1r9uw3v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403730/original/file-20210601-19-1r9uw3v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.industry.gov.au/data-and-publications/national-greenhouse-gas-inventory-quarterly-update-december-2020#download-the-full-report-and-data">Chart. The Conversation. Data: National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Quarterly Update December 2020</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/transport-is-letting-australia-down-in-the-race-to-cut-emissions-131905">Transport is letting Australia down in the race to cut emissions</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Our research aims to learn more about the obstacles to an effective transition to zero-emission buses. We are engaging mainly with groups connected with the trial announced by the <a href="https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/investing-buses-future">Victorian Department of Transport</a> in late 2020, but the issues are similar across Australia. </p>
<h2>Why can’t we rely on electric cars?</h2>
<p>Even if Australia’s transition to green-electric cars is successful, the climate benefits will be less than we need. The <a href="https://51431d88-662c-4884-b7bc-b5b93a225b7d.filesusr.com/ugd/d0bd25_bbeb4c905a2b4121b0ef3870648f78cf.pdf">carbon costs</a> of manufacturing replacements for Australia’s <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/industry/tourism-and-transport/motor-vehicle-census-australia/latest-release">20 million-strong</a> vehicle fleet will be equivalent to around 20 years’ emissions from Australia’s <a href="https://environmentvictoria.org.au/our-campaigns/safe-climate/yallourn-australias-dirtiest-power/#:%7E:text=Yallourn%20power%20station%20is%20producing,1.34%20tCO2%2De%2FMWh.">dirtiest brown coal generator</a> at Yallourn. And tonnes of concrete and bitumen will continue to be laid for new toll roads and car parks. </p>
<p>A city of electric vehicles will also perpetuate the fatal burdens of car dependence: <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-need-for-speed-transport-spending-priorities-leave-city-residents-worse-off-94166">urban sprawl</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-policy-that-relies-on-a-shift-to-electric-cars-risks-entrenching-existing-inequities-160856">inequitable access</a> to the riches of city life, <a href="https://theconversation.com/cycling-and-walking-can-help-drive-australias-recovery-but-not-with-less-than-2-of-transport-budgets-142176">suppression of cycling and walking</a>, and a host of <a href="https://theconversation.com/designing-suburbs-to-cut-car-use-closes-gaps-in-health-and-wealth-83961">health risks</a> ranging from physical inactivity to air pollution. Even if exhausts were cleaner, recent <a href="https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/library/reports.php?report_id=992">UK research</a> shows a significant proportion of damaging particulates come from worn tyres and brake linings. </p>
<p>To protect the climate and to make city life safer, fairer and healthier, we need policies that take cars off the roads, regardless of how they are fuelled. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Late afternoon congestion in both directions on the Kwinana Freeway (looking north towards and onto the Narrows Bridge) in Perth, Western Australia" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/403702/original/file-20210601-23-oh8d75.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/403702/original/file-20210601-23-oh8d75.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=212&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403702/original/file-20210601-23-oh8d75.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=212&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403702/original/file-20210601-23-oh8d75.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=212&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403702/original/file-20210601-23-oh8d75.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=266&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403702/original/file-20210601-23-oh8d75.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=266&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403702/original/file-20210601-23-oh8d75.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=266&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Apart from emissions, electric cars won’t solve the other problems associated with heavy car use – such as traffic jams – and could even make them worse.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kwinana_Narrows_heavy_traffic_Dec_2020.jpg">Orderinchaos/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/think-taxing-electric-vehicle-use-is-a-backward-step-heres-why-its-an-important-policy-advance-150644">Think taxing electric vehicle use is a backward step? Here's why it's an important policy advance</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Bus services are under-utilised — we can fix that</h2>
<p>The technical complexities of the transition to zero-emission buses could, if we are not careful, lead governments to lose sight of this bigger picture. Buses can help reduce demand for car travel, but only if they operate as effective links in a seamless public transport network. </p>
<p>In Melbourne, for example, many buses run <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/running-on-empty-secret-data-reveals-melbourne-s-ghost-buses-20190424-p51gpm.html">almost empty</a>. Routes are convoluted and services infrequent. It would be a travesty to invest millions in moving to greener buses without improving services in ways that increase patronage. </p>
<p>We can use internationally <a href="https://apo.org.au/node/53363">proven techniques</a> to restructure the network so buses provide practical and convenient alternatives to the car. We can then attract a new generation of riders who currently <a href="https://trid.trb.org/view/1850927">think</a> that “<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/radio/melbourne/programs/mornings/mornings/8257746">buses are not for me</a>”. This is achievable within <a href="https://researchbank.swinburne.edu.au/file/b3d823ed-2030-45cf-b19c-f32a47b3c95e/1/PDF%20(Accepted%20manuscript).pdf">current Australian urban densities</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-cities-planning-to-spend-billions-on-light-rail-should-look-again-at-what-buses-can-do-156844">Why cities planning to spend billions on light rail should look again at what buses can do</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What other challenges must be overcome?</h2>
<p>The first technical challenge is to decide between electric battery and hydrogen power. Most governments are leaning towards batteries. This is largely because the technology and its support systems are more evolved. </p>
<p>However, not all battery buses are created equal. One configuration might work well for a bus that will operate on short routes and can easily return to base to recharge. A bus that will operate on longer or steeper routes might need a different set-up. Operators will need to understand these trade-offs before they order new vehicles.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="electric bus operating on the Balmain route in Sydney" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/403700/original/file-20210601-27-1wj2h3p.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/403700/original/file-20210601-27-1wj2h3p.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=449&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403700/original/file-20210601-27-1wj2h3p.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=449&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403700/original/file-20210601-27-1wj2h3p.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=449&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403700/original/file-20210601-27-1wj2h3p.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=564&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403700/original/file-20210601-27-1wj2h3p.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=564&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403700/original/file-20210601-27-1wj2h3p.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=564&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">One of Sydney’s ‘Electric Blu’ buses running on the Balmain route – operators must select battery-powered buses that suit their intended route.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ElectricBusSydney.jpg">MDRZ/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As established supply chains and cost structures for fossil fuels become obsolete, operators will also need to come to grips with the intricacies of Australia’s electricity market. At the same time, the power industry is grappling with new forecasts for <a href="https://aemo.com.au/en/newsroom/news-updates/report-highlights-data-needs-for-a-smooth-transition-to-evs">demand</a> and the infrastructure required for <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336733804_How_many_electric_vehicles_can_the_current_Australian_electricity_grid_support">secure supply</a>. Added to this, there are fears of a repeat of the “<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-18/australian-gold-plated-power-grid/8721566">gold-plating</a>” by private energy providers and distributors that has plagued the industry in recent years.</p>
<p>The change of power source also creates new challenges for fleet managers. If the transition takes several years, how will an operator manage the changing demands on depot space for refuelling and maintenance? Are depots in the right locations for new patterns of refuelling and deployment? How will the workforce gain the new skills they will need? </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-explained-why-switching-to-electric-transport-makes-sense-even-if-electricity-is-not-fully-renewable-136502">Climate explained: why switching to electric transport makes sense even if electricity is not fully renewable</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Issues won’t be resolved overnight</h2>
<p>These issues and other technical questions can certainly be resolved. However, the institutional framework in which this must occur makes it hard to imagine it can be done quickly. </p>
<p>In Melbourne, buses operate under more than 15 <a href="https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/footer/customer-service/operator-contact-details/#metropolitanbus">different contracts</a>, some with multinationals and others with tiny family businesses. These contracts vary in their provisions for determining routes and frequencies, for fleet and depot ownership, and for rollover or re-tendering. This complexity is a historical legacy compounded by decades of political and bureaucratic inertia. </p>
<p>The challenge for governments is to find a path to introducing zero-emission buses and reforming bus networks that deals with the technical uncertainties and the allocation of cost and risk in a fragmented market. The arrival of new commercial players — offering combined bus procurement, operation, charging infrastructure and energy supply — makes the market all the more complex. Nevertheless, success is crucial for the climate and for the health of our cities.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-policy-that-relies-on-a-shift-to-electric-cars-risks-entrenching-existing-inequities-160856">Climate policy that relies on a shift to electric cars risks entrenching existing inequities</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/160933/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>John Stone has received funding from the ARC and other Australian and international research bodies and has consulted to state and local governments. He provides volunteer support to the Friends of the Earth Sustainable Cities campaign. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Iain Lawrie and Nat Manawadu do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Transport is the one sector where Australia hasn’t reined in the growth in greenhouse gas emissions. Electric cars will cut emissions but still leave us with all the other problems of car use.John Stone, Senior Lecturer in Transport Planning, The University of MelbourneIain Lawrie, PhD Candidate and Sessional Lecturer in Planning, The University of MelbourneNat Manawadu, Research Assistant, Architecture, Building and Planning, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1572432021-04-26T20:06:10Z2021-04-26T20:06:10ZAll your transport options in one place: why mobility as a service needs a proper platform<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/396441/original/file-20210422-15-rwkc5g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=2002%2C1688%2C2631%2C1670&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/knR3v0TZ0IA?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditShareLink">Edi Kurniawan/Unsplash</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Uber, Ola, Car Next Door, GoGet, Urbi and Shareabike have transformed the mobility experience for millions of people, but are just the tip of the looming iceberg of changes in transport. Globally, <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/833743/us-users-ride-sharing-services/">93 million travellers use the Uber app</a> on a monthly basis. More Australians use <a href="http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/8098-uber-overtakes-taxis-june-2019-201908260239">Uber (22.9%) than taxis (21.8%)</a>. </p>
<p>The public clearly has an appetite for mobility as a service (<a href="https://maas-alliance.eu/homepage/what-is-maas/">MaaS</a>). People want to plan, book and pay for various forms of transport via a digital platform. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/for-mobility-as-a-service-maas-to-solve-our-transport-woes-some-things-need-to-change-105119">For Mobility as a Service (MaaS) to solve our transport woes, some things need to change</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>However, mobility service providers are actors in search of a stage. As with software, computing and entertainment, only when a properly designed and managed platform underpins all the services will the real transformation be unlocked. </p>
<h2>The 3 pillars of the platform</h2>
<p>MaaS is part of a broader evolution as novel technologies have driven the rapid transformation of products and offerings into collections of services. Smartphone applications rely on digital distribution platforms such as Google Play Store, Apple Store, Microsoft Store and Amazon Cloud. Similarly, the evolving technologies and mechanisms of mobility systems require a platform for distribution. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-subscribe-to-movies-and-music-why-not-transport-119538">We subscribe to movies and music, why not transport?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The platform concept should include at least three key elements: </p>
<ol>
<li><p>integrated ticketing and payment: user payments are managed in a uniform and adaptable manner across all providers</p></li>
<li><p>accessible, standardised regulations with open data: regulations and data are managed to be accessible/plug-n-play, secure and equitable</p></li>
<li><p>reputation management: reputations of providers and users are managed in a scalable, fair and efficient way.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>If the platform is designed poorly, markets will be distorted, privacy will be violated, and escalating infrastructure costs will continue to burden taxpayers.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/394741/original/file-20210413-23-1v4jje5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="The 3 critical elements of mobility infrastructure as a platform" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/394741/original/file-20210413-23-1v4jje5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/394741/original/file-20210413-23-1v4jje5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/394741/original/file-20210413-23-1v4jje5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/394741/original/file-20210413-23-1v4jje5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/394741/original/file-20210413-23-1v4jje5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/394741/original/file-20210413-23-1v4jje5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/394741/original/file-20210413-23-1v4jje5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The critical elements of mobility infrastructure as a platform.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Moving towards integrated payment</h2>
<p>Historically, the transport platform has simply been the physical networks – roads, walking paths, cycle paths, rail and so on – and the ancillary infrastructure such as stations, airports, ports, vehicle storage and parking. Governments must reimagine existing physical infrastructure as part of the mobility services platform. </p>
<p>Recent innovations have focused not only on infrastructure development – autonomous vehicle systems, for example – but also on managing existing infrastructure. For example, cities around the world have moved towards <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0040162515004217?casa_token=A7yKna6gNDsAAAAA:l0gVSeOgdxiC4i4Z5Qy0F2sHSTv0kybrtUaqxpD7FVML5D84ZyYH_7hFWiwAi_foii8UiCYT1WWT">rail automation</a> and smart ticketing for public transport (Opal, Oyster, Octopus and Myki cards). The smart cards market for public transport in the US alone was valued at <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349589060_Public_Transport_Smart_Cards_Market_was_valued_at_US_5720_Bn_in_2018">US$57.2 billion (A$73.9bn) in 2018</a>.</p>
<p>Setting up seamless payment across services is the first pillar of the platform needed to support mobility as a service. It removes a major barrier to entry for service providers and users. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/396471/original/file-20210422-21-1braeyg.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="public transport station with the words 'Did you tag off?' painted on the pavement" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/396471/original/file-20210422-21-1braeyg.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/396471/original/file-20210422-21-1braeyg.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/396471/original/file-20210422-21-1braeyg.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/396471/original/file-20210422-21-1braeyg.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/396471/original/file-20210422-21-1braeyg.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/396471/original/file-20210422-21-1braeyg.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/396471/original/file-20210422-21-1braeyg.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Smart cards were an essential step towards an integrated system of ticketing, payments and patronage data.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SmartRider_Did_you_tag_off_Welshpool.jpg">Wikimedia Commons</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Significant efforts to integrate payments are ongoing. The other two essential pillars of a MaaS platform require much more attention.</p>
<p>Mobility as a service is seen as a solution to various transport problems, particularly by reducing private vehicle use. Customers are being promised efficient door-to-door multi-modal travel through a single holistic application. In reality, the infrastructure to achieve this is not yet present. </p>
<p>Research has raised questions about its benefits, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965856418309601">social impacts and governance</a>. For instance, emphasising smaller-scale, more flexible mobility services in unideal environments can <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0965856418312229?casa_token=QJn8ooRQiPoAAAAA:5lsMxJTdk-YVj36BK19sXNx6zJ00FmizwiwtmJ6RY-xs0Ne-Yn2mbc-sgPN7ZXSSjEElh6qGMUM">increase congestion and undermine urban planning goals</a>. </p>
<h2>Why regulation is essential</h2>
<p>The value and risks the platform creates for mobility providers, users, disadvantaged groups and society must all be kept in mind. The aim should be to create a fair marketplace that enables participation, innovation, equity and quality service. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/billions-are-pouring-into-mobility-technology-will-the-transport-revolution-live-up-to-the-hype-131154">Billions are pouring into mobility technology – will the transport revolution live up to the hype?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The second pillar, accessible, standardised regulations with open data paradigms, will enable service providers to participate in a market that delivers societal benefits. Innovations by providers must conform to a common “plug-n-play” approach that meets the mobility needs of the community as efficiently as possible. Crowd-sourced data (such as from Google or TomTom), user demand data from travel cards and traffic volume data should be available in the one platform for all service providers. </p>
<p>This is a complex undertaking, and data privacy must be a core component. It calls for strong professional leadership.</p>
<p>A big part of the challenge is that <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/A-Cox/publication/227910305_Managing_construction_supply_chains_The_common_sense_approach/links/5c239797299bf12be39c132a/Managing-construction-supply-chains-The-common-sense-approach.pdf">civil infrastructure cannot be unified in the same way as IT infrastructure</a> or cloud computing. Civil infrastructure, especially transport infrastructure, is also expensive to build and maintain over its long lifespan, so the MaaS platform must be able to help optimise existing infrastructure to meet public mobility needs. </p>
<p>Regulation based on the protection and service of society is the only way to achieve this. The regulatory framework must be standardised, fair and accessible. This means any service providers adhering to the standards can join (and leave) the market without “insider” barriers. </p>
<h2>Balancing profit with public benefits</h2>
<p>Though it is a difficult task, we should apply the <a href="https://www.sam-solutions.com/blog/everything-as-a-service-xaas-definition-and-examples/">“everything as a service” concept</a> with clear standardisation and regulation to deliver equitable and sustainable transport services. </p>
<p>This also offers a way to integrate profit maximisation and social welfare within transport but also involving <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0191261520304057">adjacent services such as parking</a>.</p>
<p>In the rail industry, standardisation has enabled more commoditised heavy and light rail systems and vehicles. Commoditisation is a process that creates reliable nearly identical products – rail services in this case – in the eyes of consumers. They can choose between these competing products based on cost and which best suits their needs at the time. This process has improved the economics, safety, accessibility and technology of rail services. </p>
<p>Over the past decade, the European Commission has implemented laws and policies to create a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0965856413001687">Single European Railway Area</a>. The goal is to revitalise the sector by creating a single market for interoperable rail services that are more innovative and competitive. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/396439/original/file-20210422-17-1c3yw9n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="map showing progress on Single European Railway Area" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/396439/original/file-20210422-17-1c3yw9n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/396439/original/file-20210422-17-1c3yw9n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=490&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/396439/original/file-20210422-17-1c3yw9n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=490&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/396439/original/file-20210422-17-1c3yw9n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=490&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/396439/original/file-20210422-17-1c3yw9n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=616&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/396439/original/file-20210422-17-1c3yw9n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=616&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/396439/original/file-20210422-17-1c3yw9n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=616&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Single European Railway Area is a long-term project that is starting to show the benefits of integration.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://eu.boell.org/en/rail-the-challenges-of-a-single-european-railway-area">Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung/European Union</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Managing reviews and reputations</h2>
<p>Finally, reputation management is essential for a mobility infrastructure platform. Reviews and reputation management have been a driving force for Uber, <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2016/amazon-puts-new-limit-customer-reviews-no-5-week-except-verified-purchases/#:%7E:text=%E2%80%9CCustomers%20can%20now%20only%20submit,reviews%20will%20not%20be%20impacted">Amazon</a>, eBay, iTunes, Airbnb etc. </p>
<p>A user-driven reputational management system must be trustworthy, scalable and resistant to tampering and <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342443933_A_robust_reputation_system_using_online_reviews">malignant reviews</a>. Blockchain technologies could help build the required trust.</p>
<p>Mobility will increasingly be delivered as a service to travellers. New technologies combined with social awareness and strong professional leadership will all be needed to develop the platform.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>This article was co-authored by Victor Prados-Valerio, a Senior Associate at the advisory firm TSA Management, who has been a project manager and senior rolling stock engineer on train, light rail and depot procurement projects in Australia and overseas.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/157243/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>This article was co-authored by Victor Prados-Valerio.
S. Travis Waller is a Director at Mobility Thinking Pty Ltd. He receives funding from the Australian Research Council, Transport for NSW, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd and CISCO Systems. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kasun Wijayaratna is a Director at Mobility Thinking Pty Ltd and a Visiting Research Fellow at the Research Centre for Integrated Transport Innovation at UNSW. He has received funding from Transport for NSW and the City of Adelaide. </span></em></p>It has happened with software, computing and entertainment, but we’re still waiting for the platform needed for mobility as a service to reach its full potential.S. Travis Waller, Professor and Head of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UNSW SydneyKasun Wijayaratna, Lecturer in Roads and Transport Engineering, University of Technology SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1586092021-04-15T20:54:38Z2021-04-15T20:54:38Z80% of fatal e-scooter crashes involve cars – new study reveals where and why most collisions occur<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/395315/original/file-20210415-14-6ct3ps.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C7%2C4792%2C2852&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Electric scooters have become a popular way to get around since their introduction to U.S. cities about three years ago. But fatalities are mounting. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/commuter-rides-an-e-scooter-across-a-los-angeles-street-on-news-photo/1163246014?adppopup=true">Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>About 30 people in the United States have been killed riding electric scooters since 2018. Most – 80% – were <a href="https://www.roadsafety.unc.edu/research/projects/2019r26/">hit by drivers of cars</a>. </p>
<p>Publicly available e-scooters arrived to U.S. cities in 2017 as an <a href="https://www.itf-oecd.org/good-go-assessing-environmental-performance-new-mobility">energy-efficient and fun new way to get around town</a>. By 2019, e-scooter rides had soared from zero to <a href="https://nacto.org/shared-micromobility-2019/">88 million trips annually</a>. </p>
<p>But putting e-scooter riders on the same roads as cars without good infrastructure or clear rules has been dangerous. Making streets safer will require urban policymakers, not to mention drivers, to understand where and why cars collide with these new vehicles. </p>
<p>The few <a href="https://www.dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.7381">empirical studies</a> on e-scooter safety come from <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/tsaco-2019-000337">emergency departments</a> in cities where e-scooters launched early, like Los Angeles and Austin. They meticulously describe which injuries occurred and which bones were broken in crashes – primarily wrists and minor head injuries – and document the location on the body of other injuries, like scrapes and sprains.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/394541/original/file-20210412-23-fldwco.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Up-close image of an e-scooter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/394541/original/file-20210412-23-fldwco.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/394541/original/file-20210412-23-fldwco.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/394541/original/file-20210412-23-fldwco.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/394541/original/file-20210412-23-fldwco.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/394541/original/file-20210412-23-fldwco.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/394541/original/file-20210412-23-fldwco.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/394541/original/file-20210412-23-fldwco.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">E-scooters have small electric motors and handlebar throttles.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Christopher Cherry</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But they do not provide insight about how and why these injuries happened. My “micromobility” <a href="http://LEVresearch.com">research team</a>, which studies <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=I3wi1-EAAAAJ&hl=en">lightweight and low-speed vehicles like e-bikes and e-scooters</a>, has now conducted an in-depth study on e-scooter traffic safety, in Nashville, Tennessee. </p>
<p>Our findings, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2021.03.005">published in April 2021 in the Journal of Safety Research</a>, found that e-scooter crashes with cars follow different patterns than bicycle crashes – but both result from unsafe infrastructure for nonmotorized vehicles.</p>
<h2>Where e-scooters and cars collide</h2>
<p>Safety has been a persistent barrier for cities in encouraging residents to adopt greener, alternative modes of transportation. Nationally, two-thirds of the more than <a href="https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/home-and-community/safety-topics/bicycle-deaths/#:%7E:text=Of%20the%201%2C024%20bicyclist%20deaths,times%20the%20fatalities%20for%20females.">1,000 bicycle fatalities</a> in 2018 occurred when riders were struck by a vehicle driver. </p>
<p>To better understand how e-scooter collisions with cars compare, we scoured Nashville police reports of crashes between 2018 and 2020. E-scooters launched in Nashville in 2018. </p>
<p>In total, we identified 52 documented e-scooter crashes and 79 bicycle crashes, with one scooter rider fatality and no bicyclist fatalities.</p>
<p>About 80% of both bike and e-scooter crashes happened at intersections, and about 70% occurred in daylight. That was somewhat surprising. An influential 2019 <a href="https://austintexas.gov/news/scooter-injury-study-report-released">study on e-scooter safety in Austin, Texas</a> identified nighttime riding as riskiest. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/395319/original/file-20210415-18-5zedw2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Older man on a scooter in a bike lane" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/395319/original/file-20210415-18-5zedw2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/395319/original/file-20210415-18-5zedw2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/395319/original/file-20210415-18-5zedw2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/395319/original/file-20210415-18-5zedw2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/395319/original/file-20210415-18-5zedw2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/395319/original/file-20210415-18-5zedw2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/395319/original/file-20210415-18-5zedw2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Scooter riders are supposed to use bike lanes.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/florida-miami-beach-mature-adult-riding-electric-scooter-news-photo/916126048?adppopup=true">Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Instead, our study points to riding on the sidewalk as the main risk on e-scooters.</p>
<p>Despite local rules prohibiting scooter-riding on sidewalks, more than 60% of crashes between cars and scooters happened when a sidewalk scooter rider and driver collided at either a driveway or crosswalk. The scooter was almost always coming from the car’s right, where drivers likely aren’t expecting moving vehicles to come off the sidewalk and into traffic.</p>
<p>Nashville cyclists mostly ride on the road, so they crash at driveways and crosswalks about as half as often. They are much more likely to be hit from behind, or when either the driver or bike rider turns across the other’s path on the roadway. This finding aligns with other studies on <a href="https://doi.org/10.3141/2601-09">bicycle-car crash patterns</a>.</p>
<h2>Policy implications</h2>
<p>E-scooter and bicyclist crashes with cars aren’t as different as they may seem. They both reflect a lack of infrastructure designed for people who choose alternate modes of transportation. </p>
<p>In many cities, bicycle lanes end or zigzag suddenly across the road. Intersections leave riders stranded in a dangerous swarm of moving vehicles. </p>
<p>Connected bike lines combined with protected intersections that give riders – particularly novices – intuitive ways to cross and turn would <a href="https://usa.streetsblog.org/2019/05/29/protect-yourself-separated-bike-lanes-means-safer-streets-study-says/">make streets safer</a>. Simply limiting right-turn-on-red also reduces collisions between drivers, pedestrians and cyclists, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-4375(82)90001-9">studies show</a>. </p>
<p>E-scooter parking is a problem, too. </p>
<p>Currently, scooter-share companies like Lime require scooters to be parked on sidewalks, placing riders onto the sidewalk at the beginning and end of each trip. Providing on-street parking can induce adult riders of powered e-scooters onto the street, where they belong. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/395312/original/file-20210415-19-s68mjv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Four scooters lined up on the edge of a sidewalk, near the street and a car" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/395312/original/file-20210415-19-s68mjv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/395312/original/file-20210415-19-s68mjv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=439&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/395312/original/file-20210415-19-s68mjv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=439&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/395312/original/file-20210415-19-s68mjv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=439&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/395312/original/file-20210415-19-s68mjv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=552&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/395312/original/file-20210415-19-s68mjv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=552&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/395312/original/file-20210415-19-s68mjv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=552&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Lime electric scooters parked in Portland, Ore.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/LimeBike_electric_scooters_at_SE_Grand_%26_Mill_in_Portland%2C_Ore._%282018%29.jpg">Steve Morgan/Wikimedia commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But only better infrastructure will keep them there. </p>
<p>So far, in Nashville as in other cities, the main tactics made to keep scooter riders off sidewalks are educational campaigns, in-app messages and sidewalk decals. Clearly, that’s not working – and it is leading to crashes. </p>
<h2>Hit-and-runs</h2>
<p>Alcohol is not a major factor in e-scooter crashes in Nashville. Only two of Nashville’s 52 scooter riders involved in crashes were reported as intoxicated. Drunk cyclists were similarly rare. </p>
<p>This finding contradicts early data from <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/tsaco-2019-000337">San Diego</a> and <a href="https://austintexas.gov/news/scooter-injury-study-report-released">Austin</a> pointing to alcohol as a factor in e-scooter crashes. </p>
<p>Drunk drivers did not seem to be a major cause of car-scooter and car-bike collisions in Nashville, either. That said, we know the intoxication level of only the drivers who stuck around to speak with police. </p>
<p>Of 104 Nashville drivers involved in e-scooter or bike crashes, 27 of them fled the scene.</p>
<p>[<em>Understand new developments in science, health and technology, each week.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/science-editors-picks-71/?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=science-understand">Subscribe to The Conversation’s science newsletter</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/158609/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Christopher R. Cherry receives research funding from State and Federal Departments of Transportation and the National Science Foundation. He has consulted for micromobility operators and bicycling advocacy organizations. </span></em></p>Electric scooter rides soared from zero to 88 million a year between 2017 and 2019. But launching e-scooters in cities without safe infrastructure or clear rules of the road can be deadly.Christopher R. Cherry, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of TennesseeLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1568442021-04-05T20:07:39Z2021-04-05T20:07:39ZWhy cities planning to spend billions on light rail should look again at what buses can do<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/392737/original/file-20210331-21-cpalne.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C15%2C5184%2C3430&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Many cities in <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/parramatta-light-rail-costs-blow-out-to-more-than-35-billion-20161015-gs300q.html">Australia</a> and <a href="https://wrirosscities.org/our-work/project-city/brtdataorg-global-database-bus-rapid-transit">around the world</a> have recently made or proposed investments in new light rail systems. They often do so in the belief this will not only increase public transport use, but also lead urban renewal and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0016718517300210">improve a city’s global image</a>. However, compared to light rail, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213624X21000018">my research</a> shows a system of buses running along dedicated corridors, known as <a href="http://bic.asn.au/information-for-moving-people/bus-rapid-transit">bus rapid transit</a>, has many advantages for Adelaide (the focus of my research) and cities like it.</p>
<p>The advantages include:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>a bus rapid transit system is cheaper to construct and run</p></li>
<li><p>it takes less time to introduce with less disruption</p></li>
<li><p>being able to leave designated lanes offers greater flexibility to pick up passengers where and when needed.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>In contrast, retrofitting light rail onto arterial roads has proven <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/parramatta-light-rail-costs-blow-out-to-more-than-35-billion-20161015-gs300q.html">expensive</a>, slow and <a href="https://www.railway-technology.com/features/sydney-light-rail-fiasco/">highly disruptive</a>. For example, 12.5km of arterial-based <a href="https://www.railexpress.com.au/auditor-general-calculates-cost-of-sydney-light-rail-at-3-1bn/">light rail in Sydney</a> cost over A$150 million per kilometre and took more than five years to complete. Given these inherent problems, Australian cities such as <a href="https://www.transportplan.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/117444/Our_Plan.pdf">Adelaide</a> with new light rail systems on the drawing board should first take another look at bus rapid transit.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/trackless-trams-v-light-rail-its-not-a-contest-both-can-improve-our-cities-125134">Trackless trams v light rail? It's not a contest – both can improve our cities</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Australian cities face hurdles to public transport use</h2>
<p>Most Australian state and territory governments have <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0264837718316983">similar transport-related goals</a>. These include to become more environmentally sustainable and reduce traffic congestion, which saps productivity. They typically aim to achieve these goals <a href="https://www.transport.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/1613302/200601-ACT-Transport-Strategy_web.pdf">by increasing public transport use</a> at the expense of cars. </p>
<p>Globally, affluent cities with high levels of public transport use have <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S136192091400114X">comprehensive public transport networks</a>. These systems allow people to travel from one place to another anywhere in the city quickly, cheaply and conveniently with minimal interchanges. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/our-new-pm-wants-to-bust-congestion-here-are-four-ways-he-could-do-that-102249">Our new PM wants to 'bust congestion' – here are four ways he could do that</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>In contrast, Australian cities are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S136192091400114X">car-oriented</a>. Their radial <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07293682.2013.795179">“hub and spoke” public transport systems</a> primarily allow people to get to central business districts and occasionally major regional centres quickly, cheaply and conveniently. They struggle to do so for suburb-to-suburb trips. </p>
<p>In Australian cities, <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/2071.0.55.001%7E2016%7EMain%20Features%7ECommuting%20Distance%20to%20Place%20of%20Work%7E30">75-90% of jobs and commerce</a> are located in their suburbs. This means the structure of public transport is a major challenge for increasing patronage at the expense of cars. But what if existing arterial roads can be converted for use by rapid bus transit?</p>
<h2>Adelaide: a case study</h2>
<p>My research looked at the alternative of bus rapid transit along a corridor in metropolitan Adelaide where a <a href="https://www.transportplan.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/117444/Our_Plan.pdf">new light rail track</a> is proposed. From the CBD, this corridor runs about 7km east to the hills and 9km west to the sea. As an indication of the likely cost, a 1km extension along North Terrace of an existing line cost <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/cost-of-adelaide-tram-to-blow-out-to-124m">more than $A120 million</a> in 2018. </p>
<p>The area within 3km of the corridor contains around <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213624X21000018">40% of metropolitan Adelaide’s jobs</a>, major recreation and shopping facilities, most of its universities, and the airport.
Buses running in often highly congested and slow traffic provide the only public transport in the area. As a result, public transport use is <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213624X21000018">very low</a> compared to similar areas in other Australian cities. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-avoid-cars-clogging-our-cities-during-coronavirus-recovery-140744">How to avoid cars clogging our cities during coronavirus recovery</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Bus rapid transit services run along designated lanes down the centre of arterial roads, as would an arterial-based light rail. </p>
<p>Stops are spaced at similar intervals to light rail and resemble stations rather than a typical bus stop. Such systems are in place around the globe, one of the most famous being in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/may/26/curitiba-brazil-brt-transport-revolution-history-cities-50-buildings">Curitiba, Brazil</a>. </p>
<h2>The advantages of buses add up</h2>
<p>The great advantage a bus-based system has over light rail is cost. They can run along existing roads and don’t need expensive tracks and overhead wires. </p>
<p>As a result, bus rapid transit <a href="https://www.itdp.org/library/standards-and-guides/the-bus-rapid-transit-standard/">can be built</a> for <a href="https://wrirosscities.org/our-work/project-city/brtdataorg-global-database-bus-rapid-transit">less than 10% of the cost of light rail</a>. The buses are also <a href="https://wrirosscities.org/tags/brtdataorg">cheaper to run</a> per passenger journey and have similar journey speeds to light rail. Bus rapid transit can be established in <a href="https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4sn2f5wc">months rather than years with minimal disruption</a> to surrounding businesses and residents.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/trees-versus-light-rail-we-need-to-rethink-skewed-urban-planning-values-57206">Trees versus light rail: we need to rethink skewed urban planning values</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Buses do have some disadvantages compared to light rail. For a start, when diesel buses are used, they cause significant <a href="https://ppiaf.org/sites/ppiaf.org/files/documents/toolkits/UrbanBusToolkit/assets/1/1b/1b12.html#:%7E:text=Buses%20may%20contribute%20to%20atmospheric,fuel%20and%20emit%20excessive%20exhaust.">noise and air pollution</a>. Using electric buses can overcome these problems. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Electric bus being charged on a road" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/392736/original/file-20210331-23-1pxifuz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/392736/original/file-20210331-23-1pxifuz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/392736/original/file-20210331-23-1pxifuz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/392736/original/file-20210331-23-1pxifuz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/392736/original/file-20210331-23-1pxifuz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/392736/original/file-20210331-23-1pxifuz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/392736/original/file-20210331-23-1pxifuz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Using electric buses overcomes the problems of noise and air pollution.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/electric-bus-on-city-street-1452327569">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-forget-buses-six-rules-for-improving-city-bus-services-94984">Don't forget buses: six rules for improving city bus services</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>In addition, individual vehicles normally carry fewer passengers than light rail. However, my research shows low passenger capacity per vehicle is an advantage in low-density suburban areas, such as those along the proposed corridor in Adelaide. That’s because it means the buses have to run more often, making the service more regular, convenient and reliable. </p>
<p>Another advantage over light rail is that in low-density areas, vehicles can leave designated lanes and venture for 2-4km into suburbs to pick up and drop off passengers. This vastly expands the number of households in the system’s catchment and means passengers can get to their destinations with no interchange or just one. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/1-million-rides-and-counting-on-demand-services-bring-public-transport-to-the-suburbs-132355">1 million rides and counting: on-demand services bring public transport to the suburbs</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Finally, the inner and middle suburbs of Adelaide, where most residents live and work, have many wide straight roads suitable for bus rapid transit services. It would be possible to develop around 100km of BRT lanes connecting existing light rail, heavy rail and busway infrastructure. I estimate a comprehensive network could be built for well under a billion dollars in a few years. </p>
<p>A similarly sized light rail network would cost tens of billions of dollars and take decades to complete, if it was to happen at all. </p>
<p>Therefore, if cities want people to switch from cars to public transport, bus rapid transit is the superior option in metropolitan Adelaide and potentially other cities with arterial road networks and low suburban densities.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/156844/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael McGreevy does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>In many cities contemplating new light rail systems, bus rapid transit offers a cheaper, faster and more flexible solution.Michael McGreevy, Research Associate, Flinders UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1530752021-03-15T18:54:05Z2021-03-15T18:54:05ZWhy New Zealand should invest in smart rail before green hydrogen to decarbonise transport<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/389441/original/file-20210314-17-vmc7l1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C107%2C6000%2C3206&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock/Oleksiy Mark</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Green hydrogen is being touted as an <a href="https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/hydrogen-plan-points-way-renewable-future">alternative</a> to fossil fuels in New Zealand. The government has invested NZ$8.4 million to <a href="https://www.mbie.govt.nz/science-and-technology/science-and-innovation/funding-information-and-opportunities/investment-funds/endeavour-fund/success-stories/">explore its potential</a> and $19.9 million in a <a href="https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/pgf-investment-green-hydrogen">hydrogen energy facility</a>.</p>
<p>Globally, <a href="https://www.iea.org/reports/the-future-of-hydrogen">6% of natural gas and 2% of coal</a> are used to produce industrial hydrogen, contributing carbon dioxide emissions equal to the United Kingdom and Indonesia combined. Green hydrogen is produced by using electricity from renewable sources to split water. But is hydrogen a realistic fuel option? </p>
<p>Domestic production of a low-carbon transport fuel using <a href="https://www.mbie.govt.nz/dmsdocument/7040-energy-in-new-zealand-2019">New Zealand’s mostly renewable electricity</a> sounds like a great idea. </p>
<p>But let’s not ignore the obvious opportunity of providing a truly sustainable transport system by building up a homegrown, high-tech integrated smart rail and urban tram network that uses renewable electricity directly via overhead lines. </p>
<p>Let’s first establish the parameters. In evaluating the prospects for green hydrogen we must have a clear objective: achieve non-fossil fuel sustainable transport.</p>
<p>In 2019, New Zealand imported about <a href="https://www.mbie.govt.nz/building-and-energy/energy-and-natural-resources/energy-statistics-and-modelling/energy-statistics/oil-statistics/">55 million barrels of petroleum products</a>, at a <a href="https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=42415">cost of $5.4 billion</a>. New Zealanders drove 45 billion kilometres in 4.4 million vehicles, including 23,000 freight trucks. </p>
<p>Nearly all of the imported fuel went into personal and road freight transport, the largest and fastest-growing component of national carbon dioxide emissions (<a href="https://www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/new-zealands-greenhouse-gas-emissions">42.6% of the total in 2018</a>). </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-cut-emissions-from-transport-ban-fossil-fuel-cars-electrify-transport-and-get-people-walking-and-cycling-154363">How to cut emissions from transport: ban fossil fuel cars, electrify transport and get people walking and cycling</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Substituting green fuel for petrol and diesel would reduce emissions but not improve congestion, commuting time and heavy truck traffic. Freight transport in particular would be more sustainable by <a href="https://www.kiwirail.co.nz/assets/Uploads/documents/70bd71037f/The-Value-of-the-Rail-in-New-Zealand.pdf">shifting from road to rail</a>, which can have 75% lower carbon dioxide emissions than road transport. </p>
<h2>Capacity for sustainable transport</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.transpower.co.nz/power-system-live-data">Live system data</a> from Transpower, the operator of New Zealand’s national grid, shows how much electricity is generated using different sources, from the installed capacity of 9,237 megawatts. </p>
<p>At the time of writing, on an average late summer day, about half of the hydro capacity was being used, and there was no wind-generated contribution. It would be possible to use around 2,400MW for transport and still have 20% of capacity left over as a safety margin.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.railjournal.com/financial/kiwirail-to-order-100-new-locomotives-and-900-wagons/">KiwiRail has announced</a> the $1 billion purchase of 100 new locomotives and 900 new wagons to replace current stock, much of which is more than 50 years old. A locomotive delivers 2.4MW of power. Electric locomotives cost $1.2 million per MW, and a <a href="https://infrastructurepipeline.org/project/papakura-to-pukekohe-rail-electrification/">recent electrification project</a> cost $371m for 20km.</p>
<p>It is feasible that New Zealand could have five times as many locomotives on an extensive electric rail network and take up at least 80% of the current truck freight. With that kind of network, intercity passenger travel could also be shifted significantly from roads onto rail.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/smart-tech-systems-cut-congestion-for-a-fraction-of-what-new-roads-cost-125718">Smart tech systems cut congestion for a fraction of what new roads cost</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>An electric rail network with 500 2.4MW locomotives would use about 1,400MW at maximum capacity, if all trains are running at the same time with 85% electric efficiency. Urban trams, light rail, electric vehicles and scooters could be using the remaining 1,000MW capacity. </p>
<p>Electric rail is common in <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/451522/share-of-the-rail-network-which-is-electrified-in-europe/">Europe</a>. <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0954409719867495">Norway</a> recently built 200km of overhead electric rail line at a cost of NZ$2.5 million per km. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roads_of_National_Significance">Building motorways</a> in New Zealand costs $35 million per km on average. </p>
<h2>Transport fuelled by hydrogen</h2>
<p>Let’s start with the same 1,400MW of spare hydro generation capacity and explore the <a href="http://www.csrf.ac.uk/2018/06/should-lorries-be-powered-by-hydrogen/">green hydrogen system</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Hydrogen fuelling station and tanker" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/388367/original/file-20210308-23-177kfgb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=24%2C136%2C8273%2C3483&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/388367/original/file-20210308-23-177kfgb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=263&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/388367/original/file-20210308-23-177kfgb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=263&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/388367/original/file-20210308-23-177kfgb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=263&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/388367/original/file-20210308-23-177kfgb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=330&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/388367/original/file-20210308-23-177kfgb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=330&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/388367/original/file-20210308-23-177kfgb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=330&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Green hydrogen is being touted as a renewable fuel, but there are a few freight trucks and no locomotives on the market.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock/Scharfsinn</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The AC electricity would need to be converted to DC and used in electrolysers to spit water (63% conversion efficiency) and the hydrogen would be compressed and stored in special high-pressure tanks (20% energy input). It would then have to be converted to electricity using a fuel cell (50% conversion efficiency), and finally used in an electric motor (85% efficiency). </p>
<p>The 1,400MW could drive 100 2.4MW locomotives using green hydrogen — the same rail capacity as New Zealand already has today. In other words, using hydrogen would mean New Zealand could fuel one-fifth of the trains an overhead electric direct-drive system could run. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/hydrogen-where-is-low-carbon-fuel-most-useful-for-decarbonisation-147696">Hydrogen: where is low-carbon fuel most useful for decarbonisation?</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>In the hydrogen scenario, a substantial outlay would be required for the electrolysers ($1.6 million per MW with a 15-year lifespan), hydrogen compressors and storage tanks ($1 million per MW hydrogen). A 1,400MW hydrogen system capital cost would be $4.3 billion every 15 years. </p>
<p>We would also need to import hydrogen trains and vehicles. This is a problem. There are currently <a href="https://www.thedrive.com/tech/33408/why-we-still-cant-deliver-on-the-promise-of-hydrogen-cars">fewer than 10,000 hydrogen vehicles</a> in the world and <a href="https://newatlas.com/automotive/scania-ditches-hydrogen/">no trains</a> on the market. </p>
<p>It is difficult to estimate the cost of a hydrogen-based rail system, but the fuel cells that drive locomotives cost about $4.1 million each, which is extra cost on top of the $2.9 million for the electric locomotive. </p>
<p>The engineering, technology and life cycle costs are known for electric rail and tram networks, but we know less about hydrogen-based transport options. The obvious, affordable and sensible options should be given <a href="https://www.transport.govt.nz/area-of-interest/infrastructure-and-investment/future-of-rail/">more support</a> than highly speculative propositions. </p>
<p>The transition from diesel trucks to integrated electric rail, coastal shipping and local electric delivery will require infrastructure investments but deliver many skilled jobs. Rail traffic schedules can be “smart” and managed in real time, taking advantage of current renewable capacity and negating the need for storage. </p>
<p>New Zealand could achieve low-carbon transport via direct electrification, while the realistic potential for hydrogen to fuel the country’s freight transport is negligible.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/153075/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Susan Krumdieck does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Green hydrogen produced using New Zealand’s mostly renewable electricity sounds like a great idea, but a high-tech smart rail and urban tram network is a more obvious and sustainable option.Susan Krumdieck, Professor and Director, Advanced Energy and Material Systems Lab, University of CanterburyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1546892021-03-04T13:12:54Z2021-03-04T13:12:54ZPublic transit drivers struggle to enforce mask mandates<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/385904/original/file-20210223-23-9av9im.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=82%2C36%2C5902%2C3920&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Public transit drivers are now responsible for preventing unmasked passengers from boarding and removing unruly customers.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/am-tuesday-march-24-2020-governor-gretchen-whitmer-ordered-news-photo/1208192021?adppopup=true">Seth Herald/AFP via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Many U.S. <a href="https://www.masstransitmag.com/safety-security/article/21208164/face-mask-mandate-for-transit-goes-into-effect-late-feb-1">metropolitan areas</a> report that <a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/2-dekalb-cities-ask-marta-to-reinstate-bus-service-to-needy-communities/G76S6M7IXBEPHAIRCK4PX3PDWE/">at least 90% of public transit passengers</a> wear masks while on buses to prevent the spread of coronavirus. </p>
<p>However, some passengers still wear their masks incorrectly. And some refuse to wear them at all, threatening the health and safety of others on board.</p>
<p>Staff at many transit systems have already faced the difficult task of enforcing passenger compliance with local and state <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/these-are-the-states-with-mask-mandates">mask mandates</a>.</p>
<p>Now, staff and passengers of public transit systems must also comply with <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/transportation-mask-mandate/2021/02/01/32aa36d8-64b8-11eb-8c64-9595888caa15_story.html">federal orders</a>, issued in January and February. Passengers who violate the federal mask orders may <a href="https://www.tsa.gov/news/press/releases/2021/01/31/tsa-implement-executive-order-regarding-face-masks-airport-security">face penalties </a> of US$250 for a first offense and up to $1,500 for repeat offenses. </p>
<p>In addition to driving, public transit drivers are now responsible for preventing unmasked passengers from boarding, monitoring passengers for compliance and removing unruly customers. </p>
<p>These responsibilities create hurdles for public transit drivers, particularly when public transit systems prefer <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/transportation/septa-federal-mask-mandate-public-transit-enforcement-20210207.html">customer-friendly approaches</a> instead of civil or criminal penalties to increase compliance. </p>
<h2>Federal mask orders</h2>
<p>President Joe Biden issued an <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/21/executive-order-promoting-covid-19-safety-in-domestic-and-international-travel/">executive order</a> on Jan. 21 mandating that certain federal government agencies require travelers to wear masks while on commercial airlines, trains and buses. </p>
<p>The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/pdf/Mask-Order-CDC_GMTF_01-29-21-p.pdf">issued its own order</a> on Jan. 29. It requires all passengers to wear masks, except babies and toddlers under age 2 and persons with disabilities. The order also requires transportation companies and public transit systems to <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/01/30/962390180/cdc-issues-sweeping-new-mask-mandate-for-u-s-travelers-extends-eviction-moratori">enforce mask-wearing</a> in airports, seaports, train terminals and bus stations.</p>
<p>The Transportation Security Administration also issued a <a href="https://www.tsa.gov/sites/default/files/sd-1582_84-21-01.pdf">directive</a> on Jan. 31 supporting President Biden’s directive and implementing the CDC’s orders. The TSA also issued guidance to public transit systems for reporting violations so that the TSA can issue fines.</p>
<p>Through ongoing <a href="https://hazards.colorado.edu/news/award-news/covid-19-and-transportation-recently-funded-quick-response-research">research</a> funded by the <a href="https://hazards.colorado.edu/">Natural Hazards Center</a>, our <a href="https://urbaninstitute.gsu.edu/micromobility-lab/">team</a> of lawyers, sociologists and urban planners at the <a href="https://urbaninstitute.gsu.edu/">Georgia State University Urban Studies Institute</a> conducted focus groups with public bus drivers in the Atlanta metro area to assess public transit’s response to COVID-19. </p>
<p>The goal of the research is to develop policies to prevent future disease spread, maintain service during emergencies and protect community access to public transit.</p>
<p>The bus drivers in the focus groups shared the difficulties they have faced so far when enforcing mask orders. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Bus drivers across the country have faced violence." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/387084/original/file-20210301-15-1y6a1eh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/387084/original/file-20210301-15-1y6a1eh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=413&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/387084/original/file-20210301-15-1y6a1eh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=413&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/387084/original/file-20210301-15-1y6a1eh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=413&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/387084/original/file-20210301-15-1y6a1eh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=519&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/387084/original/file-20210301-15-1y6a1eh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=519&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/387084/original/file-20210301-15-1y6a1eh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=519&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Bus drivers across the country have faced violence when trying to enforce mask mandates.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/bus-driver-wearing-a-mask-and-gloves-gestures-at-los-news-photo/1210143411?adppopup=true">Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Driver problems</h2>
<p>Besides their traditional job of safe driving and maintaining a timely schedule, public bus drivers now must encourage passengers to wear masks and remove passengers who refuse. They must also promote social distancing by limiting the number of passengers and clean buses between routes.</p>
<p>Drivers report that buses often don’t have enough masks for passengers who arrive without one. Many public transit systems have installed mask kiosks at rail or bus stations, but bus stops don’t have them. Though many buses have been retrofitted with mask dispensers, supplies must be monitored and regularly replenished, another new responsibility that usually falls to the bus driver. </p>
<p>Train operators are separated from passengers because they are in a separate, closed-off compartment. They are spared from having to enforce mask orders. But this leaves compliance largely unchecked.</p>
<p>On buses, however, drivers do have contact with passengers and must enforce mask orders. But, drivers are generally the only staff on board. They cannot easily remove passengers for not following orders. They also fear endangering themselves or other passengers.</p>
<p>Across the country, drivers have faced <a href="https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/news/transit-workers-face-growing-rate-of-assaults-theres-not-much-we-can-do/594959/">hostility</a> and even <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/18/nyregion/mta-bus-mask-covid.html">violence</a> when trying to enforce mask mandates.</p>
<p>We found that drivers use several tactics to address passenger refusal to wear masks.</p>
<p>Drivers can call security to provide help. These calls are not always answered quickly, and sometimes they are not answered at all. When security does respond, drivers report actions that reward noncompliant passengers. To defuse a situation, security may provide a free taxi or ride-share service. This promotes future noncompliance by passengers. </p>
<p>Drivers can also refuse to move the bus as leverage to force passengers to wear masks. However, this can make the bus and its passengers late. Other passengers may file complaints for delays or missed connections. And drivers may be reprimanded by supervisors. </p>
<p>Drivers worry these complaints may jeopardize performance reviews and job security.</p>
<h2>Potential solutions</h2>
<p>Based on our interviews, there are some potential solutions that public transit systems might take to support drivers and increase mask usage on buses.</p>
<p>These include:</p>
<p>• Hiring more staff to assist with enforcement.</p>
<p>• Supplying masks and replenishing distribution kiosks frequently.</p>
<p>• Developing clear policies on what measures drivers are expected to take when enforcing mask mandates.</p>
<p>• Providing driver training on enforcement methods, including how to deescalate upset passengers. </p>
<p>• Training management on how to balance supporting drivers with maintaining customer service.</p>
<p>All these efforts would cost more money. So providing <a href="https://rsph.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=5fa90ac9-7771-4320-82db-ac870158d561&start=2735">local, state and federal funding</a> for these efforts, including money from the <a href="https://www.transit.dot.gov/cares-act">CARES Act</a> and the <a href="https://www.transit.dot.gov/funding/grants/coronavirus-response-and-relief-supplemental-appropriations-act-2021">Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act</a>, may help public transit systems increase passenger mask-wearing. </p>
<p>These solutions could help to protect the health and safety of passengers and staff as full service is <a href="https://www.masstransitmag.com/management/article/21210397/new-york-mta-to-see-partial-restoration-of-night-service-next-week">restored</a> and more passengers <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/metro-ridership-increases-as-agency-begins-restoring-service-to-prepandemic-levels/2020/08/22/b8bdcbc6-e331-11ea-8181-606e603bb1c4_story.html">return</a> to public transit.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/154689/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stacie Kershner receives funding from the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado Boulder.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Karen Johnston receives funding from the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado Boulder.</span></em></p>Recent federal mask mandates on all public transit have burdened bus drivers with difficult and sometimes dangerous duties to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.Stacie Kershner, Associate Director, Center for Law, Health & Society, Georgia State UniversityKaren Johnston, Associate Director of the Center for the Comparative Study of Metropolitan Growth, Georgia State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1518442021-02-01T18:58:05Z2021-02-01T18:58:05ZWhy e-bikes can succeed where earlier bike-share schemes failed<p>Shared mobility devices such as bicycles and electric scooters have experienced <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2020/10/09/bikes-and-buses-will-be-futures-dominant-modes-of-urban-mobility-predict-346-transport-experts/?sh=f6eda011b03f">significant growth</a> across the globe and Australia is no exception. In cities with such offerings, users are able to get around in more convenient and flexible ways.</p>
<p>The recent emergence of dockless shared e-scooters (i.e. <a href="http://v1.li.me/locations/australia">Lime</a> and <a href="https://techau.com.au/neuron-mobility-is-launching-electric-scooters-in-adelaide-brisbane-darwin-canberra-and-townsville/">Neuron</a>) heralded a new-age of <a href="https://theconversation.com/to-bolster-our-fragile-road-and-rail-system-we-need-to-add-a-micro-mobility-network-124895">micromobility</a>. In Brisbane, it <a href="https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/brisbane-to-scrap-citycycle-scheme-as-rider-numbers-collapse-20201124-p56hfl.html">signalled the end</a> for the ten-year-old <a href="http://www.citycycle.com.au/">CityCycle</a> bike-share scheme.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/limes-not-lemons-lessons-from-australias-first-e-scooter-sharing-trial-108924">Limes not lemons: lessons from Australia’s first e-scooter sharing trial</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Not long after announcing CityCycle’s demise in late 2020, Brisbane City Council <a href="https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/things-to-see-and-do/outdoor-activities/riding-in-brisbane/citycycle-bike-hire">proposed</a> its replacement with shared dockless e-bikes and the topic <a href="https://www.racq.com.au/Live/Articles/241120-CityCycle-scrapped-in-favour-of-e-bikes-RACQ-approves">started</a> <a href="https://vickihoward.com/ebikescoming/">trending</a>. The question is: why will the e-bike scheme succeed where its predecessors in Brisbane and other Australian cities failed? (See below for a summary of the evolution of shared mobility schemes in Australia.)</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381314/original/file-20210129-23-1903dll.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Table showing previous, current and planned shared micromobility sharing services (as of Jan 2021)" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381314/original/file-20210129-23-1903dll.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381314/original/file-20210129-23-1903dll.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=616&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381314/original/file-20210129-23-1903dll.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=616&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381314/original/file-20210129-23-1903dll.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=616&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381314/original/file-20210129-23-1903dll.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=775&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381314/original/file-20210129-23-1903dll.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=775&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381314/original/file-20210129-23-1903dll.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=775&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Evolution of micromobility sharing services in major Australian cities.*</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Compiled by Dr Abraham Leung and Madison Bland, Griffith University</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Mobility is being offered more and more as a service. The uptake of share travel across Australian cities has undergone a transition from docked bikes to dockless e-mobility, aided largely by advances in technology and the proliferation of mobile devices. Sharing is being considered as an attractive alternative to owning a bike or car thanks to new ways to bundle mobility services into packages, in much the same way as we use entertainment streaming services instead of buying movies or records. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-subscribe-to-movies-and-music-why-not-transport-119538">We subscribe to movies and music, why not transport?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What can we expect from e-bikes?</h2>
<p>E-bikes are pedal-assisted bicycles offering users electric motor assistance up to speeds of 25km/h. A shared bike scheme with self-locking and smartphone connectivity offers an extremely flexible riding experience. </p>
<p>It isn’t yet clear how e-bikes will be deployed in Brisbane. What we do know is the scheme will be privately operated under a short-term tender. As with CityCycle, <a href="https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/brisbane-to-scrap-citycycle-scheme-as-rider-numbers-collapse-20201124-p56hfl.html">2,000 bikes</a> will be provided across Brisbane, similar to how e-scooters are managed.</p>
<p>The e-bikes can improve on both e-scooters and CityCycle’s docked bikes in several ways. </p>
<p><strong>Trip flexibility:</strong> GPS tracking and smart lock technology remove the need to locate set docking stations. Users can start and end trips at places of their own choosing. This means they avoid the frustrations caused by docking stations reaching maximum capacity, especially in popular destinations such as the CBD.</p>
<p><strong>Wider appeal:</strong> <a href="https://theconversation.com/can-e-scooters-solve-the-last-mile-problem-theyll-need-to-avoid-the-fate-of-dockless-bikes-102633">unlike e-scooters and their younger target market</a>, e-bikes can attract a wider demographic more familiar with riding bikes. They also offer greater load-carrying capacity and are permitted for use on roads whereas e-scooters are <a href="https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/council-wants-e-scooters-in-bike-lanes-to-protect-pedestrians-20200904-p55siq.html">restricted to footpaths or bikeways</a> in Brisbane. In New South Wales and Victoria, e-scooters are banned altogether - though <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/could-e-scooters-be-the-answer-to-impending-covid-19-gridlock-20201005-p56257.html">changes</a> could be on the way for Victoria.</p>
<p><strong>Assisted riding:</strong> electrically assisted bikes can make cycling easier and accessible for more people. For those who struggle to ride at the best of times, e-bikes can help overcome fitness issues, especially in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965856415301531">Brisbane’s hot climate and hilly terrain</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/billions-are-pouring-into-mobility-technology-will-the-transport-revolution-live-up-to-the-hype-131154">Billions are pouring into mobility technology – will the transport revolution live up to the hype?</a>
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</p>
<hr>
<h2>So, what punctured CityCycle?</h2>
<p>CityCycle was launched in 2010 under a 20-year single-operator contract. The scheme failed to achieve ambitious patronage targets and the goal of paying for itself. Despite usage growing until 2018, a <a href="https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/citycycle-to-go-but-outdoor-advertising-designed-to-fund-bike-scheme-to-stay-20201124-p56hiv.html">shifting market</a> has since resulted in significant declines. </p>
<p>The reasons for the lack of use are clear: </p>
<ol>
<li><p>CityCycle was delivered through a monopolised model lacking market competition, with the shared bike scheme a secondary focus for operator JCDecaux Group’s advertising juggernaut, and this once-novel model became dated when dockless bikes emerged.</p></li>
<li><p>a cumbersome payment system made renting bikes difficult, with only smartcards accepted at first, and while uptake increased once credit card payments were introduced, e-scooters’ mobile-based payment options are more convenient for walk-up users.</p></li>
<li><p>the arrival of e-scooter schemes in 2018 attracted many CityCycle users, as the chart below shows (click to enlarge), and the 2020 coronavirus pandemic wrote off the scheme when the city became deserted during the lockdown.</p></li>
</ol>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/380150/original/file-20210122-15-w07kna.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/380150/original/file-20210122-15-w07kna.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/380150/original/file-20210122-15-w07kna.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=317&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/380150/original/file-20210122-15-w07kna.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=317&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/380150/original/file-20210122-15-w07kna.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=317&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/380150/original/file-20210122-15-w07kna.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/380150/original/file-20210122-15-w07kna.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/380150/original/file-20210122-15-w07kna.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Patronage of Brisbane’s CityCycle scheme from 2010 to 2020.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Data: Brisbane City Council, JCDecaux. Adapted by Dr A. Leung</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-coronavirus-made-2020-the-year-of-the-electric-bike-143158">How coronavirus made 2020 the year of the electric bike</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>The path to success</h2>
<p>As Brisbane moves towards a dockless e-bike scheme, its ability to outperform its predecessor will ultimately rest with decision-makers delivering a safe and convenient rider experience. This involves several key considerations.</p>
<p><strong>Pricing and payment:</strong> the scheme will have to be competitive with current modes (particularly e-scooters), where registration and payment are integrated with existing systems. The rise of <a href="https://theconversation.com/for-mobility-as-a-service-maas-to-solve-our-transport-woes-some-things-need-to-change-105119">mobility as a service</a> (MaaS) platforms can incorporate the service within shared mobility apps and bundle offers (packaging public transport and shared mobility services).</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/for-mobility-as-a-service-maas-to-solve-our-transport-woes-some-things-need-to-change-105119">For Mobility as a Service (MaaS) to solve our transport woes, some things need to change</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<p><strong>Availability:</strong> the dockless model, while more flexible, will require operators to actively manage bike distribution and avoid cluttering. The blocking of access ways and even dumping of bikes have been sources of public opposition to other bike-share schemes. Though repositioning bikes (using service vehicles) will take up significant time and money, it is crucial in maintaining a balanced and orderly network that maximises bike availability.</p>
<p><strong>Initial launch:</strong> the scheme’s roll-out will be important, as positive perceptions are best achieved by people riding, rather than bikes sitting idle. Importantly, a winter launch should be avoided – <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/on-your-bike-public-hire-scheme-hits-cbd-20100531-wp4k.html">as Melbourne found</a> – when bike trips are at yearly lows.</p>
<p><strong>Cycle infrastructure:</strong> As with cycling in general, providing safe and connected bicycle networks is paramount for increasing participation rates. For Australian cities, the <a href="https://theconversation.com/cycling-and-walking-are-short-changed-when-it-comes-to-transport-funding-in-australia-92574">historic lack of funding for cycle infrastructure</a> has limited ridership growth. Much work remains to be done, though Brisbane City Council has committed to <a href="https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/traffic-and-transport/roads-infrastructure-and-bikeways/bikeway-and-pathway-projects/citylink-cycleway-trial">trial improvements</a> to its CBD on-road bike lanes.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/cycling-and-walking-are-short-changed-when-it-comes-to-transport-funding-in-australia-92574">Cycling and walking are short-changed when it comes to transport funding in Australia</a>
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<p>Ultimately, dockless shared e-bikes can deliver a more flexible mobility option as operators maximise user convenience and governments develop urban cycling infrastructure.</p>
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<p><em>* The regulatory environment for micromobility is rapidly evolving. There are many <a href="https://www.ntc.gov.au/sites/default/files/assets/files/NTC-Decision-RIS-PMDs.pdf">nuances across Australian jurisdictions</a>, and users should check with their own state or territory for up-to-date road rules and regulations.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/151844/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Madison Bland is affiliated with the Griffith Cities Research Institute where he is completing his PhD research in partnership with the City of Gold Coast. He is also an active member of PIA and PedBikeTrans industry groups</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Abraham Leung is affiliated with the Griffith Cities Research Institute where his research is funded by the Queensland Department of Transport. He is also an active member of AITPM and PedBikeTrans industry groups.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Benjamin Kaufman is affiliated with the Griffith Cities Research Institute where he is completing his PhD research in partnership with the Queensland Department of Transport. He is also an active member of AITPM and PedBikeTrans industry groups.</span></em></p>And the winner is … e-bikes? A new entrant is set to overtake Brisbane’s CityCycle scheme in the race for the shared mobility market.Madison Bland, PhD Candidate, Cities Research Institute, Griffith UniversityAbraham Leung, Transport Academic Partnership (TAP) Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Cities Research Institute, Griffith UniversityBenjamin Kaufman, PhD Candidate, Cities Research Institute, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.