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Governing the City State - Chief Minister and Treasury Directorate ...

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Canberra also has an extensive walking <strong>and</strong> cycling network (400km of on <strong>and</strong> off road cyclepaths). More Canberrans cycle to work than in any o<strong>the</strong>r Australian capital city <strong>and</strong> Canberracommuters are taking up alternative transport modes. An analysis of transport preferencesreveals:• Canberra has been leading <strong>the</strong> nation in commuter cycling for many years, but is still tomeet <strong>the</strong> Sustainable Transport Plan targets;• walking has increased with more people opting to live closer to <strong>the</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>and</strong> towncentres (between 2001 <strong>and</strong> 2006 <strong>the</strong> number of people in Turner walking to workincreased from 6% to 24%). This steady increase places Canberra second to Hobart forthis mode; 411 <strong>and</strong>• people’s use of public transport has increased. The 2004 Sustainable Transport Planset a target of nine per cent of journey to work trips using public transport by 2011 <strong>and</strong>this is close to being achieved.Low density of development equates to long travel distances, which makes transport options,o<strong>the</strong>r than by car, inconvenient for many households. Apart from <strong>the</strong> financial costs of layingnew roads, maintaining paths, implementing cycleways, building public transport facilities<strong>and</strong> buying <strong>and</strong> running buses, <strong>the</strong>re are many less tangible costs in our transport system.These include traffic congestion, traffic accidents, longer travel times in getting to work,providing <strong>and</strong> managing parking, impacts on amenity <strong>and</strong> quality of our public space <strong>and</strong>residential areas <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> cost of greenhouse gas emissions.ConsultationsDuring consultations, individuals <strong>and</strong> groups raised suggestions or concerns about <strong>the</strong> futureof transport in Canberra, many of which were supportive of more coordinated <strong>and</strong> fasteraction in delivering <strong>the</strong> Government’s stated intentions in this area.In her Budget Speech in May 2010, <strong>the</strong> Treasurer, Ms Katy Gallagher MLA, stated:an efficient <strong>and</strong> sustainable transport system is <strong>the</strong> cornerstone of any well functioning <strong>and</strong>connected city. The 2010-11 ACT Budget provides a massive down-payment on <strong>the</strong> future of<strong>the</strong> Territory’s transport system through a comprehensive $97 million funding package for allmodes of transport.The Transport package outlines <strong>the</strong> Government’s vision for a sustainable transport system. Itinvests in new roads, transit ways, bus frequency <strong>and</strong> bus stations, road safety, new pedestrian<strong>and</strong> cycle paths, real-time passenger information, <strong>and</strong> park/bike-<strong>and</strong>-ride facilities for anefficient, reliable <strong>and</strong> integrated transport network to respond to <strong>the</strong> needs of our growingcommunity. 412The timeframe of this Review coincided with renewed interest in a very fast train betweenSydney, Canberra <strong>and</strong> Melbourne, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> announcement by <strong>the</strong> Australian Government of a411 Australian Bureau of Statistics (2006b) 2006 Census Journey to Work (Hobart <strong>and</strong> inner Canberra suburbs). (Cat.No.2006.0)412 ACT Government (2010h) Budget Paper No.1 2010-11. Canberra, p.9.Sustainability, Housing Affordability <strong>and</strong> Transport: 312

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