THE CITY OF GREATER GEELONG
SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL BEHAVIOURS SUMMARY DRAFT INTEGRATED TRANSPORT STRATEGY
SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL BEHAVIOURS THE OUTCOME WE SEEK More people will make informed, practical travel choices that ease pressure on roads and parking while improving health, affordability and access. We will help people avoid unnecessary journeys, travel outside peak periods and use active transport to reach school, university or work. People can also combine errands into one trip or choose walking, riding, shared transport and public transport when those options suit their needs.
WHY IT MATTERS Daily travel choices shape congestion, parking demand, emissions and road safety. They also affect whether public transport and other sustainable services attract enough demand to remain viable. Greater Geelong cannot support continued growth simply by building more roads and parking spaces. Small changes to when and how people travel can make a real difference, especially during peak periods and around schools, activity centres, major employment areas and events. Some journeys offer clear opportunities for change. Around 28% of Greater Geelong residents live within five kilometres of their workplace, while another 25% live between five and ten kilometres away. With safe infrastructure and reliable services, walking, riding, e-bikes and public transport could provide practical alternatives for some of these trips. School travel creates intense traffic and parking demand for short periods each day. Helping more children walk, ride, scoot or catch public transport can improve their health and independence while also reducing congestion and emissions around schools. It can also make local streets safer. Programs alone cannot overcome unsafe infrastructure or inadequate services. People are more likely to change their travel habits when the alternatives feel safe, reliable, convenient, affordable and easy to understand. That means coordinating information, incentives and travel programs with better infrastructure, stronger services and effective parking management.
WHAT THE FUTURE LOOKS LIKE Greater Geelong will manage travel demand to make better use of the existing transport network and support investment in sustainable transport. The future approach will include: Sustainable travel programs for schools. Travel plans for workplaces and major institutions. Clear information about walking, riding and public transport options. Incentives and trials that allow people to experience different ways of travelling. Flexible working, remote participation and off-peak travel where appropriate. Event transport plans that prioritise public and active transport. Parking policies that encourage efficient travel choices. Travel planning for new developments and communities. Targeted programs when new infrastructure or transport services begin operating. Data collection and evaluation to identify which measures create lasting change. Different people have different needs. The goal is not to prevent necessary car journeys, but to make other options easier when they offer a practical choice. Reducing discretionary car trips will free road and parking capacity for freight operators, trades, emergency services and people who need to drive. We will lead by example. Our workforce, vehicle fleet, facilities, procurement and event planning will all support more efficient and sustainable travel.
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Representation of 3km radius catchments for riding and scooting to train stations.
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Forty years ago, 75% of children walked or rode to school. Today, 1 in 5 children travel actively to school in Australia. Our vision is that at least 75% of children are doing so by 2050.
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SECURE
MANAGE
ENABLE
Seek grants and partner funding.
Coordinate campaigns and travel
Support school and workplace travel
programs.
plans.
contributions.
Monitor participation and mode shift.
Help people trial walking, riding and
Link programs to funded infrastructure
Target programs to locations with viable
projects.
alternatives.
Obtain employer, school and university
public transport. Normalise independent school travel and multimodal commuting.
Now
As We Grow
As Demand Matures
Focus behaviour-change programs on places where practical alternatives
Expand travel programs for schools,
Make sustainable travel the usual choice
workplaces and major institutions as
for a substantial share of suitable
sustainable transport networks improve.
everyday journeys.
already exist or will soon become available.
Help people understand and try walking,
Coordinate travel programs with new
riding, public transport and journeys that
services, infrastructure improvements
combine different forms of transport.
and changes to parking.
Collect baseline data on travel
Expand successful initiatives and stop
behaviour and evaluate the results of
measures that fail to create lasting
each program.
change.
Use more targeted demandmanagement measures to make the best use of road and parking capacity during peak periods. Make travel-behaviour programs an ongoing part of network management rather than running them as stand-alone campaigns.
Indicators School travel mode share Workplace travel mode share Program participation Sustained mode shift Vehicle trips avoided Household travel mode share Council workforce travel
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