The prospect of a parking tax is still on the horizon notwithstanding the Transport Minister ruling it out during the election campaign earlier this year.
Travel demand management is just one of the issues canvassed in Transport 2007 - the State Government's new medium term action plan that forms part of the Integrated Transport Plan for South East Queensland.
The plan aims for a reduction in private vehicle use, and greater use of public transport, cycling and walking - forms of transport that minimise traffic congestion and pollution.
The aims are expected to be achieved through:
- Improving coordination and integration between transport nodes through a reduction in car dependency and encouraging the use of alternative modes of transport;
- Developing flexible public transport services, including consideration of social justice, equity and accessibility issues;
- Managing travel demands in peak periods - this could include restricting cheaper all-day parking in the CBD, imposing an annual levy on parking spaces and road use pricing;
- Improving traffic flows and reducing bottlenecks through provision of road infrastructure where necessary
- Ensuring efficient movement of freight;
- Improved pedestrian and bicycle facilities; and
- Using land use planning principles for better land use and transport integration.
Highlights of the plan for Brisbane include:
- An integrated public transport network and ticketing system for the Brisbane metropolitan area;
- Private sector funding will be sought for the extension of the rail line from Petrie to Mango Hill;
- A future rail extension to Browns Plains will be considered;
- Construction of two lanes from South Pine Road to the Gympie Arterial;
- Construction of the Port of Brisbane Motorway and improvements to Lytton Road;
- Development and construction of cycle links, for example, CBD to Normanby, Sandgate, Carindale, Indooroopilly, Upper Mt Gravatt, Wynnum and Chermside; and
- Widening of the Ipswich Motorway, sections of the Bruce Highway and Gateway Motorway.
- The plan does not rule out ring roads, bypasses or alternative river crossings but describes these as long term measures which would be considered after better use is made of existing road capacity.
Copies of Transport 2007 can be obtained from Queensland Transport, Transport Planning-SEQ Branch.
