Posts filed under ‘walking’
Submission on Impact of Road Safety Behaviours on Vulnerable road users
Climate Action Merribek teamed up with Sustainable Fawkner to preparare a submission to a Legislative Assembly Inquiry into the impact of road safety behaviours on vulnerable road users. It was submitted 19 May 2023.
We started with highlighting problem locations around Merri-bek municipality, particularly in the northern suburbs. This is by no means a comprehensive list but more illustrative of the many issues facing vulnerable users at specific locations. We then highlighted the need to address infrastructure to address safety and also as a response to reduce transport emissions. We came up with the following recommendations:
Invest in Safer infrastructure for vulnerable road users. Increasing safety for vulnerable road users means investing in safer footpaths, crossings, separated bike paths and protected bike lanes, and where pedestrian and cycling traffic is low, more shared use bike paths.
More Safety signage. It also means that more safety signage at key intersections is used warning drivers of both pedestrian and cycling activity, including early start signage for cyclists.
Driver Education. In the past too much emphasis has been placed on changing behaviours of vulnerable road users for their own safety as part of education campaigns. This amounts to ‘Blaming the Victim’. There needs to be a much greater focus on drivers sharing public roads, with an emphasis on safety, and also encouraging use of cycling and walking for local trips.
Addressing safety of vulnerable road users needs to also address the need to reduce transport emissions. The saftey of vulnerable road users and the need to change mobility behavious to reduce emissions should both drive more investment in active transport infrastructure. As dedicated infrastructure improves there is likely to be a compounding increase of active transport mode share reflecting the improved safety environment for vulnerable road users. This requires a boost to recurrent funding for active transport as a proportion of Transport funding in the Victorian budget
Build safe cycling infrastructure along the Strategic Cycling corridors. Sometime, like the extension of the Upfield bike path beyond the M80, this is entirely new infrastructure waiting to be built.
Increase funding to active transport to 20 percent of the state transport budget, as recommended by the United Nations.
(more…)Forum on Transport issues for Merribek for 2022 #vicvotes state election
Local Candidates for the 2022 state election discussed transport issues for Brunswick and the northern region in a forum organised by The Metropolitan Transport Forum and hosted by the City of Merri-bek at Brunswick Town Hall on 4 October 2022.
Some of the local issues discussed included:
- frequency and reliability of trains on the Upfield Line and the need to duplicate and extend the line;
- better bus services especially on Sundays;
- more level access tram stops to boost accessibility for all;
- safe cycling and provision of local protected cycling infrastructure.
- Refurbishment of Sydney Road to increase safety and liveability for all users
- Brunswick Level Crossing Removal
Climate and sustainability Comment on Council agenda 10 August 2022
Our comment on Moreland (Merri-Bek) Council agenda for 10 August 2022, sent to all Councillors.
Dear Councillors,
There are a few agenda items of significance at Council meeting in August. Two deal with improving cycling infrastructure, one with advocacy for improving public transport (buses) as part of a northern region assessment. These three agenda items are important for addressing transport emissions in Moreland.
Transport is about 16 percent of Moreland’s community emissions profile, with automotive emissions being 12 percent. (Refer Snapshot July 2019-June 2020 https://snapshotclimate.com.au/locality/municipality/australia/victoria/moreland/2019/fy )
The Councillor NOM on a Council policy on surfaces for sportsfields and open spaces is also important for climate and sustainability considerations.
(more…)Submission: Setting Victoria’s 2035 climate target
What should Victoria’s 2035 emissions reduction target be? We strongly believe it should be science based taking into account our carbon budget with global equity considerations. The Victorian Government called for submissions by June 5, 2022. Our submissions concentrated on Transport, as we see that is a major policy blind spot with regard to public transport, active transport and aviation.
- Victoria’s target for 2020 was to cut emissions by 15-20% below 2005 levels. That target was achieved two years early.
- Victoria’s target for 2025 is to cut emissions by 28-33% below 2005 levels.
- Victoria’s target for 2030 is to cut emissions by 45-50% below 2005 levels.
Read our submission for 2025 and 2030 targets in which we argued for at minimum the emissions cuts identified by the Combet review matching the science: of at least 43% by 2025 and 67% by 2030 to have any chance of limiting warming to 1. 5°C. (Download PDF version)
The next short-term target, for 2035, must be set by 31 March 2023. An independent panel of experts will advise on a target for 2035, the best action to reach that target and what the pathways to net zero emissions by 2050 could look like. The Panel will prepare a report with their advice to government by 1 March 2023.
(more…)Walking: Making it Safer and More Enjoyable
Walking is a key form of sustainable transport. Indeed, it has so many benefits, including improving the environment, people’s health, and their sense of community. Encouraging more people to walk more often is one of the best ways a society can achieve a range of objectives.
Unlike for other transport modes, governments don’t collect good data on pedestrians that could be used to inform pedestrians strategies. Urban densification increasingly leads to competition over space allocated for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. So it becomes even more important to ensure that we understand how, why, where and when people walk, and how to address barriers to walking.
Brunswick Residents Network (BRN) sought to do this. In early 2021 they surveyed 992 residents from Brunswick (including East and West) on their walking habits and have reported on their findings here. They hope to use the findings to lobby Moreland Council to improve walking infrastructure. Of course, these findings will be applicable in other areas too.
(more…)Submission: Moreland Council Budget 2021/22
On Wednesday 2 June Moreland Council had it’s formal submission feedback session to Councillors over zoom on the Draft Council Budget in 2021/22. The Climate Action Moreland submission was six and a half pages in length. Convenor John Englart briefly summarised the submission for Councillors.
Our submission called for increased expenditure to address the climate emergency, and addressed issues across the following areas:
- Infrastructure to improve uptake of Sustainable Transport
- Street trees, in particular the maintenance and protection of trees
- Permeable and low carbon surfaces
- Leisure Centres (in particular Fawkner Leisure Centre redevelopment)
- Open Space
- Comment on other strategic initiatives in the budget, including how to Phaseout gas in council facilities
June 5, 2021 at 9:04 am morelandclimategroup Leave a comment
Submission to Climate Change Authority – policies necessary to achieve Australia’s commitments under the 2015 Paris Agreement
Climate Action Tracker June 2019 assessment.
Climate Action Moreland prepared the following submission (PDF) to the Climate Change Authority focussing on three sectors: agriculture, energy (electricity) , and transport. These are key areas for Australia to implement climate policy to achieve reduction in emissions to meet Australia’s commitments under the 2015 Paris Agreement. We appreciate the Climate Change Authority collating this information, even though the present conservative government largely ignores the independent advice of this Authority.
Under the Paris Agreement Australia needs to submit a new Nationally Determined Contribution document that outlines all targets and policies to achieve our targets, by early 2020. No backtracking is acceptable (this is written into the agreement as well) This is the ratchet (ambition) mechanism of the Paris Agreement. On current commitments the world is heading for an average temperature rise of between 2.4 degrees to 3.8 degrees Celsius by 2100, as calculated by the Climate Action Tracker website. Australia’s effort is rated as ‘Insufficient’.
Moreland Council adopts transformative transport strategy
Moreland Mayor Cr Abboud
Moreland Mayor Cr Natalie Abboud walks the talk on mode share shift to sustainable transport.
To conclude the debate on Moreland Council’s transformative Moreland Integrated Transport Strategy (MITS) Cr Abboud told her own personal journey which outlined her fears and her new found freedom in her Mayoral e-bike that she uses to move about Moreland fulfilling her duties as Mayor.
Her speech came after 2 hours of debate in the Council chamber on the strategy and 18 amendments that were proposed for the Council motion. Most amendments were debated: some were lost, some were passed and incorporated into the final motion. The Strategy was passed with 10 votes in Favour and one abstention.
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Submission: Moreland Integrated Transport Strategy
MITS – capacity of a transport corridor at peak time of different transport modes
Transport is an important sector for emissions reduction both in Australia and locally in Moreland. Moreland Council have prepared a draft Moreland Integrated Transport Strategy to ‘drive’ the reduction in transport emissions through increased use of public transport, cycling and walkable neighborhoods and commercial centres. We commend Moreland Council for the policy goals in this strategy of reducing transport emissions.
Transport is a more complex area than energy to get emissions reduction at the local level as many of the important policy levers are driven by State politics and infrastructure investment.
Some of us in Climate Action Moreland attended and participated in the Brunswick Residents Network forums on the Draft Moreland Integrated Transport Strategy. The Brunswick Residents Network have done a considerably detailed submission which we broadly endorse for consideration of incorporation in the Council’s final strategy document.
There were a number of issues which we think weren’t covered by the Brunswick Residents Network submission.
Of particular note is the importance for continued advocacy for improvements to the quality, service frequency and extension of public transport services in and through our municipality.
A second consideration is co-ordinating and co-operating with adjacent Municipal Councils to improve public transport and cycling links. Both points address social equity both within Moreland and within the northern Melbourne region. Advocating for extension of the Upfield line to Wallan can improve equity issues for Melbourne’s northern urban fringe and also address one of the drivers for congestion in Moreland.
Improving arterial cycling connections to neighboring areas will encourage more residents to cycle and more people visiting Moreland by bicycle to see friends, to shop and use services in our municipality.
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Submission: Assessing Level Crossing Removals in Coburg through a climate change prism
Green light for cars at Bell st level crossing. Level Crossing removal will mostly advantage vehicles and increase transport emissions and eventually more congestion.
We have been working on a submission to the Level Crossing Removal Authority for the proposed removal of the Moreland Road and Bell Street level crossings. This is a complex issue already, just on social factors, and it also needs to be viewed through a prism of new infrastructure for adaptation to the impacts of long term climate change and reducing transport greenhouse gas emissions.
We are also keenly aware that little time was given for public discussion and engagement. Not all options were presented to the public and reasons given why they were neglected to be included from public consideration. So the public engagement and feedback will be essentially flawed.
We are aware that decisions will also likely be taken on cost factors which will reduce the long term climate adaptation or resilience of the infrastructure. Unfortunately the best solutions usually don’t come cheap.
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Climate Action Merribek: people in Brunswick, Coburg, Fawkner and Glenroy wanting action on climate change 