Although there’s never been a strong tradition of cycling in Australia's capitals like there is in many European cities, the availability of battery powered bicycles and scooters is potentially a game-changer
The start of the year is an opportune time to take a big-picture view of the state of passenger transport in Australia’s major urban areas. The key challenge for policy-makers is to "tame" the car
The Urbanist is in summer recess but back for special occasions; this time it's my annual list of interesting books - both fiction and non-fiction - to read over the holidays
The Andrews Government secured a massive swing at Saturday's Victorian election in large measure because it wowed and delighted cynical voters by building productive infrastructure sooner rather than later
Discussion about cities
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For the last 14 years car travel in Melbourne grew slower than both population and public transport travel, but it's still increasing in absolute terms
Riders aren't glorified pedestrians; cycling is a mode of transport that belongs on dedicated on-road and off-road paths. The growing popularity of power-assisted bicycles makes cycling on footpaths by adults a doubtful proposition
The Rail Futures Institute’s Melbourne Rail Plan is the sort of comprehensive metropolitan plan that the Government's failed to release, preferring instead to pull out ad-hoc projects just before the next election
There's very little reason to think the Andrews government's promised suburban loop rail line will catalyse jobs growth in suburban centres on a scale that even remotely justifies the cost
Progressives and public transport advocates should be calling the Andrews government out on its nakedly political suburban rail "loop" ploy, not falling for it. There's a much better alternative that could deliver real benefits
The Andrews government's planned $50 billion loop rail line around outer suburban Melbourne signals Victorian Labor has joined the other parties in giving up on rational urban policy