‘Roads, rates & rubbish’ supposedly form a Council's core responsibilities. We focus here on the first: roads, and in particular Council’s record on sustainable transport.
Council began their term with an excellent transport policy, Move Live Connect: Integrated Transport Strategy 201-2028. This policy prioritised creating 10-minute walkable neighbourhoods; safe, connected and convenient active transport options; a focus on the transport needs of vulnerable residents; and boosting bike riding.
However very little progress on these aims have been achieved, with Councillors voting against key projects when the decisions are made. For example, the State Government proposed to fund the Shrine to Sea project, which Council policy described as one of the highest priority corridors for delivering protected bike lanes. The councillors voted against supporting this project.
Moreover, the ITS included some concrete progress indicators, such as number of daily walking trips. As of writing (11/8/24) the Council appears to have never published any of these indicators.
To give credit where it is due: this is a split council. Several councillors have worked consistently towards the goals of the transport policy. Some councillors are unable to move beyond the fantasy of everyone having copious on-street parking available at all times, and care nothing for those who do not drive, or who are seeking access to other options. And others are happy to talk the talk on sustainable transport, but consistently vote with those in the previous group.
We will discuss individual councillors in a separate post.
Sustainable transport goals* (from the Move Live Connect strategy)
Outcome 2:
Number of daily walking trips (measured by Vista): Goal 163k. NO PROGRESS INDICATOR PUBLISHED.
Number of daily bike riding trips (measured by Vista): Goal 35k. NO PROGRESS INDICATOR PUBLISHED.
Number of ‘Healthy Tracks to School’ - infrastructure improvements for safer walking routes to schools completed : NO PROGRESS INDICATOR PUBLISHED.
Number of bike corridors completed (of 11): Goal 7. Actual: 1 (Garden City Route). State Government has partially completed Moray St and St Kilda Rd. NO PROGRESS INDICATOR PUBLISHED.
Outcome 3:
Number of public transport trips (measured by Vista): NO PROGRESS INDICATOR PUBLISHED.
There are many opportunities here to address climate change, give people more inclusive transport options, reduce congestion, improve air quality, and green our streets. Let’s hope the next council can get to work on this!
*The goals here are interpolated from the 2028 goals.