The 25-year trends for commutes to work are graphed for Australia and Melbourne. Commutes and household car ownership in 2001 are plotted against household density for 16 statistical regions in Melbourne and tabulated for 8 rural Victorian cities. Projected increases in Australian congestion costs, fuel consumption and single occupant car commutes are graphed from 1976 to 2011. It is argued that as car commutes are responsible for around 40 per cent of urban congestion in Australia capital cities, they are not sustainable because per capita oil consumption is steadily growing and will inevitably reduce the quality of life in low density urban areas where most Australians live. Travel Smart programs are recommended to target and then reduce single occupant car commuting and the Census data for 2006 and 2011 should be used for their evaluation and monitoring. It is concluded that an Australian energy security plan to reduce oil consumption and growing car dependence is needed urgently, before global oil shortages become a serious threat to national security and oil dependent urban economies. (Author/publisher) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E211825.
Samenvatting