Local developer Harridan is seeking to turn its Woolloongabba apartment project into the first stage of a broader transformation of Burke Street, using a new 16-storey mixed-use building to establish a greener pedestrian connection toward the rapidly evolving Boggo Road transport and knowledge precinct.

The South East Queensland developer has filed plans for 154 apartments on the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/4-burke-street-woolloongabba-qld-4102">southern side of Burke Street</a>, where its proposal has been designed alongside a wider vision by LatStudios for the street.

That vision positions the southern side of Burke Street for buildings of 15 storeys and above, while envisaging lower-rise development of up to five storeys on the northern side to transition into Woolloongabba's existing character housing. It also proposes wider pedestrian verges, deep planting, new street trees and upgrades to the pedestrian approach to Boggo Road Station.

The Harridan development itself has been designed by Brisbane-based Arqus Design and will comprise 154 apartments across 16 storeys. The mix is weighted heavily toward two-bedroom apartments, with 121 proposed alongside 10 one-bedroom and 23 three-bedroom residences. There will typically be around 14 units per floor.

A lower-ground car park and three podium levels will accommodate 156 resident parking spaces, along with visitor and commercial parking. There will also be 154 resident bicycle spaces and 40 visitor bicycle parks.

&nbsp;

Harridan is a family-owned developer and part of the Holmwood Highgate Group, with more than three decades of development activity across South East Queensland. Its portfolio spans residential, commercial and industrial property, with current residential projects including Riverbank on Byron in Bulimba, Esperance Residences in Carina and The Precinct at Kinross Road in Thornlands.

Wooloongabba has been popular for apartment developers, particularly since the announcement of the 2032 Summer Olympics games in Brisbane.

While there have been a lot of development applications, it has failed to materialize into real supply.&nbsp;

Sarazin has been the major player in the area. They are under construction at Murcia Residences, on the fringe of East Brisbane and Woolloongabba. They have just launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-stanley-residences-woolloongabba-8-trafalgar-street-woolloongabba-qld-4102">The Stanley Residences</a>, in Woolloongabba on Trafalagar Street. They also have Nuage coming soon on the nearby <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nuage-woolloongabba-14-wellington-road-woolloongabba-qld-4102">Wellington Road</a>.

Joel Robinson

First look: Harridan plans Burke Street transformation beside Boggo Road transport hub

IN BRIEF

<ul>
	<li>
	Just three double-storey Sky Homes sit at the top of The Waterline, each with its own private marina berth and rooftop terrace.
	</li>
	<li>
	Construction on The Waterline is complete, with the first residents expected to move in from mid-October.
	</li>
	<li>
	Sky Homes range from 282 sqm to 367 sqm and are priced from $3.65 million.
	</li>
</ul>

<hr />
Lewis Land has opened the first completed sky home for inspection at Harbour Shores, giving buyers their first opportunity to step inside one of just three double-storey residences crowning The Waterline.

Each sky home comes with its own private marina berth, rooftop terrace and Broadwater views, combining the scale of a larger home with direct access to the boating lifestyle that underpins the wider <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/harbour-shores-biggera-waters-564-oxley-drive-biggera-waters-qld-4216">Harbour Shores</a> masterplan.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=113271 project_image_fid=366708]

Lewis Land Head of Development Michael Long said the inclusion of a berth with every Sky Home had become increasingly valuable as marina access across the Gold Coast tightened.

“Marina berths are becoming increasingly difficult to secure across the Gold Coast, so including one with every Sky Home makes this a genuinely rare offering,” Long said.

“The private 70-berth marina will accommodate boats up to 12 metres in length and is positioned just 2.5 kilometres from the Broadwater, placing the open ocean only 15 minutes away.

“Being able to step out of your home onto your boat is a rare luxury, and it’s something residents here can look forward to when it opens later this year.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=113271 project_image_fid=366709]

The display opening comes as construction completes on The Waterline, with the first residents expected to move in from mid-October.

The three Sky Homes range from 282 sqm to 367 sqm and each feature three bedrooms, three bathrooms, multiple living zones, expansive kitchens with butler's pantries and large balconies taking in the Broadwater outlook.

Each residence also has three secure basement car spaces and additional storage.

“This is the first opportunity the Gold Coast has had to step into Harbour Shores and see, touch and feel what we’re bringing to life here,” Long said.

“There are only three Sky Homes within The Waterline, ranging in size from 282sqm to 367sqm, with each residence featuring three large bedrooms, three bathrooms, multiple living zones, expansive custom-built kitchens with butler’s pantry, and large balconies capturing Broadwater views.”

<img alt="Harbour Shores" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bab65e10-4fab-45e1-92d8-fc56e2ab98ff" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-25%20at%202.00.16%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=XT8q76LsPkw3cYTsvN3JfFDaPLud90PN" />

Residents of The Waterline will have access to a private pool, along with Harbour Shores' wider collection of amenity including a lagoon pool, social clubhouse, tennis court, gym, yoga facilities and sauna.

Lewis Land partnered with Studio Collective to furnish the completed display, with the interiors designed to demonstrate how the residences could function as permanent homes rather than simply as show apartments.

Studio Collective Director Melissa Park said the surrounding waterways informed the interiors, but in a more restrained way than a traditional coastal scheme.

“We drew inspiration from the canals and coastal surrounds, but our approach was to interpret that subtly through layered materials and a grounded palette of earthy tones, rather than literal coastal references,” Park said.

“We introduced hero moments of green and teal to reference the surrounding waterways, while mirrored elements help reflect natural light.

“The result is a residence that feels elevated yet comfortable, somewhere buyers can genuinely imagine themselves living, entertaining and unwinding.”

Sky Homes are priced from $3.65 million.

Lewis Land is also offering private marina berths with The Residences, its limited collection of three and four-bedroom villas positioned directly along the Harbour Shores waterfront boardwalk.

Three-bedroom villas are priced from $2.99 million, while four-bedroom residences start from $3.19 million.

Harbour Shores is being marketed by Colliers International.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=113271]

Lewis Land opens sky home display as The Waterline completes at Harbour Shores

St Vincent de Paul Society Housing Australia has filed plans for a major mixed-use housing precinct on the southern edge of the North Sydney CBD, adding another significant proposal to a pocket around North Sydn​ey Station that is quickly becoming one of the LGA's busiest development zones.

The State Significant Development Application covers a 5,990 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/1-19-mackenzie-street-lavender-bay-nsw-2060">1-19 MacKenzie Street and 211 Blues Point Road in Lavender Bay</a>, immediately south of Nor​th Sydney Station and between the commercial core and the lower-rise Lavender Bay Heritage Conservation Area.

Designed by Wardle, the proposal would deliver a new residential tower comprising 88 build-to-sell apartments and 19 affordable apartments, alongside a separate co-living building with 57 rooms and a building manager's studio.

It would also see the significant restoration and upgrade of St Francis Xavier Catholic Church, the adaptive reuse of the former school building, new parish facilities, retail, a new public square and around 1,000 sqm of publicly accessible open space.

<img alt="Vinnies North Sydney" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d5dd7f87-a617-463e-b577-17541e01f0e9" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%209.10.13%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=4R8TsFN3P_LrrXO2HswTOIrx2blil8lh" />

The project is seeking a concurrent rezoning of the site to R4 High Density Residential and an increase in the maximum building height to allow a tower reaching RL120, or up to 20 storeys. The proposal was progressed through the NSW Government's Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

The build-to-sell component will be weighted toward larger apartments, with just six one-bedroom apartments compared with 31 two-beds, 43 three-beds and eight four-bedroom residences.

The 19 affordable apartments will comprise two studios, 15 one-bedroom apartments and two two-bedroom apartments, taking the total apartment component to 107 residences before the 58 co-living rooms are included.

<img alt="Vnnies" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7d568ca5-cb90-4e18-96c6-d9795dba0c56" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%209.10.05%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=GY2R5M9VtQh0EKy1vajaea19PSLOPuRD" />

Wardle's design for the Vinnies site has sought to negotiate that emerging high-rise context while retaining the lower-scale character of MacKenzie Street and the adjoining heritage conservation area.

The main building adopts a three-storey podium and tower arrangement, with the podium aligned to the ridgeline and front setback of St Francis Xavier Church.&nbsp;Wardle has designed the podium with colonnades, seating, recessed entries and active ground-floor frontages, with sandstone-toned precast concrete and face brick referencing the materiality of the existing church.

The tower then steps back eight metres to the south and six metres to the north before rising in a sculpted form comprising four interlocking quadrants. Wardle has also introduced rounded forms and chamfered corners to reduce the tower's perceived bulk and improve view sharing with neighbouring development sites.

Resident facilities and outdoor areas are planned at the separation between the podium and tower at Level 3, oriented toward Sydney Harbour and the CBD skyline.

The tower itself will feature a glass reinforced concrete facade, with recessed balconies and deep reveals used both to provide shading and privacy and frame views toward the harbour and city. The lower levels take a different architectural approach, using brick and sandstone-toned finishes intended to establish a stronger relationship with St Francis Xavier Church. The Church itself will be conserved and upgraded for its continued use, while the former school building will be adaptively reused as part of the co-living component.

<img alt="Lavendar Bay" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2d4418ad-90aa-4d49-af93-c80b140aea80" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%209.09.47%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=Kv4gzbsACaGvZSRuaqcfGC54jEJRXIDJ" />

&nbsp;

The proposal adds to an increasingly concentrated pipeline of residential development around Blue Street, MacKenzie Street and Lavender Bay.

Just west of the site, Central Element lodged plans earlier this year for one of the most significant residential developments proposed in Lavender Bay in recent years.

Central Element's SJB-designed scheme at 64-66 Lavender Street and 3-7 Middlemiss Street would deliver 163 apartments across two towers rising 23 and 32 storeys, replacing five existing apartment buildings containing 32 homes. The project also forms part of the Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-central-element-reveals-lavender-bay-apartment-plans?utm_source=chatgpt.com" rel="noopener" target="_blank">First look: Central Element reveals Lavender Bay apartment plans</a>

Immediately around North Sy​dney Station, another two significant proposals have emerged at 5 and 15 Blue Street.

Zurich Australian Insurance Properties is seeking to adaptively reuse its longstanding commercial building at 5 Blue Street, directly above North Sydney Station, rather than demolishing the structure.

Its SSDA proposes converting the building into a 14-storey mixed-use development with 62 apartments and 86 co-living rooms, together with ground-floor retail and a major refurbishment of Blue Street Plaza. The application is currently at the Response to Submissions stage.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-zurich-targets-north-sydney-office-conversion-with-148-unit-proposal-above-metro-station">First look: Zurich targets North Sydney office conversion with 148-unit proposal above Metro station</a>

&nbsp;

First look: Vinnies files for 20-storey Lavender Bay apartment tower as North Sydney housing pocket heats up

When the opportunity arose for South Australian developer Palumbo to return to Kent Town, where it had previously delivered East Park Apartments and the East 
Rundle Apartments, it wasn't one the longstanding developer-builder was going to pass up.

The decision was quickly vindicated, with more than 30 apartments sold within the first month of launching <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/royal-apartments-kent-town-2-8-north-terrace-kent-town-sa-5067">Royal Apartments</a> to the market.

The 206-apartment development, which will bring significant new supply to Adelaide's tightly held eastern city fringe, also gives <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/palumbo">Palumbo</a> the opportunity to bring new life to one of Kent Town's most recognisable watering holes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376073]

Royal Apartments incorporates the historic Royal Hotel, a venue Palumbo Managing Director Daniel Palumbo said has a longstanding connection with the local community.

"Everyone in the area has history with the Royal Hotel," Palumbo told Apartments.com.au.

"It was quite an active pub and social gathering place for locals. We want to bring it back to its former glory."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376072]

The wider development will comprise two residential towers alongside the restored hotel, sitting on North Terrace opposite the Adelaide Park Lands.

For Palumbo, the project also marks a return to familiar territory.

The developer completed East Park Apartments next door more than a decade ago and jumped at the opportunity to develop in Kent Town again when the Royal Hotel site became available.

"The opportunity emerged, and we moved to secure the site," Palumbo said.

"We were approached by the previous landowner, who said they had extensive commitments in Sydney and weren't in a position to deliver the project.

"We took over the site and within six months recut the design scheme to be more in keeping with the type of development we want to bring to Adelaide.

"Now we're on the market and those changes have really resonated with local buyers."

That has translated into a strong start to sales, with 33 apartments transacting in the project's first 35 days.

Palumbo said the early purchaser profile had been consistent with the group's traditional focus on owner-occupiers rather than investor-led apartment stock.

"Local owner-occupiers have always been our market," he said.

"There are always some investors, but we've never developed what would be called traditional development stock. Owner-occupiers are very much our market."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376068]

The buyer mix has been diverse so far, with downsizers and younger professionals both accounting for a significant portion of early sales.

South Australia's current stamp duty settings, which allow&nbsp;eligible homeowners in South Australia aged 60 savings of up to $103,830 on stamp duty when they downsize to a new property valued at up to $2 million,&nbsp;have helped encourage downsizer activity, while younger buyers in their late 20s and early 30s have been attracted to the opportunity to live immediately outside the CBD while still being able to walk into the city.



Location has been a major part of the proposition for both buyer cohorts.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376075]

Royal Apartments sits on North Terrace directly opposite the Adelaide Park Lands, with residents able to walk through the parklands toward the East End, Rundle Street and Rundle Mall.

Apartments have been positioned to capture views across the parklands, Adelaide skyline, Botanic Gardens and Adelaide Hills.

Palumbo believes the scarcity of developable land along this section of the Park Lands makes the site particularly difficult to replicate.

"There's very few allotments on that side that can be developed," he said.

"If this location was in New York and you were sitting on Central Park, you'd be talking about a $60 million apartments."

Royal Apartments will offer a broad mix of residences, ranging from one-bedroom apartments through to four-bedroom sub-penthouses and penthouses.

Current listings include one-bedroom apartments from $680,000, while larger three and four-bedroom residences are priced around $2.5 million.

Residents will have access to a swimming pool, gym, barbecue and recreation areas, residents' lounge and dining space, and a communal deck.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376067]

The apartments will feature generous balconies, while secure parking, bicycle storage and storage cages will also be provided.

A porte-cochère-style arrival and drop-off area has also resonated with buyers, particularly those attracted to being able to walk into the CBD during the day while retaining secure vehicle access at home.

Palumbo is acting as developer, architect and builder on Royal Apartments, continuing the vertically integrated model it has used across its South Australian portfolio.

The group was also behind the $150 million Sofitel Adelaide, the 251-room five-star hotel and residential tower which opened in 2021.

Palumbo said Royal's launch had come at an interesting time for the broader Adelaide apartment market.

Buyer confidence had initially been impacted by uncertainty surrounding the Federal Budget and broader economic conditions, but Palumbo believes sentiment is beginning to improve against a backdrop of significant investment flowing into South Australia.

He pointed to increased activity across defence and resources, including Olympic Dam, as potential long-term drivers of the state's economy and housing market.

"Money is starting to flow into Adeliade, significant amounts as Adelaide bucks the trend of the rest of the country.," Palumbo said.

"There's a lot of activity in the economy over the next decade. I think more investment will come into this market."

Early works on Royal Apartments are expected to commence this year, with major construction activity and cranes anticipated on site from early next year.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=6109]

Palumbo's return to Kent Town strikes early chord with buyers

Go-to builder-developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/graya">GRAYA</a> is continuing to bulk out its already impressive and diverse apartment portfolio across South East Queensland. Their latest milestone is securing development approval for Silk, its boutique riverfront apartment development in St Lucia.

The approval clears&nbsp;the way for the team to begin construction planning for the 22-residence project.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/silk-st-lucia-16-18-sandford-street-st-lucia-qld-4067">Silk</a> will rise 15 levels from an 810 sqm site at 16-18 Sandford Street, occupying a prominent bend of the Brisbane River with a prized northern aspect across Orleigh Park toward the Brisbane CBD.

The approved scheme will comprise 16 split-floor and six full-floor residences, continuing GRAYA's move into larger-format apartment developments targeting Brisbane's prestige owner-occupier market.

The project has been designed around the site's broad river frontage and dual-direction views, with GRAYA prioritising larger residences, privacy and outlook over apartment yield.

<img alt="Silk St Lucia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="aa5c2349-f96c-4914-a812-1f2cd6827af8" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%208.25.44%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=WY0vEU_7vYjeRJKQHiCwFdMxu8PvFh52" />

GRAYA Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Rob Gray said the project had been shaped around local homeowners wanting to remain in St Lucia without maintaining a traditional family home.

"St Lucia is one of those suburbs people do not want to leave," Gray said.

"They know the river, the trees, UQ, the golf course, Toowong and Indooroopilly, and that familiarity is hard to replace.

"True riverfront opportunities here are exceptionally scarce. What we have designed at Silk is a way to stay in the suburb people love, with the scale and privacy of a private home and far less to maintain.

"This is not typical apartment product. It is a proper home on the river, and that is exactly what this market has been missing."

The approval comes as new apartment development continues to increase across the St Lucia and neighbouring Toowong corridor, although direct riverfront sites remain considerably more tightly held.

GRAYA Co-founder and Managing Director Andrew Gray said securing the approval had removed a significant element of development risk from Silk.

"Genuine riverfront sites of this quality in St Lucia are not something that comes up regularly," Gray said.

"The approval removes a substantial layer of execution risk, and the location underwrites demand in a way very few inner-city sites can.

"The fundamentals here are as strong as anything we have assessed in Brisbane."

<img alt="Silk St Lucia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d0f3d734-65e1-48e8-8ed3-2e0715ffcdd9" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%208.25.56%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=sOLSs_jdHkXLWbBKzRyayf5BfTb2vPsD" />

Silk will see GRAYA return to a stretch of the Brisbane River where it already has recent construction experience. The vertically integrated group recently completed ARC in neighbouring Toowong as builder for developer Spyre, delivering the riverfront project on a constrained site.

GRAYA will take a different role at Silk, controlling the project from design and development through construction and aftercare under its vertically integrated model.

The development will include a gym and resident leisure areas at ground level, integrated with the river's edge.

Silk joins a growing pipeline for GRAYA across Brisbane and the Gold Coast, which includes Enclave, The Gallery, Coral and Ripple.

The developer-builder has also recently lodged plans for its largest project to date, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-silo-19-chester-street-newstead-qld-4006">The Silo</a>, a proposed <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/graya-buys-frasers-newstead-site-plans-the-silo-between-james-street-and-gasworks-precincts">$700 million mixed-use development</a> in Brisbane's James Street precinct.

Silk is expected to predominantly target local owner-occupiers and prestige buyers seeking a permanent riverfront home in Brisbane's inner west.

Registrations of interest are now open, with further details on the project and construction program to be released as it progresses.

<hr />
<h2>SILK PROJECT FACTS</h2>

Developer-builder: GRAYA

Project: Silk

Location: 16-18 Sandford Street, St Lucia

Apartments: 22

Built form: 15 levels

Site: 810 sqm riverfront holding

Mix: 16 split-floor and six full-floor residences

Status: Development approved

Next step: Construction planning underway

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152168]

GRAYA greenlit for riverfront St Lucia apartment development, Silk

Public Transport

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The first tracks have been laid on the City &amp; Southwest Metro, Australia's biggest public transport infrastructure project.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said extending Sydney Metro from the north west into the city and Bankstown will forever change how we get around Sydney and will create vital jobs.

“The construction of this mega project couldn’t come at a more important time for our State. Metro forms a key part of the Government’s record $107 billion infrastructure pipeline, which will be a major jobs creator during our COVID-19 recovery. More than 5000 people are currently working across the City &amp; Southwest Metro project and, by the time the project opens, around 50,000 people will have worked on it,” she said.

Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance said Sydney will have 31 Metro railway stations and a 66 kilometre standalone Metro railway system in 2024.

Systems Connect, a joint venture between CPB Contractors and UGL, is designing and converting the excavated tunnels into a working railway, including distributing and laying the rail tracks along the tunnels.

The company is also expanding the Sydney Metro Trains Facility at Rouse Hill, building a new facility at Marrickville and installing the power systems for the Sydney Metro extension.

Metro trains will start running through the tunnels in 2024, extending from the North West Metro, into the city and beyond to Bankstown.

New stations will be delivered at Crows Nest, Victoria Cross, Barangaroo, Martin Place, Pitt Street and Waterloo, along with new underground platforms at Central Station.
</body></html>

The first tracks have been laid on the City & Southwest Metro, Australia's biggest public transport infrastructure project

urban.com.au

First tracks laid in Australia's biggest public transport infrastructure project

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GUEST INSIGHTS

The commuter's paradox: there's something to gain in the space between home and work

Academics <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/meg-elkins-427201">Meg Elkins</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/robert-hoffmann-219366">Robert Hoffmann</a> found for many of us, one of the upsides of 2020 was being freed from the grind of the daily commute.

For the <a href="https://theconversation.com/teleworkability-in-australia-41-of-full-time-and-35-of-part-time-jobs-can-be-done-from-home-140723">40% of the workforce able to “telecommute</a>”, COVID-19 social distancing measures saved us an average of <a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-city-workers-average-commute-has-blown-out-to-66-minutes-a-day-how-does-yours-compare-120598">about an hour a day</a> – and much more for those of us living in the outer suburbs of cities.

Studies show <a href="https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257%2F089533006776526030&amp;source=post_page">the morning commute</a> is the least favourite part of the day, and the commute home the third-least favourite (working is the second-least favourite).

Congestion, crowding and unpredictability increase stress and dissatisfaction. The longer it takes, and the more we have to do in the company of others, the more <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01441647.2019.1649317">we dislike it</a>.

But it’s also possible to miss aspects of that enforced time between work and home. For all its downsides, the daily commute does have some positives, acting as both a starter button and circuit breaker to differentiate work from home life.

As life returns to “normal” and employers ask us to return to the workplace, thinking consciously about those benefits can help make the most of your commute.

A commuting constant

Though we think of commuting as a modern phenomenon, spending time getting to and from work is as old as humanity. Hunting and gathering (going back 200,000 years), farming (about 10,000 years), and living in cities (about 5,000 years) all involved leaving and returning home. These routines seem to have ingrained in us an idea of acceptable travel times.

In 1994 an Italian physicist, Cesare Marchetti, wrote a paper, <a href="https://www.cesaremarchetti.org/archive/electronic/basic_instincts.pdf">Anthropological Invariants in Travel Behaviour</a>, on the “quintessential unity of travelling instincts around the world, above culture, race and religion”.

Drawing on the work of Israeli transport analyst Yacov Zahavi, Marchetti proposed humans had always been willing to spend about an hour a day travelling from and to home.

This idea of commuting time being 30 minutes each way has become known as Marchetti’s Constant. <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1010366321778">In a 2001 paper</a>, travel researchers Lothlorien Redmond and Patricia Mokhtarian found most people’s ideal commute time was, in fact, less – an average of 16 minutes – but their results also confirmed the dislike of any commute longer than 35 minutes.

A psychological buffer

The longer the commute times, the more <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.jstor.org/stable/25195346?seq=1">stressed and dissatisfied</a> we feel.

Yet without time between home and work, there’s also a downside. As Marchetti wrote: “Even people in prison for a life sentence, having nothing to do and nowhere to go, walk around for one hour a day, in the open.”

Commuting can be a ritual that helps us psychologically separate home life and work – switching off from personal concerns in the morning, and then detaching from work worries in the evening. A huge body of research over the past four decades show this “<a href="https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/6d7e/066e2560942e54b68126cde36981e0a4ec9b.pdf">psychological distance</a>” is crucial to well-being.\

Research also shows that switching from our <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://doi.org/10.1177/036168430903300303">home to work “identities”</a> carries cognitive demands. A buffer between the two can help make this transition.

It is possible to achieve this psychological distancing without a commute, of course – by going for a morning walk and changing into work clothes – but the demands of both family and work responsibilities often mean we don’t make that time.

Making the most of your commute

So we shouldn’t necessarily spurn the return to the daily commute. Yes, there are downsides, but being conscious of the psychological benefits enables you to maximise its benefits.

Rather than thinking of it as dead time, think of it as “me” time.

In the morning, use your commute to plan your day. Research has found <a href="https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/abs/10.1287/orsc.2020.1370">this increases satisfaction at work</a> and makes longer commutes more palatable. Maintaining <a href="https://hbr.org/2017/05/reclaim-your-commute?utm_source=zapier.com&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=zapier">small routines</a> on the way has also been found to help.

In the evening, use the time to unwind with pleasurable activities such as reading, playing mobile games, calling a friend or family member, listening to music or a podcast. These are activities you won’t necessarily have time for once you get home.

Doing nothing is good too. Many of us have little time for idle thoughts. Here’s a chance to let your mind wander. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4711352/">Free thought time</a> helps to solve problems and inspire creativity.

And, of course, switch to walking or cycling if you can. Along with the “alone” time it gives you, physical activity is strongly associated with <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214367X17301527?casa_token=5Ip4F4cfTp4AAAAA:9KlCbm2Xwl_MrN5eJEhWQm5OSISOCMCr8uXw6BfnHZu4jaM3ZivUvnIEj162HmgUlgQ3KyEzrw">higher overall happiness</a>.

You can’t necessarily control the amount of time you spend commuting, but you can control what you get out of it.<img alt="The Conversation" edceja="" ewwhlmcbx="" height="1" or="" qalukrwlr="" rgdwemapd="" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/152887/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" width="1">

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/meg-elkins-427201">Meg Elkins</a>, Senior Lecturer with School of Economics, Finance and Marketing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/robert-hoffmann-219366">Robert Hoffmann</a>, Professor of Economics and Chair of Behavioural Business Lab, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a>

This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-commuters-paradox-theres-something-to-gain-in-the-space-between-home-and-work-152887">original article</a>.
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You can’t necessarily control the amount of time you spend commuting, but you can control what you get out of it

The commuter’s paradox, what Australians gain and lose commuting

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EXPERT OBSERVER
No matter who wins Saturday’s federal election, you can expect to see more cranes on the skyline and hi-viz vests on the roadside. Both major parties are promising to spend big on transport infrastructure: A$42 billion for the Coalition and A$49 billion for Labor. However, many of the favoured projects are unlikely to be completed for years or even decades to come.
What’s being promised, and where?
The types of project each party is promising reflect a now-familiar pattern seen in the recent <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-much-will-voters-pay-for-an-early-christmas-eight-charts-that-explain-victorias-transport-election-106782" target="_blank">Victorian</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-the-nsw-election-promises-on-transport-add-up-112531" target="_blank">New South Wales</a> elections. The Coalition will outspend Labor on roads; Labor will outspend the Coalition on public transport.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/274293/original/file-20190514-60554-if4z2a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/274293/original/file-20190514-60554-if4z2a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a> Author provided
There’s also a story in the details of where the parties are promising to spend. In Victoria, where the Coalition suffered heavy losses in last October’s state election, <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/federal-election-2019/some-seats-are-better-than-others-coalition-sandbagging-key-electorates-with-taxpayer-funds-20190501-p51j6b" target="_blank">the federal Coalition has been busy “sandbagging”</a> key seats. Until last weekend, the Coalition had been promising much more than Labor.
Announcements on Sunday changed all that. While the Coalition <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/4bn-bid-to-unlock-road-link-box/news-story/1c4254f3a80bc85dc11e068b9bff62a9" target="_blank">upped its commitment to the East West Link to A$4 billion</a>, this was dwarfed by Labor’s <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-12/shorten-morrison-pledge-cash-for-melbourne-infrastructure/11105094" target="_blank">A$10 billion pledge for the Suburban Rail Loop</a>. Victoria now stands as the key battleground for transport promises.
Labor is also writing bigger cheques than the Coalition in Queensland, where it <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-04-12/federal-election-queensland-battleground/10975570" target="_blank">hopes to make big gains</a>.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/274294/original/file-20190514-60549-1rw76kx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/274294/original/file-20190514-60549-1rw76kx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a> Author provided
<h2>There’s some agreement on the big stuff</h2>
Despite their different ideologies and at-risk electorates, there is still much common ground between the parties. Almost one in three of the projects and funding packages that have attracted promises of at least A$50 million are backed by both the Coalition and Labor. Each party has promised almost A$24 billion for these “bilateral” projects – that’s more than half of the Coalition’s total promised transport infrastructure spending and almost half of Labor’s.
The parties are more likely to agree on big projects than small. Bilateral commitments make up almost half of all promises worth at least A$500 million, but less than a third of those below that threshold. For the very largest projects, the level of agreement is somewhere in between – the Coalition and Labor agree on four of the 11 projects attracting commitments of more than A$1 billion.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/274295/original/file-20190514-60560-esgadm.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/274295/original/file-20190514-60560-esgadm.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a> Author provided
<div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props='{"tweetId":"1044051590867378178"}'> </div>
<h2>But voters are forced to make risky choices, again</h2>
With so much cash on the table, will these vast riches be spent on the right things?
More money for roads and public transport probably sounds fine to most Australians, whether they’re navigating potholed rural roads, stuck behind trucks on regional highways, drumming the steering wheel in clogged city streets, or calling in late on delayed suburban trains.
But are the projects of national significance and therefore worthy of Commonwealth attention? And can they be relied on to return a benefit larger than their cost?
For too many projects, the answers are no and no. Infrastructure Australia (IA) publishes a <a href="https://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/projects/infrastructure-priority-list.aspx" target="_blank">list of national priorities</a> and evaluates business cases for projects that are “<a href="https://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/about/files/IA-Statement-of-Intent-2017-19.pdf" target="_blank">nationally significant or where Commonwealth funding of A$100 million or more is sought</a>”. Most of the commitments above A$100 million in this campaign do not have IA-approved business cases.
Some projects are under evaluation, such as a new bridge in Nowra on the NSW south coast, but the two parties should have waited for IA’s assessment before committing.
Worse still, many promised projects are not even on the national priority list.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/274296/original/file-20190514-60541-bw6rss.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/274296/original/file-20190514-60541-bw6rss.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a> Author provided
For projects attracting commitments of less than A$100 million, most are best left to state governments. The Commonwealth should stick to projects that are important to more than one state or are particularly important to the national economy.
Fixing <a href="https://www.barossaherald.com.au/story/5990686/budget-48-million-roundabout-at-kroemers-crossing/" target="_blank">regional</a> and <a href="https://anthonyalbanese.com.au/media-release-labor-will-fix-one-of-adelaides-worst-intersections-saturday-9-march-2019" target="_blank">suburban intersections</a> is important, but it’s hardly of national significance. When federal parties get involved, it starts to smell like pork-barrelling.
Some promises are inexcusable
Throwing taxpayer money at boondoggles is poor governance. Far worse is flagrantly ignoring independent advice and burning cash on projects that we know don’t stack up. Before the 2016 federal election, Grattan Institute reported on the <a href="https://theconversation.com/election-2016-will-the-infrastructure-promises-meet-australias-needs-61140" target="_blank">outrageous Princes Highway duplication between Winchelsea and Colac</a> in Victoria’s Western District. The Coalition promised this project even though IA determined that it would return only eight cents of value for every dollar spent.
Three years on, lessons still need to be learnt. Labor has committed A$50 million this election to the <a href="https://www.macarthuradvertiser.com.au/story/6092086/labor-pledges-50-million-to-finish-maldon-dombarton-rail-link-project/" target="_blank">Maldon-Dombarton rail link</a> in NSW’s Illawarra region. This <a href="https://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/projects/files/Maldon-to-Dombarton-summary.pdf" target="_blank">A$806 million project got the thumbs-down</a> in 2017 from IA, which stated that “the project would not justify its costs and would impose a net cost on the Australian economy”.
In exceptional cases, governments may want to fund projects with costs outweighing benefits on equity grounds, <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/916-Commonwealth-Orange-Book-2019.pdf#page=63" target="_blank">such as to provide a minimum level of service for rural communities</a>. It is hard to make that case for a commercial freight rail link.
Every dud project built cannibalises a worthy one. Our politicians should stop donning hardhats and promising infrastructure before they’ve done their homework.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/115138/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/greg-moran-431402" target="_blank">Greg Moran</a>, Senior Associate, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/grattan-institute-1168" target="_blank">Grattan Institute</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/james-ha-596825" target="_blank">James Ha</a>, Graduate Associate, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/grattan-institute-1168" target="_blank">Grattan Institute</a>
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/transport-promises-for-election-2019-the-good-the-bad-and-the-downright-ugly-115138" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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jrobinson-rf4aSBido9

Transport promises for election 2019: the good, the bad and the downright ugly

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The NSW Government has today released its plan to provide a COVID-safe transport network.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said as restrictions are eased and people travel more, we need to ensure physical distancing is maintained across our public transport network.
Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance said for the foreseeable future, the public transport system could not run as usual, and the current low patronage levels were already close to the safe capacity in the peak.
“Everyone will need to maintain physical distancing during this pandemic,” Mr Constance said.
“That means if you are not already using public transport during the peak times, please do not use public transport during peak periods.”
The NSW Government’s COVIDSafe Transport Plan includes:
1. Avoiding peak travel: If you are not already using public transport in the peak, please do NOT use public transport in the peak. Services are already close to capacity to allow for distancing at these times. Off peak times are between 10am and 2pm;
2. Deep cleaning and more hand sanitisers: Intense and ongoing cleaning will occur throughout the transport network and there will be a continued rollout of hand sanitiser at key transport hubs, including at high demand stations;
3. Boosting parking: Special event-style parking arrangements will be in place at Moore Park for people who are able to drive to work. Other locations will be rolled out soon. In addition car park operators will be offering special deals for all day parking;
4. More cycling and walking options: The Government is working with councils on establishing pop-up cycleways and enhancing pedestrian access to allow more people to find alternative routes to work;
5. Physical distancing - ‘No dot, no spot’: Distinctive green dots will be used on trains, buses and ferries to show passengers the safest places to sit and stand. A ‘No dot, no spot’ will see passengers asked to wait for the next service. School children will be given priority access;
6. More data: Customers to be given real time information through Apps, social media and Transport Info to see which services have space available to maintain physical distancing; and
7. More services: Changes will be considered to increase services eg; more ferries, water taxis and private vehicle passenger services on the water.
Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance said cleaning continues to be ramped up, with an extra 132,000 hours of cleaning since March.
“The network has never been cleaner, however to maintain physical distancing you will continue to see fewer people on our network and we want people to continue to drive, cycle and walk whenever they can,” Mr Constance said.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

NSW Government released plan for COVID-safe public transport

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It comes as no surprise that <a href="https://www.walkscore.com/AU-NSW/Sydney" target="_blank">Walk Score's list</a> rates Sydney as the most walkable large city in Australia. 
The waterfront city has also been deemed <a href="https://images.arcadis.com/media/0/C/0/%7B0C0BECF6-FA5B-49B2-B332-900D50833DEE%7DAAP_MOBILITY%20INDEX_spread.pdf?_ga=2.141593266.1201163471.1579477286-416334874.1579477286" target="_blank">the second most transit-friendly</a> in the country behind Brisbane and in-front of Melbourne. Sydney provides a wide range of transport with ferries, trains, metro and the recently welcomed light rail amongst the many options available. 
Opportunities to cycle have also risen as the city's biking infrastructure has improved in recent years. Significantly more councils have bike lanes with <a href="https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/explore/getting-around/cycling/dockless-bike-sharing" target="_blank">stationless shared bikes</a> located and accessible across the city.
<a href="https://mobike.com/au/download" target="_blank">Mobike</a> and <a href="https://www.li.me/en-us/home">LimeBike</a> operate in multiple suburbs and can be tracked and paid on their website and app. LimeBike have, since late 2018, provided <a href="https://www.li.me/electric-assist-bike" target="_blank">electric assisted bikes</a> which has helped encourage more users. 
Sydney is also diverse, home to nearly 200 nationalities, and offers a unique cultural experience with its range of cuisine, museums, galleries, and beaches. 
These are all of metrics Walk Score takes into account when deciding the rankings for each of Sydney's neighbourhoods. Without further ado, here are the <a href="https://www.walkscore.com/AU-NSW/Sydney" target="_blank">top neighbourhoods</a>. 
<h2>1. Haymarket </h2>
Walk Score: 99 | Population: 5,365
"Haymarket is a Walker's Paradise", states Walk Score. "Daily errands do not require a car in Haymarket Sydney." 
Adjacent to Darling Harbour, Haymarket includes much of Sydney's Chinatown, Thaitown and Railway Square localities. 
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2020/1/20/1_HAYMARKET%20PADDYS.jpg" alt="" width="557" height="338">
Amongst the neighbourhood's many perks, the proximity of restaurants, bars and coffee shops is highly regarded. There are about eight restaurants, bars and coffee shops, and people in the area can walk to an average of two restaurants, bars and coffee shops in five minutes. 
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2020/1/20/2_Haymarket.jpg" alt="" width="557" height="338">
Source: WalkScore 
<h2>2. The Rocks </h2>
Walk Score: 98 | Population: 683
This neighbourhood of historic laneways in the shadow of Sydney Harbour Bridge, has a diverse cluster of people. Interaction mainly takes place at the open-air Rocks Market where street food and handmade items are sold. 
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2020/1/20/2_THE%20ROCKS%20MARKET.jpg" alt="" width="553" height="336">
Source: <a href="https://www.timeout.com/sydney/things-to-do/the-rocks-night-markets" target="_blank">TimeOut</a>
The Rocks is home to Sydney's oldest pubs and many upscale harbour-view restaurants. 
This hub of culture is an urban stage of buskers who perform live along the harbour front promenade. The Museum of Contemporary Art offers local and international exhibits. 
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2020/1/20/2_Rocks.jpg" alt="" width="555" height="337"> 
Source: WalkScore 
 
<h2>3. Sydney </h2>
Walk Score: 98 | Population: 14,287
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2020/1/20/3_Sydney.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="334">
Source: WalkScore 
 
<h2>4. Ultimo</h2>
Walk Score: 98 | Population: 7,106
Located in the inner-city suburb of Sydney, Ultimo is only 2 km south-west of CBD. Broadway is amongst the many attractions of the neighbourhood as well as a range of heritage listed buildings. 
The corporate headquarters and Sydney studios of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) are located in Ultimo Centre which houses an auditorium and recording stood. TCS, NITV and Aurora are also located at Ultimo Centre. 
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2020/1/20/3_Ultimo.png" alt="" width="552" height="335">
Source: WalkScore 
 
<h2>5. Surry Hills </h2>
Walk Score: 97 | Population: 15,379
A constantly evolving area, Surry Hills is notorious for its in-trend scene and cafe culture.
Hip coffee joints, fashion boutiques and global eateries can be found in terraced houses on Crown and Cleveland streets.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2020/1/20/4_SURRY%20HILLS%20CAT%20WALL.jpg" alt="" width="552" height="335">
Source: <a href="https://www.piqsels.com" target="_blank">Surry Hills Cat Wall</a>
This trendy neighbourhood is home to pubs, wine bars, galleries and the Surry Hills Library. 
There is a Surry Hills Market held once a month where street food and vintage goods can be found. 
 
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2020/1/20/4_Surrey%20Hills.jpg" alt="" width="553" height="336">
Source: WalkScore 
 
<h2>6. Chippendale </h2>
Walk Score: 97 | Population: 4,069
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2020/1/20/6_Chippendale.jpg" alt="" width="545" height="331">
Source: WalkScore 
 
Following shortly behind are the following:
<h2>7. Millers Point </h2>
Walk Score: 96 | Population: 1,742
<h2>8. Darlinghurst </h2>
Walk Score: 96 | Population: 10,096
<h2>9. Newtown</h2>
Walk Score: 95 | 14,142
<h2>10. Rushcutters Bay </h2>
Walk Score: 94 | Population: 2,378
 
 
 
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Sydney's most walkable neighbourhoods

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As Australian cities grow larger – and denser – pressure is increasing on public transport infrastructure to address congestion, meet new demand and ensure our cities capitalise on the benefits of population growth.
Transport planners are responding by providing personalised journeys, incorporating ride-share services and partnering with the private sector to induce more people to take public transport and help governments make the most of existing transport assets.
Two key trends are influencing the way that public transport is being built, says Terry Lee-Williams, strategic transport advisor at engineering firm <a href="https://www.arup.com/" target="_blank">ARUP.</a>
The first is a recognition from planners and policymakers that public transport is a better investment in terms of driving economic growth than more highway capacity. This has led to an “explosion in investment” in heavy rail, high capacity bus, and tram and light rail services.
Secondly, there is a focus on personalisation, which is giving rise to mobility-as-a-service – the integration of various forms of transport services into a single mobility service accessible on demand, often via an app.
“How can you make the individual feel like their needs are being catered for?” Lee-Williams says. By encouraging people to make choices that are in the greater public and economic interest, rather than making choices which are solely about their comfort, which tend not to have the same economic benefit, he explains. Chief among these choices is the decision as to whether or not they drive their own car for a journey, instead of taking public or shared transport.
Planners in cities, including Helsinki, Stockholm, Vienna and Austin, are focused on mobility-as-a-service and how to make it work, with the dual purpose of providing convenience for citizens and, importantly, extending the life of transport assets.
Nudging people out of their cars is a central aim and on-demand services form an important part of public transport strategy, even for mass transit services. “With rail obviously that's a challenge, because a train carries between 800 and 2000 people depending on its size,” says Lee-Williams.
In Sydney, the solution is the new Metro rail service, which will ultimately connect the north-west region with the south-west via the CBD and will have trains arrive every four minutes. “If you have a train every four minutes, that's as close to on-demand as you ever need to get. Frequency is the substitute for personalised demand-driven service in the rail space,” Lee-Williams says.
On-demand services fill in the last mile
The Victorian government is building a similar metro system in Melbourne. <a href="https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/projects/suburban-rail-loop" target="_blank">The Suburban Rail Loop</a> will be in addition to the existing ‘hub and spoke’ rail lines connecting the suburbs with the CBD – instead it links the city’s middle suburbs in a loop around the CBD.
Despite the interest in new public transport applications and infrastructure, Lee-Williams isn’t certain that investing in new transport applications makes good sense. “There's a lot of venture capital being burnt through off the back of people thinking that these are solutions, when they haven't defined what problem they are solving,” he says.
Uber, for instance, is burning through cash and is yet to turn a profit, despite its huge take up around the world and its disruption of the taxi and automotive sectors.
More opportunities come from the development of land that has been opened up to a larger population as a result of new mass-transit infrastructure, or from developing the land and airspace above a railway station, which is valuable real estate because of its convenience.
States including Queensland, Victoria and NSW are using the mobility-as-a-service model for on-demand public transport, which allows users to book a shared ride from their home or office or another location in a similar way that people book Uber. Unlike Uber, however, it operates in a specific geographic area and is designed to fill in gaps to work with the existing public transport services, as well as offer customers a better service.
In particular, passengers are provided with what’s known as a ‘last-mile’ service, where they are picked up from their homes, or another location, and dropped at a transport hub such as a train station or a bus stop from where they can use a mass-transit service. The idea is that the convenience will induce more people to leave the car at home and take public transport instead.
Seamlessly stitching ride share and mass transit together
In Sydney, private sector-owned Keolis Downer, GoGet cars and Transport for NSW have teamed up to trial on-demand services in two locations, known as <a href="https://www.keoride.com.au/" target="_blank">Keoride</a>.
In the Northern Beaches, Keoride provides first and last mile connections from Palm Beach to North Narrabeen to bus stops on the Northern Beaches B-Line using GoGet passenger cars. In Macquarie Park in the city’s northwest, Keoride operates a service to transport workers living within the Macquarie Park employment precinct using small vans and shuttles. 
These services help the existing public transport system do more with less, says Sue Wiblin, Manager of New Mobilities at Keolis Downer.
For instance, the service is flexible and adapts its itinerary in real-time, based on customer demand. The journey is more efficient and convenient for travellers.
“What that means for the public transport authority, is that you can build patronage in a way that you could never do with the old service. You’re creating more revenue, not only to your own demand leg but into your network generally,” says Wiblin.
The services – which commuters pay for the with same Opal card as they use for bus and rail travel – cost about the same as a bus or train fare and are subsidised by the government. Wiblin says all public transport services need some sort of subsidy and on-demand transport is no exception.
For instance, the Northern Beaches service operates with about the same sort of subsidy as a low-performing bus route would receive. “You can replace a low-frequency, low-performing bus route with an on-demand service for about the same price,” she says.
Additionally, such services can significantly increase patronage and thereby reduce the cost per passenger. They also help get more cars off the roads.
For customers, the ability to travel when and where they want is a big benefit. It contributes to changing the perception of public transport and encourages more people out of their cars. It also creates more social inclusion by helping people who might otherwise be stuck at home get out and about, says Wiblin.
Governments seek private sector involvement
Underpinning new transport systems globally will be developments in mobile phone apps, which seamlessly sew the various mass transit and ride-share transport legs together, allowing the consumer to automatically plan and pay for their trips.
“At the end of the day, it is all about convenience and being able to access different opportunities in the most convenient and cost-effective manner,” says Praveen Thakur, Lead Partner for InfraTech and Future Mobility at KPMG in Australia.
The apps incorporate both private and public sector transport legs and represent a coming together of the two previously separate parts of the transport infrastructure. “If having the private sector involved provides a better outcome for citizens, then that is a good approach for the public sector or the government to pursue,” says Thakur.
There’s also another advantage, says Thakur. The more public transport authorities can incorporate private transport, the more they are able to squeeze out of existing transport assets and the longer they can delay the cost of upgrading.
Transport for NSW is taking such an approach. By opening up its trip and scheduling data to the private sector, it’s giving developers the chance to provide new services. “We're trying to achieve better outcomes for customers, and really it's finding the right capability to be able to do that,” says Micah Starkis, Director of Open Data Apps and Innovation at Transport for NSW.
One recent success is the <a href="https://transportnsw.info/apps/tripview" target="_blank">TripView</a> app, which provides travellers with a range of trip-planning and timetabling services on their phones, including the ability to see how much space there will be on the next bus and the expected arrival time at their destination.
Data-sharing with the private sector is part of an increasing willingness of government transport operators to work with the private sector, both in the digital world and in incorporating private sector transport legs such as ride-shares into journeys.
The data also helps transport operators optimise the use of their networks to make them run more efficiently and respond to customer demands. “There's only so many cars that can fit on the road, and we’re continuously working on ways to optimise the network more effectively to manage the growing population,” says Starkis.
Ultimately, it’s about getting more people from A to B with mass public transport as the main pillar. “What we're really focusing on at the moment is delivering services that are more convenient, so customers have a viable alternative to taking single passenger car trips,” he says.
“With concepts like mobility as a service, if you can go to one app and just walk out the front door, it's suddenly more convenient to use your phone and an app than to walk to your garage and jump into your car.”
Christopher Niesche is a a business journalist and content producer.
This was first published on <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://westpaciq.westpac.com.au/Article/40076" target="_blank" data-auth="NotApplicable">Westpac IQ</a>
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Why public transport is getting personal: Christopher Niesche

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EXPERT OBSERVER
The Greater Sydney Commission’s new measurements across Greater Sydney demonstrate how the swing to public transport works best with more apartments.
The impressive document released today by the Greater Sydney Commission on measuring progress in Sydney’s growth demonstrates the important link between apartment numbers and public transport usage.” says Urban Taskforce CEO Chris Johnson. 
The GSC report indicates that the Eastern City has 49 percent apartments and that 50 percent of travel to work in the Eastern City is by public transport. With half the population living in urban density it is clear that a similar percentage use public transport. The South District has 19 percent apartments and has about 10 percent of travel to work by public transport.
As Sydney grows the roll out of metro rail systems are likely to see taller apartment buildings clustered around the stations. The Greater Sydney Commission has an important role to ensure that appropriate levels of density occur around public transport initiatives.
The GSC document ‘The Pulse of Greater Sydney’ contains many important measures that willinfluence the growth of Greater Sydney. These include tree canopy cover, where the Northern District is stated to have 40 percent tree canopy cover but a close look at the map indicates that most of this is due to the large areas of National Parks that extend up to the Hawkesbury
River. Eastern Sydney by comparison has only 15 percent tree canopy coverage, as it does not include any National Parks. It would seem that National Parks on the edge of built up areasshould not be included in tree canopy measures.
The Pulse of Sydney is a good initiative by the Greater Sydney Commission, but it is important that targets be developed to ensure that Sydney grows in a sustainable and affordable way, and that people can live in the types of residential accommodation that suits them, in locations that they desire.
CHRIS JOHNSON is the Urban Taskforce CEO
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Greater Sydney demonstrates that public transport needs urban density: Chris Johnson

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Sydney's much anticipated light rail is finally in the testing stage, with the next target having the trams open to customers before the end of the year.
They ran the vehicles <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ndvqzedmnzatjek/AAAxdkA2RPyM6MQAdEfofGi7a?dl=0&amp;preview=SH_daytestingV4.mp4" target="_blank">through Surry Hills</a> and <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/sh/d7duz1sxasi8n39/AADLYh4snS04qnfXSAFpQ4c1a?dl=0&amp;preview=20190624+-+SLR_CBD-SOUTH_FIRST+TRAM+NIGHT-TEST_VIDEO+1080+V1(1).mp4" target="_blank">up George Street</a>.
New trams hold up to 450 passengers, the equivalent of up to nine standard buses. 
This means the new light rail network will have the initial capacity to move up to 13,500 commuters per hour during peak times (7am – 7pm).
Premier Gladys Berejikilian and Minister for Transport Andrew Constance recently inspected a new light rail vehicle parked outside Town Hall for the first time.
“It is great to see light rail back on George Street and the progress which is being made on this gamechanging project,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“We can expect to see a lot more light rail vehicles making their way through the CBD from now on.
“Day testing is underway between Randwick and Central. It will be extended to Town Hall soon and the vehicles will reach Circular Quay within months.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/7/3/Sydney%20light%20rail%20Surry%20Hills%20testing.jpg" alt="">
“When it opens the line will deliver high capacity services from the heart of the city to Moore Park, Randwick Racecourse and the University of NSW.”
Constance said with testing becoming more frequent the NSW Government has today launched the new “Heads Up, Play it Safe around Light Rail” safety campaign.
“We remind the community to be aware of the changed environment and keep their “Heads Up” around the light rail,” Mr Constance said.
“Trams are quieter than people expect and cannot stop easily or quickly.
“We need pedestrians to look up from their phones and for cyclists and drivers to be aware and remember that tracks are for trams.”
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Light rail testing commences across Sydney

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Train riders have to get to stations somehow. This is often referred to as the “first mile” or “last mile” problem. There are many technical solutions to help travellers get from home to the station and back, ranging from cars to electronic scooters, but most people use a much older technology, their feet, to get from A to B. What is seldom considered is access to the train platform itself.
Stations are not points but places. They occupy a large area. A person walking at average speed takes about two minutes to walk from one end of a full-length eight-car train to the other.
Often platforms have a single access point on one side of the station, which makes it more difficult for people on the other side of the station to get to the platform. Passengers may need to almost circumnavigate the station to get to the platform. At an average walking speed, the extra distance they must backtrack adds up to six minutes per trip each way, <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://hdl.handle.net/2123/20286" target="_blank">our research</a> has found.
Imagine being so unlucky to have an extra 12 minutes of travel time every day if you take the train. You might be tempted to drive instead.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/271648/original/file-20190430-194623-13icbq0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/271648/original/file-20190430-194623-13icbq0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
In a worst-case scenario, traveller lives west of the station with an east platform and works east of a station with a west platform, adding six minutes of travel each way, 12 minutes per day. Author provided
The table below shows the extra travel time in minutes depending on platform locations and access points for a traveller’s origin and destination. The average time for such a one-sided configuration of train stations is 3.25 minutes each way.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/271671/original/file-20190430-194616-1d5h24k.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/271671/original/file-20190430-194616-1d5h24k.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
Travel times in minutes depending on access to platforms at stations used to get to work and home. Author provided
While this example is hypothetical, it is drawn from experience in Sydney, where 44 of 178 train stations have only a single side entrance.
So what impact will a second entrance have?
We examined those stations and access to their platforms: how many people lived within 5, 10 and 15 minutes of the station platform, considering actual entrance location, and how many jobs were within 5, 10 and 15 minutes of the platform. Using existing ridership data from Opal cards, we estimated a model that related the passenger entry and exit flows at each station to that station’s accessibility.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/271654/original/file-20190430-194620-1mn9wyq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/271654/original/file-20190430-194620-1mn9wyq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
Accessibility at train stations across Sydney. Author provided
We sketched a second entrance at those 44 stations and measured accessibility again. It’s now higher, as having two entrances instead of one means more people can reach the platform in the same time. We then estimated the increase in ridership from the model due to the improved accessibility, assuming no change in population or employment.
Over all 44 stations, total morning peak period entries increased by 5%. But some stations benefit a lot, and others not at all, so prioritisation of investments matters.
It will be no surprise to locals that Erskineville station comes out on top with a nearly 35% increase. While many of the new apartment-dwelling residents west of the station make the extra hike every day, even more would catch the train if there were a convenient entrance.
Other top 10 stations include: Bankstown, Newtown, Villawood, Redfern, Burwood, Sydneham, Caringbah, Meadowbank and Penshurst. Planning is already under way to <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/redfern-station-on-track-for-new-lifts-as-part-of-100m-upgrade-20190226-p510ba">improve Redfern station</a>.
While this result considers existing development, adding a second entrance can make new transit-oriented development that much more valuable. This is because it will likely increase activity on the previously less accessible side of the station, as the example of Erskineville shows below.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/271652/original/file-20190430-194612-17wxfzk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/271652/original/file-20190430-194612-17wxfzk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
Author provided
Other considerations include accessibility for people who cannot use staircases, as many of the stations are older and will require lifts. The <a href="https://theconversation.com/500m-for-station-car-parks-other-transport-solutions-could-do-much-more-for-the-money-114908" target="_blank">prospects of park-and-ride lots</a>, the costs of construction, the presence of nearby stations, and site feasibility also play into final decisions.
Our formal findings and detailed methods are written up in this report: <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://hdl.handle.net/2123/20286" target="_blank">Catchment if you can: The effect of station entrance and exit locations on accessibility</a>.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/115222/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
David Levinson, Professor of Transport, University of Sydney
Bahman Lahoorpoor, PhD Candidate, School of Civil Engineering, University of Sydney
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-increase-train-use-by-up-to-35-with-one-simple-trick-115222" target="_blank">original article</a>.
Main photo: <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://twitter.com/multimodalism/status/1103401167244017665" target="_blank">Chris Standen, used with permission</a>, <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY-NC-ND</a>
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How to increase train use by up to 35% with one simple trick

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Looking past the hype about 'trackless trams'
CRRC’s version of theptically guided bus, now operating in Zhuzhou, is more like light rail than its predecessors. 
The optically guided bus is the latest in a long line of initiatives to repackage the bus as premium rail-derived technology. The name “trackless trams”, the vehicle design, and the modest deployment costs all have broad appeal. The concept has gained traction in Australia, with prominent advocates including <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-trackless-trams-are-ready-to-replace-light-rail-103690" target="_blank">Professor Peter Newman</a>.
Recognition of the role of upgraded buses and bus rapid transit is welcome. However, a certain level of dogma, fuelled by inflated claims about the technology and its potential, has taken hold.
This article aims to debunk some misconceptions.
Myth 1: It’s revolutionary technology
Optical guidance systems date back to the late 1980s and have had limited commercial success since the early 2000s. We count just three applications: in the French city <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_Est-Ouest_Rouennais" target="_blank">Rouen</a>, <a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRAM_de_Castell%C3%B3n" target="_blank">Castellón</a> in Spain, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Area_Express_(Las_Vegas)" target="_blank">Las Vegas</a> in the United States.
The mechanically guided bus remains the most popular — including <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O-Bahn_Busway" target="_blank">Adelaide’s O-Bahn-style</a> kerb-guided bus — and, to a more limited extent, rail guidance systems. Magnetic and wire guidance technologies have also been trialled to deliver the same benefits — including precision docking, lane assist, reduced road footprint and better ride quality — but at lower cost than physically guided systems due to the absence of continuous guidance infrastructure.
The systems in Rouen, Castellón and Las Vegas all use the French-developed <a href="http://citytransport.info/Buses03.htm" target="_blank">Visée (later renamed Optiguide)</a> “self-steering” optical guidance system.
This technology uses a roof-mounted camera to detect a “virtual rail” — twin dashed lines painted on a darker road surface. An on-board computer combines the image with the speed, yaw and wheel angle of the bus to determine the path to be followed and steers the vehicle.
In partnership with Renault, the Civis guided bus concept was developed into a transport system using <a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irisbus_Agora" target="_blank">Irisbus Agora</a> articulated buses fitted with the optical guidance system.
The present incarnation is admittedly a more advanced deployment of optical guidance technology. Chinese company <a href="http://www.crrcgc.cc/g5141.aspx" target="_blank">CRRC</a> has used high-speed rail technology to develop what it calls autonomous rail rapid transit, or ART.
The system is more like light rail than its predecessors. The vehicles are larger (2.65m wide by 3.4m high) and can be made longer or shorter by adding or removing sections.
The electric vehicles use supercapacitor batteries mounted on the roof and charged at stations via an electric “umbrella”. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capa_vehicle" target="_blank">Supercapacitor technology</a> is not new, having been used in Shanghai, Nanjing, Guangzhou and Ningbo over the past decade.
A major advantage of the CRRC system is its multi-axle hydraulic steering technology and bogie-like wheel arrangement, which has less overhang and thus requires less swept path clearance in turns. Each section of the 32m vehicle is around 10.5m long and the minimum turning radius is 15m.
<a href="http://www.crrcgc.cc/tabid/5122/sourceId/23683/infoid/286135/Default.aspx" target="_blank">According to CRRC</a>, the cost of deployment is between US$7 million and US$15 million per kilometre. That’s much less than the US$20 million to US$30 million for light rail, and US$70 million to US$150 million for metro. Each vehicle has a capital cost of about <a href="https://www.engineersgarage.com/blogs/china-unwraps-world-first-driverless-rail-transit-system-autonomous-technology" target="_blank">US$2.2 million</a>.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/247147/original/file-20181126-149323-xpztz4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/247147/original/file-20181126-149323-xpztz4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
CRRC optically guided bus in Zhuzhou, China, a 3.2km system inaugurated in May 2018.
Myth 2: Optically guided buses have better ride quality
This is true up to a point. It has as much to do with traction technology, route alignment and driver behaviour as with optical guidance. Ride quality is a direct result of rubber versus steel traction. The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Track_gauge" target="_blank">track gauge</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axle_load" target="_blank">axle loads</a> also determine ride quality on a railway.
Another important factor is the alignment geometry. Light rail can handle only 4-6% gradients. Rubber-tyred traction can manage up to 9%. A higher-quality bus corridor with smoother gradients and curves will offer better ride quality.
Pavement quality is also important. We see an example of this in Melbourne’s Albert Park, where roads are built with high-specification concrete for the Australian Grand Prix.
The optically guided bus offers a much smoother ride, but this is mainly due to its advanced automation.
Existing buses can be “jerky”. This has a lot to do with buses getting more powerful (and lighter) over the years. An average bus engine generated 230 horsepower 20 years ago. Today this can be up to 330hp — that’s good for uphill climbs but also allows the driver to accelerate faster.
One suggestion is to apply an acceleration limiter. The need for harsh braking is also an issue, but this is related to the level of priority given to buses in traffic — such as at signals and in congested lanes — as well as driver training.
Myth 3: Optically guided buses are game-changing
The potential success of the technology is not related to whether the buses are optically guided or not, nor to any of the characteristics described above.
The sleek, rail-like appearance of these vehicles is certainly part of their appeal. Optically guided buses could challenge the idea that “buses are boring, and trains are sexy” and what we at ITLS describe as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0739885909800085" target="_blank">choice versus blind commitment</a> in the bus and rail debate. Rather than being emotionally fixated on technology, we should choose the mode best suited to a particular transport requirement.
Operating on the road, right of way remains the critical factor. What good is a “trackless tram” if it gets stuck in traffic? In car-dominated Australia, governments have struggled to reallocate road space away from inefficient private cars (which average just <a href="https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/media/documents/2017/HTS%20Report%20Sydney%202012-13.pdf" target="_blank">1.1 people per vehicle</a> for work commutes) to spatially efficient mass transit.
Bus priority typically arises from road widening, rather than any redesignation of road space. As long as this mentality holds, we will struggle to improve travel time by bus compared with car — which is the most important element for attracting users onto public transport.
If “trackless trams” can radically alter the political paradigm and garner community support for the sensible reallocation of road space and signal priority, that creates a huge opportunity for cost-effective deployment of high-quality mass transit.
<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0739885914001024" target="_blank">ITLS research</a> has shown there is huge latent demand for public transport in the middle and outer suburbs of Australian capitals. The latest bus technology can be readily deployed along cross-town and orbital corridors now serviced by, for example, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrobus_(Sydney)" target="_blank">Metrobus</a> in Sydney and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SmartBus" target="_blank">SmartBus</a> in Melbourne.
Time will tell whether “trackless trams” can shift the conversation from the idea of permanent, fixed infrastructure synonymous with rail to the pressing issues of right-of-way quality and public transport priority.
The author thanks Graham Currie (ITS Monash), David Hensher (ITLS), Michael Apps (BIC), Lauran Huefner (BusSA), Stephen Rowe (Busways) and Darryl Mellish (BusNSW) for constructive feedback on an earlier version of this article.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/107092/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/yale-zhuxiao-wong-591775" target="_blank">Yale Zhuxiao Wong</a>, Doctoral Candidate and Research Analyst, Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841" target="_blank">University of Sydney</a>
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/looking-past-the-hype-about-trackless-trams-107092" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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