Better Streets Brisbane have been busy campaigning for streets that welcome everyone in advance of the local Council election (polling day is March 16th). Though party politics has made it to the local Council level in Brisbane, it’s been heartening to see policy platforms focused on giving people transport options and how to make Brisbane a better place for people. The team have been meeting candidates, attending forums, tracking and contributing to local projects and engaging with community members to help make sure the city’s rapid changes lead to a better tomorrow. Felicity Caldwell produced a good rundown of the walking and cycling policies of the major parties for the Brisbane Times.
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Walking, riding a bicycle and scooting to school offers many benefits, both for children’s physical and mental well-being, as well as for the environment and the community more broadly. Aside from the fact that most kids want to walk, ride or scoot to school if they can, the top six reasons should be: 1. Active travel improves physical health Active travel (walking, riding and scooting) is an excellent form of exercise that can help children and young adults improve cardiovascular fitness and reduce the risk of obesity. Numerous studies have shown the positive impact of physical activity on children's health. It is also great for the parents and carers who accompany children to get some extra exercise into their day. Encouraging students to walk and cycle to school establishes healthy habits and a love of riding and walking early in life, which they are likely to carry into adulthood. This can lead to a lifetime of physical activity and better overall health outcomes. Australian kids are hugely car dependent with only 14% of kids making their way to school independently. This has enormous costs to physical and psychological health. Australian teens rank 140 out of 146 of the least physically active nations around the world (The Lancet), with 25% of Australian kids obese, and 67% of Australian adults overweight or obese (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare). The combined impact of physical activity, overweight and obesity ranks equally with tobacco control as the leading factors in disease prevention in Australia. 2. Active travel improves mental health and academic performance Regular physical activity, such as walking, riding and scooting, has been linked to improved mood, reduced stress, and better mental health and overall sense of well-being in children and young adults. Research shows that physical activity, including walking and cycling to school, enhances cognitive function, improves behaviour in class and academic performance. Walking and cycling to school helps children arrive more alert and ready to learn. A survey of Australian parents by the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne found that most parents identified benefits of children travelling independently to school with 84% identifying that it helps build independence and problem solving skills These same benefits apply to the parents and carers making the trips with their students and/or freed up to travel to work by active travel or public transport rather than continuing on in the car after drop off. 3. Active travel improves traffic safety by reducing congestionTraffic congestion and problems parking around schools are a nightmare for all members of the school community including neighbours. Fewer cars around schools reduce the risk of accidents during drop-off and pick-up times, making the area around the school safer for everyone. When children walk or cycle to school, there are fewer cars on the road during peak traffic times. This reduces the overall volume of traffic on our streets and means less congestion for everyone. Fewer cars around schools also reduces the risk of crashes during drop-off and pick-up times, making the area around the school safer for everyone especially children. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children aged 1 to 14, contributing to 13% of deaths in this age group. When more children walk or cycle to school, there are fewer parents driving around schools trying to find parking spots, leading to less delay for people who need to drive . Encouraging children to cycle to school normalises getting around without a car. This cultural shift can have a long-term impact on reducing traffic congestion as people become more accustomed to walking, cycling and using public transport to get around. 4. Active travel can reduce your cost of living Active travel is a low cost way to get around. Families can save money by reducing the number of vehicles they need to own, fuel used, tolls, parking fees, and vehicle maintenance. The average household spends $25,000 a year on transport, mostly on vehicle insurance, registration , petrol, financing and so on. A bicycle costs fraction of that. Find out more about how to ride down the cost of living on the Bicycle NSW website. 5. Active travel promotes kids’ independence and interaction with their local community Walking, riding and scooting to school and other activities can strengthen the sense of community by encouraging children and families to interact with neighbours and local businesses on their way to school. Where traffic and crossings are safe, walking and cycling to school without an adult fosters a sense of independence and responsibility in children and is closely linked to a higher sense of well-being. Walking and cycling in groups or with friends can enhance children’s social skills and build friendships. In early years when parents and carers accompany children or arrange walking and cycling buses, active travel supports new adult friendships and invaluable networks of support to help with looking after children. Driving children to school takes time and can have an impact on parents and carers productivity. If traffic and crossings are safe for children to walk or cycle to school without an adult then the time otherwise spent picking up and dropping off can be used to do other things. 6. Active travel has enormous environmental benefits According to the Department of Climate Change, over 10% of Australia's total emissions are from motor vehicles. Around the world, traffic emissions have been causally linked with childhood asthma and respiratory infections, reduced lung capacity, systemic inflammation, impaired cognitive development and behavioural problems. For unborn children, traffic pollution is associated with stillbirth, low birth weight, premature birth and organ damage, as well as impaired respiratory and immune development, and adverse impacts on neurodevelopment including a reduced IQ. The Melbourne Climate Futures Centre found that in Australia, traffic pollution likely causes 11,105 premature deaths in adults and 66,000 childhood asthma cases each year. Cycling reduces the number of cars on the road, leading to lower carbon emissions and improved air quality particularly around schools. This benefits both children and the community at large by reducing exposure to air pollution. Easy things you can do to get your family riding, walking or scooting to school: 1
6. Get your family insured with a Bicycle NSW Membership so that you can ride with peace of mind knowing that you are covered by comprehensive insurance, as well as gain access to lots of other member only benefits.
7. Contact your local council to see if they have an active travel plan or offer any support to get residents riding, walking or scooting. Victoria is very active with many groups engaged in Better Streets. The main focus for Victoria this year is the local government elections in October 2024. If any other organisations in Victoria would like to collaborate, please reach out contact@betterstreets.org.au.
Better Streets Melbourne is the local chapter representing issues that affect the whole of Naarm. The local Coalition members include:
If you would like to stay engaged in discussions you are welcome to join our Slack group: betterstreets.slack.com We are delighted that Better Streets has been part of an important recent win for local street-related decision-making in NSW.
Thanks to the persistent efforts of some of our members over a five-year campaign, local councils are now empowered to directly influence their local streets without needing state approval. This monumental change, effective on local and regional roads until at least June 2026, includes the power to control on-street parking, pedestrian crossings and refuges, adding (but not removing) cycleways, outdoor dining and parklets, trees and vegetation, new and widened footpaths and so on. The works can be permanent or temporary, and no longer require Road Safety Audits, making them cheaper and faster to implement. Cutting red tape also means that councils can delegate a staff member to implement works that have been agreed by a Local Traffic Committee (LTC) without waiting for a full council meeting. For example, if the LTC reviews a temporary road closure for an event, it is no longer necessary to wait for full council endorsement of the LTC report before the work is done. Back in April 2023, we reported on new temporary delegations to councils, but with significant restrictions. For example, they didn’t apply within 100m of a traffic signal, nor on bus routes or light rail. This situation has now changed again to give even more power to local government – they can now make changes to bus routes and light rail routes with some limitations, and the distance from traffic signals is reduced to 20m. This means community members can approach their council and get much faster approval to install pedestrian crossings and other changes without layers of unnecessary bureaucracy. This change came into effect in December 2023, just before the holiday period, so not all council officers or elected councillors will be aware of these latest changes – you may have to point them to the link above for clarification. This represents a significant shift towards more community-centric planning in NSW, allowing councils to tailor streetscapes to the unique needs of their residents and businesses. It doesn’t apply to state roads, traffic signals and roundabouts, as these still require sign-off through traffic committees. Better Streets' success in advocating for these changes demonstrates the power of community engagement and the importance of collaboration with all levels of government to create better practice. It’s a testament to what can be achieved when community leaders and government bodies come together for the common good. By bringing decision-making closer to home, we're not just paving the way for better streets – we're fostering stronger, more connected communities. Let's celebrate this achievement and continue to work hand in hand with our local governments to create the neighborhoods we and our children deserve to live in. For more details of the changes: link |
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