Welcome to our latest Newsletter. We have been active since our last report, but until we live in a pedestrian paradise, there remains more to do. Please join us at WalkSydney.org to help.
Meetings
We have met with public and private sector leadership to advance our agenda.
13 June: WalkSydney board members met with the advisors to the Roads Minister John Graham to discuss how to strategically prioritize walking
10 June: WalkSydney board members were invited to meet with Infrastructure NSW to discuss the Strategic Infrastructure Review
29 March: WalkSydney board members met with three different developers to discuss how new developments can be better for walking, and how to better cooperate to encourage Councils to support better designs
Posts
Submission on Draft City [of Sydney] Access Strategy and Action Plan
Exclusive: Transport for NSW: Active Transport Systemic Analysis Findings and Recommendations
Strategic Infrastructure Review is much needed. Some recommendations for our treasurer
Projects
Better Intersections by Jake Coppinger (Crowdsourced intersection data, since TfNSW and their SCATS system won’t make it public)
Forums
The New South Wales Transport Coalition (APT NSW, EcoTransit, BicycleNSW, along with WalkSydney) are pleased to have sponsored Elizabeth Farrelly’s public talk: Walking Changes Everything, or is Public Design a Lost Art, which you can watch below.
Links
The Road Toll
The impact of low traffic neighbourhoods on car and van driving in London
WalkSydney president Lena Huda welcomed the funding but said $39 million was “nowhere near enough” to build the footpaths and pedestrian crossings necessary to make walking easier and more attractive.
Huda said the Perrottet government spent $117 million under its active transport program – projects worth another $100 million missed out on funding.
“Unfortunately, governments’ underinvestment in crossings, footpaths and cycleways means there are still too many places where people don’t have the options to leave the car at home,” she said.
Huda said cheap initiatives such as lowering speed limits on local streets to 30km/h and automated pedestrian phasing at signals would improve pedestrian safety.
‘Dangerous to ride’: The suburbs getting $39m to turn drivers into cyclists
Sweltering Cities: In the hottest suburbs in Sydney 70% of bus stops have no shelter or shade
Derailed promises: the plans to bring trams back to Parramatta Road - Honi Soit
Sydney: Imagine if trash bins were stored in parking spaces instead of on footpaths ... New York (which has a much worse problem) is thinking about it.
UNSW Study - Perceptions of Walkability in Sydney
Sydney cycle path to be ripped up months after opening. Featuring WalkSydney VP David Martin
Parisians vote to ban rental e-Scooters (Good for them!)
Where drivers pay the most for street parking in Sydney University of Sydney transport professor David Levinson said parking that was too cheap led to shortages as residents and workers use up parking spots and make it more difficult for visitors to find a space.
“When scarce goods like road spaces, parking in cities, and clean air are underpriced we have over-consumption (congestion, parking shortages, pollution), which wastes everyone’s time and money,” he said. “Roads and parking should be appropriately priced, just like other scarce market goods.”
Levinson said paid parking was more efficient because it discouraged people from staying longer than they needed and allowed more people to access local destinations.
He said street parking imposed costs on society in the form of wider streets than would be required if people had to park their cars on their own property.
“Why should people who don’t have cars pay taxes that support wider streets, just so other people, some of whom have more than one car per adult, can park their car for free on the street?” he said.
Petition · Support Our Nature Conservation Project! Make Unwin Street a Green Street!
Iowa State University is conducting research on walkability and would like to gain an international perspective. Please consider taking part in their survey.
Wollongong City Council is proposing more 30km/h zones and raised pedestrian crossings. Find out more and give feedback here.
Join WalkSydney
By joining WalkSydney you’ll get involved with activities and ideas to make Greater Sydney safe and pleasant for pedestrians. People-friendly streets are the foundation of healthy, inclusive, connected, and sustainable communities.
We are run by a committee of volunteers and are always looking for engaged advocates.
There’s strength in numbers, so please consider joining us as a paying member.
Sign up here to make walking in your local LGA and Sydney better.