Australia’s first Transport Equity Week has begun – and we need you to help put transport equity on the agenda of our elected representatives, officials, and fellow Canberrans!

This is a time for us all to stand up and show how our current transport systems are not equitable and sustainable – and the changes that we want to see.

Despite walking being the original and cheapest form of transport – and part of every journey, in Canberra it’s often the most neglected and disadvantaged mode.

Why is transport equity important?

We need to be move around our city to get to our jobs, education, healthcare, for shopping and recreation, and to be with other people. That’s why our systems for getting around are essential infrastructure. Good transport also comes with less damage to our environment and climate, and enhances social and economic equity.

Yet many people can’t travel independently or sustainably because of cost, availability of services, or poor physical accessibility.

That’s because our current transport systems favour cars, which in turn exacerbate social, economic and environmental inequity; contribute to poor physical and mental health; and restrict children’s development.

Yet a large proportion (20-40 per cent) of people cannot drive, and more prefer not to.

Some groups are more likely to experience transport disadvantage than others, such as:

• people with a disability
• older and younger Australians
• women
• queer and gender diverse people
• families with young children
• First Nations peoples
• people experiencing unemployment
• people on lower incomes
• culturally and linguistically diverse groups
• people living in outer-urban and rural areas

It can be hard to get around our city if you’re not in a car:

• Many of our streets don’t have paths.
• Where there are paths, they are often not fit for purpose because they are incomplete, inaccessible and/or in poor condition.
• If there is infrastructure for crossing streets and roads it is often not fit for purpose because it is inconvenient and/or does not necessarily help people to be busy streets safely or to be safe when crossing.
• Many (most?) paths and bus stops lack shelter or seats. This is a health and safety problem in our warming climate, with its increasingly extreme weather.

We need a transport system which supports independence, social inclusion and sustainable mobility at all stages of life. Currently our transport does not do that:

• The national rate of active travel to or from school has dropped from 75 percent of trips to 25 percent over the past 40 years (Department of Transport 2021)
• 12% of almost 6,700 older Australians over 65 who were surveyed reported unmet mobility needs, with three quarters wanting to leave home more often than they actually do (Ma et al. 2023). 
• In comparison to older colleagues, young people tend to earn less and transport costs represent a higher proportion of their income, they are less likely to have a drivers licence, and those without a car or licence are limited by inadequate transport (National Youth Commission Australia 2021)

Why do we support Transport Equity Week?

A key focus of Transport Equity Week is that everyone should be able to move safely and conveniently around our communities, no matter who they are, or where they live.

Living Streets Canberra is participating because we work for *everyone* in Canberra to be able to walk* easily, safely and conveniently. (*Walking includes people using personal mobility aids and devices at speeds up to 10 km/h.) In particular, we have been advocating for:

• all of ACT’s streets, paths and public spaces to be – and feel – safe, accessible and comfortable – for everyone to walk or roll, regardless of age, ability, gender, sexual orientation, race, culture, or socioeconomic status
• ACT’s mobility options –  including all streets, paths, crossings, and
  public transport stops – to comply with anti-discrimination legislation.

TAKE ACTION

Make sure you add your voice and experience to Australia’s first Transport Equity Week!  

It’s important that we make our voices heard for the changes that you want to see to make walking and rolling easier and safer.

Here’s a really important way you can add your voice:

• Make – and share – one or more videos, reels, photos and memes of problems with our current transport system and/or why transport equity is important to you.
  
• Share your videos and photos:
  
  
  • On social media – remember to tag them with #TransportEquity +
    Living Streets Canberra (Living Streets Canberra on Facebook, @livingstreetscanberra on Instagram, @streetscanberra on Twitter/X) +
    key people & organisations (especially Ministers, Spokespeople and officials – like Chris Steel, Mark Parton, Jo Clay, Andrew Barr, Elizabeth Lee, Shane Rattenbury, your MLAs, Transport Canberra).  A list of MLAs and their portfolios is here

Here are some ideas of what to photograph, video and post:

• paths, crossings and bike lanes that are incomplete, in poor condition, inaccessible, or just do not exist
• bus stops that are inaccessible (links with the now-broken national commitments to fully accessible public transport stops) and/or lack shelter that actually provides shelter and seating that can be used (HINT: tag with #BustedBusStops) 
• examples of how long or difficult it is to walk or roll (including just to cross a street or road) 
• setting up a ‘competition’, for example:
  • Canberra’s longest wait to cross at traffic lights
  • Canberra’s least accessible bus stop, path, street crossing…

We’ll be on the lookout for:

• longest wait to walk at traffic lights or longest wait to cross a street
• most inaccessible public transport stop