Melbourne Healthy Transportation Plan Analysis

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The Melbourne Healthy Transport Plan has been prepared to optimize the full potential for alternative modes of transport within the Melbourne CBD for active transport, both current and into the future. The strategy sets out a range of short and long-term goals and initiatives that aim to encourage active transport to provide a solution for the rising health problems and levels of obesity within the Melbourne population as a direct result of the choice in transportation mode.

Overview

Since the nineteenth century, cycling and walking have been seen as an integral part to Australian culture, and are to this day, a credible mode of transportation (Luetjens, 2013). In today’s society, almost two out of every three Australian’s rely on their car to get to work, while only one in every ten commuters would chose to travel via public transport (see Figure 1) (ABC News, 2014). With around 40% of all car trips in Melbourne being less than 2km and nearly 80% of children getting driven both to and from school, the pressures from climate change, poor citizen health and inefficient energy use and transportation methods have become paramount (Environment Victoria, 2014). …show more content…

The growing reliance on the private car has resulted in socio-economic, land use and environmental challenges in Australia. Due to the increasing demand for better transport infrastructure, threat of social exclusion and external costs (such as pollution and congestion), it is vital that Melbourne, and the whole of Australia, start planning to reverse this

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