Page 198 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 28 November 2012
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than private vehicles for their commute. This efficient way of managing travel is demonstrated by the Flemington Road transit lane, where buses constitute around 1.8 per cent of vehicles but carry nearly half of all persons in the corridor in that morning peak. Members will also be aware of work along Barry Drive which will also deliver a high-standard, dedicated bus facility for public transport users in the highly patronised route from Belconnen to the city.
Transport for Canberra also establishes mode sharing targets to encourage more people to walk, cycle or catch the bus to work. Transport modelling for the policy demonstrates that, by 2031, meeting these mode share targets will allow us to maintain congestion at 2012 levels, despite significant population growth over this 20-year period that I have mentioned.
The motion requests additional parking spaces. Let us have a brief look at the current status of parking in Canberra. There are already a considerable number of vacant parking spaces in the city centre and various town centres. The preliminary results from a 2012 parking survey provide some key data in relation to the supply of car parking spaces, as well as demand and occupancy information.
The following figures for occupancy or demand for parking at the major centres show some interesting results. Canberra city had around 27 per cent of its public and privately run parking unoccupied during the mid-morning survey period, and the figures for the other town centres were also around this figure, 26 per cent in Belconnen, 38 per cent in Gungahlin, 29 per cent in the Tuggeranong town centre. Woden had around 27 per cent unoccupied public and private spaces, and Barton-Parkes had around 16 per cent.
Preliminary figures from the 2012 parking survey indicate the following supply figures for the major centres: Canberra city had around 25,600 public and private spaces, with almost 7,000 spaces available during the mid-morning survey period; Belconnen had around 13,200 public and private spaces, with almost 3,500 spaces available during the mid-morning survey period; Gungahlin had 3,200 public and private spaces, with more than 1,200 spaces available during that period; Tuggeranong had around 10,300 public and private spaces, with almost 3,000 spaces available during the mid-morning survey period; Woden had 10,800 public and private spaces, with almost 3,000 spaces available during the mid-morning survey period; Barton-Parkes had around 14,900 public and private spaces, with over 2,300 spaces available during that morning survey period.
These preliminary figures show that there is a significant spare capacity in all centres, noting of course that midday parking demand is generally higher than the mid-morning figures show, but still within capacity. If the purpose of constructing thousands of additional car spaces is to address a shortfall in parking supply, these figures clearly show that there is no shortfall.
Government car parks in the city and town centres are generally on land that is earmarked for future development; so constructing additional car parks on this prime land may undervalue or delay its potential return to the government in the form of land sales. This forgone revenue, combined with the costs of constructing and
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