Purpose of the Strategy

The ACT Government has a vision of an integrated transport network that provides a range of options for moving people around our growing city. That means you could have more ways to travel to your workplace, local school or to your local shops.

Our previous transport strategy, Transport for Canberra, provided a great foundation for the network we have today. However, things have changed between 2012 and now. We are building light rail. Our bus network is being restructured. We are now predicting population growth of 100,000 between now and 2030.

Thanks to our 2017 Household Travel Survey, we also understand more about how and why we travel:

  • People love to walk in their communities and on their lunch breaks.
  • Travel for social and recreational purposes occurs almost as much as work trips.
  • While 1 in 6 trips for education is by bus, the majority of children are still driven to school.

The ACT currently benefits from an excellent road network but we don’t want to become gridlocked like Sydney or Melbourne. We need to think about how we use our roads and streets, and the choices we all make when choosing to travel. Some routes will be designed for moving people and freight quickly, but walking, cycling and playing should be the priority in the places we live, work, shop and eat.

If we’re to be carbon neutral we’ll need to change how we move around, that means fewer and fewer people using traditional, private cars. That being said, we recognise there are times when hopping in our car is the best choice to make. Over time, more of these trips can be undertaken though the use of zero emission vehicles.

We have an excellent off-road cycling network, and our new and improved public transport network will make it easier than ever to leave the car at home more often.

The way we use and interact with transport has also changed. We want information at the touch of a button, and we want transport that is seamless, easy and affordable. This will be even more important into the future as autonomous vehicles, shared mobility and drones become more prevalent in our lives.

Moving Canberra therefore proposes to take the ambition of Transport for Canberra further by suggesting a long-term vision for a smart, customer-focused, sustainable and integrated transport network. The draft Strategy utilises a movement and place framework and provides possible strategic directions, actions policies, infrastructure, programs and services needed to meet our customers’ needs and expectations.

For you, this new Strategy could mean:

  • Clean, attractive, safe, easy-to-use interchange facilities
  • Better footpaths
  • A more comprehensive cycling network
  • Reliable buses
  • More light rail
  • New transport technologies such as delivery drones and autonomous vehicle