The formulation of sustainable transport and movement strategies - Case Study The University of Tasmania (Sandy Bay)

The Modern City of Western Society is currently confronting many issues that will determine its future form. For those responsible for 'controlling' development patterns these issues are personified by the Sustainable Development Debate. Such debate is formulated upon a concern for the future ability of the earth's environment to handle society's growing pressures on its natural resources - earth, air and water. The process through which the Western City has developed has lead to the establishment of development patterns, and social habits that effectively threaten the maintenance of these systems. This Study is concerned with those development patterns and habits centred around transport patterns, aiming at the establishment of recommendations and strategies to alter current systems and to provide movement alternatives to communities. For the purpose of practical implementation, and more favourable community acceptance, the author choose to consider a specific area with existing traffic problems as a Case Study. Such Case Study was the University of Tasmania's Sandy Bay Campus. The University experiences traffic and parking problems associated with oncampus parking and street formations, and ease of access to the neighbouring suburban area. The Campus provides insufficient parking on site in an inadequate form resulting in an overspill of traffic into residential streets. Traffic and parking in the area visually degrades building forms and streets capes. It physically separates local residents from their neighbours on the opposite side of the street, creating problems with noise and safety. Such concentration of traffic by the University and the Hobart City Council has placed the pedestrian, bicyclist and public transport patron into the 'too hard basket'. Services for these persons are substandard, illegible and often inaccessible. With these concerns in mind, the author discusses the current theory on Traffic Calming - as a total streets cape issue - and Planning for Alternative Forms of Transport. Considerations include: (a) The implementation of street forms that cater for all intended users, the motorist, bicyclist, pedestrian and resident in a practical, safe and visually attractive manner; (b) The advantages and disadvantages, implementation processes and relevance of public transit modes such as heavy rail, light rail and buses; (c) The advantages and disadvantages of non-motorised transport - walking and bicycling, including the necessary considerations in their design. With these considerations in mind, the Study then discusses the problems of the Study Area in detail, including the role of the historical pattern of development in the current problems. These discussions highlight the inadequacies of parking form, street design, public transport legibility, services for the pedestrian and bicyclist, and traffic control. Chapter 5 therefore lists the options available to address these problems, within the umbrella of theory discussed: (a) Consideration is given to the reestablishment of at least one of the sportsgrounds to an alternative area of the title for the purpose of introducing a multi-level carpark, and further residential facilities; (b) An alternative parking policy is recommended allowing equal access to on-campus parking through the payment of a minimal fee; (c) A recommendation is made that pedestrian services both on-campus and off be improved through the use of paving, landscaping, and the introduction of street furniture and directional signage; (d) Consideration is given to the lack of facilities for bicyclists and a recommendation made that services be upgraded through the introduction of segregated and shared footways both on and off campus, providing continuous separation from traffic along major traffic routes. In addition parking facilities are recommended for oncampus accommodation through the provision of a sheltered parking area. (e) An alternative street system is recommended through the introduction of a number of street designs-based upon traffic calming techniques- providing improved visual amenity, reduced formation widths, safer and wider pedestrian facilities, segregated footways for bicycles, and improved safety at intersections (f) Recommendations are made to improve the legibility of the Metropolitan Transport Trust Services and to upgrade the services provided by the intra-campus bus service. Although many of the recommendations made are specific to the site, the strategies implemented will be applicable to any area experiencing traffic problems. Even more so, however, the author hopes that the problems raised and issues discussed within the Study can act as catalyst for the formulation of traffic and movement strategies for implementation in areas not yet confronted with these concerns, this is the real issue for the Sustainable future of Cities.