PTAANZ and Austroads launch joint Task Force to drive stronger public and active transport outcomes
The Public Transport Association of Australia and New Zealand (PTAANZ) has partnered with Austroads to launch the Public and Active Transport Task Force, a collaboration aimed at making public transport, walking and cycling more connected, reliable and accessible across Australian and New Zealand cities and regions.
Backed by a two-year investment program with a view to ongoing collaboration, the Task Force represents a landmark step in bringing the road and public transport sectors together to make better use of existing networks for communities.
PTAANZ Chief Executive Lauren Streifer said the partnership reflects a necessary shift toward more integrated transport planning and delivery.
“Great cities and regions are built on more than great infrastructure, they are built on how we use the space we already have to move more people, more efficiently, with a smaller environmental footprint.
“This partnership is also about making better use of our most valuable and constrained asset, road space. By prioritising high-capacity, efficient modes within that space, we can transform how people move without needing to endlessly expand the network.
“If we want to deliver the climate and community outcomes we need, our transport systems must be better connected, more efficient and easier to use.
“Austroads brings the history, scale and capability to lead regional research across the road network, while PTAANZ brings the cross-jurisdictional leadership, operational insight and sector-wide coordination of public and active transport. Together, we can deliver more integrated, practical solutions that improve the way Australians and New Zealanders get around.”
Austroads Chief Executive Geoff Allan said the Task Force will help expand transport choices for communities across Australia and New Zealand.
“We have a real opportunity to rethink how our transport networks work together and unlock better outcomes for communities across Australia and New Zealand.
“This is about giving people more real, practical choices in how they move – whether that’s public transport, walking, cycling or driving – and making those options work seamlessly together.
“By focusing on best practice in areas like interchange design and corridor performance, we can remove barriers between modes and make it easier, faster and more reliable for people to complete their journeys.
“Ultimately, this is about creating a more connected, flexible transport system that better reflects how people live and travel today.”
The Task Force has already identified a pipeline of national projects aimed at improving transport networks in practical ways. Early priorities include:
- finding the most effective ways to encourage more people to use public transport, walk and cycle
- improving how buses and trams move through busy road corridors
- designing better interchanges to make transfers easier and more reliable
- strengthening national data to better understand how people travel
With senior representatives from transport agencies across Australia and New Zealand involved, PTAANZ is looking forward to working with Austroads and Task Force members to deliver a high-impact program that makes a real difference for Australians.