Reducing Traffic Congestion and its Effects in Melbourne - Report Example

Reducing traffic congestion and its effects in Melbourne University Student Id Course Date Table of Contents Executive summary 2 Introduction 3 Figure 1: showing traffic volume in Melbourne 4 Recommendations 5 Noise barriers 5 Improving alternative modes 7 Establishing interchange bridges 9 Smart traffic lights 10 Conclusion 11 References 13 Executive summary This report is trying to explore the various solutions to the traffic congestion and the effects in Melbourne. The traffic congestion in Melbourne has been reducing the quality of life of the citizens. There are still cases of traffic congestions as well as in the some of the bus routes that has been affecting traffic flow. Besides, the impacts of traffic congestions are severe in Melbourne where the lives of people have been affected significantly. The following recommendations are provided for reducing traffic congestion in Melbourne. The first recommendation is establishing noise barriers as they are considered to be the best strategies that can be employed in reducing effects of traffic congestion. Noise barriers can ensure effectiveness and reduce the costs. Besides, through the use of noise barriers pollution can be reduced by around 50% making it better than the use of open roads. The second recommendation is improving alternative modes. Alternative modes of transport can be used as a strategy of reducing the traffic congestion where alternatives like cycling, walking, delivery services, car hiring, use of public means and large capacity vehicles can be used in Melbourne as a strategy of reducing traffic congestion. The third recommendation is establishing interchange bridges. Interchange bridges can be established at intersections to help in reducing congestion and its impacts in Melbourne. This can be used as an effective way of solving the problem where “T” road junctions being established. The fourth recommendation is the using smart traffic lights. Using traffic light can help in controlling the traffic flow where effectiveness in the management of traffic can be possible. This solution can ensure that unnecessary congestion is especially at the roundabout and other intersections. These recommendations are discussed in depth in the report and how their implementation can help in reducing congestion is also discussed. Introduction Melbourne is usually a significant town in Australia and is developing at a faster rate, to the extent of being 18% faster regarding growth as compared to the city of Sydney which is largest of all the Australian cities (Downs, 2000). However, this faster growth rate has led to an increase in traffic congestions. These traffic congestions are usually accompanied by various concerns such as the quality of time, fuel economy, and also the safety of the roads. In accordance with the findings concerning the census of total vehicles in this year of 2016 at the first month of January, the findings clearly showed that in Australia there were 18.4million vehicles which were already registered (Mackett & Edwards, 2008). After several years of decline, the sector of public transportation in Melbourne is eventually going up. However, the government of Melbourne has been blamed on the traffic congestions which have been witnessed on various roads now and then. The end results for the poor planning on the issue of Hitachi trains, finally the consequence was that there was a lot crowding. Figure 1: showing traffic volume in Melbourne Source: Mackett & Edwards, (2008). In Melbourne, the traffic congestion has been exhibiting an upward trend where the increased congestion has been associated with the increased population in Melbourne. The ownership of cars in Melbourne has also increased whereby the year 2036, the number of cars in Melbourne is expected to reach 1.1 million where the population in Melbourne is expected to increase to around 7 million by the year 2050 (Bowker, et al. 2007). As a result, there is the need to come up with the best strategies for managing the increasing congestion in the city. The fixation of the transportation in our towns remains to be a challenge that usually faces the people who make policies in Australia. Challenges such as; traffic congestion, transport emissions, and also the booming urban populations are rapidly inserting more pressure on the budget which is made by the government in order to deliver the infrastructure; it is necessary to meet both economic as well as the mobility needs. Moreover, the case of traffic congestions usually affects the growth of an economy. Recommendations Noise barriers Noise barriers can be very important in the process of mitigating the sources of noise from difference transport systems. The residents can of the congested regions be able to be prevented from the noise pollution through the use of noise barrier as they act as the obstacle between the residents and the source of noise making it easy to manage noise pollution. The Noise barriers can be used while considering safety measure, maintenance requirements, public amenities, and the visual requirements. Also, the use of noise barriers has some advantages that can include discouraging trespassing hence keeping people away from roads. There are other countries that have managed to make use of noise barrier in reducing effects of traffic congestion. For instance, noise barrier has successfully been used in America successfully where it has proved to be effective in reducing the traffic noise. Some of the barriers that have been used can include reflective panels and absorptive panels. The use of roadside Noise barriers has proved to be important in reducing the levels of air pollution within a range of 15 to 50 meters from the road where the noise levels can be reduced by at least 50% as compared to the open roads (Clarke & Hawkins, 2006). The adoption of the noise barrier in Melbourne is possible in the transport system conserving the investments that the government has been putting in the transport industry. For instance, the development of infrastructure in the transport sector usually puts Melbourne into a position whereby it can now afford the world class public transport for both the taxpayers as well as the passengers or to come up with a system which can successfully go on with serving a very small population. Moreover, the only issue which is usually frustrating in the public transportation journeys is the wait for the services. This frustrating part is mostly a problem which is experienced during the off-peak times. The majority of the big cities in the world mostly have train services which usually provide services which are frequent throughout the day, thus making the public sector of transportation to look more attractive (Thompson, 2012). Moreover, the train services assist in spreading the peak load. On addition, the systems for transportation which are well operated includes the utilization of buses for collecting people from surrounding areas and therefore take them to the various train stations. The government can be able to implement this strategy through collecting revenues from the road user to assist in developing the noise barrier. Besides, Melbourne has the most fares which are expensive amongst the various capital cities in Australia`s system for public transport. Additionally, if the services provided by the public transport sector were well developed, the majority of the individuals would, therefore, make use of the system (Mackett & Edwards, 2008). Also, it is important to provide enough staffing at various stations, since a well-run system of rail usually provides a certain staff to be in charge at every station for the full time running of trains. Therefore, the government can be in a position to have access enough fund necessary for implementing this recommendation. Improving alternative modes The solution to the increasing traffic congestion in Melbourne can include ensuring that the alternative modes of transport are improved. The development of the alternative transport modes can assist in encouraging people to use the available improved alternative transport modes hence assisting in reducing the number of the vehicle using the roads. The alternative modes that can be developed can include improving cycling, walking, delivery services, care hiring, and use of public means and large capacity vehicles that can accommodate a large number of passengers. Improving these alternative modes of transport can assist in reducing congestion in Melbourne, as people are likely to be interested in using the alternative modes of transport. This can assist in reducing the number of vehicles on the roads hence improving the speed. For instance, reducing the number of vehicles by 5% can assist in improving the speed of vehicles by around 10 kilometers per hour to 20 kilometers per hour (Thompson, 2012). However, the increased population of the vehicles in the roads draws attention concerning the management for the traffic roads in Melbourne in order to ensure that there is no congestion on the roads and if there is, it is quite minimal. Additionally, as a result of an efficient management of the traffic roads, vehicles are now able to operate smoothly at any stretch as well as in various cuts down on both time and cost taken for travel. However, it is quite important for the government to take the necessary control measures and model the policies for transportation in a manner such that the traffic management in Melbourne becomes very crucial in the transportation sector (Mackett & Edwards, 2008). However, there are some improvements which the government has done in the process of eliminating the traffic congestion that can include improving road space, but that has not assisted in obtaining the solution to the high traffic congestion. As a result of many vehicles, it has reached a point whereby the available road space is unable to accommodate the present vehicle population, thus resulting in traffic congestion. Therefore in order to minimize this congestion, then more road space is required to be created thus facilitating an easy movement of the vehicles. Besides, the services which are being provided in the various sectors of transportation such as trains, trams, and also in some of the bus routes are quite poor. Specifically, during the weekends when there is no much competition from the vehicles, despite the factor that there is a high level of traffic congestion, effects from the petrol prices are very questionable. The government of Victoria has eventually set aside finance for developing rail infrastructure in order to ensure that that the crowding which has been experienced during the peak-time has reduced (Thompson, 2012). However, the Victorian government has ignored the necessity for having more services in outside the peak time, in some of the places in Melbourne which are not connected by a network of a train. Also, the government has been setting aside a lot of money for the construction of roads in order to entrench the dependence for cars in the middle places of Melbourne. The majority of the towns in both Europe and Canada, the planners together with the society have been very active in working over the past years trying to arrive at a public transport. This assisted every individual a chance of around the areas even without using a car for traveling. In other cities such as Detroit as well as the city of Los Angeles followed just the simple route in their process of arriving at their ultimate conclusion. However, in Melbourne, the road sector has greatly developed but consequently resulting in pollution, congestion, and also it has caused road trauma which is not acceptable (Mackett & Edwards, 2008). Additionally, a more developed infrastructure in the public transport sector has resulted into even though its utilization is quite poor. Establishing interchange bridges The establishment of interexchange bridges can assist in reducing congestion in roads hence improving the reliability and increase the speed. Interexchange bridge assists in ensuring the connection between major roads like highways. The use of interchange bridges in reducing traffic congestion helps in controlling the access of the major highways through eliminating the possibility of traffic blocking. The interchange bridges can be used in road junctions to ensure the free flow of traffic thus reducing congestion in the roads (Thompson, 2012). Despite the fact that the government is looking for the ways in which to interlink the major roads in order to reduce the traffic congestion, there is the need to ensure that interchange bridges are established. The government should set the traffic management services which are enforced in Melbourne to ensure that the movement of vehicles is not interfered with even during the peak time. The traffic can be better managed through ensuring that the necessary interchange bridges are established in the main highways to ease traffic flow. The major way if encountering the increased demand for the roadways is the introduction of flexible work timing in various parts of the city in order to make traffic easy during the peak time (Downs, 2000). However, the idea of adding more roadways on the already existing roads, it is also important that, an effective management of traffic in Melbourne in the future years. Smart traffic lights Traffic lights can be used in controlling the flow of traffic on the roads where the lighting can be controlled using sensors. The use of smart traffic lights can be one of the best strategies that can be employed in the process of eliminating traffic congestion. Time intervals can be used in the process of controlling the flow traffic at different periods of time. The use of the smart traffic lights can be useful in ensuring that the vehicles are not wasting time while waiting where standard periods need to need to be established to improve traffic flow at intersections. The systems for the traffic signals usually have a significant role in the regulation of the traffic flow (Currie & Lai, 2008). The traffic signals usually act as the primary ways of giving impact to the various principles related to the smart lights that has proved to be effective in controlling traffic congestion. However, the reviews concerning the systems of traffic signals on their performance are crucial in ensuring that the signals handle the traffic conditions efficiently. In case there is no dedicated strategy as well as funding with Vic Roads which review the signals of traffic and also implementing the Smart roads in across the networks, definitely it is then unable to optimize the effectiveness of the already existing roads (Downs, 2000). Recently, the smart roads are mostly used as an important tool which usually helps in the evaluation and the assessment of the development of road projects, as well as the signal reviews which have been already obtained. Moreover, the Vic Roads have approved that it can assist in the process of highlighting the places where the road network is operating sub-optimally. Conclusion The primary aim of the research is to address the increasing traffic congestion problem through providing recommendations for addressing the problem. The traffic congestion problem in Melbourne has been great concerns among planners, economists, and also policy makers as they have been looking for the possible solution to address the downfalls of the recent system of transport. In Australia, traffic congestion has been identified as a major problem to both the road users and the residents. The introduction of an efficient congestion reduction solutions has raised some debate on the best solution to reduce traffic congestion among the transport sector stakeholders. There is the need for ensuring that the suggested recommendations for reducing traffic congestion are given the necessary support. These recommendations will provide our cities with an opportunity to minimize congestions modernize their infrastructure and also assist drive economic growth and thus creating job opportunities. Therefore, successful implementation of the four recommended strategies can ensure that the traffic congestion in Melbourne is reduced. References Bowker, G.E., Baldauf, R., Isakov, V., Khlystov, A., and Petersen, W. (2007). The effects of roadside structures on the transport and dispersion of ultrafine particles from highways. Atmos. Environ. 41, 8128–8139 Clarke, H., & Hawkins, A. (2006). Economic framework for Melbourne traffic planning. Agenda: A Journal of Policy Analysis and Reform, 63-80. Currie, G., & Lai, H. (2008). Intermittent and dynamic transit lanes: Melbourne, Australia, experience. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, (2072), 49-56. Downs, A. (2000). Stuck in traffic: Coping with peak-hour traffic congestion. Brookings Institution Press. Thompson, K. (2012). Melbourne’s Traffic Mess. Speech to the Annual General Meeting. Royal Park Protection Group Inc. Mackett, R. L., & Edwards, M. (2008). The impact of new urban public transport systems: will the expectations be met?. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 32(4), 231-245. Read More

Figure 1: showing traffic volume in Melbourne Source: Mackett & Edwards, (2008). In Melbourne, the traffic congestion has been exhibiting an upward trend where the increased congestion has been associated with the increased population in Melbourne. The ownership of cars in Melbourne has also increased whereby the year 2036, the number of cars in Melbourne is expected to reach 1.1 million where the population in Melbourne is expected to increase to around 7 million by the year 2050 (Bowker, et al. 2007). As a result, there is the need to come up with the best strategies for managing the increasing congestion in the city.

The fixation of the transportation in our towns remains to be a challenge that usually faces the people who make policies in Australia. Challenges such as; traffic congestion, transport emissions, and also the booming urban populations are rapidly inserting more pressure on the budget which is made by the government in order to deliver the infrastructure; it is necessary to meet both economic as well as the mobility needs. Moreover, the case of traffic congestions usually affects the growth of an economy.

Recommendations Noise barriers Noise barriers can be very important in the process of mitigating the sources of noise from difference transport systems. The residents can of the congested regions be able to be prevented from the noise pollution through the use of noise barrier as they act as the obstacle between the residents and the source of noise making it easy to manage noise pollution. The Noise barriers can be used while considering safety measure, maintenance requirements, public amenities, and the visual requirements.

Also, the use of noise barriers has some advantages that can include discouraging trespassing hence keeping people away from roads. There are other countries that have managed to make use of noise barrier in reducing effects of traffic congestion. For instance, noise barrier has successfully been used in America successfully where it has proved to be effective in reducing the traffic noise. Some of the barriers that have been used can include reflective panels and absorptive panels. The use of roadside Noise barriers has proved to be important in reducing the levels of air pollution within a range of 15 to 50 meters from the road where the noise levels can be reduced by at least 50% as compared to the open roads (Clarke & Hawkins, 2006).

The adoption of the noise barrier in Melbourne is possible in the transport system conserving the investments that the government has been putting in the transport industry. For instance, the development of infrastructure in the transport sector usually puts Melbourne into a position whereby it can now afford the world class public transport for both the taxpayers as well as the passengers or to come up with a system which can successfully go on with serving a very small population. Moreover, the only issue which is usually frustrating in the public transportation journeys is the wait for the services.

This frustrating part is mostly a problem which is experienced during the off-peak times. The majority of the big cities in the world mostly have train services which usually provide services which are frequent throughout the day, thus making the public sector of transportation to look more attractive (Thompson, 2012). Moreover, the train services assist in spreading the peak load. On addition, the systems for transportation which are well operated includes the utilization of buses for collecting people from surrounding areas and therefore take them to the various train stations.

The government can be able to implement this strategy through collecting revenues from the road user to assist in developing the noise barrier. Besides, Melbourne has the most fares which are expensive amongst the various capital cities in Australia`s system for public transport. Additionally, if the services provided by the public transport sector were well developed, the majority of the individuals would, therefore, make use of the system (Mackett & Edwards, 2008).

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