If you are a Hobart resident, you could hardly have missed the traffic congestion problems that have beset the CBD at peak hour in recent weeks. Social media certainly hasn’t and neither has The Mercury, with Hobart traffic generating more stories than the non-events in the lives of the Kardashians.
So how much of a problem is this? The lack of growth in the Tasmanian population and economy has been widely bemoaned by policy makers in recent years. With this situation seemingly reversed for the moment, perhaps this is its consequence. Is the price too high? Having been briefly caught up in some of the thicker traffic, I do feel people’s pain. I am pretty easily frustrated in these situation, which is why I have quickly taken steps to reduce my exposure to them. Increasing the use of my bike was a no-brainer, along with being more deliberate about the times I go to work and return. But I am lucky to have the flexibility to do this. Not everyone does and while I have been able to largely avoid it myself, avoiding the problem doesn’t make it go away. We are still left with the undesirable traffic congestion problem which is harmful to state productivity and our vital tourism industry. As I have alluded to elsewhere, one of the things I love about Tasmania is that it offers so much, but rarely gives me cause to even think about traffic.
Where did it come from?
Aside from economic growth and continued high tourism numbers, a range of things seem to be contributing and everyone seems to have a theory. My suspicion is the eastern shore roadworks are a significant factor, causing a lot of motorists to slow significantly as they pass the area, resulting in significant delays on the bridge, even when there are no accidents or other stoppages. Another factor is the driving behaviour of our motorists. There are a lot of drivers who are continually hopping between lanes and forcing the driver behind them to brake to avoid a collision. While this may seem to be the most minor of delays for the driver behind, the delay caused by having to brake is amplified the more the traffic is backed up. I know we all have to change lanes sometimes to go around a slow moving truck or similar, but there are also those cars who change constantly or deliberately use the wrong lane until the last possible minute when they try to force their way back into the lane they should have been in. This type of driving at the macro scale definitely reduces the speed and fluency of traffic flow.
Whatever the exact cause or causes, there is an air of expectation that the government needs to fix this. And I certainly hope our elected representatives are able to develop a well-considered long term plan for managing continued growth in the future. I am glad the infrastructure minister, Rene Hidding has not succumbed to the temptation to react with any kneejerk policy on the run.
"What is the government going to do?"
But, as we all clamber for the government to fix this, are any of us willing to do anything to alleviate the situation ourselves? I think it is a valid question we have to ask ourselves. Yes we want the problem fixed, but what are we willing to give up? An expensive bypass will be paid for with taxpayer dollars, so are we prepared for cuts to other areas of the state budget to fund it? In the short term, are we each prepared to make more of an effort to reduce the number of single-occupant cars on the road? In recent years, neither environmental nor economic imperatives have been enough to shake our attachment to our personal vehicles, but maybe roadrage will.
As I have said in relation to curbing our awful number of road fatalities, we don’t have to wait for the government to act. It is probably quite possible that the community itself could reduce the number of cars on the road by 20-30% without any incentives or intervention by the government. We simply each have to make more of an effort to carpool, ride bikes and use public transport. Those who live within a few kilometres of town have probably already figured out that it is becoming quicker to walk than drive during peak hour anyway. This rationale could also be extended to people who live a little further away, or adopted by people parking in New Town, Sandy Bay and on the Eastern Shore and walking the rest of the way. Aside from the health benefits, a 40-minute walk to work is a great way to switch on your brain in the morning and I always find I get to work feeling much more productive when I am able to run ride or walk at least part of the way.
For some of us, none of those options are possible. As a partially commercial enterprise, Metro cannot meet everyone’s needs with its bus services, while many people are not just commuting to the city but somewhere beyond. Kids need to be picked up and dropped all over the city at all manner of times. I get that, but if that is you, are you at least willing to stop being the driver who deliberately goes into the wrong lane because it is moving faster and then slows everyone else down when you merge aggressively like a motorised version of Frogger? You can also contribute to the solution by ensuring your driving doesn’t make you a deterrent to cyclists. Every one of us that you scare off the road by driving to close or abusing could be another car to add to the congestion.
My last word
This isn’t to say state and local government do not have a role to play in addressing Hobart traffic congestion. I would hope a long term infrastructure strategy to meet the needs of a growing population as well as short term measures to alleviate the current congestion. But we don’t always have to limit ourselves to the, “What is the government going to do about this?” response. We have a significant capacity to affect the situation ourselves, as long as we have the collective willingness.
So how much of a problem is this? The lack of growth in the Tasmanian population and economy has been widely bemoaned by policy makers in recent years. With this situation seemingly reversed for the moment, perhaps this is its consequence. Is the price too high? Having been briefly caught up in some of the thicker traffic, I do feel people’s pain. I am pretty easily frustrated in these situation, which is why I have quickly taken steps to reduce my exposure to them. Increasing the use of my bike was a no-brainer, along with being more deliberate about the times I go to work and return. But I am lucky to have the flexibility to do this. Not everyone does and while I have been able to largely avoid it myself, avoiding the problem doesn’t make it go away. We are still left with the undesirable traffic congestion problem which is harmful to state productivity and our vital tourism industry. As I have alluded to elsewhere, one of the things I love about Tasmania is that it offers so much, but rarely gives me cause to even think about traffic.
Where did it come from?
Aside from economic growth and continued high tourism numbers, a range of things seem to be contributing and everyone seems to have a theory. My suspicion is the eastern shore roadworks are a significant factor, causing a lot of motorists to slow significantly as they pass the area, resulting in significant delays on the bridge, even when there are no accidents or other stoppages. Another factor is the driving behaviour of our motorists. There are a lot of drivers who are continually hopping between lanes and forcing the driver behind them to brake to avoid a collision. While this may seem to be the most minor of delays for the driver behind, the delay caused by having to brake is amplified the more the traffic is backed up. I know we all have to change lanes sometimes to go around a slow moving truck or similar, but there are also those cars who change constantly or deliberately use the wrong lane until the last possible minute when they try to force their way back into the lane they should have been in. This type of driving at the macro scale definitely reduces the speed and fluency of traffic flow.
Whatever the exact cause or causes, there is an air of expectation that the government needs to fix this. And I certainly hope our elected representatives are able to develop a well-considered long term plan for managing continued growth in the future. I am glad the infrastructure minister, Rene Hidding has not succumbed to the temptation to react with any kneejerk policy on the run.
"What is the government going to do?"
But, as we all clamber for the government to fix this, are any of us willing to do anything to alleviate the situation ourselves? I think it is a valid question we have to ask ourselves. Yes we want the problem fixed, but what are we willing to give up? An expensive bypass will be paid for with taxpayer dollars, so are we prepared for cuts to other areas of the state budget to fund it? In the short term, are we each prepared to make more of an effort to reduce the number of single-occupant cars on the road? In recent years, neither environmental nor economic imperatives have been enough to shake our attachment to our personal vehicles, but maybe roadrage will.
As I have said in relation to curbing our awful number of road fatalities, we don’t have to wait for the government to act. It is probably quite possible that the community itself could reduce the number of cars on the road by 20-30% without any incentives or intervention by the government. We simply each have to make more of an effort to carpool, ride bikes and use public transport. Those who live within a few kilometres of town have probably already figured out that it is becoming quicker to walk than drive during peak hour anyway. This rationale could also be extended to people who live a little further away, or adopted by people parking in New Town, Sandy Bay and on the Eastern Shore and walking the rest of the way. Aside from the health benefits, a 40-minute walk to work is a great way to switch on your brain in the morning and I always find I get to work feeling much more productive when I am able to run ride or walk at least part of the way.
For some of us, none of those options are possible. As a partially commercial enterprise, Metro cannot meet everyone’s needs with its bus services, while many people are not just commuting to the city but somewhere beyond. Kids need to be picked up and dropped all over the city at all manner of times. I get that, but if that is you, are you at least willing to stop being the driver who deliberately goes into the wrong lane because it is moving faster and then slows everyone else down when you merge aggressively like a motorised version of Frogger? You can also contribute to the solution by ensuring your driving doesn’t make you a deterrent to cyclists. Every one of us that you scare off the road by driving to close or abusing could be another car to add to the congestion.
My last word
This isn’t to say state and local government do not have a role to play in addressing Hobart traffic congestion. I would hope a long term infrastructure strategy to meet the needs of a growing population as well as short term measures to alleviate the current congestion. But we don’t always have to limit ourselves to the, “What is the government going to do about this?” response. We have a significant capacity to affect the situation ourselves, as long as we have the collective willingness.