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Myths about transport

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Common Urban Myths About Transport

Melbourne’s transport plans should be based on fact, not ideology.
---Wayne Kayler-Thompson, VECCI Chief Executive, 2008

For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong.
---H.L. Mencken (1880-1956)

There seems to be a lot of disinformation being put out about transport here in Melbourne.
---Professor Vukan Vuchic, on a visit to Melbourne, 1994

Myths About Freeways

Wrong Ideas About Traffic

• Freeways relieve traffic congestion
• Freeways reduce pollution
• A continuous freeway network will eliminate bottlenecks
• The purpose of freeways is to bypass congested areas
• Freeways are needed for cross-suburban travel
• They're not just freeways, they're Integrated Transport Corridors
• Roads and public transport complement each other - they don't compete
• We need big roads anyway, even for sustainable transport

Wrong Ideas About Economics

• Freeways are for freight, not commuters
• More freeways will promote economic growth
• Freeways are cheap
• The objective of transport planning is providing more mobility

Wrong Ideas About Safety

• Freeways are safer than arterial roads
• Spending more money on roads makes us safer

Myths About Public Transport

"People Won't Use It"

• 'Real' people don't use public transport
• People who own cars won't use public transport
• No-one uses public transport, so it's pointless trying to improve it
• Public transport can't be improved until there's demand for it
• The system is fine: people just have to change their behaviour
• Women's needs are too flexible and diverse for public transport
• Public transport isn't viable in Melbourne because it doesn't snow here

"It Won't Work"

• Public transport can't work unless it runs from door to door
• Fixed rail lines are too inflexible for today's planning needs
• Viable public transport requires high population densities
• Melbourne's outer suburbs aren't suited to public transport use
• Public transport only works for trips to the city centre
• Train lines to the suburbs are pointless, as most travel is local
• You can't take six kids and 10kg of rice on public transport, so it's pointless
• Trams have more greenhouse emissions than cars
• Trams are inflexible and hold up traffic, and should be replaced with buses
• Trams cause more casualty crashes on streets where they run
• Public transport doesn't really save energy
• Public transport can't possibly be as fast as driving
• Public transport is obsolete, and progress demands we abandon it

"We Can't Afford It"

• Public transport is expensive to run
• Public transport is a failure because it requires public subsidies
• More money is spent on public transport than on roads
• We'd have to spend heaps of money on infrastructure
• We can't have Doncaster trains because there's no room for them
• We can't have Rowville trains because there's no room for them
• Public transport is too expensive compared with roads
• We can't improve public transport because we need the money for hospitals
• Public transport makes housing unaffordable
• Bringing back tram conductors and station staff would send fares through the roof
• Heavy rail costs too much; we should build light rail instead
• We can't have airport trains because the Citylink contract forbids it

Misreading What People Want

• Park-and-Ride facilities will encourage public transport use
• Making public transport free will encourage use
• People just want faster and more punctual services; they don't care about frequency
• 'Super expresses' will encourage more public transport use
• Trains and trams are obsolete and should be replaced with Maglev / Light Rail / Monorails / Trolley buses / this year's trendy technology
• Light rail is an effective, inexpensive alternative to new train lines
• Tram passengers benefit from fewer tram stops
• Trams will function better if stops are relocated to mid-block locations
• The purpose of tram priority is to stop trams running late
• If people have to transfer, they won't make the trip
• Smartcards encourage public transport use and reduce fare evasion
• Periodical tickets are inflexible; per-trip fares are better for users
• Multimodal zone-based fares are unfair; we should be charged by distance
• Melbourne's fares are comparatively cheap

Myths About Cars

Cars and People

• Car travel is popular, so we should provide more roads
• The motor car is the ultimate freedom machine

Cars and the City

• Melbourne's outer suburbs are irredeemably car-dependent

Cars and the Environment

• Cars are becoming more fuel efficient
• Planting 17 trees per year will cancel out your car's environmental impact
• It's just as effective to promote carpooling as to provide public transport
• Cars are more efficient than public transport because they never run empty
• Alternative fuels will come to the rescue
• Freeways reduce pollution
• Cars have lower greenhouse emissions than trams
• Cars aren't the biggest greenhouse polluters, so there's no point focussing on them

The Cost of Cars

• Motorists pay more in taxes and fees than is spent on roads
• The only solution to high petrol prices is to cut fuel tax
• Subsidising car use promotes social equity
• Roads cost the government less than public transport
• Small cars are unsafe and should be avoided

Related Myths

Cycling is another form of sustainable transport subject to inaccurate urban mythology. Wheels of Justice have set up this CrankBusters page to debunk the many myths surrounding cycling.

© 2010 Public Transport Users Association Inc. (PTUA), Victoria, Australia. ABN 83 801 487 611.
General copying and distribution on a non-commercial basis is permitted subject to proper acknowlegement.
Authorised by Tony Morton, 247 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, for the PTUA

Last modified: 22 July 2012