A western bypass is Hobart’s best hope

Hobart is unique in forcing bypass traffic through the city centre, isolating the city from its waterfront, damaging rich colonial architecture, impeding pedestrians and inconveniencing cyclists, writes Bob Cotgrove.

NEW DIRECTION: Hobart traffic heads into the city, or right past it. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

On which projects should government focus to stimulate its post-corona recovery?

Projects chosen should be those with the highest benefit to cost ratio.

Foremost is a western bypass around the central area to connect the Southern Outlet, Brooker Avenue and Tasman Highway.

At present all three arterials, together with their cross-arterials from Antill St to Campbell St funnel traffic onto and from Macquarie and Davey streets.

As a result the whole of Hobart’s central road system is clogged not only by city-bound traffic but by traffic trying to bypass the centre to reach other destinations.

Hobart is unique among Australian capitals in forcing bypass traffic through the city centre. This isolates the city from its waterfront, damages its rich colonial architecture, impedes pedestrians and inconveniences cyclists.

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A 2007 study by the Bureau of Transport and Regional Economics put the estimated median cost of congestion in greater Hobart in 2020 at $400 million a year. But it based this on the assumption greater Hobart’s population would fall from 194,000 in 2005 to 192,000 in 2020.

In fact, Hobart’s population has grown substantially since 2005 and is expected by the ABS to pass 240,000 in 2020.

Post COVID-19, several urban trends will be accelerated. Working from home, shopping online, and preference for low density single dwelling residential development will increase.

Almost all of greater Hobart’s population growth, as in other Australian capitals, is in outer suburbs. While trips to the city centre and work trips are likely to decrease, traffic trying to get around the city centre will increase as people make more trips for visiting friends and relatives, going to beaches and recreational facilities and attending cultural and entertainment events.

Those who advocate reducing congestion by improving public transport services fail to consider changed travel behaviour.

Most urban people today work in professional service occupations. The biggest growth of paid employment is women with dependent children.

Women and men juggle work with home and family responsibilities.

Non-work duties, such as dropping children at school and picking them up for haircuts, dental appointments or sport, attending to elderly parents, social contacts and shopping all have to be done on the way to work, while at work or on the way home from work.

Non-work chores are at specific times and can only be done effectively by car.

Traffic along Sandy Bay Road up to Harrington Street. Picture: Zak Simmonds

Public transport is confined to particular points along a linear route and available only according to timetables. It cannot cover areas at all times. Although men are improving their share of tasks, surveys find most non-work duties are performed by women.

Many women approaching middle age find themselves in the double bind of looking after the needs of ageing parents while attending to the demands of their children.

For 60 years, planners, architects and engineers have been attacking car use and advocating a return to high-density living and dependence on public transport.

This concerted attack by professionals with considerable policy power has influenced governments into failing to attend to the growing problem of congestion.

Nowhere have planners’ prescriptions achieved the twin aims of slowing car use and low-density settlement.

Now is the time to deal with reality rather than ideology. Unless Hobart is to be choked by traffic at considerable cost to society and the economy it is imperative that a western bypass, similar to that proposed by former HEC engineer and project manager Tony Denne, begin as soon as possible. Separating through traffic from city-bound traffic in Hobart is not only necessary but inevitable.

Hobart’s Bob Cotgrove is an urban geographer and transport economist.