The State Government has awarded another consultancy on Hobart traffic

Consultants have been called in to examine how Hobartians travel and to predict future demand, taking the total spent on congestion reports in recent months to $2.5 million.

Hobart traffic during peak hour. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

A CONSULTANT has been called in gather data on how Hobartians travel and predict future demand in a bid to improve the city’s traffic flow.

Engineering consultants WSP Australia have been awarded a $363,000 contract to update the Greater Hobart Urban Travel Demand Model.

The tender says the work will include updating input data sources, road network and public transport networks to current and future years, and increase the forward forecasting length of the model.

Infrastructure Minister Michael Ferguson said the update was an important piece of work that would inform infrastructure and transport investment.

“The Department developed the Greater Hobart Urban Travel Demand Model in 2011 to forecast future road network needs and test the effect of road and passenger transport network improvements,” Mr Ferguson said.

Infrastructure Minister Michael Ferguson said the update was an important piece of work. Picture: PATRICK GEE

“The model was last updated in 2016 and this next update will use more recent data, including data gathered during the 2019 Greater Hobart Household Travel Survey, to improve the accuracy of future travel predictions.

OPINION: TRAFFIC TUNNEL STUDE REVEALED WHY IT CAN’T BE DONE

“This model helps inform transport improvements across greater Hobart, such as the Hobart Transport Vision projects, the Western Bypass feasibility study and the new Bridgewater Bridge.”

The new contract is in addition to $1.09 million provided to WSP Australia from the Hobart City Deal funding pool to examine peak demand traffic flow on the Southern Outlet.

The tender takes the amount spent on consultants to look at Hobart traffic in recent months to more than $2.5 million.

Professionals Australia, the union representing engineers, has blamed the declining ranks of engineers in the Department of State Growth for increased spending on traffic and infrastructure consultants.

[e-mail]