The NT TravelSmart Workplaces Project – 2006-2007

Although the Territory doesn’t yet face the same magnitude of transport issues (and parking is cheap) as in other states right now, it can only get worse. Some congestion is already evident during peak morning and afternoon periods on the limited number of key arterial roads in the region. Sole occupancy vehicle trips make up 82 percent of all trips to work in Darwin.

In 2006-07, the Department of Planning and Infrastructure implemented a TravelSmart Workplaces Project.  This project was the Territory’s first official TravelSmart action. The primary objective of the trial project was to reduce individual reliance on the private motor vehicle by encouraging healthy and less greenhouse intensive forms of travel such as walking, cycling, car sharing, car pooling and telecommuting.

Transport Hubs

This first TravelSmart project focused on a total of around 1500 employees in three Government Departments in the transport and working hubs of Darwin and Palmerston.
 
A survey was developed and distributed to all staff within the Departments, via email in order to determine how people travelled to work and whether they were interested in changing the way they travelled.  Most people who responded to the survey were interested in finding out more about alternative transport options such as car pooling, cycling, walking and using public transport. 

One of the interesting challenges for the project was to determine whether TravelSmart programs can influence travel behaviour when some of the key motivators for change, such as traffic congestion and high parking costs, are not generally present.

At the conclusion of the project, a successful TravelSmart Forum was held to discuss transport issues in the Darwin region, links to the environment and health sectors and the results of the NT TravelSmart Project.

The NT TravelSmart Workplace Project was completed in June 2007.  A summary report on the project has been prepared and the results of the project will assist in considering ongoing strategies for travel behaviour change in the Northern Territory.

For further information on the NT TravelSmart Workplace project contact travelsmart.dpi@nt.gov.au