This report presents the results of our eleventh annual review of the Bass Strait Passenger Vehicle Equalisation Scheme. It covers the operation and impact of the Scheme up to (and including) 2006–07.

Transport planner Todd Litman will be in Canberra to share his insights into the changing face of transport. Todd is director and founder of Canada's Victoria Transport Policy Institute and is the author of the Transportation Demand Management Encyclopaedia. Todd presents his case for public transport-friendly cities. He argues that a number of economic, social and technological patterns are emerging that will change and diversify travel demand, weakening the dominance of the motor car. These changes have fundamental implications for the way we should think about transport technology and the ways we plan our transport systems and infrastructure.

• Seminar: The future isn't what it used to be–how technology and society will change the face of urban transport 7 April 2009
  
  other_002_Todd_Litman _Canberra_Futures_April2009.pdf
  (2.04 MB)

This paper was developed as background for the meeting of the Australian Council of Local Government in June 2009. It looks at the economic downturn and its implications for local government and regional economies with particular reference to the Australian Government response.

• The global economic downturn–some implications for Australian local governments
  
  other_005_BITRE_Impacts_of_GED2.pdf
  (288.06 KB)

In undertaking its research, BITRE is often required to estimate the likely consequences of changes in market conditions or potential policy changes. In order to do this, it uses estimates of the likely responsiveness of transport to such changes referred to as elasticities. For example, how is the amount of car travel affected by the costs of running a car, or the price of public transport. To improve how it conducts analysis BITRE has, over the course of many years, systematically collated information on transport elasticity estimates produced by empirical studies. BITRE's database is made freely available here as a resource for transport analysts, policy makers and anyone else interested in transport issues.

• Transport Elasticities Database

This report presents the results of our twelfth review of the Bass Strait Passenger Vehicle Equalisation Scheme. It covers the operation and impact of the Bass Strait Passenger Vehicle Equalisation Scheme for the period 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2009.

This paper discusses high-speed train services. The paper sets out what is meant by 'high-speed', explains the objective of introducing services and sets out where they have been introduced. The paper also considers funding experiences and Australian high-speed train proposals.

• Brief–A profile of high-speed railways
  
  other_001_a_profile_of_high-speed_railways.pdf
  (1.12 MB)