Success in Brisbane

By Angela Matheson

Large sections of inner city Brisbane were gazetted to be demolished to make way for a ring road in 1987. A group formed in protest, and by July last year, the Campaign Advocating Responsible Traffic won a 10-year freeze on the project.

CART attributes its success to its commitment to a holistic solution to traffic problems. "We had a huge groundswell of support because we wanted to find a real solution", says David Enwich, a member of CART.

"We didn't try to move the ring road to another area of Brisbane. We wanted to address the real issue of transport infrastructure and how it works best for people."

CART searched the world to find alternatives. It has drawn upon progressive traffic-calming policies implemented in European cities and has produced a program for the reduction of traffic and the decentralisation of road infrastructure. "Let us not forget that cities are for people. Cars are supposed to serve us and not the other way round", says Enwich.

CART intends to advocate its policies nationally. n

From GLW issue 12