Section 4: Congestion and transport infrastructure development
Most people believe governments should work with the private sector to fund the delivery of new roads and major upgrades to existing roads, with the majority thinking it should be a mix of public and private investment
70% of Australians concerned about traffic congestion; 80% concerned about potential levels of congestion in a decade
54% of North American respondents are concerned about the current levels of congestion
This section looks at understanding people’s views about traffic congestion and attitudes towards transport infrastructure development.
Congestion levels
Population growth is likely to put further pressure on transport infrastructure with the biggest increases concentrated in urban areas including Melbourne and South East Queensland. Over the next two decades, Australia is expected to grow by more than 7 million people. 4 Furthermore, in Australia, road freight is forecast to increase by almost 80% by from 2020 to 2050. 5
In North America, 54% are concerned about congestion now, and even more – 63% – are concerned about the levels of gridlock they may face in a decade. Washington, D.C. is ranked the second most congested city in the country. In 2023, commuters spent an extra 86 hours in the car during rush hour due to congestion.
In Australia, 70% of survey respondents are concerned about current levels of congestion, while 80% fear it will be worse in a decade (Figure 20). In Melbourne and Brisbane concern is the highest where almost half of respondents say they are “completely concerned” about congestion in 10 years’ time and the ability for transport infrastructure to keep pace with population growth.
Population growth 6
2023 congestion level 7
Brisbane
~40%
25%
Melbourne
~35%
26%
Sydney
~25%
30%
Greater Washington Area
~16%
25%
Montreal
~14%
27%
4 Australian Bureau of Statistics. Population Projections, Australia, November 2023 5 Navigating Australia's Freight Future, National Freight Data Hub 6 Deloitte Access Economics (DAE) Sep22 Land Use Forecasts; PSG (Pritchett Steinbeck Group, Inc.), January 2023 release. 7 Percentage represents average additional time (in percentage) lost to traffic in 2023, compared to driving in free-flowing conditions. Source: TomTom data.
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