Campaigning in the Capital

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) election is on 19 October and voting starts on 8 October.

Infrastructure for walking and wheeling (especially paths) is an election issue in the ACT. Living Streets Canberra, other community groups and individuals, has highlighted the urgent need for action to make our streets, paths and crossings safe, accessible, comfortable and convenient for *everyone*. 

Parties and candidates have been listening, and most have made some promise to improve the situation. To help ramp up ambition, Living Streets Canberra has shared with them key actions needed, and has attended most of the regional candidates forums.

ACT for Safe, Healthy, Active, Inclusive Streets is a shared, non-partisan election platform of priorities developed by Living Streets Canberra. Currently Safe Streets to School in Canberra, Advocacy for Inclusion and Conservation Council ACT Region have endorsed it.

The document outlines six principles for achieving the kinds of streets we want, and a series of ‘asks’ to bring the ACT’s environment for active transport up to scratch. One of the principles and asks is for a clear hierarchy of road users.

At least some media has also been listening. 

A 20-minute section of ABC Radio Canberra’s Mornings show on Friday, 4 October discussed some of the issues and included an interview with Gill King, Convenor of Living Streets Canberra. This followed a text comment relating to a segment on a previous program. (You can listen to the replay, starting with a vox pop at 19 minutes, until Friday 11 October.) There were also a lot of follow-up texts over the remainder of the show. 

It was clear from the vox pop and texts that the mood has clearly shifted a lot since the topic of 30 km/h streets was raised on ABC Radio Canberra’s Breakfast show early last year. A different audience, or are attitudes shifting?

Read the ACT for Safe, Healthy, Inclusive, Active Streets summary: here