|
Item 11.5
- Attachment 1 |
Detailed
Report - CarShare Scheme in Parramatta City Centre |
CARSHARE SCHEME IN
BACKGROUND
Car Sharing
1. Car-sharing is sometimes called the “missing
link” in the alternatives to the private car. Members can use public transport,
cycling and walking for most of their daily trips, but have access to a car
when required. Car-sharing also
complements taxis, which are better suited to one-way trips and provide an
option for those who are unable to drive, and rental cars which are intended
for longer journeys.
2. The car sharing scheme works by offering
members the use of a car with a hourly fee, this includes petrol, car
maintenance and associated on road costs.
There are a range of levels of memberships, those for occasional,
frequent use and business use. Drivers then book the car online or by telephone
and pick it up at the dedicated parking space.
3. Car sharing provides an alternative transport
option which allows car usage to be managed in a sustainable way. It can
influence car ownership by providing a community resource which is readily accessible
and cost effective. Families can use this service in lieu of a second vehicle
or business can reduce pool vehicles. Car sharing is being established across
Australia (Melbourne, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth) with several
companies working in partnership to make carshare vehicles available to members
in a variety of locations extending the public transport options of members. Carshare
schemes have also been used in private apartments.
4. Car sharing schemes benefit the community by
providing an alternative for occasional short trips. This has the flow on
effect of encouraging a greater use of other sustainable transport modes such
as walking, cycling and public transport. It also encourages people out of
older, inefficient vehicles and into a car that is new, well maintained, safer
and less polluting. More car sharing may result in less demand for limited
parking space, less congestion and fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
Carshare trial in
5. In October 2007 Parramatta City Council commenced
a carshare trial in the City Centre for 12 months. This trial was in
partnership with the carshare provider, Go Get and was funded by a Department
of Climate Change Green House Office grant.
6. Council’s support for Carshare in the Parramatta
city centre is part of Councils long term vision to manage congestion within
the City as the population grows. The City Centre Plan (2007) sets out a 25
year vision for 30,000 new jobs in the Parramatta City Centre by 2031 and an
additional 20 000 residents. The availability of Carshare supports those who
use public transport and may result in increased numbers of public transport
users.
7. Destination 6, of the Parramatta Twenty 25
Strategic Plan is “People and places that are linked by sustainable transport
and communication networks.” Car sharing directly works towards the objective
of providing infrastructure to facilitate the uptake of sustainable transport
modes. This will result in the environmental benefits of a reduction of green
house gases and congestion in the City Centre. The trial is also an identified
action the Parramatta City Council Climate Action Plan.
8. Council provided GoGet with two marked car
spaces for the carshare vehicles, one at Civic Place and one at Church St on
Lennox Bridge. The locations selected
are well served by public transport and within close proximity to commercial
centres to maximise potential use. The
locations are also close to residential areas which is essential for the long
term success of car sharing. The RTA proposed policy ‘RTA Technical Direction Guidelines
for the Implementation of On Street Carshare Parking TDT 2007/04’ was
considered in this process
9. Go Get provided two vehicles as part of their fleet and were
responsible for all running costs of the scheme, including all associated
vehicle costs eg insurance and maintenance; administration of the scheme; and
any other costs incurred in relation to the running of the scheme.
10. This
trial was part of the Sustainable Movement Around Town Project funded by a Department
of Environment and Climate Change grant. The grant provided
$20,000 of credit to new users of carshare in Parramatta of which nearly
$17,000 has been used during the 12 month trial. The balance has been absorbed
by Go Get to cover the initial start up cost of providing carshare into
Parramatta.
11. The
trial has resulted in 72 carshare members making 410 trips using the carshare
cars in Parramatta. On average 1 or 2
members used a carshare car each day to travel an average of 32 km each trip. The cars have been booked for 3,637 hours and
have travelled 13120 km. These figures
show that the carshare trial in the City Centre has been well utilised and may
continue to be so in the future.
12. The
trial has been successful in raising awareness of businesses and residents of
the benefits and ease of use which carshare offers. Council actively promoted
the trial through its sustainable advantage and business networks resulting in
a increase of carshare use by a number of businesses in the city centre. This has
created a strong membership base for Go Get in Parramatta.
13. Go
Get has offered to remain operating in the two current locations until such
time as Council has implemented the carshare policy.
Provision
of Carshare in other Local Government Areas-
|
City of |
· Carshare
is currently on trial · 90
locations have been applied for. · Council
has a carshare policy · Off
street car sharing spaces pay the
parking space levy (approx. $930 per anum) |
|
Leichhardt
Council |
· Carshare
is currently on trial · 6 locations
have been approved · Council
has a carshare policy. · In the
future a fee will be charged for signs · Carshare
will be considered in the next review of planning controls |
|
Manly
Council |
· Council
has invited EOI for a 3yr agreement, reviewed in 1st yr then another
2yr · 2 carshare
locations have been approved |
|
Marrickville Council |
· Support
for car sharing has been passed by Council · Carshare
will be considered in the next review of planning controls · Council
does not have a Carshare policy |
|
Council |
· Carshare
parking is approved for a maximum of three years · 15
locations have been approved · Council
has a carshare policy. · Carshare
vehicles are exempt form resident parking scheme restrictions. · Council
has a carshare policy. |
|
|
· Carshare
was established as a result of a mayoral minute. · 9
locations have been approved · Council
has a carshare policy. |
|
Waverly Council |
· Tenders
are currently being invited · Council
does not have a Carshare policy · 8
locations have been approved · Carshare
will be considered in the next review of planning controls. · A fee
will be considered as part of the current tender process |
|
|
· 5
locations have been approved · Council
does not have a Carshare policy · Council
provides off-street parking allocated for Carshare where a reduced parking
rate is allowed as per the DCP. |
|
Woollahra Council |
· Carshare
is currently on trial · 4
locations have been approved · Council
has a carshare policy · A fee of
$250per sign is charged · Locations
are selected to minimise impact on residents, close to public transport and
not in areas of high parking demand. |
14. As
can be seen from the above table several NSW Councils now have Carshare
policies or are undertaking trials. All Councils subsidise the provision of carshare
by absorbing the costs associated with the provision of Carshare parking
locations.
ISSUES/OPTIONS/CONSEQUENCES
15. To
manage the Carshare parking in the LGA, Guidelines for the Provision of Carshare
in Parramatta have been prepared. (Attachment 2). These guidelines were endorsed by
Council’s Traffic Engineering Advisory Group meeting on the 27 November 2008.
16. The intention of these guidelines is to
support the Councils transport objectives and strategies as set out in
Parramatta Twenty 25 Strategic Plan that
are aimed to encourage the use of public transport and reduce private motor
vehicle usage, which will in turn decrease parking demands, congestion, fuel
consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. It also encourage the use of
alternatives to the private car by providing on-street and off-street parking
opportunities for Carshare vehicles whilst maintaining a balance with competing
parking demands.
17. These guidelines have been developed in
accordance with the “RTA Technical Direction Guidelines for the Implementation
of On Street Carshare Parking TDT 2007/04”.
18. It
is proposed that applications for carshare parking locations are able to be
lodged at any time, on a first in, first served basis. Any carshare provider
may apply for a carshare parking location. However they must first meet the
basic level of service set out in the guidelines as well as provide extensive
documentation on the business practises and environmental credentials of the carshare
organisation. Applications for carshare locations, which meet all criteria
outlined in the proposed ‘Guidelines for the Provision of Carshare
in Parramatta’, will be
submitted to the Council’s Traffic Committee for approval.
19. The
operation of a Carshare scheme is separate from the operation of Council’s
resident or business parking schemes. Carshare vehicles are not eligible for
Parking Scheme Permits of any type. Enforcement of carshare parking will be the responsibility
of Council Rangers as with other parking restrictions. The vehicles allocated to the carshare spaces
will display a Carshare Authorisation and be easily recognisable as a carshare
vehicle.
20. It
is proposed that the Traffic and Transport Section will administer and manage
car sharing utilising the guidelines.
21. Carshare
is included in some Sydney councils DCPs. It is recommended that Council
investigates the inclusion of private carshare schemes within the DCP to reduce
the provision of off-street parking required in new developments.
Consultation
22. The
proposed guidelines have been developed and prepared by the Transport Planning
team in consultation with the Traffic and Transport team who manage Council’s
parking operations. Various other local government carshare policies were
consulted in drafting these guidelines.
TIMING.
23. The
12 month trial of Car Sharing in the Parramatta City centre ended on October 31,
2008. Applications for Carshare Locations and Permits are anticipated to be
advertised in early 2009 and any applications considered by Council’s Traffic Committee for approval in
March 2009.
24. In the interim, it is recommended that Council
give permission to Go Get to continue operating in the two current locations
until such time as Council has considered applications for these spaces as part
of the above process.
FUNDING
25. To encourage sustainable transport in the LGA
it is proposed the Council continue to support and subsidise car sharing in a
similar way to other Sydney Councils. A
fee of $250 is proposed for new car sharing locations which will cover a
portion of the cost of investigation and sign installation of the of the Carshare
Parking locations. An annual fee of $100 will be charged for Carshare Parking
Authorisations. (This fee will be waived if a carshare locations is also being
applied for at the same time.) This fee will be reviewed with in 12 months of
the Guidelines being adopted by Council.
Myfanwy Lawrence
Project Officer – Transport Planning
Land
Use & Transport Planning