Estimating the net traffic congestion impact associated with urban public transport – A Melbourne, Australia case study

This paper aims to explore the net congestion impact associated with the entire PT system (including train, tram and bus) using a case study of Melbourne. The methodology used in this study is to contrast the level of congestion in two scenarios, ‘with PT’ and ‘without PT’, using a transport network model. In the ‘with PT’ scenario, the negative effects of PT on creating traffic congestion are taken into account. In the ‘without PT’ scenario, mode shift from PT to car is adopted to represent the positive effects of PT on relieving congestion. Findings show that Melbourne’s PT operations reduce the number of severely congested road links by over 60%. In addition, vehicle time travelled and total delay on the road network reduce by around 48%. The net congestion effect of PT is highest in inner areas where congestion is more severe particularly in peak hours. This study provides important insights into the congestion effects associated with PT in urban areas.