The CoA City User Profile reports that public transport is the most commonly used mode of transport to the city, followed by driving and walking.

“Visitors” does not include those who live, work or study in the CoA. Total exceeds 100% because survey permitted multiple trip responses for one journey, e.g. public transport, drive, Park and Ride (both)

[3] City of Adelaide. (2023). City User Profile 2023.

There is a sustained shift in modal choice by city visitors*. The share of people using public transport is increasing[4].

Additionally, the majority of public high school students in CoA catch public transport to and from school[5].

Totals exceed 100% because survey permitted multiple responses. An increase in travel by car in 2023 could be a result of greater use of park and ride or park and walk options.[6]
* Visitors does not include those who live, work or study in the CoA

[4] Adelaide Economic Development Agency & City of Adelaide (2024). Retrieved from: https://d31atr86jnqrq2.cloudfront.net/AEDA-Activity-Report-Q2-2024.pdf

[5] City of Adelaide. (2024). School travel safety reviews.

[6] City of Adelaide. (2023). City User Profile 2023.

Benefits

Research shows that cities with high public transport mode share are more likely to experience the following key benefits[7]:

	Urban liveability and accessibility Improved access to key employment centres, services and entertainment. Reduced time lost to travel, and more reliable journey times. Places are more likely to be designed for people, as less road space is required for private vehicles.
	Environmental Reduced carbon emissions, and improved air quality Reduced noise pollution Higher likelihood of meeting climate goals.
	Economic Decreased congestion, resulting in less travel time for users, including freight and essential services Improved connection to employment Time spent on public transport can be more productive.
	Equity and Health Lower isolation and improved mental health outcomes Lower stress associated with time on public transport Public health benefits with higher levels of active travel for access to and from stops / stations Increased mobility and social participation for older adults Greater transport choice for all.

The CoA strategic objectives support increasing public transport mode share to create a network that is inclusive of all ages and abilities.

More people using public transport means fewer private vehicles on our roads. This results in lower congestion, emissions, and better place, environmental and economic outcomes for our city.

Cities with more available transport choices provide people who don’t have access to a car with the opportunity to complete multiple tasks within a single journey made of multiple trips.

[7] BMC Public Health (2018), Built & natural environment planning principles for promoting health

[8] Benchmarking Adelaide (2023), Committee for Adelaide

Challenges and issues

Adelaide is lagging in the shift to sustainable modes due to several challenges:

Operational

• Bus and tram delays resulting from public transport not always being prioritised above general traffic (e.g. traffic signal phasing and dedicated bus lanes)
• Low service frequencies outside peak periods
• Conflicts with vehicles, both parked and turning, due to the high number of properties requiring access.

Infrastructure

• Poor interchange and door-to-door experience, including congested, unsheltered waiting spaces and narrow footpaths.

Safety and social inclusion

1. Safe and efficient access to and from public transport stops and stations is not always prioritised. This includes no or misaligned crossing points between stop pairs, lack of wayfinding and insufficient queuing space for people waiting conflicting with other path uses.
2. Personal safety issues stem from a lack of night-time infrastructure such as lighting and CCTV at stops, and lower service frequency after dark resulting in passengers often waiting longer at stops.
3. Public transport is vital for social inclusion and accessibility, to cater for an ageing population, people with disability, and for children to get to and from school, and for recreation and social purposes.

Connectivity

• Coverage within the CBD forces people to walk long distances or change services through inefficient transfers. It is common to require two or even three changes of service to reach a certain part of the city.

• All trains terminate at Adelaide Train Station in the north-west of the CBD, whilst trams terminate in the northern section of the CBD.
  
  

To achieve our vision for the future of Adelaide, there is an opportunity to develop a reliable and frequent public transport network, with a positive door to door experience, that can enable greater transport choice for our community.

Three key strategic moves have been identified to realise this opportunity:

	Improve public transport infrastructure Upgrade infrastructure to prioritise public transport efficiency, interchange experience and pedestrian amenity along key public transport corridors within the City. This may include provision of more comfortable and weather protected stops and interchanges, formalised and safer crossings and prioritisation of public transport movements over general traffic (e.g. dedicated bus lanes and traffic signal priority).
	Enhance public transport customer experience Create safe, comfortable and attractive urban environments along key public transport corridors and better integrate active transport and micro mobility trips with public transport to support a multi-modal network with great door-to-door user experience.
	Advocacy and partnerships with State Government Opportunities exist for the CoA to advocate for and partner with State Government to investigate improving existing public transport corridors (e.g. Currie-Grenfell bus corridor), create new light-rail connections within the City and to adjoining inner suburbs (e.g. Prospect, inner East and the Airport) and improve network-wide integration between transport modes. CoA could also advocate for improvements to public transport through increased off peak service frequencies.

Case Study: Wellington, New Zealand

Wellington has very similar characteristics to Adelaide’s bus network – high accessibility, but low uptake. About 97% of Wellingtonians live within easy walking distance of a bus stop, but only 37% of people use the bus when travelling to the central city in the morning. This results in around 70,000 bus trips per day, with nearly a third for education.

It was identified that travel time reliability in the city centre was becoming less predictable and that improving this would support uptake, and make buses more attractive than driving. A Bus Priority Action Plan was developed to will make bus trips more reliable and faster on the busiest routes in Wellington. Recommendations in the Plan included:

• Bus lanes, clearways and transit lanes
• Traffic light timing changes to prioritise buses
• In-lane bus stops (the bus stops in the traffic lane to pick up/drop off)
• On-street parking adjustments
• The spacing and quantity of bus stops.