Rapid population growth in Ipswich is increasing demand on the corridor to Springfield – a nearby major activity centre.
The Queensland Government expects the population of the Ipswich Local Government Area to more than double from 222,000 residents in 2019 to 558,000 by 2041.
The Centenary Highway is a strategic road connection between Ipswich and Springfield, passing through the growth area of Ripley. The City of Ipswich forecasts the number of daily trips on the highway to grow from approximately 7,500 trips in 2016 to nearly 40,000 trips by 2036.
Existing public transport options between Ipswich and Springfield are not competitive with car travel times. Bus trips take between 1.5 to 3.5 times longer than the fastest on-road route.
The 2019 Australian Infrastructure Audit found that public transport service levels and access is lower in Australia’s outer suburbs and regional centres. This results in lower public transport mode share, and a reliance on cars in these areas. Without action, people who live in these areas will continue to be reliant on their cars.
Potential options to address the proposal include:
- enhancing the existing road network
- optimising the existing bus network
- increasing bus service frequency and coverage
- providing other public transport modes, if there is sufficient demand.
Proponent to identify and analyse potential investment options (Stage 2 of Infrastructure Australia’s Assessment Framework).
The Australian Government has part funded for the development of an options analysis study as part of the South East Queensland City Deal