What if half the cost of driving was being paid by everyone, including people who don't own a car?

That's one of the surprising findings from University of Queensland researcher Dorina Pojani, who returns to Streets and People to share 2 fascinating studies about the cost of cars and the benefits of protected cycling infrastructure.

Dorina's research reveals that drivers pay approximately half the total cost of Australia's car-dependent transport system, with governments covering the rest. Roads, parking, congestion, pollution and crashes all contribute to a bill running into billions of dollars.

But behind those figures are people whose everyday lives are shaped by the transport choices available to them.

We discuss the challenges facing families in car-dependent suburbs, the additional burdens experienced by people who cannot drive, and the difficult question of how researchers calculate the economic cost of road crashes.

There's also some genuinely encouraging news.

Dorina's research found that protected cycling infrastructure in suburban areas encouraged people to make journeys they otherwise wouldn't have made. Children were among the main users, sometimes cycling alongside their parents on the way to school.

And perhaps most surprisingly, enjoyment and convenience are among the strongest reasons people choose to cycle.

So what could happen if governments reconsidered how transport money is spent? Could we reduce some of the enormous costs of car dependence while giving people more practical ways to get around?

Dorina shares where she thinks governments and planners could begin, and what research is needed to help communities move towards greater transport choice.

It's a conversation about public money, everyday life and the possibilities that open up when we understand the full cost of our transport decisions.

🎧 Listen to The True Cost of Cars Dorina Pojani on Streets and People here.

For more info on our website, go here: https://getaroundcaboolture.au/s3e20-pnp-the-true-cost-of-cars-dorina-pojani/

Listener note: This episode includes discussion of road deaths, injuries and the economic valuation of human life, which some listeners may find distressing.

#CostOfCars #TransportPlanning #TransportEquity #ProtectedBikeLanes #ActiveTransport #SustainableTransport #CommunityVoice #TransportChoice #UrbanPlanning #RoadSafety #StreetsAndPeople #GetAroundCaboolture

What might children notice about our neighbourhoods that adults have learned to overlook?

Urban designer and planner Juan Mullerat has created a children's book about Sam, a boy who discovers his neighbourhood when the family car breaks down and he has to walk to school. Along the way, he notices a broken kerb preventing his friend who uses a wheelchair from getting through, and decides to do something about it.

In this episode of Streets and People, Juan talks about what happens when we encourage children to look closely at the places around them and recognise that they can have a voice in shaping them.

We explore why planners need to speak in language communities can understand, why listening matters as much as explaining, and why conversations about the future of a neighbourhood are valuable long before a new development arrives.

Juan also shares a lovely detail from his book: an ant is hidden in every illustration. He chose ants because they build communities by working together and helping one another.

His message for children, communities and planners is simple and hopeful: get involved. A small change can make a meaningful difference.

Check out our website for more info: s3e19-pnp-small-changes-build-better-communities-juan-mullerat

You can find out more about the book here: https://plusurbia.com/why-we-wrote-a-childrens-book-about-cities/

Buy the printed book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H1WTSXKB

Download the pdf colouring-in book here: https://plusurbia.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/PRINT-BW-From-Wood-Blocks-to-City-Blocks-R18.pdf

Here are the tags and links: Tags: @plusurbia @juan Mullerat

Find Juan here: linkedin.com/in/mullerat

Podcast theme music: Doctor Yes | Yari | Bensound

GetAroundCaboolture.au

#BetterCommunities #UrbanPlanning #CommunityVoice#ChildFriendlyCities #CommunityEngagement #UrbanDesign #CivicEngagement #InclusiveCommunities #StreetsAndPeople #GetAroundCaboolture

What happens to the journeys people want to make, but can’t?

Transport engineer Bridget Doran calls them “trips not made, journeys not taken”. They might never appear in our transport data, yet they can tell us something important about who is able to participate in everyday life and who is being left out.

In this episode of Streets and People, Bridget joins Wendy toexplore accessible transport, disability and the power of lived experience.

They talk about why the stories of people with disabilities matter, how small community groups can build influence by finding common ground with others, and why meaningful change can begin with something as simple as recording what happens on a journey.

Bridget also shares what she has learnt from more than 15 years of working alongside disability advocates, including how one conversation helped change the direction of her own career.

For people trying to make change, Bridget offers an encouraging perspective. You don’t need unlimited time, money or influence. Sometimes your contribution might be telling your story, keeping a notebook, finding an ally, sharing an idea or simply staying interested until you have the opportunity to do more.

And when advocacy becomes tiring, Bridget reminds us to look after the energy that allows us to keep going.

At its heart, this is a conversation about listening to experiences we may otherwise miss, finding people who care about the same things, and recognising that change may already be happening even when we can’t yet see all of it.

As Bridget says, she is “an optimist at heart” and believesthings are going to get better.

#AccessibleTransport #DisabilityAccess #InclusiveTransport#TransportEquity #LivedExperience #CommunityVoice #Accessibility #CommunityAdvocacy #TransportPlanning #InclusiveCommunities #StreetsAndPeople #GetAroundCaboolture

Check out our website for more info: https://getaroundcaboolture.au/s3e18-pnp-journeys-not-taken-together-with-bridget-doran/

Podcast theme music: Doctor Yes | Yari | Bensound