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

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#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

Sometimes, belonging to a place is something you feel beforeyou can put it into words.

In this episode, Jeni Cross explores what happens when theplaces we live, move through and care for become part of who we are. She shares the personal experience that first made her realise how deeply her body could miss a landscape, and the question that changed how she thought about belonging: “Where does the land know you best?”

Jeni talks about what happens when communities grow and familiar places disappear. A local shop can be more than a shop. A market can be more than somewhere to buy food. A garden, a footpath, a creek or a patch of native plants can become a place where people notice one another, help oneanother and build a sense of belonging.

We also talk about the surprising value of reciprocity, through the story of a logger who cuts down trees for an elderly neighbour and receives a homemade blueberry pie in return. The pie is worth far less financially, but that is not what makes the exchange valuable.

Jeni shares stories from her own family, including how heruncles returned from war and spent a year working on the family land and with the animals. We explore what can be lost when people cannot put down roots, and the small ways people can still create connections with place even when they do not own a home.

There are ideas here for all of us: walking, cycling, growingsomething, noticing the seasons, caring for a small patch of land, talking to neighbours, or simply finding somewhere we can contribute.

And for planners, Jeni has a simple message: talk to peopleabout what makes a place special. Then think about how we can protect those qualities and help people connect with each other and with the place they share.

A hopeful conversation about home, belonging, community and the small things we can do to care for the places that care for us.

#StreetsAndPeople #JeniCross #PlaceAndCommunity #SenseOfPlace #Belonging #Community #UrbanPlanning #ActiveTransport #Walking #Cycling #PublicTransport #Placemaking #PeopleAndPlace #CommunityConnection#TransportPlanning

Check out our website for more info: https://getaroundcaboolture.au/place-and-community-connection/

Podcast theme music: Doctor Yes | Yari | Bensound

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What if traffic lights could see people walking and riding as clearly as they see cars?

Traffic signals shape our everyday journeys, yet most of us rarely think about the technology behind them — or who that technology is designed to respond to.

In this episode, Wendy talks with traffic signals specialist Christian Chong-White about what happens inside an intersection. They explore why pedestrians can be left waiting, why a six-second crossing can feel very different depending on who you are, and how better detection technology could help traffic signals respond to the people actually using them.

Christian also shares a personal story about his children walking to school and the concerns he had as a parent crossing a busy road.

From scramble crossings and pedestrian detection to the power of simply reporting a problem, this conversation offers a different way of looking at traffic signals — not just as traffic management, but as an opportunity to make our streets work better for the people who use them.

And perhaps the most encouraging message is that change doesn't always have to start with a major project. Sometimes it starts with noticing something, asking a question and speaking up.

#TrafficSignals #RoadSafety #ActiveTransport #PedestrianSafety#Cycling #WalkableCommunities #Transport #UrbanDesign #TrafficEngineering#SafeStreets #CommunityVoice #StreetsAndPeople #GetAroundCaboolture#TransportInnovation #BetterStreets

Check out our website for more info: https://getaroundcaboolture.au/traffic-signals-christian-chong-white/

Podcast theme music: Doctor Yes | Yari | Bensound

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What if changing a single word could help save lives?

Most of us have heard road crashes described as "accidents". But what if that language shapes the way we think about road safety, responsibility and the choices we make every day?

In this People and Projects episode of Streets and People, award-winning transport journalist Laura Laker shares the story behind the Road Collision Reporting Guidelines and explains why more thoughtful language can lead to more thoughtful conversations.

Together, we explore how the stories told by journalists, police and public agencies influence public understanding, why context matters just as much as the collision itself, and how small changes in communication can encourage safer streets for everyone.

This conversation isn't about blaming drivers or pointing fingers. It's about recognising that every road collision affects real people, real families and entire communities. It's about asking better questions, understanding the bigger picture and believing that road trauma is not something we simply have to accept.

Whether you're a journalist, transport professional, councillor, planner, advocate or someone who simply wants safer streets for your family and neighbours, this episode offers practical ideas that can change the way you see road safety.

Because when we change the conversation, we create opportunities to change outcomes.

Guest: Laura Laker – award-winning transport journalist and creator of the Road Collision Reporting Guidelines.

Here are the guidelines: https://www.rc-rg.com/guidelines

To read Laura’s blogs: https://lauralaker.substack.com/ and https://shows.acast.com/streets-ahead

To connect with Laura: https://bsky.app/profile/lauralaker.bsky.social

Check out our website for more info: https://getaroundcaboolture.au/road-collision-reporting-laura-laker/

Podcast theme music: Doctor Yes | Yari | Bensound

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#RoadCollisionReporting #RoadSafety #LauraLaker #Journalism #Transport #ActiveTransport #Walking #Cycling #VisionZero #SaferStreets #StreetDesign #TransportPlanning #Community #PublicHealth #RoadSafetyJournalism

Every journey tells a story about the places we build and thecommunities we create.

In this episode of Streets and People, we explore how transport shapes everyday life, from the choices people make to the opportunities available in our suburbs. Through a thoughtful conversation grounded in research and real-world experience, we look beyond roads and vehicles to ask what helps people feel connected, included and able to participate in their community.

Whether you work in transport, planning, local government or simply care about creating places where people of all ages and abilities can thrive, this episode offers practical ideas and fresh ways of thinking about the future of our streets.

If this conversation sparks an idea, we'd love to hear from you. Is there a transport topic you'd like us to explore, or someone you'd like us to interview? Your suggestions help shape future episodes.

Learn more about Jonathan Bray

Report:

Decarbonising Suburban Transport https://jonathan-bray.com/decarbonising-suburban-transport-ways-of-thinking-and-acting

This is the Sound of the Suburbs https://jonathan-bray.com/this-is-the-sound-of-the-suburbs-2

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-bray-28807414

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jonathan-bray.bsky.social

Listen to more Streets and People episodes

Website: GetAroundCaboolture.au

To find out more about this episode: https://getaroundcaboolture.au/suburban-transport-jonathan-bray/

Follow Get Around Caboolture

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/get-around-caboolture/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StreetsandPeoplePodcast

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/getaroundcabooltur.bsky.social

Podcast credits

Host: Wendy Nash

Guest: Jonathan Bray

Theme music: Doctor Yes | Yari | Bensound

#StreetsAndPeople #Transport #UrbanPlanning #PublicTransport #ActiveTransport #HealthyStreets #PlaceMaking #Community #Walkability #Cycling#RoadSafety #Accessibility #LocalGovernment #Planning #Australia

Parking affects far more than where we leave our cars. Itinfluences our main streets, local businesses, public transport, shopping centres and the way our communities grow.

In this episode of Streets and People, Wendy Nashspeaks with urban planner Dr David Mepham, author of Rethinking Parking: Planning and Urban Design Perspectives, about why parking reform matters and how parking decisions shape the places we use every day.

David explores why people often have such strong reactions to parking, the impact of minimum parking requirements, how shopping centres and railway stations have evolved, and why understanding lived experience leads to better planning decisions.

Along the way, he shares practical examples from projectsincluding the Gold Coast Light Rail, discusses the unintended consequences of park-and-ride facilities, and reflects on a simple experience—pushing a friend's stroller—that changed the way he thought about planning.

Whether you're interested in transport, urban planning, localgovernment or simply curious about why our towns and cities look the way they do, this conversation offers practical insights into creating places that are welcoming, functional and enjoyable for everyone.

Check out our website for more info: https://getaroundcaboolture.au/parking-reform-park-ride/

Podcast theme music: Doctor Yes | Yari | Bensound

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#ParkingReform #UrbanPlanning #TransportPlanning #StreetsAndPeople #Podcast