Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads
Strategy Development and Implementation

Task:

The Department of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR) established the Brisbane Airport Task Force (BATF) in October 2007 to identify and recommend short-term actions to improve travel into and out of the airport precinct.

BWH was appointed to develop and implement a communication program to raise awareness about all travel options to the airport precinct and increase the number of Airport precinct workers who carpool or catch public transport to and from work. The program also addressed the need to increase awareness of the long-term travel improvements currently under construction to improve traffic congestion into and out of the airport precinct.

Communication Initiatives:

  • Creation of a centralised information hub – the Airport Your Trip website.
  • DL flyers, a media release and a Christmas prize promotion directing traffic to the website were developed.
  • Identification and briefing of key stakeholders about the website and BATF’s activities.
  • Development and distribution of travel plans highlighting public transport options for people to access the airport from major centres around Brisbane and South East Queensland.
  • Development of a unique Brisbane Airport Tripper (BAT) carpooling and sustainable travel initiative to encourage workers to carpool or catch public transport.

Evaluation and Outcomes:

  • Distribution of 15,000 Christmas promotional postcards resulted in a 17 percent increase in website hits in December 2008.
  • Airport workers catching the Airtrain increased by 16 percent from 2006/07 to 2007/08 and 19 percent from 2007/08 to 2008/09.
  • An extended airport bus services trial made permanent based on increased patronage figures.
  • Use of an alternate driving route to the airport precinct that was promoted on the project website and in flyers increased by 38 percent from November 2007 to April 2008.
  • Almost 150 airport workers have registered for the BAT program to date, cutting their vehicle travel by 170,000 kilometres and greenhouse gas emissions by over 56 tonnes.