For Adelaide to really take off, we need to focus on local connectivity
We can’t wait for the city to come to a standstill before we act, argues Sam Dighton. It’s time to fund and build the transport system that Adelaide needs.
The introduction of several new international flights to and from Adelaide highlights the city’s growing reputation as a destination for tourism, trade and investment. But while Adelaide’s global connectivity is heading in the right direction, the same unfortunately can’t be said for its local connectivity.
The recent 2025 Benchmarking Adelaide report reveals that Adelaide is ranked 12th out of 20 similar global cities for transport and infrastructure, falling behind on measures of congestion, walkability, public transport access and active transport.
Many of our global peer cities are building smarter, greener and more connected transport systems, while Adelaideans are spending more and more time behind the wheel every year – 4 in 5 journeys are made by private vehicle and commute times increasing at a faster rate than in most other Australian cities and beyond.
Adelaide’s long-held accolade of being a “20-minute city” is under threat, with traffic congestion now widespread across the city, with a lower variation between CBD and whole-city congestion than 90 per cent of cities globally.
It now takes longer to drive 10-kilometres in Adelaide than in many comparable global locations. This isn’t just an inconvenience, it’s a growing economic concern.
With car-dependency still high, it’s clear that Adelaide’s public transport system and infrastructure network is not keeping pace with the city’s wider-growth model, a sentiment shared by RAA.
“We need greater levels of investment in road maintenance, better public and active transport options, and we need to align new housing development with existing and planned transport corridors,” says Emily Perry, General Manager Community and Corporate Affairs, RAA.
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“These measures will help ensure Adelaide remains one of the most liveable cities in the world, reduces congestion on our roads and builds safer communities.”
Falling behind
While some progress is being made, our public transport system is simply not keeping up with demand, with reliability, overcrowding, infrequent services and long travel times often the cause of commuter complaints.
Fares also remain high compared to global standards – the average cost to drive and park is only slightly more than the cost to use public transport. Queensland is trialling 50-cent fares. Singapore charges half what we do. It’s no wonder that Adelaide has the lowest public transport use of any Australian capital.
Adelaide’s active transport potential is also not being realised, with the city finding itself at the bottom of the pack for cycling infrastructure among peer cities.
South Australia’s $2m State Bicycle Fund pales in comparison to the likes of Austin which has already committed a total of A$190m to bikeways and urban trails as part of a A$1.8 billion, 2000km cycling network.
As the newly released State Transport Strategy rightly points out, transport is a key enabler of social, environmental and economic outcomes. We need to get it right – and we need it to be properly funded – or it will continue to threaten Adelaide’s reputation as an affordable, liveable and easy-to-get around city, particularly as we are actively trying to attract and retain young people, local talent and skilled workers.
For Adelaide to continue to really take off, we need to stop thinking in single projects and start thinking in networks.
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We need a true metropolitan transport and mobility system that is seamless, sustainable, smart and connected. That means doing the heavy lifting now to avoid heavier costs later.
It means fixing the A$2 billion road maintenance backlog and building out a safe, city-wide active transport grid that connects bike paths, walking paths and allows for other transport modes, including e-scooters. It’s 2025 and we live in one of the nicest climates in the world – we should not be in a position where we don’t have a proper East-West bike path through the CBD.
It means accelerating electric buses and EV infrastructure roll out across metropolitan Adelaide and ensuring increased housing density along existing and extended transport corridors, particularly rail and tram routes.
We should at least be trialling super low fares to see if that will help change commuter behaviour and provide real incentive to get people out of cars and onto public transport.
And it means putting an underground rail network through the CBD and into areas where there is currently no rail, firmly on the table.
It is great to see that this has been included in the 20 Year State Infrastructure Strategy to address capacity restraints of the Adelaide Railway Station and connect all lines seamlessly.
We have the largest tunnelling project in Australia happening right here in Adelaide – the final stage of the North-South Corridor – let’s make use of those skills, resources and equipment while we have them.
All in
Adelaide’s connectivity woes also shouldn’t be left to just state or federal government to address.
The private and civic sectors also have skin in this game. We need coordinated place activation, bold ideas for new cultural and economic icons, and a clear plan for how emerging hubs will thrive. And most importantly, we need to provide Adelaideans with commuter choice.
We can keep tinkering with temporary fixes and hope for the best, or we can double down on deliberate, long-term planning and put some serious funding aside that prioritises connectivity, vibrancy and sustainability.
Let’s not wait for the city to come to a standstill before we act. Let’s properly fund and build the transport system that Adelaide needs to take off.
Sam Dighton is the Chief Executive of the Committee for Adelaide.
