The infrastructure gap that’s stopping residents from walking in Melbourne’s outer-suburbs

Residents in Melbourne’s fast-growing outer suburbs are being forced to use their cars for short trips due to inadequate infrastructure.

Data from Victoria Walks, a walking advocacy group, reveals 40 per cent of residents in Melton, Wyndham, Hume, Whittlesea, Casey and Cardinia don’t walk for transport at all, compared to 32 per cent of all Victorians.

Executive Officer of Victoria Walks, Ben Rossiter, says a lack of footpaths, or poorly maintained footpaths, as well as difficulty crossing major roads, are the “biggest barriers” to walking in outer-Melbourne.

“The data shows people want to walk but they don’t have options to walk,” he told Dee Dee.

“The number of households in outer areas with three or more cars is about five times those of inner-Melbourne. That has massive financial, social and health costs.”

Press PLAY below to hear what the biggest barriers to walking are