Transport

There are many ways to team up transport in your neighbourhood.

Walking: As well as getting you fit and healthy and get to know your neighbours, walking has been demonstrated to build "social capital". That is, it improves community safety, reduces traffic congestion and boosts local businesses. Besides starting to walk more in your local neighbourhood, you could start a walking action group to survey the area and let your local government know what improvements can be made or families can team up to create a walking bus to take kids safely to and from school. Check out Victoria Walks for more details.

Car pooling: If public transport is inconvenient where you live, it's likely that a number of people in your hood will be commuting separately to workplaces close to one another. Sharing the journey will cut costs, effort and the environmental impact of traffic and pollution. Carticipate is a phone app for car pooling and you can check out more tips for car-pooling on the Shareable website.

Car sharing: You could be "One less car" if you don't have a garage or car space. Our streets are lined with parked cars – with some exploration you could have the use of a car without hassle of owning one. Organise with your neighbours to share a car at the times you need it. To save trouble down the road, it's wise to set out an agreement up front on how you will split petrol, insurance and maintenance costs. You can also look into car sharing iniatives such as GoGet Car Share.

On two wheels: cyclists unite! There are all kinds of local information and maintenance expertise you can peddle, from safe routes and commuting groups to associations and workshops. You could start a bike co-op or bike shed in your local area to share cycling resources. Or how about organising a bicycle skill share afternoon where other local cyclists can share tools, tips and skills such as changing a tyre or adjusting brake pads. Check out your local state wide cycling peak body such as bicycles victoria.