(Information contained in the New City of Hamilton Plan Transport Strategy Discussion Paper) Between 1980 and 1997, the number of cars on Bermuda's roads increased by over 50 percent.

On average, a total of 9,629 vehicles enter the city during the 8-9 a.m. rush hour, of which 65 percent are cars, 32 percent are motorcycles/mopeds and three percent are commercial vehicles. (Source: Symonds Travers Morgan (STM) study, 1997) There has been a two percent growth in the total number of vehicles but a 14 percent growth in the number of cars entering the city in the morning peak hour since 1989. (Source: ADA study, 1989 and STM study, 1997) Approximately half of the cars entering the city in the morning peak hour have only one occupant. (Source: 1991 Census) There is a 16 percent growth in traffic entering the city during school term time. (Source: STM study, 1997) 43 percent of all traffic entering the city in the morning peak hour does so from the south-eastern corner of the city at East Broadway and Cavendish Road.

(Source: STM study, 1997) Approximately 10 percent of the city's area is occupied by car parks. (Source: Department of Planning, 1997) Tackling the traffic problem There are approximately 52 private car parks in the city compared to 13 public off-street car parks. Just outside the city boundary there are 11 additional private car parks and one public car park.

The city accommodates a total of 5,411 car parking spaces of which 1,199 (37 percent) are public off-street, 2,072 (38 percent) are private off-street and 1,340 (25 percent) are public on-street. (Source: STM study, 1997) The city accommodates a total of 2,674 cycle parking spaces of which 1,018 (38 percent) are public off-street, 40 (2 percent) are private off-street and 1,616 (60 percent) are public on-street. (Source: STM study, 1997) Only 11 percent of city employees use public transport to travel to work, nine percent travel by bus and two percent by ferry. (Source: 1991 Census) .

At least 10 percent of the city's land area is consumed by vehicle parking space and 16 percent consumed by road space which is dominated by vehicular movement. Conversely, pedestrian movement in the city is currently limited to a few parks (which comprise a mere three percent of the city's land area) and narrow, cluttered sidewalks.

In 1991, the population of Bermuda comprised nine percent of persons 65 years and over. (Source: 1991 Census) .

In addition, the 1991 census revealed that approximately five percent of the population suffer from a `chronic health condition' which impacts on their daily life (41 percent of whom are 65 years and over, 50 percent of whom are between the ages of 20 and 64 and nine percent of whom are under the age of 20 years) .