Hi all,
Along with TP’s comments, I wonder if anyone has worked from where the increased traffic is coming, and where it is going?
Are the two places/areas served by public transport by direct route, and not one that goes 20 kms to travel 5 kms either?
I understand the new metro west is going to solve some problems, but will that really solve the issue of Sydneysiders seemingly loathing of PT.
OR is that too strong because there is simply not enough PT to solve those issues.
Bob in Perth
From:tramsdownunder@... tramsdownunder@...> On Behalf Of TP
Sent: Tuesday, April 2, 2024 9:25 AM
To: TramsDownUnder tramsdownunder@...>
Subject: [TramsDownUnder] Re: Up to 4000 new homes at risk: The knock-on effect of Rozelle interchange chaos
They haven't mentioned that the major reason for the congestion is that the project is yet to be completed. The link to the Warringah expressway at North Sydney is still under construction, so north shore bound traffic has to go via Glebe Island and Harbour bridges in the meantime. When that link is open, we'll see how it pans out.
In addition, a lot of the congestion is caused by residents of Balmain and Rozelle driving in and out of their suburbs into Victoria Road when they're generously served by the inner Sydney bus network. In 2032 that will be augmented by a station on Metro West at The Bays, placing much of Balmain and Rozelle within walking distance of a metro station. During the interim, traffic tends to sort itself out. If people find the congestion unbearable, they'll find alternative routes, or they'll catch the public transport they should be using instead of driving the kids to school and the usual stuff.
Tony P
On Tuesday 2 April 2024 at 10:54:41 UTC+11 Greg Sutherland wrote:
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/up-to-4000-new-homes-at-risk-the-knock-on-effect-of-rozelle-interchange-chaos-20240327-p5ffl1.html
of Rozelle interchange chaos
By Matt O'Sullivan https://www.smh.com.au/by/matt-o'sullivan-hvehy
April 2, 2024 — 5.00am
A large Sydney council is demanding that the state’s transport agency stop funnelling vehicles onto Parramatta and Victoria roads, as well as local streets, in an attempt to reduce traffic congestion caused by the Rozelle interchange.
City of Sydney has lambasted Transport for NSW for the traffic modelling it used for the interchange https://www.smh.com.au/link/follow-20170101-p5f1j9 at Rozelle for the WestConnex motorway in Sydney’s inner west, arguing that planning for the multibillion-dollar junction was based on “flawed, outdated approaches”.
The City of Sydney council says Parramatta Road is being used as a “relief valve” for the Rozelle interchange.Credit: Wolter Peeters
The council, which has opposed WestConnex https://www.smh.com.au/link/follow-20170101-p57d9y since its inception last decade, said Parramatta and Victoria roads, as well as streets in Pyrmont, one of Sydney’s most densely populated suburbs, were being used as “traffic relief valves” for the new motorway junction.
“Continued use of Harris Street and Pyrmont Bridge Road as relief valves for the Rozelle interchange puts at risk the 23,000 jobs and up to 4000 new homes in Pyrmont,” it said, because mitigation measures “jeopardise rezoning and development investment in Pyrmont”.
An end to measures that divert drivers onto local streets are among a range of changes the City of Sydney and other councils are demanding from Transport for NSW. Their pleas are outlined in submissions to a NSW parliamentary inquiry into the interchange https://www.smh.com.au/link/follow-20170101-p5f39n , which will hold its first hearing on April 10.
Inner West Council has echoed City of Sydney’s demands that the transport agency stop using “predict and provide” traffic modelling, which they argue is flawed and is likely to lead to investments in poorly planned and designed projects. The “predict and provide” modelling is based on forecasting future demand and then building transport projects to meet it.
Congestion on Victoria Road in Drummoyne during the morning peak has caused significant delays.Credit: Rhett Wyman
Rather, the councils want the agency to use a “vision and validate” approach that decides on the desired future and works backwards to provide the outcomes to achieve it.
University of NSW researcher Christopher Standen said the traffic modelling used for the interchange and the rest of WestConnex had not been “sufficiently sophisticated” to forecast with any accuracy the impacts of such a major change to Sydney’s road network.
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City of Sydney also argues that Transport for NSW made no changes to the project despite an environmental assessment in 2017 indicating that the interchange would lead to traffic volumes 30 per cent greater than Anzac Bridge’s capacity.
The opening https://www.smh.com.au/link/follow-20170101-p5emti of the interchange last November caused severe congestion on roads in Rozelle, Balmain, Drummoyne, Lilyfield and Annandale as motorists struggled to navigate new routes, poor signage and multiple merging of lanes.
Inner West Council, which has long opposed WestConnex, said the primary cause of congestion on Victoria Road was four merge points reducing eight lanes to four within 1500 metres.
“It is essential that analysis be carried out to find out where the traffic is now diverting to and what the implications of this diverted traffic are,” it said in a submission.
Canada Bay Council said the interchange had lengthened travel times on Victoria Road and led to motorists “rat running” through streets in Drummoyne.
Related Article
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/two-way-tolling-on-harbour-bridge-and-tunnel-recommended-by-review-20240308-p5fazv.html
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/two-way-tolling-on-harbour-bridge-and-tunnel-recommended-by-review-20240308-p5fazv.html
Updated
Roads https://www.smh.com.au/topic/sydney-roads-62r
‘Tolls need a big shake-up’: Review calls for no-holds-barred overhaul https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/two-way-tolling-on-harbour-bridge-and-tunnel-recommended-by-review-20240308-p5fazv.html
The council warns that changes to traffic signals and other measures to reduce congestion had failed, and “merely redistributed traffic problems further west” on Victoria Road.
The City of Sydney and Inner West councils have also renewed calls for the historic Glebe Island Bridge https://www.smh.com.au/link/follow-20170101-p55zvp to be restored as a walking and cycling connection between Rozelle and the CBD in a bid to resolve problems they argue are caused by WestConnex.
Transport for NSW said traffic modelling did forecast delays after the opening of the interchange, although travel times on surface roads had since stabilised. “The Rozelle interchange project was delivered consistent with planning approval,” a spokesperson said.
Listen to this article
4 min
A large Sydney council is demanding that the state’s transport agency stop funnelling vehicles onto Parramatta and Victoria roads, as well as local streets, in an attempt to reduce traffic congestion caused by the Rozelle interchange.
City of Sydney has lambasted Transport for NSW for the traffic modelling it used for the interchange https://www.smh.com.au/link/follow-20170101-p5f1j9 at Rozelle for the WestConnex motorway in Sydney’s inner west, arguing that planning for the multibillion-dollar junction was based on “flawed, outdated approaches”.
The City of Sydney council says Parramatta Road is being used as a “relief valve” for the Rozelle interchange.Credit: Wolter Peeters
The council, which has opposed WestConnex https://www.smh.com.au/link/follow-20170101-p57d9y since its inception last decade, said Parramatta and Victoria roads, as well as streets in Pyrmont, one of Sydney’s most densely populated suburbs, were being used as “traffic relief valves” for the new motorway junction.
“Continued use of Harris Street and Pyrmont Bridge Road as relief valves for the Rozelle interchange puts at risk the 23,000 jobs and up to 4000 new homes in Pyrmont,” it said, because mitigation measures “jeopardise rezoning and development investment in Pyrmont”.
An end to measures that divert drivers onto local streets are among a range of changes the City of Sydney and other councils are demanding from Transport for NSW. Their pleas are outlined in submissions to a NSW parliamentary inquiry into the interchange https://www.smh.com.au/link/follow-20170101-p5f39n , which will hold its first hearing on April 10.
Inner West Council has echoed City of Sydney’s demands that the transport agency stop using “predict and provide” traffic modelling, which they argue is flawed and is likely to lead to investments in poorly planned and designed projects. The “predict and provide” modelling is based on forecasting future demand and then building transport projects to meet it.
Congestion on Victoria Road in Drummoyne during the morning peak has caused significant delays.Credit: Rhett Wyman
Rather, the councils want the agency to use a “vision and validate” approach that decides on the desired future and works backwards to provide the outcomes to achieve it.
University of NSW researcher Christopher Standen said the traffic modelling used for the interchange and the rest of WestConnex had not been “sufficiently sophisticated” to forecast with any accuracy the impacts of such a major change to Sydney’s road network.
Advertisement
City of Sydney also argues that Transport for NSW made no changes to the project despite an environmental assessment in 2017 indicating that the interchange would lead to traffic volumes 30 per cent greater than Anzac Bridge’s capacity.
The opening https://www.smh.com.au/link/follow-20170101-p5emti of the interchange last November caused severe congestion on roads in Rozelle, Balmain, Drummoyne, Lilyfield and Annandale as motorists struggled to navigate new routes, poor signage and multiple merging of lanes.
Inner West Council, which has long opposed WestConnex, said the primary cause of congestion on Victoria Road was four merge points reducing eight lanes to four within 1500 metres.
“It is essential that analysis be carried out to find out where the traffic is now diverting to and what the implications of this diverted traffic are,” it said in a submission.
Canada Bay Council said the interchange had lengthened travel times on Victoria Road and led to motorists “rat running” through streets in Drummoyne.
Related Article
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/two-way-tolling-on-harbour-bridge-and-tunnel-recommended-by-review-20240308-p5fazv.html
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/two-way-tolling-on-harbour-bridge-and-tunnel-recommended-by-review-20240308-p5fazv.html
Updated
Roads https://www.smh.com.au/topic/sydney-roads-62r
‘Tolls need a big shake-up’: Review calls for no-holds-barred overhaul https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/two-way-tolling-on-harbour-bridge-and-tunnel-recommended-by-review-20240308-p5fazv.html
The council warns that changes to traffic signals and other measures to reduce congestion had failed, and “merely redistributed traffic problems further west” on Victoria Road.
The City of Sydney and Inner West councils have also renewed calls for the historic Glebe Island Bridge https://www.smh.com.au/link/follow-20170101-p55zvp to be restored as a walking and cycling connection between Rozelle and the CBD in a bid to resolve problems they argue are caused by WestConnex.
Transport for NSW said traffic modelling did forecast delays after the opening of the interchange, although travel times on surface roads had since stabilised. “The Rozelle interchange project was delivered consistent with planning approval,” a spokesperson said.
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* WestConnex https://www.smh.com.au/topic/westconnex-jc0
* Roads https://www.smh.com.au/topic/sydney-roads-62r
* Public transport https://www.smh.com.au/topic/sydney-public-transport-62q
* For subscribers https://www.smh.com.au/subscriber-centre
* Sydney https://www.smh.com.au/sydney-news
* Transport for NSW https://www.smh.com.au/topic/transport-for-nsw-1mwg
Matt O'Sullivan https://www.smh.com.au/by/matt-o'sullivan-hvehy is transport and infrastructure editor at The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via Twitter https://twitter.com/Mattonews?lang=en .