Sydney needs a planned, sustainable, integrated transport system that provides for public transport as well as for the needs of pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. This requires an integrated transport blueprint with a single State transport authority to co-ordinate services.
The Federal Government’s “Sustainable Cities” House of Representatives report, tabled in September 2005, shows the way forward for our cities in key areas, including planning, building design, energy, water and, importantly, transport.
The report, which received bipartisan political support, stressed the critical role that an accessible and sustainable transport system plays in maintaining Sydney’s economic, social, and environmental security. The report identified light rail as an overlooked mode of transport, despite both its health and economic benefits.
In Sydney, investment in toll roads has taken precedence over public transport. Despite urban consolidation policies, public transport infrastructure has been allowed to decay. “Just add more buses” is the State Government’s response to Sydney’s increased demand in public transport, and the Government is failing to provide a long-term solution.
Sydney is the nation’s global city and it drives the economy with over 350,000 people working in the city. It generates $63 billion in economic activity. If we fail to address Sydney’s transport problems, congestion and travel times will increase, and Sydney will lose investment, jobs and economic growth.
An integrated traffic and transport blueprint that co-ordinates all modes of transport services is critical for the secure future of greater Sydney. There should be one authority charged with co-ordinating all transport, including roads, as part of a planned and well-integrated transport network.
In Parliament, I voted for the long-delayed T-card system for public transport, which will integrate ticketing for all transprot across Sydney, and improve travel times, accessibility and affordability.
Clover Moore MP
It is hard to realistically expect the implementation of an ITS when you see such poor management at the micro level of the existing resources and opportunities around us. Sydney buses now queue up daily the length of the harbour bridge waiting to squeeze into the bottle neck that is Wynyard, and its limited drop off sites on one side of the road. Meanwhile single occupancy cars pass by, and indeed challenge for space around the CBD. Bike lanes are really poor, and despite Kent street getting a token lane set up shortly, the much discussed track from Milson’s point up to Lane cove is still at design stage. Buses and train timetables make it hard to stagger your day (avoid rush hour) because they dry up by about 7.30pm.
These are 3 (of many) examples of relatively minor items that could be addressed without a radical ITS and yet in the 10 years I have been in Sydney – nothing has happened. It has all just got slowly worse.
An integrated transport system is great notion – London is a fine example of how it can be done even in a developed city (the Oyster card system is superb). The propblem is that it takes the kind of will and commitment only likely to occur if state and federal government work out that the car is not part of the solution. No evidence of this to date and the ‘more buses’ club can only be used so often.
Finally there is something for the commuter to contribute. They need to understand that there is a real limit to how many people can travel into a city in individual transport. And we have hit it. The only option is to put people into more efficient transport movers (trains/buses/ferries) or take them off the road (walk/cycle). This realisation needs to coincide with real alternatives and unfortunately for many, particularly in our West – there is none.