Action for Public Transport (N.S.W.) Inc.

Introduction

Action for Public Transport (NSW) Inc. is a transport advocacy group which has been active in Sydney since 1974. We promote the interests of beneficiaries of public transport - passengers and the wider community alike.

This submission relates to the draft plan presented at https://our.wollongong.nsw.gov.au/draft-city-centre-movement-and-place-plan, accessed 22 July 2024.

Discussion

Transport connections make Wollongong well-placed to be the focus of the Illawarra region. There are bus services running south both via Primbee and following the main road. There are bus services running west to Wollongong suburbs and running north towards Thirroul. There is a railway with better than hourly services northwards to Thirroul and eventually to Sutherland, Hurstville and Sydney. There are hourly rail services southwards to Kiama. The escarpment to the west and the sea to the east constrain the settled area to a relatively narrow strip which is the best shape to service with a single rail line so nearly everyone lives within reach of public transport.

The main road bypasses the CBD but that is usual and necessary. A wide and busy main road cuts the area it passes through because bridge crossings are expensive and therefore spaced well apart. Hence, modern motorways avoid large dense centres and actually weaken them by making small centres easier to reach.

Yet despite all the CBD public transport, everyone drives everywhere. The best-patronised bus services are the free 55C and 55A loops; the numerous other bus routes are lightly used. One consideration in Wollongong bus services is that before Opal ticketing there were different fare systems for each service provided, a sure recipe for deterring public transport development.

We think public transport ridership should be encouraged. Extra public transport ridership would benefit the Wollongong CBD.

Scope of the study

The area discussed in the plan (see aerial pic on page 72) is almost wholly east of Gladstone Ave and Denison St. It does not include the health facilities centred on Wollongong Hospital and their parking stations.

The exclusion of an adjoining major trip generator could skew the conclusions of this draft strategy.

Clarifications needed

Points in the draft plan that need to be resolved:

• Population and Employment Density: Page 12 states "With more than 700,000 working adults within 1 hour of Wollongong there is a clear need ...". That is about three times the population of Wollongong LGA. The statistic should be clarified or corrected.
• High Street revitalisation: Page 41 cites "The project on Church and High Street in Drummoyne" with a photograph. However, Drummoyne does not have a High Street. The example should be clarified or corrected.

Bus services generally

Bus services easily bleed passengers towards faster private cars. There might be ways to redress the imbalance by speeding-up buses. Perhaps traffic priority could be given to bus services at those CBD locations where buses frequently have to wait before turning right. Additionally, there may be opportunities for bus priority or even for some bus lanes in the CBD, probably at the expense of on-street parking.

Rail services

APTNSW's charter is to encourage public transport ahead of private transport. A rail shuttle service between Thirroul and Kiama, timetabled to fill the gaps between Sydney services, would help Illawarra residents get to the Wollongong CBD without cars. There are several stations which could become bus/rail interchanges, serving the hinterland and coastal areas that are remote from rail stations.

Faster and/or more frequent rail services would be facilitated by rail infrastructure investments. Projects such as the following might be considered:

• A new railway station at Flinders: This was first mooted many years ago. It is mentioned in the 2001 Christie report¹, where it was apparently intended as a relocation of Dunmore/Shellharbour station. Following development in the area, a large number of people would live considerably closer to a Flinders station than either Shellharbour or Oak Flats.
• A new tunnel between Thirroul and Waterfall: This would speed-up trips to and from Sydney. It would also allow heavy freight trains to avoid the Stanwell Park viaduct.
• Track duplication between Unanderra and Kiama: Not warranted yet but may be eventually. Meanwhile, additional passing loops might be needed to run extra rail services.
• Duplication of the Clifton tunnel: Won't be warranted if the Thirroul-Waterfall tunnel is built.

Personal safety

We understand some antisocial behaviour has been noticed near the railway station. This could be a factor discouraging public transport patronage.

Active transport

Public transport should be complemented by high-quality cycle routes from the CBD to reachable destinations such as the main university campus and new developments such as the former Bunnings site.

Crown St shuttle

The draft document suggests (page 47) a light rail shuttling between Wollongong railway station and the foreshore. The only justification is that it would be a high quality public transport route. Presumably the western terminus would be at the low end of Station St. Unfortunately Wollongong Hospital, itself an important destination, would miss out. Walking to the hospital, which is just outside the study area, involves climbing a narrow footpath uphill. So the light rail would have limited benefits. There is no discussion of whether it would be run through the Crown St mall area, which could be unacceptably disruptive.

If a light rail shuttle is constructed, stabling and a workshop will have to be provided for possibly three car-sets.

Parking

According to page 21, there are 4083 off-street parking spaces in the study area. There are many more in the health area around the hospitals. There is some on-street parking in the study area and much more in surrounding residential areas. The draft strategy notes that abundant cheap parking encourages arrivals by car rather than by public transport.

Shoup² argues that a desired quantity of parking should be resolved and it should not be free. Parking should be priced at a level that sees about 15% of it vacant. Of course, the amount charged would vary widely by location and time-of-day; it would probably be free after midnight but could be expensive in business hours.

Conclusion

Much more could be done to encourage public transport than is evident in the draft strategy.

Recommendations

• The health facilities of and around Wollongong Hospital and their parking should be included in the study area.
• Policies to speed-up bus services should be developed and included in the strategy.
• Council should press the NSW government to improve Illawarra rail services, particularly by constructing a new tunnel northwards from Thirroul. Need may arise to connect the Illawarra directly with Western Sydney Airport's freight services.
• Council should encourage the NSW government to proceed with high-speed rail connecting Newcastle, Sydney and Wollongong.
• Council should ensure that Opal ticketing is promoted to Illawarra residents.
• Council should press for adequate policing of the whole study area to control antisocial behaviour.
• The strategy should include an appropriate cycleway network.
• Council should ensure its parking strategy is appropriate for modern conditions.