The Inner Sydney Transport Challenge

It is the also the most important tourist destination in Australia, with the seven most popular international tourist destinations in the country and two-thirds of the total tourist accommodation in the Sydney region.

The 1990s saw unprecedented growth:

• Employment in the CBD rose from 200,000 to 260,000, or by 30%
• Sydney City (old boundaries) had the fastest population growth of any Local Government Area in the country in the 1990 s
• International tourism to Australia doubled, with almost half of all arrivals coming through Sydney airport.

While Sydney is Australia's largest and most dynamic city, it is also our oldest. Sydney's harbour-side charm and narrow streets provide a unique environment but also pose a major transport challenge.

The limited space in the CBD and indeed throughout the inner suburbs makes Sydney particularly vulnerable to traffic congestion. As people have returned to the city, and as activity increases, our growing reliance on the car is threatening both the quality of life and economic efficiency.

A new integrated transport strategy is needed to address this challenge. Sydney needs a world class transport system if it is to remain a world class city. While there are important transport needs across the Sydney region, the specific characteristics of inner Sydney demand a particular response for this important area.

A Little History

In common with many other cities ranging from Brisbane to London, the trams were removed in the 1950s under the prevailing philosophy of car-based transport, and replaced with buses which were considered more flexible. However even today, State Transit Authority buses carry fewer than half the number of people once carried by the trams. Indeed, the buses both suffer from and contribute to growing road congestion.

Many other cities around the world have come to regret removing their trams, and have begun to re-install them in the form of modernised light rail systems. Examples range from Paris, London and Strasbourg, to Philadelphia, New Orleans and Pittsburgh. Other cities, such as many of the rapidly growing metropolises in Asia which never had trams, have installed totally new systems.

This follows a world wide trend to recapture the cities for pedestrians and to improve environmental quality and urban amenity, which have been eroded under the onslaught of ever rising traffic. Light rail and tramway systems are seen as having the capacity and environmental benefits to revitalise on-street transport networks, and to complement underground or in some cases overhead rail based systems in larger cities.

Sydney now stands at a crossroads. With over 0 billion invested in motorways in the last decade, Sydney has not solved its rising traffic problem. Indeed, this has helped encourage a mode shift away from public transport, walking and cycling, and fuelled growth in traffic. This has been exacerbated by a rapid rise in car use and car ownership, with record car sales in the last few years.

Most transport commentators have concluded that the trends in Sydney are undesirable from an environmental, social and economic perspective, and are unsustainable into the future. A shift in the balance of our transport investment is now urgently required.

Transport Systems are at Capacity

• Traffic in the inner suburbs has grown by 20% since the late 1980 s, not counting traffic on new roads such as the Eastern Distributor and M5 East. While these roads have provided relief on certain parallel routes such as Bourke and Crown Streets, they have increased traffic generally and encouraged a shift away from public transport.
• CityRail patronage also increased sharply in the late 1990 s, with morning peak exits at the seven CBD stations increasing from around 108,000 in the early 1990s to around 130,000 after 2000.
• Bus patronage on State Transit Authority buses has increased from around 170 million p.a. during the 1980s and early 1990s to around 190 million now.

• Travel speeds in the CBD are low. While the Cross- City tunnel will provide some relief, the relentless growth in traffic is likely to erode these benefits over time unless measures are taken to limit traffic and shift some trips to public transport, walking and cycling.
• Rail lines are expected to be at peak capacity by 2015 _ 2020 when additional trains from the Eastern Suburbs, Southern Suburbs, South- Western Suburbs and North-Western Suburbs will use up the current (limited) space capacity and that to be added by the clearways program and the addition of the Epping _ Chatswood line. The longer term answer will be the addition of a new north-south rail link through the CBD from Central to Chatswood. This will however mainly assist longer distance travellers from the middle and outer suburbs.
• Platforms at Town Hall in particular are close to capacity in peak periods and there is limited capacity to improve this until a new north-south rail line is built through the city.

• Streets in the CBD, particularly the key north-south streets, are clogged with buses. Notwithstanding the introduction of bus lanes, bus speeds are below 10 kph between Central and Circular Quay in peak periods, tying up hundreds of buses and drivers every morning and evening.
• There is also a lack of space for bus layovers. Already State Transit buses occupy large amounts of space at Circular Quay and the Queen Victoria Building. The situation is compounded by the rise in the number of private buses entering the city from the north. Lack of space at Wynyard (and now around the Queen Victoria Building) is forcing more and more of these buses all the way up George Street to Central.
• Travel times are unpredictable and bus bunching frequently occurs, meaning that a service with a nominal frequency of 10 minutes effectively can become 20 minutes. Bus travel times from Central to Circular Quay can be up to 35 minutes despite the introduction of bus lanes. There have been many reports of insufficient capacity on the bus system in recent years, and of passengers left at the roadside unable to board overcrowded buses.
• The large number of bus routes through the city makes the system difficult to understand, even for regular users, but more particularly for tourists and other visitors.

Environmental and Health Issues

Mobile sources account for almost half of the emissions of volatile organic compounds, 80% of nitrogen oxides, and almost 20% of particulates. Diesel-powered vehicles in particular contribute to nitrogen oxides and particulates emissions, as well as being a major source of air toxics such as Xylenes, Toluene, Styrene, PAHs, Formaldehyde, Ethylbenzene and Benzene.

Concentrations of these chemicals are a particular issue in inner city streets where large numbers of buses operate, and where the highest concentrations of pedestrians occur.

In addition, buses are a major source of noise in the CBD and along major arterials. With 7,400 State Transit Buses alone, as well as increasing numbers of private buses and tourist coaches driving through the city daily, the amenity of the city is significantly impacted.

At a wider level, there is growing concern at obesity and its related health effects in Australia. Whereas public transport trips almost always involve a walking component (half of all walk trips are associated with a public transport trip), car trips act as a substitute for walking. The high and growing volume of traffic on inner city streets has all but made cycling impossible except for a few isolated locations where cycle paths are available. There is an urgent need to increase the amount of space available for both pedestrians and cyclists and to improve the amenity and safety for those engaging in active transport.

The City of Sydney is developing a cycling strategy to assist in this regard, and some steps have been taken over the years to close selected streets in the city to traffic, including Martin Place, Hay Street, and the Pitt Street Mall. However Sydney lags well behind leading cities overseas, which have up to four times more pedestrianised streets than Sydney.

It is interesting that many of the cities which are leading in this respect also have major tourist industries. If Sydney is to maintain its international appeal, it will need to keep up with other world cities or face the possibility of losing valuable tourist revenue, including from the growing conference tourism and business tourism markets.

The importance of improving pedestrian space, safety and amenity is underlined by the fact that there are 550,000 pedestrian trips daily in Central Sydney, and that these make up 85% of all trips.

Future Growth in the Travel Task

• Tourism is already recovering, with visitor arrivals now at record levels and hotel occupancy running at high levels
• Residential construction has continued at a high level, although somewhat lower than in the height of the boom. The Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources (DIPNR) forecasts population in the City of Sydney (new boundaries) will grow from 140,000 to 180,000 or by 30%.
• There are signs of a resurgence in office occupancy rates and interest from developers in office construction. There are currently over 700 sites in the CBD capable of redevelopment which could produce an additional 2 million sq. m. of floorspace, not including recently announced office development at the Darling Harbour East wharves.

• Employment in the CBD is expected to grow by 20% by 2021
• Population in the inner suburbs is also expected to grow by 20% in that timeframe
• These growth rates will be even faster under the Parramatta Road scenario, which assumes accelerated growth in that corridor. Very significant growth is also expected in the southern corridor between the city and the airport.
• Sydney as a whole is expected to grow from 4.1 million to 5.9 million by 2051 (44% growth) on the medium migration scenario (DIPNR 2004).

• 22% in trips between Central Sydney and areas outside it (including both inner and outer suburbs).
• 32% increase in internal travel within the CBD.
• 25% increase in the overall travel market to, from and within Central Sydney to almost 2 million trips per day (by all modes).

Implications of Business as Usual

• Traffic will continue to grow rapidly, congestion will worsen and travel times will increase.
• Public transport will become more crowded and less efficient. The number of buses entering the CBD will rise. Already there are 7,400 STA buses entering or leaving the CBD daily. This would rise to around 9,400 by 2021 to cater for growth and a small increase in mode share.
• The city's accessibility and amenity will decline.

Sydney's main competitors are overseas world cities, rather than regional centres in NSW or other State capitals. Modern financial and other businesses can readily relocate to cities which offer the best overall business climate and quality of life, the key to attracting and holding staff in a globally competitive world.

As London discovered, there are long-term costs of inaction on transport. Their response has been to introduce a congestion charge to free up the city, improve its amenity, and to encourage a shift to public transport. Sydney will need to be pro-active if it is to compete with other global cities.

Integrated Transport Strategy

• To enhance Sydney's role as Australia's economic powerhouse.
• To cater for future growth in travel demand whilst minimising the adverse congestion, environmental and health impacts of travel.
• To increase the share of trips by walking, cycling and public transport and reduce the share by car.
• To improve the efficiency and appeal of the public transport system for Inner Sydney and the CBD.

• To increase the space available for pedestrians in the CBD and inner city.
• To provide a network of safe cycling routes throughout the inner suburbs and CBD enabling cyclists to access regional cycleway connections as well as major activity generators such as universities, employment concentrations, major recreational facilities and retail centres.
• To increase the capacity of the on-street public transport system linking the inner suburbs to the city centre by at least 35% by 2021 and 60% by 2051.
• To reduce bus congestion and impacts by reducing the number of buses entering the CBD daily by at least a third, and the number of buses travelling on key north-south routes through the city centre by at least 50% by 2021, compared with the business as usual scenario.
• To improve cross-regional public transport services throughout the inner suburbs, to allow more local trips by public transport rather than by car.
• To manage demand for private car trips through the use of demand management measures.

• Development of a Light Rail network in the CBD and on key corridors linking to the CBD from the inner suburbs to the Inner Western, Southern, South- Eastern and Eastern suburbs. The network would be provided with a high level of traffic priority using a combination of exclusive lanes where possible, and signal priority at intersections.
• Re-organising certain bus routes over time to act as feeders to the light rail network, and to improve cross regional services.
• Improving the integration between all modes of transport through improved interchanges, integrated ticketing and fares, and real-time information
• Limiting parking levels in the CBD for commercial purposes and providing incentives to developers to minimise the amount of parking provided for new development generally in the city.
• Providing additional park and ride opportunities at strategic locations on the light rail network in the inner suburbs to encourage car drivers to undertake part of their journey by public transport.
• Developing a network of cycle routes through the CBD linking with regional cycle routes to allow access to key activity generators and to residential areas. This would take advantage of the creation of additional space when the light rail network is created
• Providing additional footpath space in city streets and other key streets with high pedestrian concentrations.
• Adding at least 1 km of pedestrianised streets in the city centre to further enhance amenity and safety in the city.
• Supporting the development of demand management measures such as car sharing schemes and by providing individualised information to people on their travel choices.