Urban planning expert says Rozelle interchange working as planned, despite chaos and community outrage

Despite the chaos and outrage over Sydney’s infuriating new interchange, the multibillion-dollar junction is working exactly as it is meant to.

Despite the chaos and outrage over the Rozelle interchange, the new spaghetti junction is working exactly as it is meant to, according to an urban planning expert.

When the new multibillion-dollar tunnel opened last week, it intended to slash travel times between Sydney’s western suburbs and the CBD; but, instead, it has caused commute times to blow out.

This is thanks, in a major part, to a bottleneck that has formed as 10 lanes of traffic are forced to merge into four lanes to cross the Anzac Bridge.

Traffic has been in chaos with commuters adapting to road changes since the opening of the Rozelle Interchange. Picture: Richard Dobson

From the moment it faced its first peak hour rush on the morning of November 27, the final stage of the massive WestConnex development has been marred by controversy – from confusing road signs to unbearable congestion that triggered orders for overnight emergency works.

Even Aussie comedian, and local, Rebel Wilson has lashed the interchange, claiming the new junction increased her commute out of the peninsular from 15 to 90 minutes. More recently, she told her social media followers she had to book a helicopter to get to work.

But University of New South Wales urban transport and planning expert Christopher Standen says while the chaos might not have been part of the plan, the “spaghetti junction” is working exactly as planned.

“I doubt the government intended to cause chaos, but they would have expected it,” Dr Standen said.

More than that, he wrote in an opinion piece for the Sydney Morning Herald, Transport for NSW not only expected but “intended” for there to be lengthy queues when the Rozelle interchange opened.

Because, he explained to news.com.au, the interchange was designed to “give priority to toll-paying traffic arriving at the Anzac Bridge via WestConnex”.

“To achieve this, the government decided to restrict traffic arriving at the Anzac Bridge via the existing City West Link and Victoria Road,” he said.

In short, as Dr Standen surmised in his opinion piece, to allow WestConnex traffic to flow freely, traffic coming from anywhere else but WestConnex “had to be throttled”.

Commutes have blown out for hundreds of Sydneysiders using the Rozelle interchange – despite the promise of the WestConnex development slashing times. Picture: Richard Dobson

In fact, Dr Standen says the congestion is part of a plan to ease congestion through a phenomenon called “traffic evaporation”.

Traffic evaporation works to change drivers’ travel behaviour by exposing them to unbearable conditions – like congestion – either by changing when or how they commute.

“Sitting in congestion is unpleasant, so people change their travel behaviour in all kinds of ways to avoid it,” Dr Standen said.

“After experiencing or hearing about the extreme congestion on Victoria Road and City West Link last week, some drivers will now leave earlier or later to avoid peak times.”

He said some will choose alternative routes, drive less, take public transport, make fewer or shorter trips, work from home or shop locally. Or, long term, they will move to be closer to work or enrol kids in nearby schools.

Rozelle and Balmain locals have taken to social media, between venting their rage over the congestion, to suggest travel alternatives to beat the traffic – from taking the ferry from East Balmain, to take light rail, or cycling to and from the office.

And on Thursday night, more than 300 residents of Sydney’s Inner West attended a fiery snap public meeting at Balmain Town Hall to discuss the “disaster”.

Inner West mayor, Labor member Darcy Byrne, told the meeting that council would immediately form a panel of community experts to scrutinise problems caused by the new interchange, The Guardian Australia reports.

Queues along Victoria Road – the main thoroughfare in and out of the Rozelle-Balmain peninsular – stretched back to the Iron Cove Bridge. Picture: Richard Dobson

But Dr Standen said whether or not drivers will change their behaviours depends on how long they can put up with congestion, or if and how much they are willing to pay to avoid it.

“It comes down to cost, mostly. Those who are willing or able to pay will use toll roads. Those who are not willing or able to pay will use free roads or drive less,” he said.

“It has to be remembered that driving is just a means to an end – to get to places. Few people drive just for fun, especially in a congested city. If more attractive and convenient alternatives are provided, most people will use them.”

The researcher also warned that relying on traffic evaporation to ease congestion can backfire, and risks “induced traffic growth” by virtue of increasing a road’s capacity.

But Dr Standen said there can “never be enough space for everyone to drive wherever and whenever they want in free-flowing traffic.”

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Originally published as Urban planning expert says Rozelle interchange working as planned, despite chaos and community outrage