City of Sydney renews calls for traffic lane removal on Parramatta Rd, Broadway to stop ‘rat running’

A spike in the number motorists using Parramatta Rd as a ‘rat run’ to avoid chaos on the Rozelle Interchange has reignited calls for traffic lanes to be converted into cycleways and tram lines – but business leaders say the move could make the situation worse.

Clover Moore’s City of Sydney has doubled down on calls for less traffic and more bike lanes on Parramarra Rd to combat its use as a rat run, however business leaders say it could make current road problems more chaotic.

The City of Sydney council has launched a fresh bid for Broadway and Parramatta Rd to be converted into a pedestrian friendly ‘green avenue’ in a bid to stop motorists using the roads to avoid the Rozelle Interchange and tolled WestConnex motorway.

As part of its ‘Green Broadway’ vision, the council wants the NSW Government to reclaim traffic lanes for an extension of the city light rail line along with “immediate funding” for footpath widening, cycleways and more zero emissions buses.

But the call has met a mixed reaction from Sydney’s business community amid concerns the loss of road space could exacerbate traffic conditions for motorists.

A concept photos of what a new tram line on Parramatta Rd could look like.

The council’s pedestrian-friendly push has been prompted by the bungled opening of the Rozelle interchange that has resulted in an increase in motorists using Parramatta Rd to avoid bumper to bumper peak hour traffic on Victoria Rd, the Anzac Bridge and City West Link.

The council’s call was made in a submission to a Parliamentary Inquiry which has been launched to investigate the opening of the Rozelle Interchange including excessive peak-hour congestion.

The council argues the “urgent need” to reduce lane space on Broadway would help achieve one of the main goals of WestConnex which promised a 50 per cent reduction in traffic on Broadway and Parramatta Rd.

The council is advocating for more cycle lanes on Parramatta Rd and Broadway.

Business Sydney executive director Paul Nicolaou said building more cycle lanes could cause more problems than the council was hoping to solve.

“We can’t keep building cycle lanes until we review the whole road infrastructure in the CBD because the cycle lanes we have at the moment on Pitt St and Castlereagh St have caused chaos – we should review what we have at the moment before building any more,” he said.

“People aren’t coming into the city because it’s too hard, the bike lanes are taking up parking spaces, the parking costs have gone through the roof and then when you add in the problems from the Rozelle Interchange, getting into the city has become too difficult.”

The council is pushing for more public transport infrastructure on Parramatta Rd.

The council, in its submission to the parliamentary inquiry, has also objected to recently installed signage on Parramatta Road which encourages drivers to use Parramatta Road rather than WestConnex.

“The City of Sydney has major concerns that Transport for NSW is attempting to mitigate the traffic impacts of the failed WestConnex Rozelle Interchange by using key surface main streets as traffic ‘relief valves’,” the council’s submission states.

The Rozelle Interchange has caused heavy peak hour congestion.

“Most notably, these are Victoria Road and Parramatta Road – the two urban spines that the NSW Government stated were to benefit most from the traffic relief promised by WestConnex.

“To achieve this benefit, the NSW Government must reduce the traffic capacity on Parramatta Road and Broadway.”

The government has yet to express any firm support towards funding a light rail line or extra cycle lanes on Parramatta Rd, with a Transport for NSW spokeswoman saying “future plans must consider a range of complex factors, including options for public transport, motorists, pedestrians, cyclists, as well as local residents and businesses”.

“The NSW Government has reinforced its commitment to wide-ranging public consultation well before any future plans are finalised,” she said.

Transport Minister Jo Haylen has previously said the government’s focus was on extending the Parramatta Light Rail to Sydney Olympic Park.

The builder of Sydney’s CBD light rail system Altrac has publicly pledged a willingness to design and fund an extension of the current light rail network on Parramatta Rd.

Duncan Edghill, chief executive of Altrac, said as Sydney’s population grows “it will be unsustainable to have more and more cars on Parramatta Rd” and “light rail will provide an attractive alternative”.