FAST corridor: Liverpool Council launches petition in support of bus lanes in centre of airport link road
Liverpool Council has asked its residents to help it petition Transport NSW for centre-of-the-road bus lanes along a proposed rapid transit corridor linking Liverpool to the Western Sydney Airport via Fifteenth Ave.
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A western Sydney council has taken the extraordinary step of launching a petition calling on the state’s transport agency to work collaboratively with the community to deliver fast, reliable public transport.
Liverpool Council is asking community members to sign the petition as it continues work on its proposal for a rapid transit corridor linking Liverpool to the Western Sydney Airport via Fifteenth Ave.
The council voted in May to launch a community campaign to reaffirm its commitment to the Fifteenth Avenue Smart Transit (FAST) Corridor, which would link with bus priority corridors being planned by Transport for NSW for Hoxton Park Rd between Banks and Cowpasture roads.
But the council now holds concerns over Transport for NSW’s preference to create kerbside bus lanes along that stretch of Hoxton Park Rd instead of centre-running lanes.
It argues centre-running public transport has the capacity to be more frequent and reliable, and represents international best-practice.
“Side-running public transport is more likely to come into conflict with other cars, trucks and buses using the road. Centre-running also helps ensure that the transit corridor is future-proofed for new technologies such as driverless electric buses and trackless trams,” the council said on its petition site.
Liverpool Mayor Wendy Waller said it was a “half-baked idea” to push transport lanes to the side of the road.
“Council is literally on the ball and we know what we’re doing,” she said.
“The FAST Corridor is really needed to ensure we’ve got reliable and fairly high-tech transport to the airport so we that we can get people to jobs and to planes without interruption … (and) also to assist residents with their transport needs, so it’s a really important piece of infrastructure.”
Cr Waller said the council was also concerned about Transport for NSW’s plans to restrict traffic movements at the intersection of Hoxton Park Rd and Dorrigo Ave as part of the upgrade.
Businesses at Hoxton Park Shopping Centre are worried patronage will decline due to restricted access.
Cr Waller said it was a “very well-used space” and consultation over the plans were held during a “very quiet period of time”.
A Transport for NSW spokesman said the agency was in discussions with the council on the upgrade and the integration with its Fifteenth Ave proposal.
There was no time frame for the start of work, he said.
“Transport for NSW will continue to work with the community as the project moves into concept design and environmental assessment.”