Northern beaches transport forum told Metro trains not planned, but buses and main roads will improve

Passengers hoping for a Sydney Metro line to the northern beaches will be waiting a long time, with the NSW Government confirming its focus is on better bus services.

The Sydney Metro train network will not be extended to the northern beaches despite the area’s chronic public transport and traffic congestion woes, transport authorities have confirmed.

But a one-off transport community forum was told by NSW Roads Minister John Graham that a review of major roads was underway to identify ways to ease local traffic black spots.

NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Transport, Marjorie O’Neill, said there would be a greater push to improve bus services.

The Warringah and Wakehurst Transport and Traffic Forum, held at Manly Leagues Club in front of about 500 locals on Thursday night, was organised by the federal independent MP for Warringah, Zali Steggall, and the state independent MP for Wakehurst, Michael Regan.

It was an opportunity, the MPs said, to discuss the future of public transport and road infrastructure in the wake of the state government’s scrapping of the Beaches Link road tunnel.

A Sydney Metro City and Southwest train travels through the crossover cavern just north of Barangaroo station during testing. The northern beaches will not be included in an Metro extension plans. Supplied

The forum heard that issues contributing to transport problems included congestion “choke points” on major roads; cancelled and late buses due to driver shortages; glitches in bus arrival apps; a lack of bus-only lanes; blurry regulations about e-bike use and; the need for more express city buses.

It was told that the B Line express bus service into the CBD had reached capacity and that more buses were needed, especially to pick up passengers from Dee Why and Manly Vale.

And major improvements were needed to the A8 road corridor between Mona Vale and North Sydney, via Pittwater and Military roads, one of the five most congested routes in Sydney.

Ms Steggall said her recent transport survey in Warringah showed that public transport was the biggest local concern, followed by traffic congestion.

Police at the scene of a motor vehicle accident where a truck crashed into traffic stopped at the corner of Warringah and Pittwater roads, Dee Why. Lobbying efforts are underway to have this intersection upgraded to make it safer and congestion-free. Picture: Braden Fastier

“We know the northern beaches is congested,” Ms Steggall said.

“Residents … rely heavily on private vehicles and public buses for travel. Public transport travel times can be long and unreliable.”

Mr Regan said an “east west” B Line-style service was planned to Chatswood once the new Frenchs Forest town centre was built on the site of The Forest High School.

He was also lobbying for a similar service along Forest Way to the city.

The MP said that recent government figures suggested that it would be 20 minutes quicker for some residents to catch a bus to Chatswood and change to the Sydney Metro — when it opened later this year — to the city than catching a bus straight to the CBD.

Mr Regan was also lobbying the government to increase “affordable housing” to attract bus drivers to live and work on the northern beaches

“One lady told me today, it took two hours to get to work. That’s not cool,” he said.

Mr Graham told the forum that NSW Transport was undertaking a comprehensive examination, after the decision to drop Beaches Link, of key local roads including Spit, Military, Warringah and Pittwater roads.

Traffic congestion on The Spit Bridge will be examined as part of a NSW Transport review of local major roads. Picture: Braden Fastier

“We are particularly focusing in at The Spit Bridge … also on Pittwater Rd at the Office Works site (intersection with Warringah Rd) which is a real choke point,” he said.

“I don’t want to pretend they’ll be easy things to solve either … we’ll be guided by this (review)”.

Ms O’Neill said the government wanted to “get more people on buses”.

“(Buses) are much better bang for your buck than a Metro or a train,” she said.

The B-Line express bus service has reached capacity and the push is on for more services. (AAP Image / Julian Andrews)

She said transport officials would be examining every route to look at how efficiency could be improved, which passengers were missing out and how they could be redesigned.

Ms O’Neill confirmed that a Metro line to Dee Why was not part of any future transport plans for the city.

“So our priority is really around the buses at this point in time and getting people into other modes of transport,” she said.

The panel at the Warringah and Wakehurst Traffic and Transport Forum at Manly Leagues Club, Brookvale, on Thursday. (Left to right) Federal independent MP for Warringah, Zali Steggall; Senior Research Consultant at the Transport Research Centre, UTS, Matthew Hounsell; NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Transport, Marjorie O'Neill, NSW Roads Minister John Graham and; State independent MP for Wakehurst, Michael Regan. Picture: Jim O’Rourke

Other options canvassed at the forum to improve transport and road issues included:

■ expansion of on-demand public buses such as Keoride to suburbs incusing Wheeler Heights and Collaroy Plateau;

■ use of electric “trackless trams” on major routes, which can carry the equivalent of two bus loads of passengers;

■ electronic information boards at bus stops on Warringah Rd and Forest Way;

■ more bus only lanes on routes including Warringah Rd and over Roseville Bridge.