Peak-hour commutes improving on the northern beaches according to new stats
Despite growing frustration from motorists, morning peak hour travel times heading towards the city — along the section of Warringah Rd that includes the new hospital at Frenchs Forest — have improved.
Manly
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MORNING peak hour travel times for motorists heading towards the city along the section of Warringah Rd that includes the Northern Beaches Hospital at Frenchs Forest have improved in the past year.
New figures show that in May it took an average 5.3 minutes to drive the 3.5kms between the Allambie Rd intersection at Beacon Hill to Brown St, Forestville between 6am and 10am.
Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) figures exclusively revealed to the Manly Daily show that in May last year, it took 5.5 minutes to travel the same stretch of Warringah Rd during the morning rush hour.
The improved travel time comes as residents and motorists complain that the $500 million construction of the upgraded road network around the hospital was leading to choking congestion.
But at the same time the RMS data also showed that on the afternoon trip home on the same stretch of road, travel times between 3pm and 7pm, had increased slightly from 4.6 minutes to 4.9 minutes.
And people driving east past the hospital in the mornings had to spend longer in the car with times up from 5.3 to 5.4 minutes.
Currently about 80,000 vehicles per day use Warringah Rd between Forest Way and Wakehurst Parkway.
RMS researchers found that on Warringah Rd, between Allambie Rd and Pittwater Rd at Dee Why, the morning peak driver towards the CBD dad jumped from 5 minutes in May 2017, to 8.3 minutes in May this year.
The figures also showed that for the Pittwater Rd/Condamine St corridor, between the Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation at Balgowlah and Anzac Ave, Collaroy, travel times into the city in the morning rose from 12.8 minutes last May to 13.1 minutes this year.
An RMS spokesman said that during the upgrade work officials were actively monitoring the road and transport networks to minimise disruption for motorists.
“The NSW Government is making major investments in public transport and roads on the northern beaches, with the new hospital precinct at Frenchs Forest the key focus,” he said.
“Roads and Maritime acknowledges there will be short term pain for long term gain, particularly with the Northern Beaches Hospital road upgrade.”
RMS encouraged motorists to allow additional travel time while the upgrades are carried out.