Warringah’s worst roads revealed: MP Zali Steggall pushes for tunnel after releasing traffic survey
A traffic survey has revealed Warringah’s worst roads – and which suburb’s residents are most attached to their cars.
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The most congested hot spots in Warringah have been revealed by residents in a traffic survey.
Not surprisingly, the Spit Bridge and Military Rd raised the most complaints.
Although people in Killarney Heights and Forestville said their biggest traffic nightmares are Warringah Rd and the Roseville Bridge.
The results from the 1,100 people who responded, also unveiled Warringah’s biggest car users, with 83 per cent of people in Queenscliff and Dee Why choosing to drive, compared with just 60 per cent in Manly and Fairlight.
The survey was conducted by Federal MP Zali Steggall’s team who said that the biggest take away was that people wanted to see the new Beaches Link tunnel built.
“The survey shows that 44 per cent of respondents said that the tunnel should be given the highest priority to help solve Warringah’s traffic gridlock,” Ms Steggall said.
However, she added that more than three quarters of people from Mosman, Neutral Bay, Cremorne, Seaforth and Balgowlah also wanted assurances about exhaust stacks being appropriately filtered to best practice standards.
“The survey results show that congestion around Spit Bridge remains a major issue,” she said.
“I have met with many community groups, received department briefings and written to the NSW Minister for Transport about its progress.
“Release of the Environmental Impact Statement for the Northern Beaches Tunnel was due to be released mid-2019, then late 2019 and NSW Government is now indicating that it will be released later this year.
“It is important that the NSW Government progress the Beaches Link as a matter of priority.”
Ms Steggall added that it is clear that depending on the suburb where you live, your transport habits and traffic concerns change.
For example, the results found people who live in Killarney Heights and Forestville use their car a lot more than people living in Manly or Fairlight because of a lack of public transport options.
For those living from Queenscliff to Dee Why, Forestville and Killarney, more than 50 per cent said they would use the rapid bus service from Dee Why to Chatswood.
She said they also found that people who live in Balgowlah and Seaforth were highly in favour of bike paths to reduce congestion.
“Following this strong community feedback, I will continue to meet with Infrastructure Australia and state government Ministers to advocate on behalf of the Warringah community,” she said.
“Traffic congestion has been raised at numerous State and Federal elections and the subject of many promises but little was being done.
“My team and I recognised this and commissioned the Warringah Traffic and Transport Survey to have detailed understanding of the various traffic challenges across Warringah.”
But State Manly MP James Griffin said it was up to Ms Steggall to secure the funding.
“The tunnel is a priority,” he said.
“Zali Steggall should have used her influence to secure government funding in this budget for the project.
“Zali's supported the tunnel during the election, her survey supports the tunnel.
“We all know it should be built.
“Why hasn’t she gotten any funding for it?
“The NSW Liberal Government continues to work away on making the project a reality, with or without, additional funding from Zali Steggall.”
Ms Steggall said he project cannot progress without the EIS and a proper business case on the tunnel from the State Government.
“As soon as the EIS and business case are available and community consultation has occurred I will be pressing both levels of government to fund and progress the tunnel,” she said.
“My first question in Parliament after being elected was to obtain confirmation from the government of their continued commitment to the project.”
Meanwhile, the NSW Government has also announced huge investments in transport this week, with $25m set aside for a new wharf at Manly and a complete overhaul of the bus network with the B-Line to start running 24/7 and a new rapid bus service from Dee Why to Chatswood.
The Chatswood link was another priority for survey respondents.
Ms Steggall welcomed the moves.
“We are now starting to see some positive action,” she said.
“This week, funding to upgrade to the Manly Ferry terminal and the Dee Why rapid bus line to Chatswood have been announced by the NSW Government. We have also seen the completion of the Warringah Road underpass in Frenchs Forest. This is great progress.”