First Tracks Laid On Richmond Line Duplication

The first track has been laid as part of Stage 1 of the $230 million Richmond Line Duplication project.

The rail duplication, the new carpark at Quakers Hill and the Quakers Hill Station redevelopment are part of the project.

Construction is due to be completed in late 2011.

Construction on the new station at Schofields began earlier this year. The new Schofields Station will include a commuter car park, lifts, a bus interchange, taxi zones and kiss-and-ride facilities.

To see pictures of the building in progress click here

To read the Minister' full press release click here

Save Our Buses group at Westfield for the Transport Symposium

TRANSPORT SYMPOSIUM 2010 on August 7

Members of the Save Our Buses Mt Druitt and Surrounding Areas were at the Westfield shopping centre last weekend to let people know about the WSPTU Transport Symposium coming on August 7 (see the links on this page on the left-side menu).

Planning Parramatta - Whitlam Institute Event

Good afternoon Western Sydney Public Transport Users,

The Whitlam Institute is co hosting an event next week in Parramatta that we thought that you and your networks may be interested in. There are three forums in total, but it is the second forum on Urban Planning that would be of particular interest.

We would be very appreciative if you could circulate this information to your networks.

The Whitlam Institute and Riverside Theatres are presenting a three course banquet of erudition and revelry on Crime, Punishment & Urban Planning in NSW as part of ParraMac, Parramatta’s celebrations of the bicentenary of Lachlan Macquarie’s Governorship of NSW.

SECOND COURSE A Dog’s Breakfast or a Moveable Feast? Should Parramatta be torn down and redeveloped from scratch?
7pm WEDNESDAY 28 JULY, $15.00
A forum on the future of Greater Sydney’s urban design and planning with Bob Meyer, Director of Planning, Cox Richardson Architects and Planners, Philip Thalis, founding principal of Hill Thalis Architecture + Urban Projects and Elizabeth Farrelly, author and Sydney Morning Herald columnist.

Governor Lachlan Macquarie had big plans for Parramatta. Come along to this forum to hear some of Sydney’s best and boldest architectural and urban planning thinkers debate ideas about population, sustainability and the modern city.

VENUE: RIVERSIDE THEATRES, CNR CHURCH & MARKET STREETS
BOOKINGS: 02 8839 3399 WWW.RIVERSIDEPARRAMATTA.COM.AU
MORE INFORMATION: http://www.whitlam.org/the_program/the_grand_macquarie_feast

Many thanks!

Amy


Amy Sambrooke
Communications Officer
Whitlam Institute
within the University of Western Sydney
Parramatta Campus
Ph: 02-9685 9072
Email: a.sambrooke@uws.edu.au

New Metrobus Network - including Western Sydney

Metrobuses are a new idea for the way in which bus services are designed and delivered. The buses themselves are branded differently, by being painted bright red and labelled as Metrobus, they are often bigger, extended buses, high frequency (therefore no timetable needed) and the routes are designed differently.

Unlike the traditional design for suburban bus routes, the Metrobus routes traverse across a number of popular areas and centres. The traditional style routes tend to work on a 'radial' design, where they start in a quiet, residential area and head into a busy centre, for example a train station or shopping centre, where they terminate.

The Metrobus network has been trialled and introduced in Eastern Sydney since 2008. You can find information about them on 131500 click here

Here is a map of the proposed new Metrobus routes click here

It appears that the new Metrobus network has great potential to provide a quality service on the important north-south connections that Greater Western Sydney really needs and that people have been calling for, for a long time.

Here is an excerpt from the Minister's Media Release:

The Metrobus network will be expanded across Sydney, with the number of routes increasing from five to 13 and the first new service starting in less than three weeks.

Eight extra Metrobus routes will be rolled out over the coming 12 months, providing 400,000 additional bus passenger spaces a week.

The expanded network will reach:
• Parramatta, Bankstown and Liverpool in the west;
• Hornsby in the north;
• Castle Hill and Baulkham Hills in the north west; and
• Hurstville and Sutherland Shire in the South.

Metrobuses run seven days a week, with a 10 minute frequency during peak periods, every 15 minutes during the weekday off-peak, and 20 minutes in the evening and on weekends.

Around 380 bus drivers will be rostered on each weekday to run services across the expanded 13 route Metrobus network by the middle of next year.

More than 4.5 million passengers caught a Metrobus since the services were introduced by the State Government in late 2008.

For the full media release click here

FAIRFIELD INTERCHANGE UPGRADE

Minister for Transport John Robertson visited Fairfield Station to announce a $5.5 million upgrade of the Fairfield transport interchange.

“There will be more room for buses, taxis and cars dropping off and picking up passengers from the station and more shelter to protect people from the sun and the rain.

“The new bus interchange on the western side of the station will include new bus bays, expanded waiting areas for passengers and new shelters.

“Dedicated taxi and kiss ‘n’ ride areas will be provided on both sides of the station, along with improved signage and bicycle facilities," said the Minister.

For the full release, including a diagram, CLICK HERE

Human Rights Commission - Bus Stop Guidelines

The Human Rights Commission has proposed a set of guidelines for assessing the accessibility of bus stops.

http://humanrights.gov.au/disability_rights/transport/Bus_Stops_Guidelines.doc

The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 made it an offence to discriminate against people who have a disability. The Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002 were developed to inform public transport providers and operators with clarity over the level of service they were required to provide to enable people with mobility constraints to access public transport. According to the Standards all bus stops are supposed to be made accessible by 2022.

There are about 10,300 bus stops in Western Sydney. At this time it is not known how many of those bus stops meet the accessibility standards.

There has been a very inconsistent approach to the provision of bus stops in Australia. This undervalues the importance that bus stops can have on the experience of using the bus system. A poor experience using bus stops can give people a negative impression of the bus system and turn people away from using buses. And while accessibility is of prime importance, information, comfort and safety also effect the passengers' experience. We should be looking to make sure all bus stops are accessible, have good information and provide good safety and comfort for passengers.

Parramatta Lord Mayor's Transport Forum

The Lord Mayor of Parramatta hosted a forum focussing on transport issues at the Sebel in Parramatta today.

The main issues raised were:
* The importance of Parramatta as the second city of Sydney and the potential of Western Sydney to outgrow the established, pre-1948, Eastern Sydney in the near future.
* The importance of consolidating the idea of the City of Cities with good transport connections between the Western Sydney cities, Parramatta, Penrith and Liverpool and the other regional and specialist centres such as Campbelltown, Blacktown and Macquarie Park.
* The determination of Parramatta Council to advocate for the completion of the Epping to Parramatta Rail link.
* Many people from the Epping and Carlingford area spoke to advocate for better transport connections into their area.
* The importance of including Parramatta and Westmead in the 'Global Arc' of Sydney.
* The importance of establishing strong governance and funding structures at the state level to ensure that long-term plans are made and enacted.

From a WSPTU perspective, it was disappointing that there was no talk about local transport or thinking about building transport from a household level. It was all infrastructure, lines on maps and 'big picture' stuff . The Shadow Transport Minister did, however, reinforce the Opposition's pledge to increase funding to Community Transport. She also spoke very favourably of the work of Community Transport which was not mentioned by anyone else.

Here is a link to the Lord Mayors Column

Parramatta City Council Transport webpage

Council's "Destination Parramatta" webpage

Parramatta Twenty25 Plan - Dreaming Parramatta