Infrastructure Australia Bypasses Western Sydney.

It looks like the Federal Infrastructure spending announced yesterday, described by the SMH as a 'once-in-a-generation' opportunity, has completely missed Western Sydney as far as public transport is concerned.

It's quite mind boggling actually, considering the growth that Western Sydney is experiencing as both in-fill and green-fields developments. Look at this quote from the Australian Bureau of Statistics:

"Almost all LGAs in Sydney experienced population growth in the year to June
2008. Nine of the ten LGAs with the largest population growth in NSW were within
the Sydney SD. Blacktown (C) in western Sydney had the largest population
increase of any LGA in NSW, up 5,300 people, followed by the adjacent LGA of
Parramatta (C) (4,000 people). Large population growth also occurred in Baulkham
Hills (A) (3,300 people) in the north-west, Liverpool (C) (3,200 people) in the
south-west, and in the inner-city LGA of Sydney (C) (2,500 people). Within the
Sydney SD, LGAs which experienced population decline in 2007-08 were Ashfield
(A), in the inner west, as well as Manly (A) and Lane Cove (A) in northern
Sydney."
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Products/3218.0~2007-08~Main+Features~New+South+Wales?OpenDocument#LOCALGOVERNMENTAREAPOPULATIONS

The State population growth is only 1.1% and the national rate is 1.7%. Most of Western Sydney council areas exceed these rates including Auburn (3.1%), Blacktown (1.9%), Camden (2.2%), Holroyd (2.1%), Parramatta (2.5%) and Baulkham Hills (2%). Blacktown has the largest population, by almost a third again, of any of the councils in NSW, (Blacktown, 291,612; Sutherland is the next biggest with 215, 868).

Given the abandoned and postponed railway infrastructure projects and the huge shift of resources to the inner-city based Metro project by the State, and now, the lack of investment proposed by the Commonwealth, we have to wonder what this will mean for Sydney, Australia's largest and busiest city.

Even bus stops, a microscopic proposal in the scheme of things, couldn't get a go.

At least the urban freeway projects didn't get preference over the public transport infrastructure - but that is hardly anything to celebrate.

It's understandable that Infrastructure Australia won't want to provide funding to projects assessed as deficient, but this "you aren't ready so you miss out" approach is not responsible or in the national interest.

CityRail forced to do more with less

From the Blue Mountains Sustainable Transport Alliance:

Blackheath, along with many other mountains stations, will lose its full time station attendant. Railcorp is going to employ a casual for only 4 hours per day, Monday to Friday, from 5.45am to 9.45am. After that the station will be UNMANNED.

Our station is currently manned by a full time station attendant who is trained to deal with a whole range of issues affecting the station, trains and passengers.

Blackheath station will be unmanned during weekdays from 9.45am onwards. This is bad news for wheelchair users, the elderly and those who have problems with the unreliable ticket machine. This is also bad for tourism.

I have been contacted by several Railcorp sources who told me that a meeting was held yesterday in Sydney where staff were told of the news.

WE NEED TO STOP THIS.

If you are interested in campaigning to keep our station manned please contact me.

Michael Paag
Leave a comment for Michael here or we can contact him for you if you email us at wsbustop@gmail.com

Region 4 - Bus Services in NW Sydney May Be Changing

Region 4 Bus Network - Commencing 11 May 2009

The following is taken from the NSW Bus Network Review Website, about the new bus network for Region 4.

"After community consultation and an extensive review of region 4, a new bus network will be introduced on 11 May, 2009.

Region 4 is bounded by the Hawkesbury River to the north, by Galston and Berrilee to the east, Parramatta and Westmead to the south-east, Box Hill and Rouse Hill to the north-west and Blacktown and Girraween to the south-west.

Region 4 includes the regional city of Parramatta, the major centres of Blacktown, Castle Hill and Rouse Hill, as well as the specialised centres of Macquarie Park, Norwest and Westmead.

Bus services in Region 4 are operated by Hillsbus, operating under contract to the NSW Government. The Ministry of Transport manages and regulates the contracts in each region on behalf of the NSW Government.

Click Here for the final Region 4 - Network Map

Visit Network Review Website for more information on specific suburbs"

What do you think about the changes? Leave a comment below...

June 20 Transport Symposium for Western Sydney Transport Users

AN INVITATION TO YOU

On Saturday, June 20, a Symposium is going to be held to discuss the possibility of forming an organisation to promote the interests of public transport users in Western Sydney.

It will be an opportunity to meet with experienced public transport advocates, transport experts, academics and other people who want to help advocate for a better public transport system.

Would you like to help improve public transport in your area? Can we create a voice for public transport users in Western Sydney? Would you like to be a part of this? Email Hugh or Paul at wsbustop@gmail.com or phone 9687 9669.

Alternatively it would be great if you could do the survey on the left of this blog and leave us your email address so we can contact you.

Western Sydney Community Forum Advocates For Public Transport In Western Sydney - Not The Rozelle Metro

Western Sydney Community Forum (WSCF) is a peak body for the community services sector in Western Sydney. This week WSCF released a statement advocating for a sustainable, integrated transport plan for Greater Sydney and the abandonment of the proposed Rozelle Metro project. If this hugely expensive project proceeds it will burn up the transport infrastructure budget and postpone the development of rail-based transport infrastructure for Western Sydney for decades. Click here to see the full release.

Bus Users In Liverpool Need To Poo Too

New YouTube Video Presentation
George Smith from the Liverpool Transport Taskforce tells us about the campaign to get a toilet for bus users at the Liverpool Interchange and Reporter Rosy Bottom interviews people about their experiences at the Interchange and the need for a toilet there.

PRE-PAY BUSES LEAVE CASUAL USERS IN LIMBO

Action for Public Transport (NSW)
PO Box K606 Haymarket NSW 1240
http://www.aptnsw.org.au

MEDIA RELEASE
27th March 2009

PRE-PAY BUSES LEAVE CASUAL USERS IN LIMBO

Sydney's occasional bus users and tourists will be deterred from using Sydney's buses thanks to Treasury accountants insisting on collecting every last dollar in fares, according to a transport consumer group.

"The city's buses are rapidly going Pre-Pay, which is great for speeding up buses, but it has left the infrequent users in no-mans-land," said Allan Miles, secretary of Action for Public Transport (APT).

"The Sydney fare system should be simple, and market-driven, getting as many people on public transport as possible," Mr Miles said. "Instead, we have accountants running the show, dead scared that somebody might score a free ride!"

Mr Miles said that the complicated fare section system is too difficult for visitors and ticket agents to understand. "Passengers denied entry and sent to an agent could be sold the wrong ticket," he said, "and face a penalty if confronted by an inspector." He said that ticket agents, unlike bus drivers, cannot be expected to know which bus goes to Haberfield, or what the fare is.

"A zone system as used in other cities would be much simpler for everyone," Mr Miles said, "but the government, supported by the Pricing Tribunal, clings to the nineteenth century pay-per-metre-travelled method."

Mr Miles said that alternatives such as zone fares, four-hour tickets or cheaper day tickets were shunned by government because they had "implications for revenue". "Marketing and passenger convenience are alien concepts in Treasury counting houses," he said.

From 6th April, bus passengers in the George Street corridor must have a ticket before boarding a bus at any stop between 7 am and 7 pm Monday to Friday. "APT generally supports this and other pre-pay projects," said Mr Miles, "but some of the rough edges need more attention."

Mr Miles said that many bus stops in George Street had no nearby ticket agents, or the agents were hard to find. "This must be remedied quickly," he said, "particularly at Town Hall and Railway Square."

He said that one solution would be a cheap one- or two-zone all day bus ticket. "But Treasury ears are deaf," Mr Miles said. "They fear people will abuse a cut-price ticket and take an 80 km ride to Palm Beach and back."

"In the meantime," Mr Miles said, "State Transit should promote the existing BusTripper ticket costing $12.70. Most visitors would get their money's worth after three or four rides."

"However, far from promoting it," he said, "State Transit prefers to hide the BusTripper ticket. It is not mentioned among other pre-pay tickets on the glossy George Street brochures, or on bus timetables."

"The timing of the George Street conversion is rather unfortunate," Mr Miles said, "being only three days before the start of the Royal Easter Show, when the city will be crammed with visitors from near and far."

Contact: Allan Miles 9516 1906.

Action for Public Transport (NSW)
PO Box K606
Haymarket NSW 1240
Australia
http://www.aptnsw.org.au