Newsletter February 2025
Presidents Message
Once in a generation “Roads Act Review”
WalkSydney will be part of the reference group advising the Roads Act Review. I am encouraging you to take a look at the package - and if you have time complete the survey. It’s our opportunity to tell the Government how hard it currently is to make our streets safer, walkable and liveable. It shouldn’t be this hard for the community to get a safe crossing (including signals with a signalized crossing on all legs), a wider footpath or reduce the speed limit. TfNSW have also provided a summary of the information in an issues paper.
At its core, the reform should create laws prioritizing and simplifying the government’s role in meeting the needs of people walking, people riding and local Community uses. Roads are for people, not just cars.
We want to hear from you! Reach out to us at contact@walksydney.org and tell us what you think, we have a great opportunity to speak directly to the team shaping the Roads Act Review recommendations.
WalkSydney social event - Cooks River Alliance Wurridjal Festival
Join us on Saturday April 5 for a walk and talk to socialise, meet members and learn about the Cooks River. We will let you know the details closer to the date, keep an eye on our social media.
Sydenham to Bankstown train shutdown / Metro upgrade - supporting people walking to bus stops and local places
I live in Campsie and am directly impacted by the Sydneham to Bankstown rail shutdown. I regularly walk or ride to the Canterbury and Campsie Stations, so I have firsthand experience of accessing the new rail replacement bus stops. To get to the Canterbury Station bus stop you need to cross Canterbury Road, the waiting time can be up to 3-4 minutes, that’s too long – see the photo below for reference. We know that when people are forced to wait too long… they cross. Walking is natural, it’s normal, waiting at signals for several minutes twice a day when you have no other option is unacceptable.
Knowing that TfNSW was obliged to assess the impacts of buses on road traffic, there are hundreds of pages on assessing bus impacts on car drivers. I wanted to know how TfNSW had considered the needs of people walking and accessing bus stops? Did TfNSW also think about people like you and me who are using public transport every day, who now have to add an extra 5 minutes to our extended journey time waiting to cross roads and streets to access the bus-train replacement bus stop?
In December I asked TfNSW for 3 points:
Modelling or analysis of pedestrian crossing wait times at signalised intersections along these roads near the listed stations.
Plans or recommendations aimed at minimising waiting times or improving pedestrian flow at these intersections.
Evaluations or impact assessments of any changes implemented at these signalised intersections as part of preparations for the rail corridor shutdown.
TfNSW responded saying
“it occurs to me that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the requested information may exist and be held by TfNSW.”
“Regarding Point 1, I am informed by the relevant Subject Matter Expert from the Network Operations team in OCG that no pedestrian modelling was commissioned nor undertaken for any of the signalised intersections. As no modelling was performed, no modelling analyses of those signalised intersections were undertaken.
Regarding Point 2, I am informed by the relevant SME from the Active Transport & Vibrancy team in PIP that whilst analysis of the Southwest corridor was undertaken to identify pedestrian access improvements to the stations, no plans nor recommendations have been developed in relation to the minimisation of pedestrian wait times or improving pedestrian flow at the signalised intersections.
Regarding Point 3, I am informed by the relevant SME from the Active Transport & Vibrancy team in PIP that no evaluation nor impact assessment was undertaken to specifically analyse any changes at the signalised intersections. That being said, I am also informed by that SME that a university partner is in the process of being engaged to evaluate the broader Active Transport initiatives delivered as part of Southwest Link to improve walking and cycling access”
Yet again - despite the 10,000 people impacted by the rail shutdown - TfNSW only considered car drivers. This is just one matter we wish to feed into the Roads Act Review - a proactive duty to maintain and improve access for walkers during construction works, including adjusting signal timing on alternate routes to minimise delays to walkers.
30km/h matters
I visited Manly over the summer and experienced Manly’s 30km/h foreshore streets. Northern Beaches Council have done a fantastic job! The road environment is calm and quiet. Teens and kids riding and walking everywhere. We need more of this!
30km/h City centre update: WalkSydney were told at the City of Sydney November traffic Committee that TfNSW have no plans to implement 30km/h speed limits in the City centre because of business concerns. WalkSydney has asked TfNSW for more information, we will let you know their reasons in our next newsletter.
Talking Headway Podcast: 20 is Plenty in Wales Featuring Welsh MP Lee Waters and the University of Sydney's Dr. Jennifer Kent on how Wales passed a national 20 mph speed limit.
If you want to hear more from Lee Waters about his work on implementing 20mph in Wales, and insights from Jennifer Kent listen to Talking Headway Podcast: 20 is Plenty in Wales
Other WalkSydney activities
December meeting with Greens member for Newtown - Jenny Leong
We met with Jenny Leong in December to talk about the challenges to get the Government to support more people walking. We raised a few challenges in her local area including the Sydney Park Junction project (and TfNSW radical redesign) and the West Street crossing at Railway Parade in Lewisham. WalkSydney wants to work with elected members who can help more people to walk, especially short trips. Let’s make our streets work for people, not cars!
E-bike, e-scooter and e-device inquiry
Check out our advocacy on safe speeds and footpath riding on ABC News. Past President Lena Huda is quoted saying 30km/h speed limits are the “Sweet spot for neighbourhoods. That's the speed at which people are aware of their surroundings and have time to brake”.
WalkSydney supports many of the recommendations - especially the recommendation to reduce vehicle speeds in urban centres, and to invest more money in separated bike paths. Creating a safe and comfortable space for other sustainable modes on the street makes footpaths more comfortable and improves safety for everyone.
TfNSW signal design guide still out of step with people walking, cycling and local places
WalkSydney and Better Streets met with TfNSW’s Acting Director of Corridor Infrastructure & Engineering, Mr Denis Lo in late January to talk about how the Traffic Signal design guide could be improved. The conversation was very constructive.
We talked about how the guidelines should make local place needs be front and centre, consistent with Movement and Place, rather than just slavishly following Austroads major road guidelines. What is “compliant” under Austroads can still be a major disincentive to crossing streets at best and kill people at worst, eg: slip lanes like the one on Canterbury Road at Charles Street makes it easy for cars to exist on the 60km/h road but create an unacceptable risk of serious injury or death to people trying to cross the street to get to the supermarket. TfNSW only approved this slip lane within the last 2 years.
We told TfNSW that all road users should be considered, and more work should be done to ensure the guidelines create safe, comfortable, walkable streets. Our submissions, along with TfNSW’s Exec Director of Asset Management’s response are available on our website.
Support Better Streets Federal Campaign to increase funding for walking and riding
WalkSydney is supporting the campaign inviting organisations, individuals and academics nationwide to combine our efforts in asking political candidates to commit to $400 million per year for essential walking and cycling infrastructure.
Support the campaign and add your voice to the Open Letter here: Better Street Federal Government campaign for $400 million year
As the federal election is approaching, we have a critical opportunity to push for real investment in walking and cycling across Australia. For the last two decades the Australian Government has invested just $0.90 per person annually — far below what’s needed. We’re calling for an increase to $15 per person per year, a modest 2% of the roads budget, to ensure safer and more accessible streets for all.
The Australian Automobile Association, representing 9.3 million car club members nationally through RACV, RACQ, RACWA, NRMA and others, says they’re aligned with our campaign, stating that: “The next Australian Government must commit to increased funding for active transport links to ensure… net zero, improved congestion and road safety.”
This article in The Conversation highlights how Australia lags behind on active transport investment, despite the well-documented benefits for health, local traffic congestion, climate and road safety.
Upcoming Event - Launch of our Walkable Density checklist (for government and developers) with Committee for Sydney
The Committee for Sydney will launch its new checklist for walkable density, produced in conjunction with WalkSydney, on Thursday March 13th. Speakers include Marc Lane, immediate past president of WalkSydney, and a panel of experts. Registrations are currently full but you can join the waitlist. The checklist will guide the development of walkable places as they are designed and created. It is intended as a simple scoring tool for use by developers and local and state government assessing development, as well as everyone involved in designing and planning the built environment. A walking tour starting around George Street, Haymarket will follow the event at approx. 10am, led by WalkSydney president Tegan Mitchell and other walking practitioners - all welcome.
Rozelle Parkland Management plan update
Who would change separated pedestrian and bicycle paths through a park to a shared path?!
Inner West Council (IWC), that's who. That's their proposal for Rozelle Parklands, where the bike path is part of a strategic cycling corridor for Sydney. It links Lilyfield Road, the Bay Run, and all points west, with the Anzac Bridge and the City and eastern suburbs. A pedestrian path currently runs parallel, separated by a painted line. The update proposes to change this separated path to a shared path.
WalkSydney has strongly objected to this change in our submission to IWC's draft Plan of Management (PoM). Available research indicates that separated paths are more suitable, especially where there is an arterial bicycle route. Surveyed pedestrians and cyclists stated a preference for segregated paths over shared paths, in a study for Transport for NSW (2015). TfNSW’s own policies and design toolkit specifically state that shared paths are only suitable if there are very low volumes of people walking and people riding.
Transport for NSW will hand over Rozelle Parkland to Inner West Council (IWC) for further development and ongoing management through the PoM. The Parklands have a network of walking and cycling paths as well as sporting fields, recreational facilities and wetlands.
WalkSydney welcomes a number of proposed improvements for walkers, including new crossings, footpaths and speed humps on Lilyfield Road. We're also calling for a more ambitious, people-focused plan: a pedestrian precinct or shared zone (cars 10km/h) on Lilyfield Road between the Parklands and Easton Park. In addition, a 30 km/h speed limit elsewhere with more crossings for walkers.
WalkSydney support alternative ways to communicate the separated path and further reduce path user conflict on the current separated path by additional linemarking (eg. green for cycling) and continue to advocate for proper separated paths (not connected together for concrete cost-saving purposes).
Following this consultation phase, a further draft of the PoM will be submitted to Council in due course.
Next WalkSydney meeting
Our next catchup is scheduled for online Google Meet: 12-1pm Mon 31 Mar. Sign up as a member to receive the details.
Thank you to everyone for your ongoing support for walking in Greater Sydney. We’ll either see you at our end of year event, or at one of our upcoming meetings!
Great newsletter - keep going!