Making Sydney’s CBD car-free
Lord Mayor Clover Moore plans to redesign Sydney’s CBD to make it more environmentally sustainable. Part of the proposal includes making George Street a ‘pedestrian-friendly’ boulevard from Town Hall to Circular Quay, removing the Cahill Expressway and introducing car-free ‘green zones’.
Sustainable Sydney 2030’s Integrated Transport for a Connected City plans are intended to reduce traffic congestion in the city as “current levels of motor vehicle use to, from and within the city are unsustainable”.
Some of the changes aimed at reducing carbon emissions and traffic congestion include:
- • extending the existing light rail system;
- • leaving George Street open only to pedestrians, bicycles and light rail;
- • ’relocating’ the necessary surface streets so that traffic not going to the City Centre avoids going through the city;
- • increased housing in the city to reduce the number of people needing to commute long distances to and from work every day.
By increasing public space and increasing the number of motor vehicle-free roads, it is believed that people will be more willing to walk, cycle or catch public transport rather than use their cars.
Is this a realistic solution to the city’s traffic problem? Should Sydney’s Central Business District, and the CBD’s of all Australia’s major cities, be closed to all private vehicles?
April 21st, 2008 at 9:13 pm
No this is not realistic. The CBD is a centre of commerce and social interaction for millions of people every day. If you do not have adequate transport links and transport alternatives (roads, buses, taxis, trains etc) into and out of the CBD it will cease to be an attractive place to do business, to socialise and to live. That is, it will cease to be a central business district (CBD).
The role of Government is to provide a range of efficient and effective transport links that connect all of Sydney’s population centres and commercial hubs. This plan does the exact opposite. It reduces the range of options that people have to access Sydney’s CBD and disconnects it from other parts of Sydney.
Worse still it would devalue of the billions of dollars that have been invested in the road networks that pass through Sydney’s CBD and which are used to deliver people, goods and services to those who choose to live work, visit and transact in the CBD.
Rather than limiting people’s transport choices and decreasing the connectedness of Australia’s largest and most vibrant city, Governments (Federal, State and local) should invest our tax dollars in fast and efficient transport options. This does not include 18th century technology of bikes or trams. It means a metro style rail and buses.
As for cars people need to have a reasonable alternative. That means buses and trains that are faster, more reliable, more affordable and more comfortable. A congestion tax which prices the road network efficiently would not go astray either. Proceeds of the congestion tax should in turn be used to subsidise public transport.
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:30 am
As James said - it can only be car free - or rather car reduced when both our reliance on cars is reduced and our public transport infrastructure is to the point that it is a viable alternative.
April 23rd, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Eliminating the Cahill Expressway, and perhaps some of the other changes, will leave traffic nowhere to go on those, not infrequent, occasions when the Harbour Tunnel is blocked or heavily congested.
And the trip from the Eastern Suburbs to North Sydney and Kirribilli will require going north to St Leonards and coming back down the highway.
April 23rd, 2008 at 1:57 pm
People that are unable to use public transport and rely on some sort of motor vehicle for mobility, are once again to be denied the close access to services that they need. Clover Moore, her cohorts and the public transport lobby, just dismiss some of the most needy in our society from consideration.
April 23rd, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Public transport sounding like a common theme here? Not surprising.
That’s because it is the first issue to be not only addressed but SOLVED.
How about trains that are regular - like every 5 minutes? Think it’s a dream? Try Paris, London or especially Moscow where they are arrive under 2 minutes, with a giant red timer above each tunnel. And cheap!
Squeezing current traffic into less streets! Yes a pedestrian paradise for those who live in the city or Surry Hills, but how will you get all those “other” pedestrians/workers to the city??
Great idea, Clover…
April 23rd, 2008 at 3:59 pm
It works in several cities in Europe. There are huge carparks outside the city centre and frequent buses are provided for people to go to the CBD area.
Who in their right mind wants the hassle of trying to drive in a traffic-jammed city centre. Even those people with company car spaces must sometimes find it quicker to walk (perish the thought!) or take a taxi if walking or bussing it is felt to be “beneath” them.
Of course genuinely disabled people will need to be able to use their own transport, but in general - keep private vehicles out completely, and that goes for bicycle-couriers and motor bikes too!
Not even a high tax on driving into the CBD would keep the fat cats out. It has to be a total ban.
Breathe the air, listen to the birds, have a conversation, relax and have a coffee or a meal.
Anyone who has ever been in a car-free city centre would agree that it is a wonderful experience.
April 23rd, 2008 at 5:17 pm
A great idea - only public transport plus taxis. Delivery vehicles early in the morning. I drive a lot but am more than happy to travel to the City on public transport.
April 23rd, 2008 at 8:38 pm
Please do not believe or take any notice of unrealistic dreams by incapable politicians with unrealistic dreams. They are driven around in fancy cars, are paid far too much for thier ability and will tell you anything you want to hear. If the CBD is car free, it will be business free as well. Our state transport system is a shambles because of useless politicians who couldn’t plan a kids party, how on earth could these morons plan a car free CBD with the current public transport. Anyway people, this won’t happen for another 10 years, thats their usual way.
There…that feels better…..
April 23rd, 2008 at 8:55 pm
At last Sydney has a Lord Mayor that is progressive and free thinking to take our beautifull city into the future and to hopefully make it a more enjoyable and cleaner city in which to work, shop, eat and live.
Having spent time in many European cities that enjoy car free centers, it is definately the way to go, helped of course by clean & frequent trams, trains and buses. Well done Clover, you have my vote.
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:08 pm
Cars are a very poor solution for moving people around in small areas - i.e. areas such as a central business district.
Sure, I have a car, and they can be useful - but let’s get ‘em out of the centre of the city as much as possible.
What makes Martin Place, Darling Harbour and the Corso at Manly pleasant places to be? No cars!
We need to get more people off their fat bums - out of their metal cages and into some physical activity, be it walking or cycling.
Peak Oil is here lads and lasses - $1.50 per litre and climbing each week.
Drive less, move your body more. You may also live longer, be less obese and have better health.
April 24th, 2008 at 3:36 am
Can’t we think for ourselves? What is the obsession the ‘powers that be’ have with adopting a European model?
The reality is that the cultural and economic drivers that drove the developpment of the EU cities that are so often put before us as the ideals that we should be aspiring to are fundamentally different to the cultural and economic drivers that we have in Australia - and the development of our cities should reflect this.
Again, I ask the question - can’t we think for ourselves? Are we incapable of developing our own vision? Or is it just our leaders who are bereft of such ability, blinded by the trappings of office, perhaps?
One of the reasons put forward for the elimination of cars at all costs is the ‘carbon issue’. What will be their excuse when that one goes away? Because it will! Reality is that fossil fuels are a finite resource, and as each day goes by, as fossil-based fuel continues to escalate in price, the economic incentives for the development and commercialisation of alternatives become more attractive.
I don’t know what the specifics of these solutions will be, but I do have the foresight and vision to see that they will inevitably arrive, and when they do (and bring with them the answer to the ‘carbon issue’) how will we continue to justify the ostracising of the primary economic enabler of our time? It will be one of the hard questions that future generations will ask of us - the way things are going we won’t have a good answer…
My vote is to keep the cars and replace the city leaders with people who can think for themselves and the people whose interests they purport to represent - leaders who are truly possessed of the foresight and vision needed to develop and implement the future for this great city of ours.
April 25th, 2008 at 9:54 am
Public transport in the CBD is an absolute nightmare in peak times because of the congestion in the streets. It can take up to 30 minutes to get from the QVB in George St via Clarence St and on to the Harbour bridge on a bus. I have also timed the short trip from the end of the Harbour bridge to Wynyard in the morning peak also on a bus at 15 minutes. It is certainly not practical to eliminate cars totally from the CBD but maybe we could have some streets that are car free in peak hour.
Jennifer
April 30th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Jennifer, maybe you need to realise that whilst cars are anywhere near the CBD public transport wont be reliable.
This is why we need to get cars out because then public transport will become a viable alternative, with more off it and much quicker.
Your timings on the harbour bridge would have been a one off or a breakdown or a hold up on york street, due to (once again) congestion from cars.
I drive the sensible people to work every day as a Bus Operator for sydney buses and i can tell you when Im cruising down the bus lane at between 50 - 70 kph whilst cars in the lanes around are almost standing still, however only to be held up by the blockage of cars trying to push through york st to get to their parking station, whislt everyone on my bus who have only paid the same price as these car drivers would have in their harbour bridge/m2/m5 tolls, are arriving relaxed and ready for work, I know as I also catch publicc transport to work.
Stoney!
May 4th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Point missed by all!
Australia needs to de-centralise out of Sydney and share it’s governemnt agencies and corporates to more cities and towns across NSW. Then evrything gets solved - over crowding, high smog and pollution levels, AND cheaper HOUSING prices. And then I and you would not need to waste our time in this forum !!