Sydney's Proposed Southbound Bus Lane Sparks Community Outcry

A contentious proposal to create a southbound bus lane in inner Sydney has sparked criticism from the city's Lord Mayor and public transport advocates. The plan, which involves converting a southbound lane on Botany Road between Raglan Street and Bourke Street in Waterloo into a bus lane during the 6am–10am peak, has been deemed too costly and ineffective.

Proposal Details

The $22 million plan would see the southbound lanes widened at the intersection of Botany Road and McEvoy streets, with the middle lane becoming a compulsory right-turn lane. Botany Road is a key bus route linking the city's south with suburbs such as Mascot and Botany.

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore has expressed concerns about "cannibalising" the footpath and tree canopy. "The extra traffic and insignificant public transport benefits does not justify the $22 million price tag, nor the impacts on local amenity," Cr Moore said. "It's so disappointing the government is pursuing a road-widening project under the guise of bus improvement."

Traffic Study Findings

A traffic study document reveals that bus delays are more severe heading into the city during the morning peak, rather than southbound. Northbound buses' on-time performance is impacted by 6 per cent during the AM peak, while southbound bus times are impacted by just 3 per cent, according to the report.

The proposal would add a dedicated right-turn lane for southbound traffic. A spokesperson for Transport for NSW said the proposal provided the greatest benefit to bus reliability while maintaining traffic performance on the wider road network.

"The project is focused on moving more people more efficiently through the Botany Road corridor, improving travel time reliability for bus passengers and supporting better connections to key destinations, including Waterloo Metro Station and Green Square," the spokesperson said.

Advocates Call for Rethink

Public transport advocates have called for a rethink, with WalkSydney president Jamie van Geldermalsen saying it was puzzling to propose adding capacity for private cars near the Waterloo Metro and Green Square train station. "It's not really clear where this has come from," he said. "These proposals don't really seem to fit in with Transport's own policies, which are generally evidence-based and rightly prioritise people walking, biking and taking public transport."

Committee for Sydney think tank chief executive Eamon Waterford said Transport should reconsider its approach. "The fundamental reality is there is too much space for cars in the inner city and we need to be shifting in the other direction," he said. "It's going to get more people. Those people will be using public transport, primarily."

University of Sydney urban planning expert Jennifer Kent said roads should not necessarily be excluded from planning proposals, but Transport for NSW needed to consider if traffic figures had been displaced by the uptake of cycling, walking and public transport use. "Does that displacement, therefore, still justify the inclusion of that infrastructure treatment?" Dr Kent said. "We also need to remember that we’ve had a rapid influx of population in that area."