There has been no action from the government, the city council or the tunnel operators to reverse the road closures and ease the traffic funneling nightmare caused by the Cross City Tunnel contract fiasco.

The contract stipulates controversial road closures and traffic changes to literally force motorists to use the private toll road.

DRAG is a member of the City East Resident and Business Traffic and Planning Partnership, which is calling for a Community Boycott when the exorbitant$3.56 each-way toll on the Cross City Tunnel is re-introduced on 1 December
2005. The government must face facts and renegotiate the controversial contract.

Not only has the government not re-opened roads, but the closures escalated during the toll-free “trial”. Kings Cross and Darlinghurst are being strangled. The roads are worse.

When the CCT opened on 28 August 2005 a noose was placed around the City East area to restrict traffic. But more was to come. Work began in mid-November to close another two lanes of William Street and squeeze traffic into just one traffic lane in either direction. Simultaneously, without any public notification, work began at Kings Cross to narrow Craigend Street and Darlinghurst Road, each by a lane.

The operator hopes that the additional works won’t be noticed over the 2005-06 holiday season because traffic drops by one third.

When traffic returns to normal in early February, they hope it will be all over - public roads will be closed, the concrete set, and the RTA no where to be seen. Our ancestors built and paid for these roads and it is reasonable for citizens to expect that they are kept open for all.

The government has handed over to a private enterprise, a public roads and transport monopoly. This is at great expense to ordinary people, workers, local business and public transport.

NEW PETITION LAUNCHED: HALT ALL FUTURE ROAD CLOSURES & ADDRESS CURRENT CONTROVERSIAL ROAD CLOSURES

To coincide with the re-introduction of the toll-way, DRAG and other resident and business groups are opening a new petition on 1 December. The petition calls for a reversal of the tunnel funneling measures and related road and lane closures and a halt to all future road closures.

The petition reflects the views of three major public meetings, attended by some 400 people in City East, which have called upon the Premier, the Minister for Roads and the Lord Mayor to intervene on behalf of the residents and businesses of City East to reverse the road and lane closures and modifications that have already been implemented or are planned.

An earlier petition (launched end of May and closing end of August) signed by over 1000 people and calling for a City East Traffic Plan, was presented to MLC’s Meredith Burgman (ALP) and Sylvia Hale (The Greens). Clover Moore
MLA has been asked to present it to the lower house.

The new petition requests the following reversals:

1. Re-open Bourke Street;
2. Harbour Tunnel: re-open public access to the Harbour Tunnel from Sir John Young Crescent;
3. William Street: retain reasonable traffic flow especially for public transport;
4. Remove the unnecessary lane barriers that prevent direct access from Cowper Wharf Road to Macquarie Street;
5. City: no narrowing of Park Street and instate the Right Turn into George St.
6. Fix bottlenecks and address pedestrian safety at Kings Cross Road, Ward Avenue and Rushcutters Bay;
7. Reinstate lanes closed in Kings Cross and address safety and emergency access issues and install roundabouts in preference to lights (especially in Woolloomooloo);
8. Enable better sequencing of traffic lights;
9. Initiate an integrated City East traffic and safety study;
10. Initiate an Economic Impact Assessment.

SIGN THE "END THE TUNNEL FUNNEL" PETITION
Opens 1 December 2005; Closes 28 February 2006.

Woolloomooloo: The East Sydney Hotel.
William Street: Peter Caroll’s Hardware and Sprint Digital.
Oxford Street: Oxford Health Foods; Euro Star Dry Cleaners, Burdekin Hotel.
East Sydney: Tres Scalini's Restaurant
Kings Cross: Piccolo Bar, The Cross Art + Books
Elizabeth Bay Cellars

You can download the petition (PDF) obtain signatures and deliver to the above sites by 28 Feb 2006.

Or register your support using this online form (opens in a new window)

You can also send a pre-formatted email to Premier Iemma on this subject at www.tellem.org
Click here to send the email now

HALT SNEAK ‘NEW’ ROAD CLOSURES

New changes to streets occurred during the “toll free trial” of the Cross City Tunnel. These sudden changes are due to clauses in the Cross City Motorway contract the public knew nothing about. However, under the CCT contract, these appear to be “category 2” closures for which the government is not liable if public streets are re-opened. These approvals should be reversed.

William Street:
Work began on 12 November to close another two lanes of William Street and squeeze traffic into just one traffic lane in either direction. From 28 November there will be only one general traffic lane each way; the remaining two lanes will be for T3 traffic - a mad mix of bus, bike, taxi and cars carrying more than two people.

Kings Cross:
Without any notification the actual Kings Cross (the five-ways under the Coca-Cola sign) has been drastically shut down. Craigend Street is being narrowed to only one lane to turn left into Victoria Street and one lane to cross over Darlinghurst Road to enter William St, as well as only one lane to turn right into Darlinghurst Rd (heading north). This one lane has to
cater for cars going into Darlinghurst Rd and Kings Cross Road.

Cars have to form one lane to enter William Street on ramp to approach Potts Point. They now queue back for a considerable distance since previously there were two lanes and they merged carefully with a smooth traffic flow
occurring.

There now is a sign directing traffic into Kings Cross Rd to enter the tunnel and now the cars have to bank up to make the turn. At Kings Cross Road at Darlinghurst Road a concrete barrier has been moved a metre out into the street, effectively shutting down a lane.

At Kings Cross Fire Station at the intersection of Darlinghurst Road, Craigend Street and Victoria Street, there now is one lane for Darlinghurst Rd and Kings Cross Rd, and a tight squeeze to enter William Street on ramp. This is clearly a safety problem for emergency vehicles. There have been alarming reports of fire trucks and ambulances locked in traffic.

Rushcutters Bay:
During peak hours residents report it often takes 25 minutes to go through the traffic lights from McLachlan Avenue turning into Craigend Street in order to access the Cross City Tunnel, William St tunnel or Potts Point. The lights aren’t green long enough to allow traffic easily to turn right to New South Head Rd heading east. Before the opening of the Cross City Tunnel people who are frequent users report they never experienced traffic jams at this intersection. There are further street changes reported to be planned soon.

Darlinghurst/Woolloomooloo/East Sydney:
Bourke Street south of William remains closed causing great difficulties for local residents and businesses. Residents and business owners throughout eastern Sydney were not adequately consulted on this closure. The only public meeting on this closure (in November 2004) voted against closing Bourke Street.

Contact:
Jo Holder T 93316621
Stephan Gyory T 0414 581919
Julia Perry T 93312129
Carole Ferrier T 83569229

Photo Credit: Michael Gormly - View his Photo Essays (in PDF format)