RE: EAST SYDNEY/DARLINGHURST TRAFFIC WORKSHOP OF 20 APRIL 2005
Response to COSC Report on the East Sydney/Darlinghurst Traffic Workshop of 20 April from the Traffic & Planning Coalition.

Council is hiding behind the chaos of the RTA and Cross City Tunnel changes to bring in closures by stealth.

The Report claims previous studies are "comprehensive" and "detailed".

An entire section titled ‘East Sydney Traffic Studies’ aims to prove that existing studies “provide a solid framework for traffic planning in the Woolloomooloo, East Sydney and Darlinghurst areas which can be augmented by further traffic assessments”.

The Report claims that isolated studies for discrete traffic developments can, in toto, stand in as a comprehensive study of City East. (Report point 10.)

i. Lack of relevant data to make an informed decision

Matt Hurst has submitted that the studies completed in the last 10 years are out of date and/or irrelevant.

ii. Limits of Previous Studies

 (a) & (b)  Eastern Distributor EIS (RTA, 1996)  & Eastern Distributor Local Area Improvement Program (LAIP, RTA, 1999) (Report point 26):

The ED is a north–south project. This EIS covered a huge area of the Eastern Suburbs, from the Cahill Expressway to Rosebery. The ED removed the load on Bourke, Crown, Riley and Palmer Streets and created the opportunity to convert Crown and Bourke (to Cleveland Street) back to two-way structures and close Bourke at Taylor Square.

The impact of these changes has not been assessed.

(c) Whitlam Square Traffic Study (RTA, 2001) (Report point 23):

ESNA’s submission claimed “70% of the east Sydney community support closures” based on the 2001 study.

However, the study covered only one city block in East Sydney.

Therefore, this is only a 70% sample of a 31% response.

That is, 70% of 162 people canvassed, a total of 113 people.

(d) & (e)  Cross City Tunnel EIS (RTA, 2000) and Cross City Tunnel SEIS (Cross City Tunnel: Altered Modified Activity – Review of Traffic and Transport Implications, RTA: Masson Wilson Twiney, 2002.) (COA No 61 and 288; Report points 15, 16, 17, 18):

The Report notes the 2002 modifications study was directed by the Minister “to minimize rat-runners”, that is toll-avoidance. (Condition of Approval No 288.)

In 2002 Clover Moore MP called for a public inquiry into the CCT modifications.

(Clover Moore website: letter to Minister for Planning, “Call for Revised Cross City Tunnel Proposal to be Refused Consent and a Commission of Inquiry into the Cross City Tunnel Modified Activity”, 13 September 2002; Private Members Statement, 3 September 2002. A 17-page response, including 40 recommendations.)

(f) William and Bourke Street Traffic Management Study (RTA, 2004):

Stacy Miers on At the Woolloomooloo community consultation meeting (late 2004), residents forced a motion on whether people wanted Bourke Street closed. The majority voted to leave it completely open.

(g) EIS for the CCT (Vol 4, Technical Paper No 8, ‘Effects on Suburbs surrounding the CBD’, pp. 69–71, 2000.) (Report point 14.)

Technical Paper No 8 was written prior to these major and complicated changes:

• the extension of the CCT from Kings Cross to Rushcutters Bay;
• the proposal to close all access to Cahill Expressway including access from Sir John Young Crescent (except for 1-lane from Cowper Wharf Road); and the closing of Bourke Street.
• These changes affect the entire City East network. However, the COA requires monitoring only of Bourke Street (in 6 months).
• The Report claims the Technical Paper justifies its claim that a City East traffic study is not needed. The Paper, in fact concludes the opposite, that management schemes are needed before considering any more changes.

iii. What safeguard? Limits to the RTA’s Traffic Monitoring after CCT opening.

Residents and business are concerned about monitoring business and community impacts, not just traffic counts. Indeed, the RTA only acts to monitor traffic “if traffic intrusion on these streets/ roads reasonably exceeds that predicted in the 2002 RTA Report”. If streets/roads are closed, there will be reduced traffic and thence no monitoring need be undertaken. No one is monitoring modifications and closures proposed by council.

The Report claims the COA “provides a safeguard for the local community”. (Report Point 19. COA No 61; see also Report points 18, 29.)

DRAG has written to the RTA requesting a meeting to progress the resolution.

To make an informed decision council must be aware of the full impacts, both positive and negative, of the proposed closures. Until Council can answer these questions it is premature for them or anybody to recommend any course of action.

REPORT ON CITY OF SYDNEY MEETING OF 27 JUNE 2005
Tuesday 28 June 2005
 
There is no doubt that the resolution of the highly successful Public Meeting at St John’s Church Hall on 2 June is the guidepost. To a greater or lesser extent, council has now adopted much of the St John’s resolution.
 
A copy of the amended motion is below.
 
We went to last night’s meeting with two key concerns:
i. that “community consultation” must occur after all data is gathered.
ii. that the “traffic catchment area” to be consulted for the traffic study is too narrow.
 
Commonsense prevailed on consultation. This will now only take place after a traffic study. Amongst the councillors there was a strong body of support for a sensible and measured study prior to any consultation.
 
Resolution of Council adopted 27 June 2005.
EAST SYDNEY TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT ISSUES (S006586)  
 
Following the report to the Planning Development and Transport Committee on 20 June 2005, on East Sydney Traffic Management Issues, it be resolved that -  
(A)   In consultation with the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA), Council complete a revised East Sydney traffic plan to improve urban amenity by reviewing traffic conditions within six months after the opening of the Cross City Tunnel and updating existing traffic information and studies for the area;
(B)  Council allow traffic patterns to stabilise after the opening of the Cross City Tunnel and the completion of William Street and Oxford Street upgrades before commencing community consultation on any trial road closure of Liverpool Street at Whitlam Square and any other traffic changes identified by the study;  
 
(C) Council undertake community consultation on the matters identified in clause (B)  to include -  
 
(i) newspaper advertisement for a minimum 28 days in Sydney Metropolitan  and local newspapers;  
(ii) leaflet letterbox drop to affected residents and businesses;
(iii) information mail-out direct to identified resident, business, education and  community groups, transport agencies and emergency services; and  
(iv) provision of information on the City’s Website, together with information at the City's One Stop Shop, libraries and Neighbourhood Service Centres;  
 
(D) the area for the traffic plan be generally bounded by the main arterial and regional collector roads William Street, College Street, Oxford Street, and  Darlinghurst Road/Victoria Street; and
 
(E) following the one-year review of traffic monitoring for the Cross City Tunnel as  required by the Minister’s Conditions of Approval, a report be submitted to Council  advising what action needs to be taken to address identified traffic intrusion across  the City of Sydney local government area as a result of the Cross City Tunnel.  
 
Note of thanks: The Planning Development and Transport Committee (Planning Policy Sub-Committee) on 20 June was addressed by:
ESNA: Ms Jane Anderson, Mr Peter Anderson, Mr Gundo Frenda, Mr Eric Savage    
DRAG, 2011 and Darlinghurst Business Partnership: Mr Geoff Phillips, Mr Andrew Wells, Mr Matt Hurst, Mr Norman Thompson,  Mr Phillip  Boulten, Ms Kylie Cossa, Ms Maria McMahon, Ms Julia Perry, Ms Stacey Miers, Norrie  May-Welby, Mr Malcolm Duncan, Mr Buzz Sanderson, Ms Wanda Jaworski, Mr Charles Kelly, Ms Jo Holder, Mr John Thacker, Mr Greg Shaw, Mr Stephan Gyory and Mr  Michael Gormly .
Thanks to the observers on 27 June:  Norman Thompson, Phillip Boulten, Kylie Cossa, Jo Holder, Carole Ferrier and Catherine Lyons.

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