Transport can be described broadly as the movement of goods and people from an

origin to a destination.

It is one of the most fundamental aspects of an advanced economy, as it provides a window to the

wider world. (ABS, 2009)

By David Baker and Thea Roberts

Sydney Transport

Breaking it down

• Commercial• Public• Personal

• Rail• Road

– Bus– Car– Trucks

• Sea• Air • Pedestrian• Bicycling

Sydney Ferries • In 1789 the first ferry service was established between Sydney Cove and

the farming settlement of Parramatta. The trip took up to a week to complete

History

• Series of mergers lead to Sydney Ferries Limited became the world’s largest ferry operator around 1932

• The opening of the bridge saw ferry travel drop from 30 million passengers a year to 13 million passengers a year.

• New RiverCat vessels in 1992 from Circular Quay to Parramatta saw the service experience unrivalled success and added over one million passengers to Sydney Ferries' figures that year.

• It connects customers with 39 destinations  

“In 2006, Sydney residents travelled a total of 150.3 million kilometres on an average weekday” that’s equivalent to going

around the world just under 4 thousand times.

(Ministry of Transport, 2006)

“The average travel time for trips for work purposes as been rising gradually from 2002 (31 minutes) to

2006 (34 minutes). The average trip duration for non-work purposes (18 minutes) has been stable. Total average travel time is slightly up (80 minutes per

day).” (Ministry of Transport, 2006)

that means the average Sydney person spends just under 6 days every year travelling to and from

workor

nearly 10 months in their working life

“Journey’s to work comprise 16% of all travel in Sydney.”

(Metro Metrics, p44, 2006)

“In 2006, Sydney residents made

15.9 million trips each weekday, a growth of about

200,000 trips. This represents a 1.2% increase

from the previous year.” (Ministry of Transport,

2006)

“…our services do not link enough people with where they work, and they are in disrepair from years of

under-investment by various governments.” (Metro Metrics, p42, 2006)

“By far the biggest driver of our transport problems is the fact that our patterns of where we live, work, learn, shop and play have not been matched by changes in

transport infrastructure or services.”

“While the number of people travelling has not increased markedly, the amount of travel they engage in

continues to grow.” (Metro Metrics, p45, 2006)

“A large percentage of Sydney core metropolititan residents (35-40%) live within walking distance of 800

metres from major transport systems (bus, ferry or rail). This is more then any North American major city, but

proximity does not translate into use…much of our public transport does not take people where they want to go.”

(Metro Metrics, p46, 2006)

“A public-private partnership would be the only way to deliver the rail services needed to meet population

growth of 1.4 million in the next 25 years. "We have to do it now because those people are coming.””

(Munro and Besser, L, 2007)

“Satisfaction with public transport continues to decline. Our public transport dilemma reflects continued deterioration, with reduced confidence leading to

reduced usage.”

Rail

“The New South Wales rail network is

one of the world's most complex. It

involves the operation of

approximately 2,300 services to carry over 900,000 passengers

to and from 302 stations daily.”

(City Rail, 2009)

“Unfortunately for Mr Costa and Treasury, rapidly escalating oil prices are causing demand for public

transport to rise strongly. In the 12 months to September 2007, there were 10 million additional

passenger trips on City Rail” (Mason, 2008)

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/over-the-hills-in-overcrowded-buses/2008/06/29/1214677850264.html

“Between January 2002 and September 2005 there were 529 safety incidents at Town Hall, including three where people fell from the platform because of overcrowding. Emergency escapes were inadequate; stairs, escalators and platforms were highly congested; air flow was poor;

smoke extraction systems were non-existent; and, crucially, there was "no capacity to accommodate

projected future growth".

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/transport-meltdown/2007/03/14/1173722560423.html

“At least $225 million would need to be spent on 450 new buses, and rail would have to absorb

36,000 more passengers in the morning peak, "or the equivalent of about 45 more trains per peak

period."

“Together with the $2.2 billion Epping to Chatswood link, and $4.6 billion worth of rail capacity upgrades promised

in last year's State Plan, the Government - until yesterday - had pledged to invest almost $15 billion in

Sydney's heavy-rail network.” (Besser, b. 2008)

Cars

Australian cars covered 209 billion kilometres in 12 months between October 2005 and 2006, an increase of 3

billion from the previous year.

That’s 5 250 000 laps of the earth’s circumference.(ABS, 2009)

Transport Governance

• CityRail Trains - Rail Corporation New South Wales• Roads and Traffic Authority RTA - Roads and Traffic Authority of NSW• Ministry of Transport - Ministry of Transport• Sydney Buses - State Transit Authority of NSW• Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation - 

Transport Infrastruction Development Corporation• Rail Corporation NSW RailCorp - Rail Corporation New South Wales• Government Car Auctions - Fowles Auction Group - Other• NSW Government Directory of Agencies - NSW Government• CountryLink - Country Trains - Rail Corporation New South Wales• Independent Transport Safety and Reliability Regulator - 

Independent Transport Safety and Reliability Regulator• Rail - Transport and Regional Services - Federal Government• Motor Registries - locate your closest RTA Motor Registry - 

Roads and Traffic Authority of NSW• NSW Maritime - NSW Maritime• Sydney Ferries Corporation - Sydney Ferries Corporation• Air Transport in NSW - Ministry of Transport• Motor Accidents Authority of NSW - Motor Accidents Authority• National Transport Commission - Road Transport, Rail Transport - 

Federal Government• Newcastle Buses and Ferries - State Transit Authority of NSW• Newcastle Port Corporation - Newcastle Port Corporation• Office of Transport Safety Investigation OTSI - Office of Transport

Safety Investigations

• RailSafe SafeWorking - Rail Industry - Rail Corporation New South Wales• State Transit Authority - State Transit Authority of NSW• Transport Data Centre - Statistics transport and land use

planning - Ministry of Transport• Transport Info 131 500 - Bus Train Ferry Taxi - Ministry of Transport• Western Sydney Rapid Bus Transitways - T-Way - State Transit Authority

of NSW• Sydney's Airport Link / Train - Other• Tourism New South Wales - Tourism NSW• Aviation - Transport and Regional Services - Federal Government• Level Crossing Strategy Council - Railway Crossings - Rail Corporation

New South Wales• Maritime - Transport and Regional Services - Federal Government• Port Kembla Port Corporation - Port Kembla Port Corporation• Port of Eden Australia - NSW Maritime• Port of Yamba - NSW Maritime• REVS (Register of Encumbered Vehicles) - Office of Fair Trading• Sydney Bus Depots - NSW Government• Sydney Ports Corporation - Sydney Ports Corporation

Agencies - NSW

What the Government was going to do…

but decided we didn’t need.

A day in the life of Thea

Experiment calculating the cost of travel from home to work and back

Two methods – car

– public transport

Toll’s $4.00

Fuel $3.60

$7.60

$15.20

Wage in travel $21.60

Total $36.80

Car

- $2.30

- $1.90

- $9.90

Public transport

2 way total $28.20

Wage in travel $66

Total $94.20

Results

CarTotal $36.80

Public transportTotal $94.20

Which would you choose?

Metro strategy vision for transport

• Sydney's neighbourhoods will have improved local transport with walking and cycling facilities and bus services to major centres. People will be able to carry out more of their trips closer to home, reducing the time taken and cost of longer trips.

• The transport system will improve access to jobs, ports and other economic activities, reducing the cost of doing business.

• Transport investment decisions will be based on sound planning, evaluation and assessment.

• Impacts of increased freight activity on the community will be minimised through land use and transport planning.

Metro strategy cont.

• Sydney's major centres will have

improved transport links with fast, safe and reliable train services and a

network of strategic bus corridors

connecting the centres across the

city.