The NSW road lobby group presented a plan this week with the aim of turning Parramatta Road – one of Sydney’s most congested roads – into a public transport corridor. The plan, developed by the NRMA and one of Australia’s leading urban planners, Ed Blakely, wants to remove most of the traffic and put it underground in an 9.5 kilometre tunnel between Concord and the city.
The road would be transformed into a boulevard of transit-oriented development, lined with medium density housing and shops and cafes; and would include two lanes for light rail along the middle, a cycleway and two lanes for slower-moving local traffic.
Motorway experts welcomed the plan to reduce traffic on Parramatta Road but consider that the increased traffic on M4 East would result in further congestion for the Anzac Bridge at Rozelle, which is already close to capacity. In its metro strategy, the NSW government has indicated that Parramatta Road is to be ”considered as part of any planning of an extension of the M4 motorway to reduce congestion and strengthen connections between western Sydney, Sydney CBD and Port Botany”.
via smh.com.au