Transport in Sydney
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Sydney and its surrounding regions are served by an extensive network of roads and public transport links.
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[edit] Road
Sydney has an extensive road network. In 2007, the city's orbital motorway network will be completed, ringing the inner city with high-quality tolled roads. Recent additions to the road network, such as the M5 East and the Cross City Tunnel, have been particularly controversial.
[edit] Public transport
According to the New South Wales State Plan, the state has Australia's largest public transport system. Indeed, in the 1920s, Sydney also boasted the Southern Hemisphere's largest tram network. Public transport in Sydney accounts for almost double the share of commuter journeys in other state capitals. The network is regulated by the New South Wales Ministry of Transport, which is working towards an integrated network serving Sydney, Newcastle, the Central Coast, the Blue Mountains, Wollongong and the Illawarra.
[edit] Ticketing and fares
Efforts are underway to standardise ticketing and fares across the Greater Sydney network. At present, most bus journeys are priced according to a common fare scale. Government-run bus, train and ferry operators share an interoperable Automated Fare Collection System, based on magnetic stripe technology. The ministry is also developing a new smart card based ticketing system for all public transport operators, called Tcard.
[edit] Buses
Commuter bus travel accounts for just over half of all public transport journeys in Sydney each day. The network is largely operated by a state government agency, Sydney Buses in the city's eastern half, and by private-sector operators in the west. Dominant among these operators is a group of bus lines owned by ComfortDelGro Cabcharge, including Westbus and Hillsbus.
Western Sydney suburbs are also served by the Liverpool-Parramatta T-way, a bus rapid transit line opened in 2003. A second line, the North-West T-way, is currently under construction. Sydney has a network of 75 km of bus-only lanes on other roads.
[edit] Rail
[edit] Heavy rail
Sydney's suburban train service consisting of eleven railway lines is operated by CityRail. Sydney does not have a separate metro system, but the suburban lines run underground where they converge in the city centre, and on the Eastern Suburbs and Airport lines. On most lines, there are two to four trains an hour at off-peak times. Fares are calculated on the basis of distance travelled.
Trains run as suburban commuter rail services in the outer suburbs, then converge in an underground city loop service in the CBD. In the years following the 2000 Olympics, CityRail's performance declined significantly. Public anger resulted in the introduction of a new timetable, the employment of more drivers and a large infrastructure project, called the Clearways project, which is scheduled to be completed by 2010.[1][2][3]
There are no train services in most of Western Sydney, the Northern Beaches, or Eastern Suburbs. Many new lines have been suggested, and a new Epping to Chatswood line is currently under construction. Work is also underway on the Clearways Project, aiming to "untangle" the network and reduce the interdependence of the separate lines.
CityRail interurban trains to the Illawarra, Southern Highlands, Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Newcastle leave from the network's hub, Central railway station. This station is also the terminus for CountryLink trains to country New South Wales, Melbourne and Brisbane, as well as the Indian Pacific to Perth.
[edit] Trams
Sydney once boasted the Southern Hemisphere's largest tram network. Patronage peaked in 1945 at 405 million passenger journeys. The system was in place from 1861, until its winding down in the 1950s and eventual closure in 1961. It had a maximum street mileage of 181 miles (291 km) in 1923. A short light rail line linking Loftus and the Royal National Park has operated since the 1990s as a museum and tourist attraction.
[edit] Light Rail and Monorail
As part of the Darling Harbour development, an urban renewal project timed to coincide with Australia's bicentenary celebrations in 1988, a monorail line was opened to link the harbourside's tourist attractions with the city centre. In 1997, a short light rail line was opened between Central and the Inner West. Both are now owned by Metro Transport Sydney and operated by Veolia.
[edit] Taxis
Over 6,000 taxis operate in Sydney. A 3-km trip from Circular Quay to the eastern suburbs would cost around AUD$12. Taxi ranks are common in the CBD area, usually found in places such as outside large hotels, near bus stations and railway stations.
[edit] Ferries
Sydney Ferries, another State government-owned organisation, runs numerous commuter and tourist ferry services on Sydney Harbour and the Parramatta River. As Sydney is based around its Harbour, ferries are an important mode of commuter transport. Sydney Ferries operates on nine lines of route, with approximately 14,000,000 passengers per year.[4] Sydney Ferries operates from Circular Quay Ferry Terminal, a major transport hub in Sydney's central business district, with popular routes including ferries and Jet Cats (high speed catamarans) to the beachside suburb of Manly and ferries to Taronga Zoo, a major tourist attraction. Sydney Ferries also operates sightseeing cruises for tourists.
Other ferry operators offer services on the Hunter River, Lane Cove River, Pittwater and Port Hacking.
[edit] Airports
Kingsford Smith International Airport, located in the suburb of Mascot, is Sydney's main airport, and the oldest continuously operating commercial airport in the world. The smaller Bankstown Airport mainly serves private and general aviation. There are light aviation airfields at Hoxton Park and Camden. RAAF Base Richmond lies to the north-west of the city. The question of whether Sydney needs a second international airport has raised much controversy. A 2003 study found that Kingsford Smith can manage as Sydney's sole international airport for 20 years with a significant increase in airport traffic predicted. The resulting expansion of the airport will have a substantial impact on the community, including additional aircraft noise affecting residents. Land has been acquired at Badgerys Creek for a second airport and alternative sites have been mooted.
[edit] References
- ^ CityRail (2002). Rail Clearways Plan
- ^ Kerr, J. and A. Smith. July 22 2004. Panic stations over CityRail driver exodus. Sydney Morning Herald
- ^ Kerr, J. December 4 2004. Terminal dilemma. Sydney Morning Herald
- ^ Sydney Ferries homepage
