North-West T-way

North-West T-Way
Mode Bus rapid transit line
Owner Transport for NSW
Operator(s) Busways
Hillsbus
Connects Parramatta
Parklea
Blacktown (branch)
Rouse Hill
Length 24 km
Stations 31
Line colour Aquamarine
Key dates
10 Mar 2007 Official Opening
Parramatta – Merriville
25 Sept 2007 Sanctuary & Rouse Hill stations complete
4 Nov 2007 Blacktown – Parklea opening

The North-West T-way is a bus rapid transit line in the north-western suburbs of Sydney, Australia. T-way is short for rapid bus transitway.

The T-way consists of two sections, one linking Parramatta railway station and Rouse Hill, the other linking Blacktown and Parklea. The lines intersect at Burns interchange in Parklea. For the most part, stops are named for the streets they are located upon.

The T-way was approved in February 2004 and the Merriville to Parramatta section opened on 10 March 2007. Sanctuary and Rouse Hill opened on 25 September 2007 upon the opening of the Rouse Hill Town Centre development.[1] The final section, the Blacktown to Parklea branch, opened 4 November 2007. The T-way is the second in Sydney: the Liverpool-Parramatta T-way has operated since February 2003.

Contents

Design and construction

The T-way was a joint venture between the New South Wales Ministry of Transport and the Roads and Traffic Authority of New South Wales. The A$330 million contract to design, built and maintain until 2017 was given to Leighton Holdings Pty Ltd. in 2005[2] [3]

The project was approved in February 2004 and construction began in mid 2005. Construction is expected to take just over two years and cost $524 million.

According to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald, many of the costly design mistakes made in the development of the Liverpool-Parramatta T-way have been avoided on the North-West T-way.[3]

The 24-kilometre-long T-way includes:[4]

Criticisms

The T-way and its operations has come under criticism in several areas. Even before its opening, the Roads and Traffic Authority was criticised for its lack of planning and broken promises on the T-way's construction. Parramatta Council complained during construction that noise walls had not been built next to the homes of residents who lived along the T-way route, causing them distress. The planned cycleway alongside the T-way was not built in its entire length, and included a large deviation which Council complained would erode the cycleway's effectiveness.[5] After the opening of the first stage of the T-way, a local cycle advocacy group identified a large gap in the cycleway, potentially compromising cyclists' safety.[6] Some local residents had their backyards destroyed.[7]

On the opening of the initial route several other problems were raised. Comments were made concerning the initial patronage of the T-way. While the New South Wales State Government refused to say how many people used the T-way in its first week, a local newspaper discovered that the commuter carpark attracted as few as ten cars a day in the first week of operation.[8] Another local newspaper reported a traffic barrier separating vehicles from the busway at Westmead railway station was causing accidents.[9]

On April 12, 2007, the Roads and Traffic Authority quietly scrapped the bus priority system that would have given buses priority at all at-grade intersections. The decision was criticised as eliminating the main advantage of the T-way and not entice commuters back to public transport.[10] Bus operators expected better patronage once the toll on the Lane Cove Tunnel came into effect.[11]

There have also been many complaints regarding city bus travellers from Rouse Hill and Kellyville Ridge as their trips were taking 1.5 hours and were overcrowded. Hillsbus had seen increased patronage on city services with the new timetable and is not able to cope with the demand.

Services

Private bus operators Busways and Hillsbus operate North-West T-way services. There are many services which traverse the T-Way, either in its entirety or a section of it. The route numbering follows the Sydney Metropolitan Bus Route Numbering System.

The following services use the Parramatta - Rouse Hill T-Way

The following services use the Blacktown - Parklea T-Way

Parramatta - Rouse Hill Stations

Name of station
(Major stations in italics)		 Stopping Patterns Suburbs Served Connections
T60 T61 T62 T63 T64 T65 T66 T71 T75 607X 617X 740 S8 5B
Parramatta Parramatta ■Cumberland Line, ■Western Line, ■Blue Mountains Line (CityRail); Bus routes at Parramatta Interchange
Westmead Westmead ■Cumberland Line, ■Western Line, ■Blue Mountains Line (CityRail)
Hospital Westmead Bus route 817
Mons Westmead, Northmead
Briens Northmead
Constitution Hill Constitution Hill
Fitzwilliam Constitution Hill, Old Toongabbie, Winston Hills
Johnstons Toongabbie, Winston Hills
Powers Seven Hills, Winston Hills Bus route 630
Abbott Baulkham Hills, Seven Hills, Winston Hills Bus routes 611, 613
Joseph Banks Baulkham Hills, Bella Vista, Kings Langley Bus routes 714, 715
Troubadour Bella Vista, Kings Langley
Norbrik Glenwood, Norwest Business Park
Meurants Glenwood, Norwest Business Park Bus routes 616, T70, 745
Celebration Bella Vista, Glenwood, Norwest Business Park
Balmoral Kellyville
Burns Kellyville Park and Ride
Riley Kellyville, Stanhope Gardens Bus routes 612, 615; Park and Ride
Merriville Kellyville Ridge
Sanctuary Beaumont Hills, Kellyville Ridge, Rouse Hill
Rouse Hill Rouse Hill, Schofields Bus routes 601, 608, 610, 641

Blacktown - Parklea Stations

Name of station
(Major stations in italics)		 Stopping Patterns Suburbs Served Connections
T61 T70 T71 T74 T75
Blacktown Blacktown ■Cumberland Line, ■Western Line, ■Blue Mountains Line (CityRail); Bus routes from Blacktown Interchange
Devitt Blacktown
Sackville Blacktown
Bessemer Blacktown
Turner Blacktown
Vardys Marayong
James Cook Kings Langley
Wilson Acacia Gardens, Glenwood
Sorrento Glenwood, Glenwood Bus routes T63, 616, 740, 745
Stanhope Parklea, Stanhope Gardens
Burns Kellyville Bus routes T65, T66, 607X, 617X, 5B; Park and Ride

See also

T-way

External links

Notes

  1. ^ ComfortDelGro Cabcharge, Hillsbus Service Update: Routes T63, T64, T65 and 610", 25 September 2007. Accessed 26 September 2007.
  2. ^ [1]
  3. ^ Baker, Jordan. 'Transport's vision splendid running at only half capacity'. Sydney Morning Herald. 25 Aug 2006 [2]
  4. ^ Leighton Holdings A$323 million contract
  5. ^ City of Parramatta, "News: RTA urged to reconsider noise walls and cycleway route", 11 November 2005. Accessed 16 April 2007.
  6. ^ "CAMWEST: North-West T-Way: From Abbott Road to Wentworthville", 20 March 2007. Accessed 16 April 2007.
  7. ^ Soon, Nick, "T-Way Nightmare", Blacktown City Sun, March 14, 2007. Accessed 16 April 2007.
  8. ^ Campise, Kirsten, "Commuters Ignoring T-Way", The Northern News, March 28, 2007. Accessed 16 April 2007.
  9. ^ Stevens, Kylie, "Barrier a 'hazard'", Parramatta Sun, March 28, 2007. Accessed 16 April 2007.
  10. ^ Besser, Linton, "Priority bus green lights scrapped", Sydney Morning Herald, April 12, 2007. Accessed 16 April 2007.
  11. ^ Baker, Jordan, "New tunnel sums: 17 minutes less, $25 more in toll", Sydney Morning Herald, March 23, 2007. Accessed 16 April 2007.
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