Mapping highlights Sydney transport inequality
Updated
Mapping of Sydney’s public transport network has revealed huge pockets of the city are disadvantaged when it comes to close and frequent transport services.
A coalition of 52 organisations called the Sydney Alliance has commissioned maps revealing the proximity and frequency of public transport services throughout greater Sydney.
The alliance commissioned urban geographer Dr Kurt Iveson to map Sydney’s public transport network.
He found while a significant proportion of the city’s residents live within 400 metres of public transport, just 15 per cent of those locations have services that leave every 15 minutes or less.
Alliance director Dr Amanda Tattersall says it has created a situation of transport inequality.
“There are whole patches of the city that are car-bound,” she said.
“They don’t have a choice as to whether they’re going to be sitting as commuters on the M5 or the M4 – [which is] required – and so are the tolls and the petrol costs and the car costs associated with that.
“It’s the lack of frequency of service keeping the majority of Sydney excluded from the public transport system.”
Dr Tattersall says the State Government’s multi-billion-dollar projects are not the only solution for the city’s transport woes.
“We applaud the fact that they’re wanting to invest in transport but smaller investments in some bus lines to enable greater frequency may actually be the best way to get more people on public transport, [rather] than only thinking about mega-million-dollar proposals,” she said.
Dr Tattersall also called for additional services, park and ride zones at interchanges and a single ticketing system.
The alliance wants to meet Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian to discuss its proposals.
Topics:transport, travel-and-tourism, rail-transport, road-transport, sydney-2000
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