The State of Transport in Macquarie Park
31st August 2015 Overview
Macquarie Park is a major economic centre that contributes over $9billion to Australia’s economy each year. Providing access to and from Macquarie Park is a major task that requires significant resources and co-ordination. This report outlines the ‘state of transport’ in Macquarie Park through a discussion of the challenges facing Macquarie Park, and recommendations for further action to address these challenges.
Some of the key challenges facing Macquarie Park are:
• High levels of development are planned for the near future, which will lead to significant growth in employment, students and population. • The existing road-based transport is congested leading to slow travel times and poor reliability for drivers and public transport users alike. • There are barriers to walking and cycling access, including limited crossing opportunities, delays at intersections and incomplete footpaths. • Public transport access will be enhanced in the future with the Sydney Metro, priority bus corridors and a potential light rail link, but many areas served by bus will not receive priority infrastructure. • In the coming years, leading up to and including the temporary closure of the Epping to Chatswood Railway, travel will be constrained, with longer travel times and lower reliability for public transport users. • Without proper co-ordination of transport and development during this period, there will be an even greater impact on people’s access to Macquarie Park during these times.
Based on these challenges that face Macquarie Park, further action is recommended according to four key themes:
• Gather information to fill knowledge gaps • Co-ordinate development activity and rail station closures • Fast-track infrastructure for walking and cycling • Develop long-term transport strategy
Page 20 of this document provides a more detailed list of recommendations for further research and action.
The State of Transport in Macquarie Park 2 Location and importance
Macquarie Park is located approximately 12 kilometres north-west of the Sydney Central Business District and one of Australia’s largest employment precincts. In 2014 the Property Council of NSW released office market reports citing Macquarie Park as the second largest business precinct in NSW, ahead of both North Sydney and Parramatta, with over 850,000 square metres of commercial space1. Modelling released by PriceWaterhouseCoopers found Macquarie Park’s output was $9.1 billion and ranked the precinct as the tenth biggest location for economic output in Australia2.
N
0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 kilometres
Figure 1: Macquarie Park in its regional context.
1. Australia Uncovered Report- PriceWaterhouseCoopers, 2014 2. Australia Uncovered Report- PriceWaterhouseCoopers, 2014
The State of Transport in Macquarie Park 3 Location and importance
People working, studying and living in Macquarie Park
Macquarie Park and the adjacent Riverside Corporate Park in North Ryde are first and foremost places where people work in a range of offices, technology and laboratory buildings, warehousing and logistics spaces. Macquarie Park is also home to a major university – Macquarie University, a teaching hospital, a major shopping centre and several housing precincts. Currently, in Macquarie Park there are approximately: • 53,800 workers; • 37,900 students; and • 3,300 residents. Figure 2 shows the distribution of employees throughout Macquarie Park. Figure 3 shows the distribution of residents. This mix of land uses in Macquarie Park means that it is first and foremost a ‘destination’ location for travel with large amounts of travel to the area in the morning, and away from the area in the late afternoon and evening.
Figure 2: Macquarie Park employment in 2011. 3. Bureau of Transport Statistics, 2011 employment 4. Macquarie University Masterplan, 2013 students 5. Bureau of Transport Statistics, 2011 population
The State of Transport in Macquarie Park 4 Transport in Macquarie Park - An Overview
Figure 3: Macquarie Park population in 2011.
The State of Transport in Macquarie Park 5 Overview of transport networks
Road network
Macquarie Park is served by Sydney’s road and rail-based transport networks. It is located adjacent to the M2 Motorway, which provides a direct connection to the Sydney Central Business District, Sydney Airport and north- western suburbs for people travelling in cars and buses. There are also major arterial road connections around and through Macquarie Park that provide regional connections to north and central-western Sydney, the North Shore and Northern Beaches areas for people travelling by car and bus.
Public transport network
The public transport network serving Macquarie Park is comprised of both train services and bus services. Train services operate along the T1 Northern Line to and from train stations at Macquarie University, Macquarie Park and North Ryde. These stations are served by direct services connecting the Sydney Central Business District, Chatswood, Hornsby and Epping every 15 minutes throughout the day, with a high degree of reliability. Having opened just six years ago, train stations serving Macquarie Park handle a combined 31,000 daily passenger trips to and from Macquarie Park each day. Between 2013 and 2014, the number of people travelling on trains to and from stations in Macquarie Park increased by 14 per cent, amongst the highest growth in Sydney6. Buses serve a range of stops throughout Macquarie Park, with many commencing or terminating at a large bus interchange at Macquarie Shopping Centre, adjacent to Macquarie University Station. Buses provide direct connections between Macquarie Park and the Sydney Central Business District, North-West and Hills District, North Shore and Northern Beaches, as well as to a variety of nearby locations in the Ryde area. Individual services generally serve the park every 10-15 minutes throughout the day, with higher frequencies during peak hours. Key bus corridors on Waterloo Road, Lane Cove Road and Epping Road carry many bus routes, with buses serving stops every 2 minutes or more frequent during busy morning and evening travel times7. Although Macquarie Park is served by a variety of bus services, the network is highly complex, with bus routes serving the same location departing from a range of different locations. The complex bus network in Macquarie Park is a confusing to customers, and potentially negatively impacts the experience of public transport travel to and from Macquarie Park. Figure 5 shows the road and public transport network serving Macquarie Park.
6. Sydney Trains Barrier Counts, 2009 - 2014 - Bureau of Transport Statistics 7. Analysis of Transport for NSW operational timetable, 2015
The State of Transport in Macquarie Park 6 Overview of transport networks
Figure 5: Transport network serving Macquarie Park.
The State of Transport in Macquarie Park 7 Challenge: Macquarie Park is growing rapidly
Macquarie Park is set to experience some of the highest levels of growth in New South Wales, with the number of people working, studying and living in Macquarie Park expected to increase significantly in the near future. By 2021, Macquarie Park is expected to have almost 61,000 workers – 7,000 more than it did in 20118. This is amongst the highest employment growth forecast throughout Sydney over this time. The additional jobs expected in Macquarie Park will add to the number of people travelling to and from Macquarie Park each day. If each of these people were to drive to Macquarie Park, that would mean an additional 5,800 cars on the road. If they caught public transport, it would be enough to fill 140 buses, or six trains each morning and evening. Macquarie University’s growth in the past years has largely exceeded predictions. University forecasts anticipate that the number of people studying at the University could grow from 27,000 to 50,000 full- time equivalent students by 2023 under a high-growth scenario9. This would see almost twice as many student accessing the university each day, placing an additional strain on roads and public transport services. Major residential ‘Priority Precincts’ are planned at Herring Rd and North Ryde. At Herring Rd, up for 2,400 additional homes (6,800 people) are planned to be built by 202110. At North Ryde, an additional 3,000 homes (8,500 people) are planned to be built by 2031. This residential development is expected to drive a 75% increase in people living in Macquarie Park since 2011. The increase in people living in Macquarie Park will lead to a greater number of people travelling within Macquarie Park to access jobs, shopping and recreational facilities and regional public transport services. This likely means there will be a greater number of people travelling to and from Macquarie Park at different times of the day, as Macquarie Park’s role as an ‘origin’ location increases. In addition to these increases within Macquarie Park, the surrounding region is expected to be home to an increasing number of people in the future. By 2021, an additional 150,000 people are expected to live within ten kilometres of Macquarie Park11. In October 2014, Macquarie Centre finished the first stage of major redevelopments, making it the largest shopping centre in New South Wales with 250 retail stores, a cinema complex and an ice rink12. Travel between the shopping centre and growing residential areas will result in further increases in trips to and from Macquarie Park each day. Figures 6 and 7 show the expected population, employment and student growth in Macquarie Park from 2011 to 2021.
Differences in population and employment forecasts: There are a variety of figures used to describe future population, employment and students in promotional, planning and strategy documents relating to Macquarie Park. These are generally from similar datasets, but can relate to different areas or geographical definitions of Macquarie Park and the adjacent North Ryde area. This report generally uses figures drawn from the September 2014 release of the Bureau of Transport Statistics population and employment forecasts, and have been summarised according to the 477 hectare geographical area shown in the maps within this document. A comparison of some key population and employment data relating to Macquarie Park and North Ryde is provided in the appendix of this report.
8. Bureau of Transport Statistics, Population Forecasts (2011-2021), September 2014 release 9. Macquarie University Masterplan, 2013 10. Department of Planning & Environment 11. AMP Capital - Macquarie Centre Synopsis 12. Bureau of Transport Statistics, Population Forecasts (2011-2021), September 2014 release
The State of Transport in Macquarie Park 8 Figure 6: Population and employment growth in Macquarie Park.
Figure 7: Forecast population and employment growth in Macquarie Park (2011-2021) Bureau of Transport Statistics, 2014 and Department of Planning and Environment, 2015
The State of Transport in Macquarie Park 9 Challenge: Existing road-based transport is congested
Major roads serving Macquarie Park carry large amounts of traffic. Each day, these roads can carry over 40,000 vehicles in each direction, with many of these vehicles travelling during the busiest times in the morning and early evening as people travel to and from work. Table 1 shows the average daily traffic volumes on some of the key roads approaching Macquarie Park.
Table 1: Average daily traffic volumes on key roads approaching Macquarie Park. Location Westbound Eastbound Combined Epping Road (between Balaclava and Vimera Roads) 20,000 18,500 38,500 Epping Road (North Ryde - West of Hills Motorway, M2 terminal) 29,600 26,900 56,500 Lane Cove Road (300m south of Bridge Road) 30,500 29,700 60,200 Lane Cove Road (North Ryde - At De Burghs Bridge) 41,300 40,200 81,500
Source: Average Annual Daily Traffic Counts (Weekdays in 2012)13 The large numbers of vehicles travelling on roads in Macquarie Park lead to traffic congestion that directly impacts the speed and reliability of travel. Due to congestion, people travelling on roads to and from Macquarie Park experience some of the slowest travel speeds in Sydney, as well as a high level of variation in this travel time from day to day. Currently, key road intersections within Macquarie Park are measured as ‘failing’ or ‘approaching failure’14. This means that they are struggling to handle the traffic demand using them, creating delays as people must wait multiple traffic light cycles before they can pass through an intersection. In the future, this is expected to worsen with increased traffic demand – leading to longer travel times to and from Macquarie Park. For cars, travel speeds through and approaching Macquarie Park on Epping Road and Lane Cove Road are regularly below 20km/h during peak hours15. Lane Cove Road between Ryde and Macquarie Park is one of the ten slowest sections of road in Sydney during the evening peak period, averaging 19.5km/ h16. Traffic congestion in Macquarie Park is caused by large numbers of people trying to access parking in Macquarie Park, as well as large numbers of people travelling through the area to access other destinations. Traffic also impacts many of the buses travelling to and from Macquarie Park. Whilst some buses travel in protected priority bus lanes, other services operate in mixed traffic conditions and experience the full impact of traffic congestion. Travel speeds for buses approaching Macquarie Park in the morning peak are slow; as low as 12 km/h on parts of Lane Cove Road that do not have bus lanes17.
13 Roads and Maritime Services, 2012. 14 Temporary Transport Plan for Macquarie Park, 2014 15 Roads and Maritime Services Roads Report, 2015 16 Roads and Maritime Services Roads Report, 2015 17 Analysis of data from the Public Transport Information and Priority System
The State of Transport in Macquarie Park 10 These are amongst the slowest bus travel speeds in Sydney, with bus speeds generally ranging between 10 and 50km/h. Buses travelling on roads in Macquarie Park are also subject to variable travel times, meaning that the amount of time it takes to get from A to B can change significantly from day to day. The congestion on the road network has been reported to cause frustration amongst drivers and bus passengers alike. In many instances, illegal driver behaviour such as queuing across intersections and running red lights is exacerbated by these conditions.
Figure 8: Level of Service levels of different intersections during the PM peak. The LOS levels range from A to F, where level F includes excessive queueing and delays. Epping to Chatswood - Temporary Transport Plan, Parsons Brinckerhoff (2014)
125 km/h 10 T h r 100 km/h o
8 u g h p u t
( h
75 km/h 6 o u d r e l y e
p ' 0 S 0 0
50 km/h 4 v e h i c l e . k 25 km/h 2 m )
0 km/h 0 00:00 03:00 06:00 09:00 12:00 15:00 18:00 21:00 00:00 Time of Day Average Speed Speed Range Average Throughput Figure 9: Average vehicle travel speeds on Lane Cove Road, between Ryde and Macquarie Park, March to May, 2015. Roads and Maritime Services (2015)
The State of Transport in Macquarie Park 11 Challenge: Walking and cycling access continues to be hindered
Walking and cycling access continues to be hindered A greater number of people walking and cycling could benefit Macquarie Park by reducing the strain on roads and public transport services. The increased number of people that will be living in Macquarie Park in the future presents a significant opportunity to the area, as nowadays the large amounts of people driving to Macquarie Park leads to traffic congestion each weekday. Unfortunately, walking and cycling access to, from and within Macquarie Park continues to be hindered by barriers caused by major roads, incomplete infrastructure, and a street structure that is not conducive to walking. Providing strong, connected networks to, from and within Macquarie Park is critical to increasing the share of people using walking and cycling and public transport for travel. Barriers for pedestrians Large and busy roads in Macquarie Park create barriers that hinder the movement of people walking to, from and within the precinct. This is primarily due to the limited opportunities to cross roads. Despite strong desire lines across key roads in Macquarie Park, pedestrians often have to walk up to five minutes out of their way to find a legal and safe crossing opportunity. An example is the strong desire for people to cross Lane Cove Road at lunch time. In this case, the few crossing opportunities result in instances of jaywalking (shown in Figures 11 and 12). Walking in Macquarie Park is hindered by the internal street structure, which is made up of large blocks that require people to make relatively circuitous journeys when walking throughout the area. Walking between locations in Macquarie Park takes longer than it would over equivalent distances in other major commercial centres in Sydney such as Parramatta, North Sydney and Chatswood.
Figure 10: Opportunities for improving pedestrian facilities.
The State of Transport in Macquarie Park 12 Ryde Council has introduced development policy that aims to create smaller blocks within Macquarie Park by encouraging developers to add new roads and pedestrian links when land is redeveloped18. Whilst this mechanism may lead to the reduction of block sizes over the long-term, there has been little change to the street pattern in Macquarie Park since the introduction of the policy, and it is unlikely that any major changes will occur prior to major increases in the number or residents, workers and students expected over the next decade. Improvements that would enhance the walking network in the Macquarie Park were identified in a Pedestrian Access and Mobility Plan (PAMP) released by Ryde Council in 201319, some of which are shown in Figure 10. Many of these improvements are not currently funded, with others having an unclear timeframe for delivery. An example is the construction of traffic signals at the corner of Waterloo Road and Khartoum Road, which would create an opportunity to cross the road that where there is currently a one kilometre stretch without any formal crossing opportunity. In-line with the construction of footpath surface improvements, an interim solution has resulted in the further reduction of connectivity, with pedestrian fencing requiring people to walk even further to cross the road at this location. Although funded, Ryde Council has identified the construction of signals may not be complete until 2017/18, and has not released a detailed timeline for delivery20. There are further opportunities to improve the environment for cyclists by growing the cycling network that serves travel to and from Macquarie Park. Cycling access has improved in recent years with the introduction of a network of shared paths along key routes such as Waterloo Road, however connectivity between routes remains hindered by major roads with fast travel speeds that are not conducive to encouraging cycling. Furthermore, routes connecting to Macquarie Park remain incomplete.
Figure 11, Figure 12: Pedestrians crossing Lane Cove Rd.
18 Macquarie Park DCP, 2008 and Space Syntax Report, 2009. 19 Macquarie Park Pedestrian Access and Mobility Plan, 2013 20 City of Ryde Works and Community Committee May 2015
The State of Transport in Macquarie Park 13 Challenge: Public transport access is earmarked for improvement however details are unclear
Rail improvements Sydney Metro Northwest is currently under construction and will introduce a high frequency metro train service to stations in Macquarie Park from 2019. Sydney Metro Northwest will increase the frequency of trains to 15 per hour in each direction – approximately one train every four minutes throughout the day. This is four times as many trains than currently serve these stations today. The project will also provide a direct train service between Macquarie Park and the northwestern suburbs, reducing the travel time between Macquarie Park and key locations such as Castle Hill to one third of what is experienced today. Bus and light rail improvements There are planned improvements to the bus infrastructure and services serving Macquarie Park however the timeframes for the delivery of these improvements are not clear. The NSW Government’s Sydney’s Bus Future strategy identifies two ‘Rapid Bus Routes’ serving Macquarie Park and North Ryde. Planned increases in the number of buses operating on these corridors will providing capacity for up to 1,500 extra passengers each day, as well as providing increased reliability through additional bus priority measures on Waterloo Road, Lane Cove Road and Epping Road. Transport for NSW is currently developing a plan to roll-out improvements to increase the speed and reliability of buses on these key corridors. Details of these improvements are not available to the public at this stage. Once improvements are made, there will be an opportunity to operate a simpler and more reliable bus network on key priority corridors. One of these rapid routes – between Macquarie Park and Parramatta is under investigation by the NSW Government as part of a light rail network serving Parramatta. The light rail line could potentially move up to 10,000 people per hour, however is not currently a committed project for the NSW Government21. Transport for NSW is currently working with Macquarie University and AMP Capital to investigate options for improving the Herring Road bus interchange. The specific benefits and timeframes of these improvements are also not yet determined and subject to further investigation. The unclear timeframes and specific details of planned transport improvements make it difficult to integrate developments with transport. Locations without planned improvements There are currently no planned infrastructure or major service improvements to increase the speed and reliability of buses serving Macquarie Park from the North Shore and Northern Beaches, Eastwood and Gladesville – which are each key areas where people who work in Macquarie Park travel from each day. Without these improvements, there is unlikely to be any significant improvement in slow and unreliable bus travel from these locations.
21 Parramatta Light Rail Strategic Plan
The State of Transport in Macquarie Park 14
Figure 13: Network improvements in Macquarie Park.
The State of Transport in Macquarie Park 15 Challenge: Rail shut-down and development in 2018-19
The next five years will be a challenging time for access to, from and within Macquarie Park. As part of the construction of the Sydney Metro Northwest, the train stations in Macquarie Park will be closed, meaning that over 30,000 people that currently catch the train to and from Macquarie Park each day will need to travel by other means. The length of the closure will be at least seven months, however documentation prepared by Transport for NSW suggests the closure could extend up to 13 months22. To facilitate the closure of the Macquarie Park stations each day, an additional five bus routes leading to 64 additional buses during the morning peak period and 75 additional buses during the evening peak period will be introduced. Buses will connect passengers to train stations at Chatswood, Epping, St Leonards, Eastwood and Gordon23. Replacement bus services will result in people requiring up to 45 minutes extra a day to travel between Macquarie Park and stations of the Sydney Trains network due to the slower travel speeds of buses, and the way they will be impacted by traffic congestion. Furthermore, the large number of additional buses will further add to the congestion already experienced on the road network. Continued growth in workers, students, residents and shoppers will result in a growing number of people travelling each day and large amounts of planned construction activity will potentially create disruptions to travel, and additional freight and heavy vehicle traffic. There is a lack of clarity around the timeframes for major transport and development projects. In particular the development timeframes of the Priority Precincts, bus priority infrastructure and road upgrades require further clarity due to their potential accumulative impact. Major projects proposed without definitive construction schedules could overlap leading to cumulative impacts during times when the transport network is most constrained. This is likely to lead to further increases in the time it takes to travel to and from Macquarie Park, as well as lower levels of reliability. Property development and road upgrades that are planned to occur during the temporary closure of train stations at Macquarie Park are likely to further exacerbate traffic congestion that will impact drivers, bus passengers, and train passengers using replacement buses. The lack of clarity and co-ordination around development as well as the potential shut-down of rail services for over one year will be a major risk to the desirability and viability of Macquarie Park as a place to do business. Figure 13 details planned and potential development activity within Macquarie Park and North Ryde over the next five years.
22 Epping to Chatswood Railway - Temporary Transport Plan (2014) 23 Epping to Chatswood Railway - Temporary Transport Plan (2014)
The State of Transport in Macquarie Park 16 Timeline
Interim rail EC Rail service Shutdown
Macquarie Center Bus Interchange Upgrade Signals Herring/Waterloo Intersection
Herring Rd. Herring Rd. Upgrade Signals Khartoum/Waterloo Intersection Priority Precinct
Construction Masters Hardware Store Upgrade Signals Wicks/Epping Rd. Intersection To be provided before 31 Dec. 2020 Upgrade Signals Wicks/Waterloo Rd. Intersection To be provided before 31 Dec. 2016 Construction Ryde Garden (residential) North Ryde
Priority Precinct Construction Lachlan’s Line (residential) Improvements Pittwater/Lucknow Rd. Novartis
10 Byfield St. (hotel)
110 Herring Rd. (Stamford) 269 Lane Cove Rd. (Mirvac)
67 Epping Rd. (hotel)
Ivanhoe Estate redevelopment
Macq. Centre, 2nd stage redevelopment
Astrazeneca
Park (between Talavera Rd. and Waterloo Rd.) Other 22 Giffnock Avenue (7 storey commercial) developments
8 Khartoum Rd. (7 storey commercial)
Macquarie Central (5 building residential highrise)
4 Eden Park Dr. (5 storey data centre)
111 Wicks Rd.
84 Talavera Rd. (Mixed use)
63 Waterloo Rd. (17 storey mixed use)
136 Herring Rd. (4 storey student housing) 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Legend
Land use development
Infrastructure development
Figure 15: Timeline of all identified projects within Macquarie Park. Sources include the City of Ryde and the City of Ryde DA Tracker.
The State of Transport in Macquarie Park 17 What needs to be done
Gather information to fill knowledge gaps A strong knowledge-base of information is important to ensure robust planning to move people into, out of and within Macquarie Park. This knowledge base needs to provide insight into the demand and travel characteristics related to land-use as well as the performance of transport networks. Whilst extensive study into the park has developed a rich information base for Macquarie Park, there are still information gaps that need to be filled in order to effectively plan for the future. The following knowledge gaps have been identified: • Specific characteristics and sensitivities that influence mode choice in Macquarie Park are not well understood. • Specific timing of many land and property development projects are unclear. • The length and specific impacts of the rail line closure are unclear. • Methods of rapidly achieving fine-grain walking networks within budgetary constraints are not clear. • There is not a specific understanding of the impact and magnitude of traffic congestion in terms of person- hours. In order to fill knowledge gaps, the following programme of data collection is recommended: • Connect Macquarie Park should undertake research to understand the specific characteristics and sensitivities that influence mode choice for people working and studying at Macquarie Park. • Connect Macquarie Park should work with TfNSW to understand the magnitude of road network congestion in terms of passengers impacted and the length of time they are delayed through a detailed analysis of road congestion and utilisation data. • NSW Government and City of Ryde should clarify major project timeframes for major land use and transport initiatives occurring in Macquarie Park over the next five years. • City of Ryde should undertake research to understand potential financial mechanisms to rapidly develop a fine-grain network for walking in Macquarie Park. Co-ordinate development activity and rail station closures The impact of planned and potential development, transport projects, and the temporary closure of the train line has not been considered holistically. During the most constrained period, in 2019, there is no indication that additional priority will be provided for public transport users accessing Macquarie Park on the road network, despite significantly higher numbers of passengers using buses. Poor travel time and reliability on public transport will risk further people choosing to drive their cars on already congested road networks, exacerbating problems further. The comprehensive co-ordination of transport services in line with potential development and transport network impacts will be essential to maintaining access to Macquarie Park and minimising the significant impacts on people travelling to workplaces, educational and shopping facilities. This coordination process must consider activity under the jurisdiction of different levels of government and may not be achievable through conventional development and construction impact assessment and tracking processes. In order to achieve co-ordination, the following actions are recommended:
The State of Transport in Macquarie Park 18 What needs to be done
• NSW Government should work with City of Ryde to establish a co-ordination body to understand and manage major projects and the travel task to Macquarie Park during the shutdown of the train line in 2018-19. • NSW Government should immediately review public transport priority infrastructure on key roads with the aim to ameliorate the expected travel time impacts resulting from the Epping to Chatswood Rail Line closure in 2018-19 • NSW Government should develop an information and public relations campaign to provide Macquarie Park workers and residents with information about travel options now, during the train line closure in 2019 and once the Sydney Metro opens. It will be essential for this information to be communicated effectively prior to major changes. • Connect Macquarie Park should work with businesses and NSW government (TfNSW) to identify demand management schemes that can mitigate the impacts of rail shutdown on workers. Fast-track infrastructure for walking A suite of improvements to create safer and easier pedestrian access and movement throughout Macquarie Park have been identified in studies such as the Pedestrian Access and Mobility Plan (2013) and the Macquarie Park Baseline Movement Economy Report (2009). This infrastructure should be fast-tracked to ensure that pedestrian movement is fully-supported as rapid growth occurs in the park. In order to achieve this, the following actions are recommended: • City of Ryde should prioritise, fund and implement recommendations for action from the Pedestrian Access and Mobility Plan • City of Ryde should work with NSW Government to plan, prioritise and fund opportunities for pedestrians to cross busy road corridors, in particular, adjacent to major bus stops and train stations. Lane Cove Road should be addressed as a priority. • City of Ryde should work with NSW Government (Roads and Maritime Services) to fast-track the implementation of key signalised road crossings in Macquarie Park. • City of Ryde should investigate alternate systems and financing options to rapidly construct additional local streets and pedestrian links identified in the Macquarie Park Baseline Movement Economy Report (2009) as necessary to achieve a fine-grain local walking network in Macquarie Park. Develop long-term transport strategy Long-term strategic transport and land use planning for Macquarie Park would guide and prioritise the future development of transport infrastructure and services in Macquarie Park. This process is an essential requirement given the very high levels of growth expected over the next 20 years, and the significant accessibility challenges faced across multiple transport modes. To build a long-term strategic platform for Macquarie Park, the following actions are recommended: • NSW Government (Transport for NSW) should work with City of Ryde to undertake an integrated transport planning process that develops clear access principles, and appropriately prioritises different forms of transport in different spaces in collaboration with key stakeholders in Macquarie Park. • NSW Government (Transport for NSW) should work with City of Ryde to develop an integrated access strategy report for Macquarie Park that communicates clear directions and initiatives for the development of an integrated transport network for Macquarie Park.
The State of Transport in Macquarie Park 19 Summary of recommended actions
Theme Actions Lead organisation
Gather information to Undertake research to understand the specific characteristics and Connect Macquarie fill knowledge gaps sensitivities that influence mode choice for people working and Park, City of Ryde, NSW studying at Macquarie Park. Government
Understand the magnitude of road network congestion in terms of passengers impacted and the length of time they are delayed through a detailed analysis of road congestion and utilisation data.
Clarify major project timeframes for major land use and transport initiatives occurring in Macquarie Park over the next five years.
Understand potential financial mechanisms to rapidly develop a fine- grain network for walking in Macquarie Park.
Co-ordinate Establish a co-ordination body to understand and manage major NSW Government development activity projects and the travel task to Macquarie Park during the shutdown of working with City and rail station the train line in 2018-19. of Ryde, Connect closures Macquarie Park Immediately review public transport priority infrastructure on key roads with the aim to ameliorate the expected travel time impacts resulting from the Epping to Chatswood Rail Line closure in 2019
Develop an information and public relations campaign to provide Macquarie Park workers and residents with information about travel options now, during the train line closure in 2019 and once the Sydney Metro opens. It will be essential for this information to be communicated effectively prior to major changes.
Connect Macquarie Park should work with businesses and NSW government (TfNSW) to identify demand management schemes that can mitigate the impacts of rail shutdown on workers.
Fast-track Prioritise, fund and implement recommendations for action from the City of Ryde, working infrastructure for Pedestrian Access and Mobility Plan. with NSW Government walking (Roads and Maritime Plan, prioritise and fund opportunities for pedestrians to cross busy Services) road corridors, in particular, adjacent to major bus stops and train stations. Lane Cove Road should be addressed as a priority.
Fast-track the implementation of key signalised road crossings in Macquarie Park.
Investigate alternate systems and financing options to rapidly construct additional local streets and pedestrian links necessary to build a fine- grain local walking network in Macquarie Park.
The State of Transport in Macquarie Park 20 Appendix: Comparison of population, employment and student fore- casts
Source Population Employment Students
Bureau of Transport NA - 53,777 in 2011 NA Statistics Employment - 60,797 in 2021 Forecasts 2011-41 - 68,829 in 2031 within a (September 2014)(a) 477 ha area that includes Riverside Corporate Park but excludes Fontenoy Road precinct Bureau of Transport - 3,269 in 2011 NA NA Statistics Population - 11,623 in 2021 Forecasts 2011-41 - 25,044 in 2031 within a (September 2014) (a) 477 ha area that includes Riverside Corporate Park but excludes Fontenoy Road precinct Census Usual 6,149 (2011) for 676 ha area NA NA Residents (Used by that excludes Riverside ABS, ID) Corporate Park but includes Fontenoy Road precinct.
Western Sydney Light - 1,029 (dwellings) in 2011 - 14,000 jobs in 2011 NA Rail (uses Bureau of - 48,366 (dwellings) in 2031, - 2, 520 jobs in 2031 within Transport Statistics) within an unstated area an unstated area that is that is likely a catchment/ likely a catchment/portion of portion of Macquarie Park. Macquarie Park. (b) Herring Road Urban 6,149 persons (2012 The Metropolitan Strategy Macquarie University is Activation Precinct estimate) plans for the Macquarie a major education and Planning Report Park Specialised Precinct research facility, with The Macquarie Park to provide at least 16,000 approximately 38,000 precinct is directly additional jobs by 2031. students. accessible by rail and predicted to provide about 55,000 jobs by 2021
Average occupancy rate of 2.0 persons per household in Macquarie Park Planning Proposal for NA The Macquarie Park Corridor More than 30,000 students Macquarie Park – Ryde is a 7.5 km2 employment attend Macquarie Local Environmental centre located equidistant University. Plan 2013 Draft from Sydney City and (Amendment 1) Parramatta City Centre. Macquarie Park Employment within the Corridor Corridor exceeds 39,000. Appendix B: Comparison of population, employment and student forecasts
Source Population Employment Students
Department of Macquarie Park is identified Macquarie Park is identified NA Planning Metropolitan under the Metropolitan under the Metropolitan Plan 2036 (superseded) Plan 2036 as having a base Plan 2036 as having a base of 39,000 jobs in 2009 and of 39,000 jobs in 2009 and anticipated to grow to anticipated to grow to 58,000 58,000 by 2036. by 2036.
Macquarie University NA NA In 2013 there were a total Masterplan of 37,921 enrolled students. These are made up of: - 25,603 full-time students - 12,318 part-time students
(a) There are earlier releases of these forecasts, the most widely-used is from 2012. (b) The occupancy rates of dwellings in Macquarie Park is approximately 2. This would equate to approximately 2,100 people in 2011 and 96,700 people in 2031. This latter number appears to be erroneous.