HUNTLEE NEW TOWN Stage 1 Preferred Project Report (PPR) Traffic Modelling, Volume 1

July 2012

Hyder Consulting Pty Ltd ABN 76 104 485 289 Level 5, 141 Walker Street Locked Bag 6503 North Sydney NSW 2060 Australia Tel: +61 2 8907 9000 Fax: +61 2 8907 9001 www.hyderconsulting.com

HUNTLEE PTY LTD HUNTLEE NEW TOWN Stage 1 Preferred Project Report, Traffic Modelling Volume 1

Mukit R, Jacky L., Kung Author N.

Checker Mukit Rahman

Approver Mukit Rahman

Report No AA004866_TM_02

Date July 2012

This report has been prepared for Huntlee Pty Ltd in accordance with the terms and conditions of appointment for Huntlee New Town dated March 2012. Hyder Consulting Pty Ltd (ABN 76 104 485 289) cannot accept any responsibility for any use of or reliance on the contents of this report by any third party.

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REVISIONS

Revisions Date Description Prepared by Approved by

A-L May and June Internal reviews MR, KN, JL 2012

M 9 July 2012 DRAFT for Client’s review and comments MR, KN, JL MR

N 12 July 2012 Final Report MR, KN, JL MR

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CONTENTS

Executive Summary ...... 1 Report Structure ...... 6 Volume 1 – Executive Summary and Report ...... 6 Volume 2 - Appendices ...... 6 1 Introduction ...... 7 1.1 Background ...... 7 1.2 Study Objectives ...... 8 1.3 Purpose of this Report ...... 8 2 Approach to Traffic Modelling Investigation ...... 9 3 Regional and Local Transport Context ...... 10 3.1 Study Area Road Network ...... 10 3.3 Road Hierarchy ...... 12 3.4 Key Transport Indicators...... 14 3.4.1 Historical Traffic Growth ...... 14 3.4.2 Commuter Mode Share, Branxton Area ...... 15 3.5 Crash Data ...... 15 4 Existing Traffic Condition ...... 18 4.1 New Traffic Survey ...... 18 4.2 Traffic Results ...... 20 4.2.1 Daily Traffic Volumes ...... 20 4.2.2 Peak Hour Traffic Volumes ...... 22 4.2.3 Existing Network Capacity and Level Of Service (LoS) ...... 24 5 Traffic Models ...... 26 5.1 Overview...... 26 5.2 TransCAD Model Calibration/Validation ...... 27 5.3 Paramics Model Calibration/Validation ...... 27 6 Key Modelling Assumptions ...... 29 6.1 Future Development Potential of Huntlee ...... 29 6.2 Traffic Generation ...... 33 6.2.1 Residential Development ...... 33 6.2.2 Employment Development ...... 34 6.3 Self-Containment Trips ...... 35 6.4 Implied Mode Share ...... 36 6.5 Trip Generation from Stage 1 and Full Development ...... 37 6.6 Future Network Change...... 41

6.7 Trip Distribution ...... 41 6.8 Future Growth ...... 41 6.8.1 Impact from Hunter Expressway (HEX) ...... 42 6.8.2 Regional Background Traffic Growth on Wine Country Drive ...... 44 6.9 Development Staging ...... 44 6.10 Summary of Modelling Assumptions ...... 49 7 Impact Assessment ...... 52 7.1 Access Strategy ...... 52 7.1.1 Stage 1 ...... 52 7.1.2 Full Development ...... 54 7.2 Scenarios Assessment ...... 55 7.3 Staging of Capacity Improvements ...... 56 7.3.1 Principles ...... 56 7.3.2 Approach ...... 56 7.4 Widening of Road Sections ...... 57 7.4.1 Stage 1 ...... 57 7.4.2 Full Development ...... 58 7.5 Intersections Upgrade ...... 59 7.5.1 Stage 1 ...... 59 7.5.2 Full Development ...... 61 7.6 Internal Sub division Road Network ...... 66 7.7 Integrating Land Use and Transport Policy Package ...... 67 7.7.1 Public Transport Strategy ...... 67 7.7.2 Pedestrian and Cycling Strategy...... 68 8 Conclusions and Recommendations ...... 70 8.1 Summary of Key Findings...... 70 8.2 Recommendations ...... 71

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Executive Summary

Huntlee Pty Ltd commissioned Hyder Consulting Pty Ltd (Hyder) to develop a road based traffic model to assess the traffic impact from Huntlee New Town (Huntlee) development. Huntlee is located to the south of the town of Branxton in the Hunter Valley of NSW. This traffic assessment presents the findings of investigations into the traffic implications of the proposed Huntlee development. The report documents a review of existing traffic conditions, the development of a road based network traffic model, the determination of future traffic demand and detailed traffic assessment of the Stage 1 Project Application proposal.

The Stage 1 Project Application was publicly exhibited in April 2011. This traffic report forms the part of Preferred Project Report of Stage 1 Project Application proposal.

The purpose of Hyder’s study is to assess the impact of Huntlee development. The specific purpose of this investigation is to assess the following key elements:

. Prepare traffic forecasts with Huntlee proposal for future years. . Determine the road and intersection capacity improvements required to cater for the forecast traffic demands generated by the Stage 1 of proposed Huntlee development. . Determine broader traffic impact from Huntlee development when the site is fully developed. . Determine level of service of key access points and intersections to determine the intersection footprint required with Wine Country Drive (MR 220) to cater for the expected traffic growth from both Stage 1 and full Huntlee development. . Identify the timing of staged implementation of road and intersection improvements particularly on the Wine Country Drive (MR 220). A road based micro-simulation traffic model was developed for the study area. For the micro- simulation model, Hyder used Paramics software. The Paramics model was built upon and integrated with recently updated Lower Hunter Traffic Model (LHTM, operates in TransCAD). For assessing individual intersection capacity, Hyder used SIDRA software.

A consultation process involving the RMS constituted an important element of this traffic study. In April 2012, Hyder submitted a modelling assumption report to RMS titled “Traffic Modelling Assumptions, Huntlee New Town”. Between April and June Hyder also submitted two addendums responding issues raised by the RMS. Key modelling assumptions reported in this document was agreed with the RMS.

Most trips in the Huntlee area are undertaken by car. Buses are mostly used for local trips. In general, access to the Huntlee investigation area is available via the Wine Country Drive and New England Highway. The New England Highway forms part of the National Highway. It is currently the main arterial connecting the Upper Hunter Valley with Newcastle as well as providing regional and interstate connections to the New England / North West regions and Brisbane. Wine Country Drive provides the main connection between Branxton and Cessnock and serves the village of North Rothbury. It is generally a two lane rural road. It operates as a tourist road for the Hunter Valley Wineries as well as currently accommodating regional and interstate traffic as an alternative link between the F3 Freeway at Freeman’s Waterhole and the New England Highway.

The key features of the road system in the Huntlee locality are the proposed Hunter Expressway (under construction, to be completed by 2013), the New England Highway and Wine Country Drive. RMS is currently constructing the Hunter Expressway (HEX), a dual carriageway link between the F3 Freeway at the Newcastle Link Road (the Newcastle Interchange) and the New England Highway some 2 km to the west of Branxton. The expressway will have an interchange

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with connections to the New England Highway and Branxton immediately north of the Huntlee site. This is known as the Branxton interchange and will be served by a connection to Wine Country Drive.

When fully developed, the Huntlee proposal would provide for up to 7,500 dwellings. Of that the Stage 1 subdivision will include approximately 2,345 dwellings. In conjunction with residential development it is proposed to develop about 200 hectares (ha) of mixed use/employment lands including a mixed use Town Centre. A Town Centre area is proposed to the west of Wine Country Drive and south of the Hunter Expressway Corridor. Land use within the Town Centre would be designed to ensure that a mix of retail, commercial, educational, recreational, entertainment and residential uses will be concentrated in a core retail/mixed use area concentrated along the Main Street. Approximately 55.7 ha of Town Centre are proposed within the Stage 1 development.

The Huntlee is proposed to be planned and developed as a series of staged neighbourhoods over a 20+ year period. For modelling purpose, it is assumed that Huntlee will be delivered over four (4) stages. Each phase of the staging will determine access requirements and then determines the road and intersection capacity needed to service the demand from residential and employment yields. Huntlee Stage 1 is expected to be fully developed by year 2020. Commencement of subdivision construction is programmed to commence in the second half of 2013 with a development period of approximately 7-8 years.

The Stage 1 proposal would generate in the order of 3,600 to 4,600 vehicle trips in one hour when it is fully occupied by 2020. Wine Country Drive would have maximum impact from Stage 1 proposal. The analysis has assumed trip generation in the order of 7,800 to 9,100 vehicle trips in one hour when the site is fully developed. The forecasts indicate that the proposal would result in a significant impact in overall traffic generated in the longer term when Huntlee is fully developed by 2036. The regional network comprising Wine Country Drive (MR 220), Hunter Expressway Link Road (HEX Link Road) are expected to accommodate the greatest longer term increase in traffic as a result of full Huntlee proposal.

Five network scenarios were tested to assess their impact on improving traffic conditions with Stage 1 and full development. These scenarios demonstrated that:

. Wine Country Drive widening between Entry Village one access and HEX Link Road is the most critical upgrade required to accommodate Stage 1 development. Concurrently key intersections with the Wine Country Drive are required to upgrade. . At some point in times, the northern access from Village One to HEX Link Road would be considered. The need of northern access would be determined from likely uptake rate of residential development in Village one. The modelling analysis has suggested the need for this northern access after 1500 dwellings are built and occupied. . The proposed Hunter Expressway Link Road and Branxton interchange have capacity benefit. They are an essential element in providing longer term network capacity for the Huntlee development. When due allowance is made for Huntlee developments that access the surrounding arterial and local road system, it is evident that significant road network improvements will be required. The proposed road and intersection improvements can be delivered in two stages depending on actual Huntlee development rate:

. The next ten years period (to 2022) to support Stage 1 Huntlee development. . The following 14 years period (between 2022 and 2036) to support the remaining three stages (Stages 2 to 4) of Huntlee development.

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Over the next ten years (to 2022) the following road and intersection improvements (see Figure E-1) are recommended to cater for additional traffic from the Stage 1 development:

. Upgrade Wine Country Drive to a four lane (2 lanes each way) between Village 1 access and Hunter Expressway (HEX) Link Road. . Provision of an outer bypass through Town Centre. It would be constructed to a four lane road (2 lanes each way) with provision for parking. . Upgrade HEX Link Road roundabout with Wine Country Drive to a two lanes roundabout (see A-1 for indicative lane arrangement). . Provision of a new traffic light on Wine Country Drive with Main Street (see A-3 for indicative lane arrangement). . Provision of a new traffic light on Wine Country Drive with Village One access (see A-5 for indicative lane arrangement). . Provision of a sign control intersection on Wine Country Drive to provide access to Anvil Creek Regional Park. It is proposed to construct internal road to cater for parking requirements of the regional park. . Provision of a sign control intersection (see A-9 for indicative lane arrangement) to provide access from large lots being proposed as part of Stage 1 development.

Figure E-1 Proposed Road and Intersection Upgrade (Stage 1)

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Over the following 14 years (between 2022 and 2036) additional road and intersection improvements (see Figure E-2) are proposed to support the full Huntlee development:

. Provision of a four lane upgrade on HEX Link Road (2 lanes each way) between Wine Country Drive and Branxton Interchange. . Provision of a new traffic light on Wine Country Drive with HEX Link Road (A-1). . Further upgrade of Wine Country Drive traffic light with Main Street (A-3) providing auxiliary turning lanes. . Further upgrade of Wine Country Drive traffic light with Village One access (A-5) providing auxiliary turning lanes. . Provision of a new roundabout on HEX Link Road with Village One access (A-6). . Provision of a new roundabout on Wine Country Drive with Village Four access (A-8). . Provision of a sign control intersection (A-10) that provides access from large lots on the Old North Road. . Upgrade intersection of Wine Country Drive with Old North Road. (I-7). The package of road and intersection upgrade works described above would deliver adequate capacity and maintain an acceptable level of service to the arterial and local network to accommodate the full Huntlee development.

It is expected that Huntlee site will benefit from a trend of journey to work containment within the locality, relatively good proximity to the rail stations at Branxton, Telarah or Maitland, an emerging pedestrian/cycling network, together with an existing public transport framework. The concept plan for Huntlee proposal will create an environment that is friendly to pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users. A pedestrian network will be installed to provide for movements of pedestrians throughout the development area. The local roads within the development will be designed to provide safe walking and bicycle routes that link with other existing services and facilities in Branxton and nearby areas. It will be necessary to ensure that residents and employees can travel to and from the Huntlee facility sustainably and in a way that reduces growth in car use.

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Figure E-2 Proposed Road and Intersection Upgrade (full development)

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Report Structure

The Huntlee New Town (Huntlee) development Stage 1 Preferred Project Report, Traffic Modelling is produced in two volumes. This report forms Volume 1. Volume 1 – Executive Summary and Report

The Stage 1 Preferred Project Report, Traffic Modelling – Volume 1 contains the following eight chapters providing a traffic impact assessment of the Stage 1 and Full Huntlee proposal.

Section 1 provides an overview of the project, background information, study objectives, purpose of this report.

Section 2 provides an upper level approach to traffic modelling investigation.

Section 3 provides the regional and local transport context within which the assessment has taken place. This section provides an overview of key transport indicators including historical traffic growth, commuter mode share and crash data.

Section 4 describes the existing traffic condition in the study area. To satisfy the RMS requirements, Hyder undertook an extensive traffic survey involving key roads and intersections in the study area. Results from traffic surveys are summarised in this section. An assessment of existing network capacity has been undertaken, summarising network deficiency at key roads and intersections.

Section 5 documents an overview of traffic models. Its development, purpose, model network, calibration and validation are included in this section.

Section 6 documents the key modelling assumptions related to Huntlee development. Key assumptions include trip generation, self-containment rate, implied mode share, trip distributions and future background growth. These assumptions are agreed with the RMS.

Section 7 describes the impact assessment of Huntlee. It describes access strategy to the RMS state road (Wine Country Drive). Proposed road and intersection upgrading works are summarised in this section.

Section 8 – summarises the key study findings including the recommendations. Volume 2 - Appendices

Detailed Paramics calibration and validation (as per RMS guide), SIDRA results, turning volumes and RMS’s comments and responses to modelling assumptions are included in Volume 2 as appendices to Volume 1. The appendices are as follows:

. Appendix A. Existing Turning Volumes at Key Surveyed Intersections. . Appendix B. Intersection Analysis and Results for Existing Condition. . Appendix C. Paramics model Calibration and Validation as per RMS Guideline. . Appendix D. RMS’s Agreement to Modelling Assumptions. . Appendix E. Future Year Turning Volumes with Huntlee (Scenarios). . Appendix F. Future Year Intersection Performance with Huntlee (Scenarios).

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1 Introduction 1.1 Background

Huntlee Pty Ltd commissioned Hyder Consulting Pty Ltd (Hyder) to develop a road based traffic model to assess the traffic impact from Huntlee New Town (Huntlee) development. The State Significant Site (SSS) application of Huntlee was determined on 31st December 2010. The SSS Study for Huntlee established the vision, planning and development framework which will be used to assess future development proposals. The key parameters of the overall Huntlee development are:

. Up to 5,600 dwellings in residential zones of varying sizes;

. Employment lands totalling up to approximately 200 hectares including a mixed use Town Centre with up to 1,700 residential dwellings; and

. Large lot residential development to achieve up to 200 dwellings.

Hyder reviewed the following recent documents submitted to transport authorities supporting the Huntlee development:

. Transport Management and Accessibility Plan, Proposed Huntlee Development, Branxton, Better Transport Futures (BTF); December 2010.

. Project Application, Environmental Assessment Report, Stage 1 Subdivision and Infrastructure Works, JBA Planning, March 2011.

. Wine Country Drive, Huntlee New Town Stage 1 Project Application, Letter issued by Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) on 23 June 2011.

. Wine Country Drive, Huntlee New Town Stage 1 Project Application Exhibition, Letter issued by Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) on 18 April 2011.

. Wine Country Drive, Huntlee New Town Stage 1 Project Application Exhibition, Letter issued by Better Transport Futures (BTF) on 26 May 2011.

. Wine Country Drive, Huntlee New Town Stage 1 Project Application –Issues with the Traffic Assessment, Letter issued by Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) on 23 June 2011.

Hyder’s review suggests that traffic modelling assumptions are the most contentious to the Huntlee development. It is therefore critical to identify and understand the concerns of Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) and address each one in a methodical manner via the standard study approach expected by the RMS.

A consultation process involving the RMS constituted an important element of this modelling study. In April 2012, Hyder submitted a modelling assumption report to RMS titled “Traffic Modelling Assumptions, Huntlee New Town. Between April and June 2012, Hyder submitted two addendums responding issues raised by RMS. Key modelling assumptions reported in this document was agreed with the RMS.

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1.2 Study Objectives

The overall purpose of the traffic modelling investigation is to assess the impact of Huntlee development. A road based micro-simulation traffic model was developed for the study area. For the micro-simulation model, Hyder used Paramics software. The Paramics model was built upon and integrated with recently updated Lower Hunter Traffic Model (LHTM, operates in TransCAD).1 For assessing individual intersection capacity, Hyder used SIDRA software.

The specific purpose of this traffic modelling assessment is to assess the following key elements:

. Prepare traffic forecasts with Huntlee proposal for future years.

. Determine the road and intersection capacity improvements required to cater for the forecast traffic demands generated by the Stage 1 of proposed Huntlee development.

. Determine level of service of key access points/intersections to determine the intersection footprint required with Wine Country Drive (MR220) to cater for the expected traffic growth from both Stage 1 and full Huntlee development.

. Identify the timing of staged implementation of road and intersection improvements particularly on the Wine Country Drive. 1.3 Purpose of this Report

This traffic assessment presents the findings of investigations into the traffic implications of the proposed Huntlee development. The report documents a review of existing traffic conditions, the development of a road based network traffic model, the determination of future traffic demand and detailed traffic assessment of the Stage 1 sub division proposal. The report also documents traffic impact from full Huntlee development.

This traffic report forms the part of Preferred Project Report of Stage 1 proposal.

1 RMS provided Hyder licensing agreement of LHTM version 14 for assessing Huntlee development.

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2 Approach to Traffic Modelling Investigation

Future traffic conditions on the regional road network in the vicinity of Huntlee site will be determined by a number of complex driving factors including.

. Lower Hunter Regional Strategy which forecasts a population increase of about 160,000 and an additional 66,000 jobs over a 25 year planning horizon between 2006 and 2031. The forecast population and employment growth was a key input to the RMS’s Lower Hunter Traffic Model (LHTM), built in TransCAD for the entire Hunter Region.

. Currently, key transport corridors including the New England Highway, Wine Country Drive carry a significant amount of regional and local traffic. In the future the predicted population and employment growth will have impact on traffic operations on these roads and associated intersections.

. The Hunter Expressway will have significant contributions in changing the future traffic distributions on the New England Highway and Wine Country Drive. It is anticipated that the Hunter Expressway will open to traffic by 2013.

Due to the complexity of future travel patterns within the corridor, RMS’s LHTM was used to assess the impact of Huntlee generated traffic on the regional and local road network. The RMS requires a robust assessment of the Huntlee development to ensure that they will both cater for the regional and local growth and network changes in the broader study area. RMS has asked for both SIDRA and micro-simulation model (using Paramics) of the study area as a means of providing a detailed assessment of the traffic changes from future developments, and to test upgrading options on the Wine Country Drive. Both SIDRA and Paramics models will need to integrate with the LHTM.

Hyder has developed a comprehensive study approach specifically to achieve key study objectives. It involves identifying the data needs, undertaking a new traffic survey, development of a road based traffic model, calibration and validation of the traffic model and a traffic assessment of staged implementation of road and intersection improvements. A consultation process involving RMS constituted an important element of this study.

The key aspects of Hyder’s modelling approach include:

1. Traffic data, survey and analysis. This stage consisted of reviewing historical and existing data resources and understanding the regional and local traffic context. A new traffic survey was conducted in March 2012 and provided input to model development and refinement process. Three types of data were collected by traffic surveys, including mid- block counts, intersection turning movement counts and queue lengths.

2. Model development, calibration and validation. Traffic models were developed/augmented using a three level methodology – a Lower Hunter Traffic Model (LHTM, using TransCAD software), a micro-simulation network model (using Paramics software) and a series of intersection models (using SIDRA software). The model calibration and validation was undertaken for existing traffic conditions (i.e. 2012). The LHTM was augmented in line with Daily and AM peak period models. The demand feeding into locally calibrated Paramics and SIDRA models was underpinned by the LHTM strategic demand modelling. For Paramics and SIDRA, both AM and PM peak period models were assessed. The future years turning volumes at key intersections were estimated using locally calibrated and validated LHTM for Huntlee study area.

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3 Regional and Local Transport Context

The existing traffic and transport conditions in the study area are described within this chapter. It provides the regional and local transport context within which the assessment has been undertaken. 3.1 Study Area Road Network

Huntlee is located to the south of the town of Branxton in the Hunter Valley of NSW. The site straddles Wine Country Drive (MR 220) linking Cessnock with the New England Highway. Within the overall site, the proposed urban area is bounded to the north and east by the Main North Railway and the Hunter Expressway corridor, to the south by the village of North Rothbury and to the west by the Black Creek floodplain. The Hunter Expressway (under construction now, to be completed by 2013) will provide a dual carriageway linking the site to the Newcastle and Sydney metropolitan regions to the south. The key features of the road system in the Huntlee locality are the Hunter Expressway, the New England Highway (SH 9) and Wine Country Drive (MR 220). The RMS is currently constructing the Hunter Expressway, a dual carriageway link between the F3 Freeway at the Newcastle Link Road (the Newcastle Interchange) and the New England Highway some 2km to the west of Branxton. The expressway will have an interchange with connections to the New England Highway and Branxton immediately north of the Huntlee site. This is known as the Branxton Interchange and will be served by a connection to Wine Country Drive.

The New England Highway forms part of the National Highway and in the locality is characterised by predominantly single lane of travel with overtaking lanes to the east of Branxton with a section of dual carriageway to the west of the town. It is currently the main arterial connecting the Upper Hunter Valley with Newcastle as well as providing regional and interstate connections to the New England / North West regions and Brisbane. Wine Country Drive provides the main connection between Branxton and Cessnock and serves the village of North Rothbury. It is generally a two lane rural road. It operates as a tourist road for the Hunter Valley Wineries as well as currently accommodating regional and interstate traffic as an alternative link between the F3 at Freeman’s Waterhole and the New England Highway.

To the north of the site are the Main North Rail Line and the Branxton Railway Station. This line mainly services freight, in particular coal, from nearby Hunter Valley coal fields to the Port of Newcastle and is operated by the Australian Rail Track Corporation. The line also runs infrequent passenger trains to Armidale / Moree, Scone and Newcastle.

Figure 3-1 shows location of Huntlee in the context of wider road network including the Hunter Expressway.

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Figure 3-1 Location of Huntlee New Town in the Context of Road Network

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3.3 Road Hierarchy

Roads and Maritime Services (RMS), in co-operation with local Councils, defines the functional road hierarchy in an urban area to establish a consistent basis for traffic management. There are three key road categories and their functions are stated as below:

. State Roads: Freeways/motorways and primary arterials;

. Regional Roads: secondary or sub arterials and

. Local Roads: Collector and local access roads.

A generic road hierarchy comprises freeways, primary arterial roads, secondary or sub arterial roads, collector roads and local access roads. The State road network (including the AusLink network) is formed by the primary network of principal traffic-carrying and linking routes for the movement of people and goods within and between major urban centres. Regional roads comprise the secondary network, which together with State roads, provide for travel between smaller towns and districts and perform a sub-arterial function within major urban centres.

The road hierarchy allocated to the road network around the Huntlee study area is summarised in Table 3-1 and shown graphically in Figure 3-2. The classification criteria are sourced from NSW Road Classification Review Panel – Final Report 2007 and Traffic Volume Data from Hunter and Northern Regions 2004.

Table 3-1 Existing Road Network Characteristics Road Road Names Characteristics Hierarchy

It will provide a dual carriageway link between the F3 Freeway Hunter Expressway State Road at the Newcastle Link Road (the Newcastle Interchange) and (under construction) the New England Highway at the west of Branxton.

It is currently the main arterial connecting the Upper Hunter New England Highway Valley with Newcastle as well as providing regional and State Road (SH 9) interstate connections to the New England / North West regions and Brisbane.

It connects Branxton and Cessnock and serves the village of Wine Country Drive Regional North Rothbury. (MR 220) Road The road is generally a two lane rural road.

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Figure 3-2 Road Hierarchy for the Study Area Network

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3.4 Key Transport Indicators 3.4.1 Historical Traffic Growth

Roads and Maritime Services collect traffic volume data at key count locations across the NSW road network. Historical traffic data for Huntlee study area were obtained from RMS.

Table 3-2 shows historical traffic volumes on key roads within the study area measured in average annual daily traffic (AADT). Table 3-3 shows historical average growth rates per annum.

The following is of note from the data in Tables 3-2 and 3-3:

. Between 2001 and 2007, New England Highway carries about 17,000 to 20,000 vehicles per day. The traffic growth is about 1% per annum between 2001 and 2004. . In 2004, Wine Country Drive carried about 4,600 vehicles per day. Between 2001 and 2004, growth was recorded to 1.5%. . On average for key roads, the historical traffic growth in the study area was found to be 1% per annum. The growth was consistent with regional growth of 1% to 2% per annum observed at other RMS’s road survey locations. Table 3-2 Traffic Trends Historical AADT (Annual Average Daily Traffic, axle pairs) Count Location Station Route 2001 2004 2007

1 New England Highway - At Black 05.033 SH9 17,098 17,680 16,722 Creek Bridge

2 Eldersile Road - North of New 05.536 MR453 1,225 1,199 n/a England Highway

3 New England Highway - West of 05.239 SH9 17,709 18,325 20,271 Eldersile Road

4 Clift Street/Wine Country Drive - 05.537 MR220 4,440 4,643 n/a South of New England Highway Source: RMS

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Table 3-3 Annual average traffic growth (%/year) Annual Average Growth

Count Between Between Location Station 2001-2004 2004-2007

1 New England Highway - At Black 05.033  1.1%  1.8% Creek Bridge

2 Eldersile Road - North of New 05.536  0.7% n/a England Highway

3 New England Highway - West of 05.239  1.2%  3.5% Eldersile Road

4 Clift Street/Wine Country Drive - 05.537  1.5% n/a South of New England Highway

Average for Study Area  0.8% Source: RMS 3.4.2 Commuter Mode Share, Branxton Area

In general, Lower Hunter residents have a high dependence on private car travel. The public transport system serving the Lower Hunter area comprises main bus services, Hunter Regional passenger rail services, and long-distance country trains from Sydney through Maitland to Armidale and Brisbane. The bus and rail services are generally of low frequency being only several services each day between towns and