From my reading of the corridor studies, my knowledge of transport planning, spatial planning, economics and personal experience in this region of Sydney, it is clear to me the proposed NorthConnex motorway has been significantly flawed by a poor planning process. The corridor studies and proposed motorway have significantly undervalued the need for a North South motorway connection within the Sydney motorway network. To deliver the greatest value for road users and the local communities within the study area, the Type A Yellow route would have achieved the greatest cost benefit measures. This fact is recognised within the reports, however it’s been overlooked by flawed logic and nearsighted decision making.

SKM identified Type A corridor options

 

Corridor studies are flawed

The Perlman Report reviewed previous studies into a preferred option for a connection between the Pacific Motorway and the Sydney Orbital. All studies conducted to date have correctly identified a Type A corridor, or urban solution, as providing the greatest economic and urban amenity benefits. However, having identified the preference for a Type A corridor, the investigations failed to identify the importance of a North South motorway connection within the network, and preferred a North West connection. The opportunity to provide broader North South benefits to the orbital network were disregarded based on travel time calculations and limitations of the M2 tolling concession.

 

Overstated benefits from time saving between route options

In my estimation the increased travel distance for westbound traffic on the Yellow option would be approximately 1 kilometre, or 1 minute additional time. For traffic travelling from Western Sydney to the Central Coast or beyond, this travel time is completely inconsequential. The Pearlman Report actually argues that western Sydney would become less accessible from this additional 1 minute of travel time (p73). My analogy to this argument is saying Melbourne would become more accessible from Sydney, if the Tullamarine Airport was moved one kilometre closer to the Melbourne CBD. This argument is completely ridiculous, time saving benefits are derived from the existence of the motorway, not the specific route chosen. To suggest western Sydney would become any less accessible, and the Yellow option would be less compatible with the Metropolitan Strategy, is completely absurd.

Effect of M2 toll pricing is flawed

The most significant failing of the SKM traffic study was the calculations based on the effect of the M2 toll. The SKM study assumed the Yellow and Red options would have inferior traffic improvements due to the additional burden of the M2 toll. This is because the M2 motorway uses section tolling which is cheaper west of Pennant Hills road. For this reason the Purple option was preferred as the burden of tolls on North West traffic would be less. This assumption completely ignores the opportunity to engage the M2 motorway operator, Transurban, to achieve greater network benefits across their M2, M7 and Land Cove Tunnel investments. The opportunity now exists to modify the M2 tolling concession to a distance toll, and attract both North South and North West traffic to utilise all Transurban motorways. This assumption that Transurban would act against their self-interest is completely irrational and flawed. It renders all beneficial traffic estimates on Pennant Hills Road, the Pacific Hwy and Lane Cove road in both the Yellow and Red options completely incorrect and irrelevant. The Pearlman report actually identified this and supports this conclusion, they found under distance tolling on both motorways the Yellow route performed best and delivered the greatest benefit (p89). However the significance of this finding was overlooked, the Pearlman report conformed to the status quo Purple option as it performed better within the existing tolling regime. The toll operator, Transurban, has consistently shown public support and preference for the Yellow option, and has since been named as the preferred tenderer for the NorthConnex motorway. Given the recent changes in toll collection technology, and the opportunity to implement distance tolling on the M2, the Yellow route should be the preferred route and the M2 toll concession should be changed.

Flawed Cost Benefits Ratio

These flaws in traffic assumptions have then continued into studies of the economic and urban amenity benefits. As the measure of benefits are skewed, the measure of the cost benefit ratios are equally skewed. This leads to the inevitable support for the western route options along Pennant Hills Road. The subsequent urban amenity benefits cited in the reports give no consideration to benefits along the Pacific Hwy or Lane Cove Road corridor. To identify and quantify the opportunities for urban renewal, Urban Planning consultants should have been engaged in the corridor identification studies. Planning consultants would be able of identifying opportunities for investments in transit oriented development and urban renewal along Pennant Hills Road and the Pacific Hwy. Including these benefits would significantly improve the CBR of the Yellow route that impacts both urban corridors.

Integration with future Sydney motorways

The State Infrastructure Strategy released in October 2012 identified several future motorway projects in Sydney and emphasised the need for improved motorway grade North South connections. The strategy identified two motorway projects which would both directly affect the NorthConnex motorway, an Inner West by-pass and an outer orbital. The Inner West by-pass would connect the M2 motorway with the WestConnex motorway. This motorway would relieve traffic congestion from the Harbour crossings and eastern and western distributors. The Inner West by-pass will increase demand for a North South connection between the M1 and M2. The Infrastructure Strategy also includes an outer orbital that would continue north towards a second Hawkesbury river crossing, potentially following the Type C corridor considered in the SKM study. This motorway would directly connect Western Sydney with northern NSW, and provide redundancy and resilience to the state’s transport infrastructure. The Pearlman report recommended planning should begin immediately on the Type C corridor (p71). This western outer orbital would reduce the demand for North West traffic on the NorthConnex motorway.

The future construction of these two motorways would negate the emphasis that has been placed on the North West corridor for NorthConnex. Both of these future motorways would shift traffic demand from North West to North South in line with the State Infrastructure Strategy. Considering these future motorway projects, it is essential the NorthConnex motorway follows the Yellow route to ensure compatibility and relevance within the future Sydney motorway network.

State Infrastructure Strategy p83 (NorthConnex Purple and Yellow options highlighted)

Inadequate Community Consultation

While the studies themselves has been flawed, I have been particularly disappointed that all community consultation meetings, during both the SKM corridor study and the current preparation for the Environmental Impact Statement, were all conducted within the Pennant Hills road corridor. The Pearlman report also failed to advertise for community consultation on the North Shore. To date there has been no community consultation meetings on the Pacific Hwy corridor and no public notices included in the North Shore Times newspaper. This is completely unacceptable and has only further skewed feedback toward narrowly benefiting residents on the Pennant Hills Road corridor without consideration for broader community benefits across the northern suburbs of Sydney.
The most significant issue raised in community consultation has been ventilation exhausts. Greater consideration should have been given to locating the ventilation stacks within the corridor study. The Yellow route provides improved opportunities to locate exhaust stacks further away from residential properties in undeveloped bushland.

Integration with Sydney Orbital

Based on flawed assumptions and poor decisions, the current proposal following the Purple corridor does not include any direct connection for North South traffic joining the NorthConnex motorway. All vehicles traveling North South will be required to exit the M2 motorway onto Pennant Hills Road, then travel along Pennant Hills Road to access the NorthConnex tunnel. This proposal perpetuates the failures of the corridor studies to provide for North South traffic. This solution fails to meet the objectives of the State Infrastructure Strategy which prioritises North South motorway infrastructure, and fails to satisfy the recommendations of the Pearlman report for an east facing connection between the Purple option and the M2 (p73). If the government is incapable of modifying the M2 toll concession to distance tolling and deliver the more appropriate Yellow corridor option, allowances must be made for a direct North South connection at West Pennant Hills. Also, road signage on the orbital network and feeder roads for destinations along the M1 corridor should be changed to direct traffic off Pennant Hills Road and the Pacific Hwy onto the M2 and NorthConnex motorway.

Urban renewal opportunities

By far the greatest benefit that has failed to be considered or quantified are opportunities for urban renewal along Pennant Hills Road and Pacific Highway. Both these roads have a long ancient history across our landscape. Originating as walking tracks used by the First Australians for thousands of years, their winding paths snake down the mountain ridges that survey the land leading to the waters of Sydney Harbour and the Parramatta River. Imagine if these roads were transformed into urban corridors that recognised this heritage and supported their local communities. Image if they became the main thoroughfares for pedestrians, cyclists and motorist to access their local villages. Image if the car lanes were reduced to provide separate bicycle lanes protected by gardens of native plants, and grasses. Imagine if the villages provided on street parking and slow moving traffic that allowed cafes, restaurants and businesses to open onto the street. Image if these ancient corridors of human travel became significant places within our contemporary cultural landscape.

This project has the potential to transform the way we use our city. Through improved amenity we can encourage more people to walk, use public transport, and ride bicycles in a safe environment. NorthConnex could be a transformative demonstration of how previous policies of destructive road widening and speed increases can be reversed to revitalise suburban economies, villages and communities. In preparation for the Environmental Impact Statement, urban design competitions should be held to encourage community conversations about how this project can transform local amenity and create a renewed sense of place within these neighbourhoods. The opportunity to widen footpaths and develop a cycleway network was recommended in the SKM corridor study (p83). At a very minimum these basic amenity improvements and improved economic opportunities for local businesses should be included in the economic cost benefit analysis for the motorway.

Through good planning and good urban design, NorthConnex could be a transformative project for any and all who live and travel though the northern region of Sydney. It is critical this once in a generation opportunity to transform the Hills District and North Shore is not lost due to a poor evaluation of the M2 toll concession and the inability of traffic planners to quantify the benefits of urban renewal.