Dulwich Hill Light Rail Extension and Greenway
Sydney is crying out for more public transport capacity and the Rozelle goods line is just sitting there, waiting to be used. If the NSW Government consented to extension of the current light rail service to Dulwich Hill, the communities of the inner west would get an additional six kilometres of fast, reliable, public transport that’s immune to soaring petrol prices and never gets stuck in traffic. Everyone else would get the benefit of the extra road-space, and trains, train stations, and buses that are less like sardine tins!
The streets of the Inner West were designed for light vehicular traffic, pedestrians, bicycles and trams, not for thousands of cars. Under the Carr and Iemma governments, public transport has been neglected, motorway development has been favoured, and, as a result, traffic congestion and air pollution have increased. We now have an opportunity to redress this situation and it can be done quickly, with little expense, and without the need to bulldoze heritage suburbs.
The light rail extension to Lilyfield was completed in less than a year. Extending to Dulwich Hill could be completed just as quickly. The line is already in place and having been built to carry heavy freight, requires only inexpensive, easily-constructed stops and minor alterations to signals and overhead wiring. Metro Light Rail already has enough rolling stock to provide services as far as Lewisham. With a guaranteed future, investment in more rolling stock could proceed quickly.
Update
On February 21, 2010 the NSW Government announced the Metropolitan Transport Plan. Included in its list of projects is an expanded light rail network, with an Inner West extension to Dulwich Hill and a CBD extension to Circular Quay via Barangaroo.
Click on the links below to see more about the campaign and to find out how you can get involved!
Download the first edition of our newspaper
Download the second edition of ETS News
Download the third edition of ETS News
Download the related proposal for the City West Cycle-Link. This facility would provide a grade-separated cycleway and pedestrian path running from Lilyfield to the Anzac Bridge and would not require use of the rail formation, ie the rail tracks through the Lilyfield cutting. The proposal also includes a Cycle-Link subway and tunnel under the City West Link Road, with connections to local streets.
Update
On October 15, 2010 the NSW Department of Planning released the Environmental Assessment for the Sydney Light Rail Extension - Stage 1 - Inner West Extension project. EcoTransit Sydney has prepared a submission in response to the request for comment on the Environmental Assessment.
Leaflet Distributed to Duwlich Hill Residents
In early November 2010, in response to the proposal that the Arlington and Waratah Mills stops be replaced by one stop at Hill Rd/Terry St, EcoTransit Sydney distributed a leaflet to local residents in the Dulwich Hill area. The purpose of the leaflet was to highlight the areas that would fall outside the convenient 400m on-street walking catchment if the Hill/Terry option was adopted.
The leaflet included in map showing the 400m walking catchments for the Waratah and Arlington light rail stops versus the catchment for the Hill St/Terry Rd stop. It was estimated that 1200 residents would be disadvantaged by such an outcome.
Update (20 December 2010)
The NSW Department of Planning has released 197 submissions it received to the Environmental Assessment for the Sydney Light Rail Inner West Extension.
It has also released the "Response to Submissions" by Transport NSW. This document contains the responses from Transport NSW to the issues that were raised in the submissions to the Environmental Assessment. As such, it defines the parameters of the project that Transport NSW will work towards delivering.
Update (18 February 2011)
The following announcement was posted on the Department of Transport's Light Rail Extension site:
The Minister for Planning granted planning approval on 18 February 2011 for construction of the Inner West Light Rail Extension and GreenWay. This approval enables design and construction work to commence in 2011, with the new extension to the Inner West up and running in 2012.
The approval follows extensive public consultation, including community information sessions, meetings with residents and a formal public exhibition period.
Do you have questions? See our first FAQ! (see below)