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NRMA Plan For Epping Road: Don't Bump Motorists For Bikes


NRMA Plan For Epping Road: Don't Bump Motorists For Bikes

Author: NRMA MediaDate: 10 January 2008

Angry motorists will be stuck in single lanes of traffic on Epping Road while the new $7.5 million cycleway will provide a dream run for 25 cyclists who use the road each day.

"Only 25 cyclists use Epping Road each day and the $7.5 million bicycle lane works means $300,000 is being spent on each cyclist - that’s ridiculous," NRMA President Alan Evans said today.

Mr Evans said Sydney motorists would be the biggest losers when the Lane Cove Tunnel roadworks are completed and new bus lanes, a cycleway and single traffic lanes become permanent fixtures on Epping Road.

"When you have high traffic volumes of more than 35,000 vehicles per day, this is not a sensible use of resources," Mr Evans said.

"Cyclists appear to be the only winners on Epping Road, at the expense of thousands of motorists."

Mr Evans today unveiled NRMA’s plan to avert a traffic disaster on Epping Road once the changes are finalised in February.

"Epping Road will continue to be heavily used as an alternative to the Lane Cove Tunnel so the NRMA does not support the final configuration of a bus lane and single traffic lane in both directions," Mr Evans said.

"The NRMA has put alternatives to the Roads and Traffic Authority to ensure motorists are not forced to use the tunnel."

The measures include:

  • Changing the bus and transit lanes to a T2 transit lane. The current proposal for a T3 transit lane leading into a bus lane and then changing to a T2 transit lane is inconsistent and deters people from car-sharing.
  • Widen the general traffic lanes, which have been squeezed for the new cycle path.

"The lanes are too narrow to cater for tankers and other vehicles that are banned from using the tunnel – this poses serious safety and congestion issues, particularly as freight movements will double in the next 15 years," Mr Evans said.

"The NRMA also has real concerns that diverting traffic into the single lane on Epping Road when the tunnel is closed will result in gridlock - not just on Epping Road and surrounding local streets but on the M2, Gore Hill Freeway, Harbour Bridge and Tunnel and the CBD."

Mr Evans said motorists stuck in traffic jams this week had every right to be angry that Epping Road had already been cut to single lanes in some sections.

"Only in August, the RTA and Roads Minister made promises there would be two lanes in each direction until the bus lanes were installed," Mr Evans said.

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