Action for Public Transport (N.S.W.) Inc.

Action for Public Transport (NSW) is a transport advocacy group active in Sydney since 1974. We promote the interests of beneficiaries of public transport - passengers and the wider community. We make this submission on phases 2 and 3 of the Lindfield Learning Village development; our remarks principally concern the Green Travel Plan dated 16 August 2018.

Summary

APTNSW agrees with the objectives of the Green Travel Plan. However, we do not think that the plan can work without firm measures to keep most school-related cars out of the narrow roads around the site.

Discussion

We refer to our earlier submission on this project, dated 6 August 2017, which can be read at http://aptnsw.org.au/documents/lind_learn_vill_submission.html. Much of that discussion is still valid.

Assuming a full school of 2100 students, the table in paragraph 3.1 on page 12 of the Green Travel Plan can be scaled up to estimate how many students might want to arrive by car. Of 350 students, 228 are estimated to travel by car. For 2100 students, that scales up to 1368 car travellers. If there are to be three start times each day, assumed to be of equal size, 456 students can be expected to arrive in cars at each time. Allowing 30 minutes for all those students to alight from their cars, about 15 students must alight each minute or roughly one every 4 seconds. During those 30 minutes, the local roads must continue to support the needs of residents including 350 residences sharing the school's driveway and the needs of school staff plus deliveries etc. All this must happen three times every school morning and three times every school afternoon although perhaps the afternoon time pressures might not be as great. Unfortunately, the Green Travel Plan does not provide a credible discussion of how the cars are to be managed.

Conclusion

Expansion of transport services such as bus route 565 is necessary but alone will not suffice to get 2100 students to or from school. Many more routes will be needed. If a large proportion of the students each start time arrive by bus, for example 10 bus loads averaging 40 students per bus, the local roads will cope much better than otherwise.

Recommendations

A detailed plan should be prepared, based on the geographic distribution of students, for a small fleet of buses ferrying students between school and suitable points for transfer to/from private cars. For example, Roseville station and Killara station could be considered.

Students should be encouraged to use those buses as their primary mode of transport to/from school. The buses should have exclusive access to the campus roads. Restrictions such as NO STOPPING at school times should be enforced nearby. The only exceptions should be the youngest students and those with special needs. Parking permits for staff would have to be limited; staff should be encouraged to use the same buses.