This was published 8 months ago
The Rozelle interchange has trapped locals in Balmain. They want a way out
Road congestion in Sydney’s inner west caused by a new motorway junction at Rozelle has triggered pleas for the Labor government to keep an election promise to boost ferry services and give locals an alternative to driving.
Residents in Balmain, Rozelle and other inner west suburbs have been temporarily spared during the summer holidays from traffic jams on arterial routes and local roads caused by the $3.9 billion Rozelle interchange.
Balmain residents Sue Andrews, left, and Keryn Curtis hope the Elliott Street wharf will be reopened to ferries.Credit: Oscar Colman
However, traffic congestion on Victoria Road and other inner west thoroughfares is set to return over the coming weeks as people get back from holidays.
Shortly before the state election last March, Labor vowed to reopen the Elliott Street wharf in west Balmain, create two new ferry stops at Rozelle Bay in Annandale and at Pirrama Park wharf in Pyrmont, and review the frequency of services to Drummoyne.
Balmain nurse and resident Sue Andrews said ferry services to the peninsula needed to be boosted to help encourage more people to use public transport and reduce road congestion.
“The roads are ridiculous – no one is going anywhere,” she said. “I try to avoid going out at any time there is peak traffic.”
Andrews, who has a concession card for public transport, said capping ferry fares, which were more expensive than trains or buses, would also encourage more people to use them.
Balmain resident Keryn Curtis, who has lived in the area for 32 years, said reopening the Elliott Street wharf to ferries was desperately needed for an area that had high-density housing.
“We have to get people out of their cars, but we can’t get them out of their cars unless there are alternatives,” she said.
Action for Public Transport spokesman Graeme Taylor urged the government to deliver on its promise because Balmain was a logical suburb to boost ferry services to and from.
Labor pledged at the last election to boost ferry services to the inner west.Credit: Oscar Colman
“They should really focus on getting people from Balmain straight across to Barangaroo because it is a three-minute journey time,” he said.
“It would go off like the New Year’s Eve fireworks. It is just waiting to happen – it is shovel ready, too.”
Graham said the government needed to commit money to buying several new ferries to enable the extra services to the inner west, which would help relieve congestion on local roads caused by the opening of the Rozelle interchange.
A spokesperson for Transport Minister Jo Haylen said the government stood by its election commitments to deliver better ferry services to the Balmain peninsula and would continue to work in the new year to implement them.
“Ferries provide a quick and convenient journey from the Balmain peninsula to the CBD,” he said.
“Our aim is to deliver more frequency, along with support for bus priority on Victoria Road, so passengers have as many alternatives to car use as possible.”
The O’Farrell Coalition government closed the Elliott Street wharf in west Balmain to ferries a decade ago due to low patronage.
Rozelle resident Kate Ireland said she would use ferries more often if the government reopened the Elliott Street wharf, which was closer to her home.
Rozelle resident Kate Ireland says she would use ferries more often if the Elliott Street wharf was reopened to them.Credit: Oscar Colman
“People would rather catch the ferry if they can. It is such a convenient way of getting around, especially with the traffic jams in Rozelle. It has improved, but it was crazy when they first opened [the interchange],” she said.
Transport for NSW secretary Josh Murray said further adjustments would be made to ease traffic flows around the Rozelle interchange, but he did not elaborate in detail on what they would entail.
“There will be more to be done. We always said that it would be a long-term adjustment to Sydney’s inner west traffic network. We are very closely watching the return to higher peak loads on that part of the network,” he said.
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