MOD 2 - The Crescent overpass and active transport links

The proposed changes to the city west pedestrian overpass at The Crescent seeks to remove the u shaped pedestrian bridge that was previously proposed. This bridge forms a vital connection for cyclists like myself and pedestrians to access the foreshore from James Craig road. It is important to retain this u bridge as a direct connection between the Glebe foreshore and Rozelle goods yards. This connection was promised and has been removed. As the metro rail project delivers in the future such a bridge will be essential to connect to the new future metro station also. I agree with the other prosed changes and am pleased to see the retention of the pedestrian bridge connection between the Rozelle good yards and whites creek. Thank you.

Thank you for taking on so much of the community feedback to date on the complex works required at The Crescent/City-West Link/Motorway portal at Rozelle Bay.

One crucial piece of work that is not on the amended plan is a seamless pedestrian link, preferably an overpass, that would connect the new Rozelle Bay Parkland which will be constructed over the motorway works in the old railway yards, and the existing Bicentennial Park along the Annandale-Glebe foreshore.

The current COVID19 crisis has underlined just how valued public open space is for the community. The Inner-West has very little open space per head of population compared to other Sydney districts and connectivity is critical to improving this.

Easy, safe links for pedestrians and cyclists between parklands is vital.

The plans as presented have pedestrians and cyclists leaving the Rozelle Bay Parkland and making their way along the footpath beside The Crescent and congregating on a narrow footpath at the pedestrian lights at the bottom of Johnston Street in order to cross to the Annandale-Glebe foreshore park. This is not particularly safe, especially at busy times when large numbers of people are about, nor is it a seamless outcome.

Re-introducing a direct connection between the two parks to make that seamless and safe link will add to the cost. A massive amount of money is being rightly spent on the most efficient and safe tunnels, bridges and roads for vehicles. The same care and attention to detail is required to enable the community, when exercising locally, to enjoy safe and efficient ways of getting around.

Thank you for considering my views.

Hello,

Thank them for taking onboard community comment.

The horseshoe bridge shared-user path should be reinstated as a park-to-park connection and can be designed to create an attractive urban design element and a lookout. It could be a real highlight of this whole development - imagine the crowds on NYE enjoying the view!

The Inner-West already has very little open space compared to other Sydney districts and connectivity is critical to improving this.

I think we need to remove the down-ramp to the green bridge so that an ‘at grade’ (bay level) wheelchair-accessible pedestrian path can be put in its place.

Move the road overpass to the centre lane. This provides more space for the pedestrian path. It also makes the vehicle journey more logical as vehicles will naturally get into the right lane to turn right, not the left lane.

I've lived in Glebe/Rozelle my whole life and I am a 5th Generation resident of this area. This path will mean I can visit my parents in Glebe safely, not having to dodge traffic. This is such a great opportunity to improve this area and the cost of providing this to future generation is so so small - compared to the future benefit to my children of being able to get across safely.

This overpass is only designed to address the additional traffic that will be created by WestConnex. It will not reduce the amount of traffic in Annandale but will negatively impact local residents, cyclists and pedestrians.

An underpass would be less overbearing on the local area. The plan for an overpass should be replaced by a short tunnel under the City West Link with slot trench approaches. An underpass provides the best visual and urban outcomes and should allow the retention of the green link in a location to best connect different areas of greenspace together.

There is now no direct pedestrian and cycling link between the Glebe foreshore and Rozelle Goods Yard and I cycle this route everyday. We are spending billions on helping cars move quickly, but the future is green and bikes need to be looked after!

Thanks for your time - I hope you make the right call on this as it affects our future generations greatly.

Cheers,
Michael Wark

In regards to the Crescent Overpass, I object to this modification and the impact it will have on pedestrian paths in accessing Bicentennial Park - the modifications reduce easy and safe access to the waterfront and parkland. This is an area heavily used by schoolchildren, families, elderly, and people with disabilities. The proposed crossing will have significant safety implications for these important user groups.
The visual impact of the overpass is not conducive to the local area. It is an ugly and domineering aesthetic, and prioritises cars over community. State Government can surely do better than leaving this legacy.
Further, I cannot find a report that details the impact of increased traffic travelling on Johnston St. Johnston St and the houses on this road hold historical value for the whole of Sydney. Many houses were built in the late 1800’s are listed as being historically significant. Increased traffic along Johnston reduces the historical value of the area.
Finally, the modifications are not aligned the Future Transport 2056 Strategy, which promises the creation of sustainable places – delivered with a focus on what works for people. There has been no meaningful community consultation on this modification, and it creates a place that delivers on traffic movement while ignoring the social and physical wellbeing of the people that use the area.

To provide optimal amenity to the people who use the parks in the inner west, as far as possible, the parks should be interconnected by greenspace, so that park users can walk/run/cycle from one park to another without crossing over roads.

In the current design of the Crescent and the City West link intersection it looks to me that it is not possible for pedestrians, joggers or cyclists to move from the Annandale Bicentennial Park to the Rozelle Shunting Yard's Park without crossing over the Crescent at the bottom of Johnston Street, using a set of lights.

It would be much better if there was a pedestrian overpass, or an underpass of the Crescent, at the bottom of Johnston Street, so as to connect Annandale and the Bicentennial Park, and eliminate the necessity to use lights to cross this busy road. An overpass would connect the Bicentennial Park to the Rozelle Bay Shunting Yard's Park without crossing any roads.

My second concern is that with the current design it will no longer be possible to run from the Bicentennial Park around Rozelle Bay, over the Glebe Island Bridge and back to the Bicentennial Park, without crossing busy roads, which was the case, up until a few weeks ago. The Glebe Bay Run should continue to be traffic light free.

Your Sincerely

Harry Wark

I object very very strongly to this proposal on the following grounds.

The evidence demonstrates this modification won’t solve congestion in Annandale
This overpass is only designed to address the additional traffic that will be created by WestConnex. It will not reduce the amount of traffic in Annandale but will negatively impact local residents, cyclists and pedestrians.

An underpass would be less overbearing on the local area
The plan for an overpass should be replaced by a short tunnel under the City West Link with slot trench approaches. An underpass provides the best visual and urban outcomes and should allow the retention of the green link in a location to best connect different areas of greenspace together.

There is now no direct pedestrian and cycling link between the Glebe foreshore and Rozelle Goods Yard
This proposal has abandoned the horseshoe pedestrian bridge but hasn’t reinstated the seamless park to park connection that was originally promised. This means that cyclists and pedestrians are forced to cross the Crescent via traffic lights.

The people’s mural will be obscured
The proposed overpass will obstruct Rodney Monk’s heritage mural which decorates the northern side of the light rail viaduct along The Crescent and has significant local heritage value.
Needs of motorists are prioritised over pedestrians, cyclists and residents
All these negative impacts are being driven by the exclusive focus by Transport for NSW on improved vehicle movements. The government should prioritise the needs of local residents, pedestrian and cyclist access and the retention of vegetation and greenspace over the movement of cars and traffic into WestConnex.

We still object strongly to the Vehicle Overpass which remains in the design and continues to be an unnecessary imposition on our local area that prioritises cars and traffic over cyclists, pedestrians and resident amenity. This vehicle overpass is what should be removed not the Horseshoe Bridge.

We object to this proposed redesign which has removed the Horseshoe bridge. This bridge needs to be redesigned and reinstated as a direct park-to-park connection as promised.

We object to the current redesign of the Green bridge link particularly with the Horseshoe bridge removed. How is it expected that the expansion from a 3mtrs shared path to a 4.5mtrs shared path will cope with cyclists, pedestrians, dog walkers, the elderly, disabled (in wheelchairs), families and the young? Even more so now with Covid.19. What is also missing in this design is the lack of "at grade connection". The redesign shows, but doesn't give measurements, of the down ramp to The Crescent from the Green bridge, the
foot path way which appears to have remained the same current size, on to a narrow and congested corner (The Crescent/Johnston St) to wait 90 seconds to cross a 6 lane highway regardless of which way they are going. While it is an improvement on 5 pedestrian crossings, we object to the fact that safe pedestrian/cyclist/community connectivity is still being lost to allow car access.

Nothing is indicated if there will be enough space for any potential overcrowding, nor does it comment on any assessment of traffic on local roads and how the modification would have changed this from the EIS. In fact there is very little mention of the EIS at all.

The modification does not offer any solution to traffic congestion in Annandale, the vehicle overpass has been included and designed to accommodate the WHT and additional traffic that will be, and has already been created by WestConnex.

My husband and I have lived in the same house, in the same street in Annandale for nearly 40 years, our son went to the local primary school and we have walked to the water , if not twice, once a day in this time. It has been extremely distressing to watch this suburb and the suburbs around us ripped apart. WestConnex has brought no benefits to the residents of the inner west. In the last few months we have seen how Australians live because of Covid.19, and it will probably be changed forever. Minister Stokes has been quoted frequently lately "build it and they will come" and that creating "safer more interesting pedestrian landscapes" is imperative.(Rush Outside reveals green divide). All around the world the same words are being used, make space, access and connectivity the priority. The approach of RMS is take it away and see if we notice. We also strongly object to the fact that the contractor is already building the revised Green bridge and access ramp down to The Crescent, the footings are clearly visible adjacent the light rail station. Probably $50K worth of work already done, is this legal?

Removing connectivity is at odds with the intent of "Beyond the pavement" and if the horseshoe bridge is being removed on visual impact grounds, why is the Vehicle overpass not being removed for the same reason?

John and Kristina Major
343 Annandale Street
Annandale NSW 2038

I strongly object to this project

As a Rozelle resident living within 10m of Victoria Road less than a kilometre from its intersection with the proposed WestConnex modifications, while I support appropriate pedestrian support in negotiating the changed road structure, I wish the following considerations to be taken in to account please:
• The evidence demonstrates this modification won’t solve congestion in Annandale
This overpass is only designed to address the additional traffic that will be created by WestConnex. It will not reduce the amount of traffic in Annandale but will negatively impact local residents, cyclists and pedestrians.
• An underpass would be less overbearing on the local area
The plan for an overpass should be replaced by a short tunnel under the City West Link with slot trench approaches. An underpass provides the best visual and urban outcomes and should allow the retention of the green link in a location to best connect different areas of greenspace together.
• There is now no direct pedestrian and cycling link between the Glebe foreshore and Rozelle Goods Yard
This proposal has abandoned the horseshoe pedestrian bridge but hasn’t reinstated the seamless park to park connection that was originally promised. This means that cyclists and pedestrians are forced to cross the Crescent via traffic lights.
• The people’s mural will be obscured
The proposed overpass will obstruct Rodney Monk’s heritage mural which decorates the northern side of the light rail viaduct along The Crescent and has significant local heritage value.
• Needs of motorists are prioritised over pedestrians, cyclists and residents
All these negative impacts are being driven by the exclusive focus by Transport for NSW on improved vehicle movements. The government should prioritise the needs of local residents, pedestrian and cyclist access and the retention of vegetation and greenspace over the movement of cars and traffic into WestConnex.

I'm opposed to the project - this should be an underground junction, rather than a massive overpass. The priority of this project seems to be strictly on the cars that will be using westconnex, rather than the local residents, pedestrians cyclists. There seems to be no evidence that it will solve any congestion problems in the area, but will definitely be very ugly.

Annandale doesn’t need an overpass

The evidence demonstrates this modification won’t solve congestion in Annandale
This overpass is only designed to address the additional traffic that will be created by WestConnex. It will not reduce the amount of traffic in Annandale but will negatively impact local residents, cyclists and pedestrians.

An underpass would be less overbearing on the local area
The plan for an overpass should be replaced by a short tunnel under the City West Link with slot trench approaches. An underpass provides the best visual and urban outcomes and should allow the retention of the green link in a location to best connect different areas of greenspace together.

There is now no direct pedestrian and cycling link between the Glebe foreshore and Rozelle Goods Yard
This proposal has abandoned the horseshoe pedestrian bridge but hasn’t reinstated the seamless park to park connection that was originally promised. This means that cyclists and pedestrians are forced to cross the Crescent via traffic lights.

The people’s mural will be obscured
The proposed overpass will obstruct Rodney Monk’s heritage mural which decorates the northern side of the light rail viaduct along The Crescent and has significant local heritage value.

Needs of motorists are prioritised over pedestrians, cyclists and residents
All these negative impacts are being driven by the exclusive focus by Transport for NSW on improved vehicle movements. The government should prioritise the needs of local residents, pedestrian and cyclist access and the retention of vegetation and greenspace over the movement of cars and traffic into WestConnex.

The revised design continues to give complete priority to motor vehicle traffic using West Connex at the expense of pedestrian and cyclists. In the context of the total cost of this project, building an underpass rather than an overpass is surely affordable, and is the only way to simultaneously meet the needs of motorists, pedestrians and cyclists.
Surely it is possible produce a design for this intersection that is attractive and delivers a solution for everyone, not just West Connex users. Further, it is very likely that post-Covid 19, there will be a significant reduction in the number of people commuting to work, so that the perceived need to prioritise West Connex traffic may well be unnecessary. I suggest delaying this work until future traffic volumes can be assessed, and the junction can be planned accordingly.

Annandale is getting increasingly congested and this modification won't help. An underpass would be less overbearing and ugly. It seems that the connection from Rozelle is not going to happen. I thought that pedestrians and cyclist would benefit from the changes however it is obvious to all that once again the car is King at the expense of people and location. We don't want this.

Hello, please consider my comments below:

-- The plan for an overpass should be replaced by a short tunnel under the City West Link with slot trench approaches. An underpass provides the best visual and urban outcomes and should allow the retention of the green link in a location to best connect different areas of greenspace together.
-- There is now no direct pedestrian and cycling link between the Glebe foreshore and Rozelle Goods Yard. This proposal has abandoned the horseshoe pedestrian bridge but hasn’t reinstated the seamless park to park connection that was originally promised. This means that cyclists and pedestrians are forced to cross the Crescent via traffic lights.

Thank you for your consideration.
J King

I note that the changes to the original design are positive in that there will now be a single crossing from the Crescent to Jubilee Park, the profile of the overpass has been slightly reduced in height and the pedestrian / cycle bridge has been widened. However, the overarching issue remains that the design continues to prioritise motor vehicle traffic using West Connex at the expense of pedestrian and cyclists. In the context of the total cost of this project, building an underpass rather than an overpass is surely affordable, and is the only way to simultaneously meet the needs of motorists, pedestrians and cyclists.
Surely it is possible produce a design for this intersection that is attractive and delivers a solution for everyone, not just West Connex users. Further, it is very likely that post-Covid 19, there will be a significant reduction in the number of people commuting to work, so that the perceived need to prioritise West Connex traffic may well be unnecessary. I suggest delaying this work until future traffic volumes can be assessed, and the junction can be planned accordingly.

please see the attached

Elevated motorway overpass in Annandale at The Crescent and City West Link SSI-7485-Mod-2

I have strong concerns regarding this project and recent modifications in relation to the following issues:

1. Annandale doesn't need an overpass.
The massive overpass being proposed remains a totally unnecessary imposition on our local area that prioritises cars and traffic over cyclists, pedestrians and resident amenity.

2. The evidence demonstrates the recent modification won’t solve congestion in Annandale.
This overpass is only designed to address the additional traffic that will be created by WestConnex. It will not reduce the amount of traffic in Annandale but will negatively impact local residents, cyclists and pedestrians.

3. An underpass would be less overbearing on the local area
The plan for an overpass should be replaced by a short tunnel under the City West Link with slot trench approaches. An underpass provides the best visual and urban outcomes and should allow the retention of the green link in a location to best connect different areas of greenspace together.

4. There is now no direct pedestrian and cycling link between the Glebe foreshore and Rozelle Goods Yard.
This proposal has abandoned the horseshoe pedestrian bridge but hasn’t reinstated the seamless park to park connection that was originally promised. This means that cyclists and pedestrians are forced to cross the Crescent via traffic lights.

5. The people’s mural will be obscured
The proposed overpass will obstruct Rodney Monk’s heritage mural which decorates the northern side of the light rail viaduct along The Crescent and has significant local heritage value.

6. Needs of motorists are prioritised over pedestrians, cyclists and residents
All these negative impacts are being driven by the exclusive focus by Transport for NSW for improved vehicle movements.

7. The government should prioritise the needs of local residents, pedestrian and cyclist access and the retention of vegetation and greenspace over the movement of cars and traffic into WestConnex.

Yours sincerely,
Sandra

This overpass will destroy Annandale and bring excessive and congested traffic into a current bottleneck in our suburb, making it significantly worse than it already is.
- The evidence demonstrates this modification won’t solve congestion in Annandale.
- An underpass would be less overbearing on the local area and provide the best visual and urban outcomes. Your proposed overpass is an eyesore and will destroy the foreshore.
- A seamless pedestrian underpass creating park to park connection is key between Glebe and Rozelle.
- We also want to preserve the people’s mural which will be significantly obscured by this overpass.
- This project prioritises the needs of motorists over pedestrians, cyclists and residents. Our community opposes it!

I echo many of the complaints made by my fellow local residents, (particularly those of Simon Pilcher) that this design clearly puts cars first, and pedestrian and cyclist safety way down the list.
It will impede access from Annandale to Jubilee Park, and ignores so much potential for improved pedestrian and cycle connections between Rozelle, Annandale, Balmain and Glebe.
Cycling traffic is clearly on the rise, and this plan does not accomodate this. Removing the Beatrice Bush horseshoe bridge as well as the Victoria Rd crossing forces bikes to stop and dismount at multiple points. I have seen a man break both his collarbones from a crash between the bike and a pedestrian on the thin pathways that currently exist. These plans increase danger for all pedestrians.
The car overpass design is ugly and massive overkill. It will destroy multiple trees (which has already been a massive impact of current works) and have a significant visual impact.
SAFETY and PEDESTRIAN & CYCLIST ACCESS should be of PARAMOUNT concern. Please emphasise these.

Please proceed with The Crescent overpass as planned.
The Crescent is affected by a terrible bottleneck for west-bound traffic at the Johnston St intersection, which cannot be relieved directly because of the narrow underpass at that intersection. The only relief possible is by emptying the traffic faster downstream. The overpass will achieve this.
Some of my neighbours object in principle to any development project which aids car traffic. What they overlook is, in Sydney even if you live right on top of a railway station, if you don't have a car you could be cutting your job options by 50 per cent or more.
Therefore, please proceed with The Crescent overpass. Ideology aside, we desperately need it.