| Steve
Warrell – Manager Transitways, Transport NSW and Roads &
Traffic Authority NSW, Sydney Australia
Transit Infrastructure Design commences
with the identification of the need for the project and then progresses
to the development of the most suitable solution given the constraints
of the site, environmental impacts, patronage demand, legislation
and available funds.
The NSW Government identified the need
to improve public transport, reduce vehicle emissions and to manage
congestion on the Sydney road network in Action for Transport
2010, which was released in 1998. This document contained many
initiatives including the development of the Western Sydney Transitway
Network. The Liverpool-Parramatta T-way commenced bus operations
in February 2003 and the North West T-way Network is currently
well advanced in the preparation of the Environmental Impact Assessment.
To reach this stage, Transitways has
had to address many design issues, which have not previously arisen
due to the unique nature of this project. These issues include
provision of infrastructure that fits into its surrounds; stations
that are attractive to passengers, are safe and easy to access;
an Intelligent Transport System to provide live passenger information,
bus priority and bus management; and a measure of priority for
buses at signalised intersections to ensure on-time running of
services. These features needed to be provided while keeping in
mind that the T-way was being “retrofitted” into an
existing urban area and that it had to interact safely with the
Sydney road network while not causing undue delays on intersecting
traffic routes.
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