The recent decision to build a pedestrian bridge over Dobroyd Parade, better known as the CityWest Link (CWL), at the intersection with Waratah Street in Haberfield, is a continuation of the dismantling of an environment conducive to walking and riding, and replacing it with one that is hostile and discouraging where it is most prevalent [1]. While Transport for NSW (TfNSW) claims the bridge prioritises a “safer crossing for pedestrians”, there is a question as to whose interests it really serves. Presently the intersection supports motor vehicles travelling into and out of Haberfield using the CWL. The pedestrian crossing at the Waratah Street intersection is a critical connection to Timbrell Park for Haberfield and North Ashfield residents. Timbrell Park is an extensive and popular recreational area supporting a flagship Livvi’s Place Playground and Cafe (designed based on Inclusive Play principles) [3], running, cycling and BMX tracks, numerous sporting fields and a focal point for active and passive recreation such as dog walking and yoga/ pilates. The final bridge design will provide access via stairs and a lift at each end. There will be no ramps, requiring all those who cannot negotiate two sets of stairs to rely on a lift that may or may not be functioning. While traffic lights will remain to govern the flow of cars, ground access to the crossing will be denied to people walking and riding, with their way to be blocked with fences and concrete barriers. Community engagement with the proposal reflected concern at the extent to which the removal of the at-grade crossing would discourage and exclude people who wanted to walk, ride or roll to the park. There is a body of research supporting this concern. Solioz and Lopez [4] have noted: If a [pedestrian bridge] is not universally accessible, convenient and well-utilized by a diversity of active travelers, then it might be better described as a disabling apparatus, a monument of immobility or an anti-pedestrian bridge. The Inner West Council initially argued for the crossing to be retained at-grade with a single phase, while the Haberfield Association found that TfNSW had no interest in remedying its own experience of unsafe driving behaviour. Despite abundant traffic cameras, they are only for flow management rather than enforcement of dangerous driving. It became apparent that giving over the space entirely to cars was more the priority. [5] In this way the community itself arrived at the conclusions of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) [6], …by displacing people, pedestrian bridges simply reinforce the dominion of vehicles over people on the streets. Pedestrian bridges discourage walking and cycling and exacerbate poor road safety for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists alike. Separating people from the street reinforces the prioritization of personal motor vehicles, while encouraging speeding, driver negligence, and traffic fatalities. The millions of dollars that this bridge, (estimated cost $9 million [6]) will cost could be better used to build better connections for people walking and riding bicycles in the neighbourhood. [1] WalkSydney, 2024. WalkSydney’s submission to the current Parliamentary Inquiry into the Impact of the Rozelle Interchange )
[2] For more information on Livvi’s Place playgrounds see https://www.touchedbyolivia.com.au/ [3]Soliz, Aryana & Pérez López, Ruth. (2022). ‘Footbridges’: pedestrian infrastructure or urban barrier?. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability. 55. 101161. 10.1016/j.cosust.2022.101161. (PDF) ‘Footbridges’: pedestrian infrastructure or urban barrier? [4] The Haberfield Association. (2023). https://haberfield.asn.au/cwl-waratah-st-bridge-habas-submission/ [5] Institute for Transportation and Development Policy. (2024). Pedestrian Bridges make cities less walkable why do cities keep building them? https://www.itdp.org/2024/02/29/pedestrian-bridges-make-cities-less-walkable-why-do-cities-keep-building-them/ [6] Compared to the (shorter) Heathcote pedestrian bridge at Princes Highway which is reported to have cost $5.5 million in 2014, an estimated cost for the Haberfield bridge (+32% as per the relevant ABS cost index and an additional margin to account for the longer bridge) is around $9 million.
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The new Temporary Delegation from Transport for NSW (TfNSW) makes it easier for local Councils to install pedestrian crossings (and other minor works) on local roads.
TfNSW has recently issued a new ‘Temporary Delegation to Councils’ that makes it easier for councils to install a range of minor traffic works on local streets by exempting these works from review by the Local Traffic Committee (LTC) process - see Temporary delegation to councils for minor works | Transport for NSW (full explanation and list of approved minor works). Previously councils did not control changes on local streets and required all new traffic control facilities on local streets to be reviewed by the Local Traffic Committee for their Local Government Area (LGA). Created in the 1970s, LTCs are unique to New South Wales. What does this change mean for Community? Under this delegation Councils are able to respond to requests for minor works such as pedestrian crossings without needing approval from an LTC. This change removes red tape and makes it faster for a Council to respond to a request and to implement their own priorities. (Note: This change is recent and not all Council officers are aware of the new Temporary Delegation). How can the Community use the new delegation to ask Council for a crossing on a local street? People in the community can approach Council with more confidence because Councils can now use the new delegation to seek a faster approval to install a pedestrian crossing, given the request meets TfNSW criteria, without approval from an LTC. The new Delegation only applies under certain circumstances, e.g.: not within 100 metres of a set of traffic signals, only on a local road with a speed limit of 50km/h or less, not on bus routes or within 50m of a light rail corridor. Community members approaching Council should ensure officers are aware of the new Temporary Delegation, and inform Councils officers that they are authorised to install crossings (and 10 other minor works) without LTC approval. Note: Community members should also be aware that TfNSW pedestrian warrants do not apply on local roads. Other minor works included:
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