This is the WalkSydney submission on the Frederick Street pedestrian crossing upgrade.
WalkSydney is the peak advocacy group working to make it easier, safer and more pleasant to walk in Sydney. WalkSydney’s vision is that “Walking will be convenient, accessible, safe and enjoyable for everyone.”
With a growing population we need to ensure people can easily walk, ride and catch public transport to local shops, services and places. We want TfNSW to make Frederick St and Milton St safer streets for people. Within one kilometre of these two streets there are two high streets, more than seven schools, two playing fields, a major aquatic centre, many preschools, and several playgrounds.
People should be able to safely, conveniently and comfortably walk to these destinations, including the Ashfield and Croydon town centres high streets. People should not be endangered, or inconvenienced by, traffic for making short trips by walking.
The proposal is inconsistent with TfNSW’s own policy and procedures
The proposed solution also is inconsistent with the Road User Space Allocation Policy, and the recently released Future Transport Strategy. Inconsistencies with the latter include:
- This proposal will improve conditions for driving and make walking more inconvenient. Future Transport aims to stabilise or decrease vehicle kilometres travelled traffic in the Sydney region while the population increases, and to increase walking and cycling movements and modal share – particularly for short neighbourhood trips of < 2km
- This proposal will not “create safer, greener and more liveable 15-minute neighbourhoods across NSW, where wider footpaths, cycle lanes, street trees, pedestrian crossings and lower speeds will improve access to nearby shops and services”, as written in Future Transport.
With improved conditions for people walking, this section of Sydney could be walkable and safe for residents. We could have a healthier populace, and children who are independent and able to go to school, sport, and the playground by themselves. Instead, we have a dangerous road through the middle of our community.
The proposal does not address safety risks
The proposed signalised solution to the road safety risks and dangerous conditions at John St and Frederick St will result in increased waiting times for people walking, which may lead to people waiting becoming frustrated and taking risks, or dissuade people from walking at all.
In the instance that traffic lights are installed, the wait times should be set to the lowest possible time. People walking should not have to wait.
- WalkSydney requests TfNSW implement the following to make Frederick and Milton Streets better:
- Safe speed limits: Make Frederick St 40 km/h, make local streets 30 km/h
- Better pedestrian crossings: Install a wombat crossing at John St
- Prevent through traffic impacting local streets: Create a cul-de-sac at John St, in accordance with the Westconnex LAIS published in 2018, which would be safer for people walking, and limit through-traffic on John St
- Improve the traffic signal conditions elsewhere along Frederick St to limit wait times for people walking, e.g. at the intersections with Elizabeth St, Thomas St
- Improve the Frederick St rail underpass and provide more space for people walking
- Install all missing pedestrian crossing legs along the entire length of Frederick Street and Milton Street
- Install separated bike lanes on either Frederick St or a parallel street so that people walking are safe, and people riding bikes, electric scooters, and other devices have safe space away from people driving motor vehicles. This could be part of the link from Five Dock to Ashfield in the Eastern Harbour City Bike Network.
Thank you for taking the time to read our feedback.