WestConnex will ‘perpetuate traffic jams’

Duncan Gay continues to peddle false claims that WestConnex will unclog Sydney’s traffic (Opinion, November 16). 

I doubt that he has read the WDA traffic modelling, as these documents reveal a much different story. 

King Georges Road will remain severely congested. 

Stoney Creek and surrounding roads will be rat runs for traffic avoiding the M5 tolls. 

Canterbury Road is impacted by both the M4 and M5. 

Parramatta Road will remain a carpark. The M4 will be at capacity by 2031.

For massive expenditure we get no improvement. So what can be done to fix our chronic congestion?

For starters, we could look at world’s best practice. 

It’s been understood for decades that building more road capacity is like giving a fat man bigger pants. The underlying problem is not solved. 

This has been understood for decades around the world where other cities have created real choice with good public transport, giving people who do not need or cannot drive a viable alternative. 

Those that need to drive benefit from the reduced traffic.

We could relieve the M5 immediately, by slashing the expensive airport train fares and putting in more bus routes to Sydney Airport. 

It’s just that a city with good walkability and integrated public transport is good for the public, but absolutely bad for the private profits of construction companies, tollroad operators and the lucrative Sydney Airport carpark.

The solution to congestion needs many strategies. Our government insults our intelligence with their black and white rhetoric and slogans.

Sydney deserves proper planning, which excludes organisations with vested interests, and to demand world’s best practice. We must expect to see effective use of the limited funding and the creation of genuine infrastructure for the people.

WestConnex won’t work. It’s dangerous for our health. It deprives us of critical greenspace. It deprives us of better infrastructure. It perpetuates being stuck in a traffic jam.