MOD 2 - The Crescent overpass and active transport links

The proposed amendments are not suitable to the local area. It is not a good use of public space. The green links are unworkable. The crossings to get to the park from Johnson Street are dangerous and slow pedestrians.

Please reconsider the current amendments to the approved plans for the Crescent overpass. Inner-Sydney is so congested and will only become more congested in time. Open pedestrian access through greenery to the foreshore will be so important to the enjoyment, wellbeing and health of residents and visitors. Simple changes to the current plans will optimise pedestrian access and preserve access to the foreshore and green space for future generations. This will also improve the liveability of our city. Please see my submission attached.

I want to express my utmost objection to the west Conner overpass. It is appalling that this government will completely change what was submitted and have no consideration who live in this city. We do not want Las Angeles here.
Do not put in this overpass and actually plan a great city. Stop being lazy and give us a proper wholistic wonderful city. Stop being short sighted.
NO OVERPASS!!!!!!

To whom it may concern,

I am a resident of Lilyfield, and have been understanding of the need for new infrastructure as Sydney’s population increases despite the impact to the local area. The Westconnex project has always been contentious locally as a suitable solution for the needs of Locals and greater Sydney need to be balanced. The tunnels are proposed to go under our house which is worrying but something that we except for ‘progress’

The understanding that I had was that the Rozelle Interchange would cause a few years of disruption to the local area but with the final project delivering parkland space on the Lilyfield side of the City West link joined up to the Blackwattle Bay via a direct cycle and pedestrian footbridge. I also understood the final road network would be underground with only exits and entrances to the road network being at street level. This did not include overpasses.

The images that I saw on the news today, plus through my local members feeds have lead me to believe I have been misled. The proposal for metres high roads, pedestrians having to cross multiple traffic signals to access the bay from the new parklands Is short sighted at best. In fact if the road network were to proceed as proposed I would suggest this is a decision that will saddened the area forever. There is such an opportunity to deliver a mass infrastructure project with is sensitive to the local landscape.

The bay precinct has the opportunity to be something Sydney can be proud of but providing it a back drop like the Cahill Expressway or the Darling Harbour overpass is just plain daft.

Is the reason for the redesign Finacial, deadline based, contract lead??? If it is for any of the above then shame. Dollars can be reallocated, forgotten about when the outcome is good, celebrated by politicians as they are seen to do the right thing.

The environment and local character can not be reclaimed once pieces of infrastructure such as this are built.

Whom ever the decision maker is on this, do the right thing and stick to the original concept that you sold to this community, get the cars out of the sky and on street level! Do not build another Cahill or Darling Harbour overpass, build something that works and is sympathetic to the area it is being imposed upon.

From a misled local resident.

I would like to submit objections to the the proposal to replace a tunnel with an overpass as contained in "The Crescent Overpass and Active Transport Links Report, August 2019.

The reasons for my objections are below:

1: Lack of public consultation. Strong community objection for proposal. The proposed overpass is vastly different to the original plan for a tunnel which would have negative impact for the locality during construction but thereafter less intrusiveness. The overpass plan has taken the local community by surprise and differs vastly to the plan initially presented. It will deliver considerable negative impact to the community long-term. Residents have had this development thrust upon them and have had little time to react and respond.

2: Negative visual impact. The proposed overpass is incongruous to the local area and will visually destroy a heritage area. It will degrade and debass an area of the city which is celebrated for it's parks and charm.

3: Loss of Buruwan Park: The destruction of this pretty park with established trees is an act of vandalism.

4: "Relocation" of Green Link. The original plans included a Grren Link connecting Rozelle Goods Yeard to Bicentennial Park and consent was conditional upon this. This condition has been broken as the new proposals requires pedestrians and cyclists to travel beside motorway traffic on an overpass, then cross four roads on pedestrian crossings. This is not a Green Link between Rozelle and Bicentenial park and the conditions of the original proposal have been broken.

5: Removal of right turn out of Johnston Street into the Crescent. The turning provides a vital link for those living in Lilyfield / Annandale to local schools (e.g. St Scholastica's) and amenities (Broadway Shopping Centre / Glebe). By removing this road link, the proposal will worsen traffic congestion in local streets as residents seek alternative routes.

6: Increase in noise for local residents in a significant area around the overpass

7: Danger to pedestrians / children accessing Bicentennial Park. Bicentennial Park is extensively used by local residents and by school children attending the two Primary Schools on Johnston Street. The Overpass Proposal will force pedestrians, many of whom are children, to cross FIVE sets of traffic lights between Annandale and Glebe foreshore. This is an unexceptable increase in risk to expect local residents to bear and it will eventually lead to the injury or death of a pedestrian.

This is an objection to WestConnex M4-M5 MOD 2 - The Crescent overpass. The project has atrocious design faults and is the wrong infrastructure in the wrong place. Do better.
The main issues are:
1. Creation of worsening traffic issues in Annandale, Glebe and Leichhardt at peak periods. Bottlenecks will be created on Johnston, Ross, Booth and The Crescent. The assessment has not modelled these impacts, only broad network ones, so how can the project be justified if these streets are already bad during current peaks? None of this has been assessed by a quantifiable study.
2. The NSW government doesn’t have an alternative to mitigating traffic congestion other than to build more roads – what alternatives are available?
3. Appalling design with overuse of concrete and visual clutter. The concept design needs serious work! Please see Frenches Forest and learn for those mistakes.
4. Creation of pedestrian severance issues. Primarily between Johnston St and the Bay, but there are other issues with how pedestrians move through the new Rozelle interchange. What studies have been done? Have pedestrian and cyclist movements been quantified? Given the substantial changes to the existing situation and the expense of these new overpasses, the approach requires justification. I didn’t think we blocked Harbour access with roads anymore, since the Cahill expressway? What has changed?
5. Air quality – the government is in group think mode – and the thought is that filtration will never occur, deasil fuel will remain in use, and there are no issues. These are some of the longest tunnels in the world concentrating vehicle emissions from a high volume of vehicles. Bad luck during southerlies Rozelle and suck it up Annandale during north easterlies.
6. Consultation – RMS haven’t contacted any of my neighbours on Annandale Street and Pritchard Streets, Annandale. The only thing received was a notice about geotechnical investigations at Rozelle railyards. In this day and age and given how the Haberfield component of WestConnex was mismanaged, why didn’t you take a proactive approach?
This project is part of an unprecedented government infrastructure spend in NSW, currently the largest in the world. This brings global scrutiny, and experts will be disseminating this project in terms of its benefit and its design for many years to come. Before the project and the project personnel (NSW Government!) become laughing stocks, please revisit the design, the community concerns, and the need for this project, and the need for this project in this location.

I strongly object to the modification on the following grounds:
- it is a backflip and seeks to slip under the radar
- it will be a very poor outcome for the local community
- it will significantly reduce local amenity
- it will be unsafe for pedestrians
- it is a blight on the landscape
- it will remove valuable green space from the foreshore
- it will remove valuable green space from an Urban area
- it will increase land temperatures and potentially add to heat island due to increased tarmac
- it will contribute to the complete loss of community faith in the government’s ability to keep promises
- it is an absolute outrage
- I cannot believe this type of road design and backflip on promises is still happening in 2019.

This modification totally disregards the promised & approved Urban Design & Landscape Plan for the EIS approved Greenlink.

The community doesn't want for busier intersections or steep concrete bridges by way of an ugly space-dividing overpass. We all want a continuous Greenlink for a safe pedestrian & cyclist friendly green space that connects us to each other, the foreshore, (in time) the Bays Precinct, light rail; Metro West & ferry wharf. The goal should be to revitalise and expand the community's ability to connect with each other via a safe, green and direct access to what the area has to offer us.

I request you explore alternative design options (underground if possible) and not remove the promised Greenlink for the pedestrians, cyclists and all members of this close-knit inner west community. We don't want to be divided or disconnected via concrete plazas and caged walkways.

Your sincerely
Amber Leppard
XXXX XXX XXX (phone number removed upon request)

I am horrified at the proposed modifications to plans for the M4-M5 Link, Mod 2 The Crescent overpass and changes to pedestrian infrastructure in North Annandale, Rozelle and the Rozelle Bay Foreshore area.

I urge you to revert to the original plan or if not, to explore alternate design options to the proposed new car overpass to create a safe connection from the Rozelle Rail yards and Annandale to the foreshore.

My key concerns with the M4-M5 Modification are:
● The significantly reduced safety and increased risk for pedestrians and cyclists with removed access over The Crescent to Bicentennial Park and increased traffic along Johnson Street.
● Residents having to cross five sets of pedestrian lights at The Crescent to reach the foreshore from Annandale or the Rozelle Bay light rail stop.
● Removal of direct active links to the foreshore, cutting the community off from the area and the proposed revitalisation of the entire Bays Precinct
● Urban and landscape design that is being built before a finalised Masterplan for the area.
● Traffic changes that limit movements around the suburb and create further congestion in the local streets of Annandale, Forest Lodge, Glebe, Lilyfield and Rozelle with no planning to deal with these.

Poorly thought out decisions made now will have a lasting impact.

As a resident of the local area I was initially pleased to see that something was being done with the land mass that was the Rozelle rail-yards, to link the space to the surrounding suburbs. I was heartened to think that there would be:
- unobtrusive traffic flow from the Crescent (which I use often) to the City West Link, and maintained right turn from Johnston street onto the Crescent since this is a route that I take often to go home from Annandale.
- a direct and continuous greenlink, for safely walking my dog and for cycling, which would connect Glebe, the Blackwattle Bay foreshore, and Annandale with the Rozelle rail-yards and the new precinct
- shared user pathways that would better link the Blackwattle area to the Rozelle rail-yards for park users, and for light rail commuters who do not use cars - in a manner that is considerate and connected into the Bays Precinct Master Plan.
Instead, the current proposal seems to be disregarding the spirit of all of this amenity to the local area, and prioritizes cars above all else.
While I am a driver, I value the time I spend out of my car more than the time in it. I do not wish to see more concrete and spaghetti junctions with little disregard for what serves the local community best.
Please do not:
-Place a car overpass on the Crescent to cut off Annandale from the Glebe foreshore
- make Johnston street ‘no Right turn’ onto the Crescent
Please do:
- keep a continuous greenlink for walkers, cyclists, light rail users and public transport commuters in a way that is safe, green and makes the area inviting for the pedestrian locals as well as linking the Glebe foreshore to new Rozelle rail-yards precinct.
These considerations may be more costly to implement now, but the legacy of the decisions made now will impact the area for generations to come.
Thank you.

The original plan for an underpass should be retained. With the recent proposal for an overpass to replace the original plan, there will be significantly reduced safety and increased risk with removed pedestrian and cyclists access above The Crescent to Bicentennial Park. It will become unsafe and there will be an increase in indirect access given the five sets of pedestrian lights at The Crescent needed to reach the foreshore/rail yards. This modification will negatively impact the pedestrian experience at a time when we should be paying more attention to this aspect as our cities become more crowded.

This modification diminishes the access of pedestrians and cyclists. The original proposal provided for good cyclist and pedestrian access to recreation and community areas and this modification removes them. I strongly object to late changes in this project that degrade community access in order to facilitate motor traffic flow.

The previously agreed tunnel, while undesirable, at least provided usable green space for people. I am requesting RMS put people back into the plan – I would like the Department to reinstate its own vision as laid out in Transport for NSW Future Strategy 2056. Work with the community to design a feasible option that brings the best
elements from the approved EIS design into the modification.
My key concerns with the M4-M5 Modification are:
● The significantly reduced safety and increased risk for pedestrians and cyclists with removed access over The Crescent to Bicentennial Park and the increased traffic along Johnson Street. 
● Being required to cross five sets of pedestrian lights at The Crescent as my option to reach the foreshore from Annandale or from Rozelle Bay light rail stop.
● Removal of direct active links to the foreshore, cutting the community off from the area and the proposed revitalisation of the entire Bays Precinct, including linking the Light Rail and Bus stops to a Ferry wharf and Metro station.
● Urban and landscape design that is being built before a finalised Masterplan for the area.
● Traffic changes that limit movements around the suburb and create further congestion in the local streets of Annandale, Forest Lodge, Glebe, Lilyfield and Rozelle with no planning to deal with these.
My submission is asking RMS and the Project Team to:
● Reinstate the GreenLink connecting communities and green open space from Rozelle to Bicentennial Park.
● Relocate and design pedestrian and cyclist connections that are continuous, safe and direct.
● Design the modification infrastructure and active links in response to the character of the suburbs, the location of the foreshore and it’s potential future development.
● Provide pedestrian and cyclist paths that maximise people safety and do not force them onto busier streets, unsafe concrete plazas and caged walkways.
● Integrate active and direct connections to all active transport – including the future Metro West and Foreshore Ferry Wharf.
Yours sincerely,
Emily Brayshaw

Dear Director,

I write regarding the proposed modification to M4-M5 link, Mod 2 The Cresent Overpass and the changes to the pedestrian infrastructure in North Annandale and Rozelle Foreshore area.

As a resident of the area and frequent user of this area I object to the proposed modifications. Instead the approved safe, direct and GREEN link should be reinstated. There need to be a green link that will ultimately benefit the community and and usability of the area for generations to come. This proposed amendment is not people centric and is in conflict with the vision laid out in the NSW Future Strategy 2056. My key concerns are:
1. Safety for pedestrians with proposed removed access over The Crescent to Bicentennial Park.
2. Removal of active links to the foreshore
3. Poor urban design that is not green, sustainable, usable or attractive

With good design the connection between Rozelle and Glebe has the opportunity to open up this area and make our city more attractive and liveble. Please do the right thing.

Best,
Kate Burt

Imagine walking from the Fish Market to this area.
Blackwattle Bay then Rozelle Bay to the RHS and beautiful parks showing off huge fig trees. Easy walking and bike riding everyone enjoying this rare and wonderful scenery.
Then all of a sudden, "out of the blue" and profoundly surprising monstrous overpass and blight on Bicentennial Park and the Bay.
It beggars belief that this may come to pass.

I object to this modification and what it would mean in broken promises and the unliveability of this area in the strongest possible terms.
Please see attached submission: OBJECTION TO Westconnex Crescent modification Sep 2019 - Cashmore