Local street improvements following the opening of the Lane Cove Tunnel

Residents, local government and the RTA have been working on plans to protect local residential streets.

Why plan to improve local streets?

The Lane Cove Tunnel may cause changes in traffic volumes and behaviour. The RTA is required to prepare plans for local streets in consultation with the community. If there are no changes in traffic on local streets due to the Lane Cove Tunnel, then local street improvements do not need to be implemented.

What are the benefits of these plans?

Residents and community representatives helped the RTA to develop plans that:

• Make drivers aware they are entering a residential area.
• Improve safety for pedestrians by narrowing the road width, making crossing easier.
• Make it a less desirable through route by reducing the road width and slowing traffic.

What about Epping Road?

The approved changes to Epping Road will bring significant benefits to traffic on local streets in Lane Cove. These changes have been considered as part of these plans.

Epping Road is an arterial road and its street improvements are being considered separately. The RTA has a plan to introduce the $1.1 billion Lane Cove Tunnel and the expanded Gore Hill Freeway project into the broader Sydney road network.

The Roads Minister has released the Lane Cove Runnel Integration Group report recommending the staged implementation of changes to surface traffic arrangements.  This will reduce the risk of congestion for motorists and public transport users.  Click here for the community update summarising this proposal.

Developing a plan

Previous stages

• 2001-04:
  Environmental assessments identified local roads that may benefit from traffic management.
• 2005-06:
  Consultation with residents, businesses, bicycle groups and local councils developed measures to reduce the impacts of an increase in traffic or enhance the benefits of a reduction in traffic volumes.
• Early 2006:
  Each council agreed with the content of these plans prior to this display.
• October 2006:
  The draft plans were placed on display for four weeks to seek community input.
• Late 2006:
  After your ideas and comments the plans were finalised and in consultation with local councils submitted to the Director General of the Department of Planning for approval.

Current stage: The Department of Planning has approved this process so far.  Councils and the community advisory groups have been briefed on the outcomes.

Next stage: After the opening of the Lane Cove Tunnel traffic monitoring will be undertaken.

What community consultation has taken place so far?

Community advisory groups were established covering the following areas:

• Crows Nest, Cammeray and Neutral Bay.
• Artarmon and Willoughby.
• Lane Cove and Chatswood West.
• Ryde.

Representatives from residential areas, businesses, bicycle groups and local councils met on four occasions between October 2005 and February 2007.

Notes of these meetings can be downloaded by following the link at the bottom of this page.

The consultation process is shown on the diagram to the right. Community Updates including a copy of the map and questionnaire were sent to business and residents in each of the local areas. Click here  to view Community Updates October 2006.

Further information

For enquiries regarding the local improvement studies, please call the RTA Lane Cove Tunnel Project office on 9417 9520.

For enquiries relating to construction of the Lane Cove Tunnel project, please call the Thiess John Holland Community Contact Line on 1800 009 280.