15 minute wait to turn at nightmare CBD intersection

Members who regularly drive on Bridge, Loftus, Gresham and Park Street near Circular Quay in Sydney’s CBD already know: this area is likely to be a major congestion hot spot once George Street finally closes.

Divisional Secretary Chris Preston and Assistant Branch Secretary David Woollams visited the area recently to talk to members who complained about several issues in the area:

1. After leaving the stop on Loftus Street, banked up traffic is forcing many bus drivers to wait up to 15 minutes before they are able to make the turn into Bridge Street.
2. A badly-placed stop on Bridge Street means that buses must be in the left hand lane to pick up passengers and then have to try and maneuver through thick traffic into the centre lane straight away so they can then make a right hand turn into George Street
3. On Loftus Street, the bus stop fits only two buses at a time. Because of the extra bus routes there are now often several buses queuing to load passengers – disrupting traffic and causing very late bus departures and some buses being forced to skip the stop altogether.
4. A taxi rank on Bent Street is causing buses to have to travel over double white lanes – a situation that needs to be immediately fixed so that bus drivers aren’t forced to break the rules.

All of these issues are already causing delays, congestion and frustration for passengers and bus drivers alike – and unfortunately they are only likely to get worse when George Street closes to cars – funnelling more traffic into the area.

The RTBU has notified State Transit of the problem but so far we are yet to see a solution.

Chris Preston told the Sydney Morning Herald this morning that unless a remedy is put in place this area is likely to become a “car park” after George Street closes. You can read the full article here.