North-West T-way

The North-West T-way is a continuous series of bus-only lanes and bus roadways between Parramatta, Blacktown and Rouse Hill in Western Sydney. Opened in stages between March and November 2007, the 24 km (14.9 mi) T-way was the second bus rapid transit route to be built in Sydney after the Liverpool–Parramatta T-way.

North-West T-way
Overview
OperatorBusways
Hillsbus
Began service10 March 2007 (2007-03-10)
Route
StartBlacktown station
Rouse Hill station
ViaNorwest Business Park
Westmead Hospital
EndParramatta station
Length24 km

Alignment

The T-way follows Old Windsor Road north from Westmead Hospital. At Memorial Avenue, Kellyville, the route branches, with one branch continuing north along Old Windsor and Windsor roads to Rouse Hill Town Centre and the other heading west along Sunnyholt Road to Blacktown.

The alignment includes 10 new bridges and two new underpasses. Three of the T-way's 24 route-kilometres are bus lanes on existing roads.[1]

The Bella Vista–Rouse Hill section of the T-way runs parallel with the Sydney Metro Northwest rail line.

Construction

The Government of New South Wales announced the T-way network as part of its Action for Transport plan in 1998. The North-West project was approved in February 2004 and was jointly overseen by the then Ministry of Transport and Roads & Traffic Authority. The contract was awarded to Leighton Contractors in December 2004 and construction began in June 2005.[2][3][4][5] Construction took place alongside a major upgrade and widening program on Windsor and Old Windsor roads, known as 'All the way to Windsor'.[6]

The design was said to avoid many of the mistakes that had made the earlier Liverpool–Parramatta T-way so expensive to build.[7]

The T-way opened in three stages:[8]

  • Parramatta to Merriville Road, Rouse Hill – 10 March 2007[9][10]
  • Merriville Road to Rouse Hill Town Centre – 25 September 2007
  • Blacktown branch – 4 November 2007[11]

A fourth section, continuing from the Blacktown branch and between Burns Interchange to Castle Hill, was never constructed.

Stations
Norbrik T-way station

The North-West T-way has 30 stations, spaced approximately every 800 metres. Stations feature closed circuit television, real-time information screens, emergency help points, audio announcements and extensive landscaping.[12]

One station, Parramatta Station, also forms part of the Liverpool–Parramatta T-way. The other stations are, from Parramatta:

From Burns, the Blacktown branch proceeds to:

  • Stanhope, near Stanhope Parkway, Glenwood
  • Sorrento, near Sorrento Drive, Glenwood
  • Wilson, near Wilson Road, Glenwood
  • James Cook, near James Cook Drive, Kings Langley
  • Vardys, near Vardys Road, Blacktown
  • Turner, near Turner Street, Blacktown
  • Bessemer, near Bessemer Street, Blacktown
  • Sackville, near Sackville Street, Blacktown
  • Devitt, near Devitt Street, Blacktown
  • Blacktown Station, Blacktown

From Burns, the Rouse Hill branch proceeds to:

After the opening of Sydney Metro Northwest, a number of T-way stations were renamed by Transport for NSW, and became part of the bus interchanges belonging to the new metro stations. However, at a number of these stations, the old signage with the old station names have remained, with only the bus stop information sign and timetable containing the new names for each stop. The changes were:

  • Rouse Hill renamed Rouse Hill Station, with stops named:
    • North West Twy opp Rouse Hill Station (towards Parramatta and Blacktown)
    • Rouse Hill Station, North West Twy (towards Rouse Hill)
  • Riley renamed Kellyville Station, with stops named:
    • Kellyville Station, North West Tway, Stand A (towards Parramatta and Blacktown)
    • Kellyville Station, North West Tway, Stand B (towards Rouse Hill)
  • Celebration renamed Bella Vista Station, with stops named:
    • Bella Vista Station, North West Tway, Stand C (towards Blacktown and Parramatta)
    • Bella Vista Station, North West Tway, Stand D (towards Rouse Hill)

Services
Hillsbus at Norbrik T-way station in September 2007

Busways and Hillsbus operate North-West T-way services. There are many services which traverse the T-Way, either in its entirety or a section of it. The route numbering follows the Sydney Metropolitan Bus Route Numbering System with T-way specific routes prefixed with T until July 2019. (Hillsbus T6x and Busways T7x) On 28 July 2019 the remaining Txx routes were renumbered as three digit numbers.[13]

The following T services use the Parramatta - Rouse Hill T-Way

The following T services use the Blacktown - Parklea T-Way

Hillsbus and Busways also operate other routes along the T-way.

Criticisms

The T-way and its operations has come under criticism in several areas. Even before its opening, the Roads & Traffic Authority was criticised for its lack of planning and broken promises on the T-way's construction. Parramatta Council complained during construction that noise walls had not been built next to the homes of residents who lived along the T-way route, causing them distress. The planned cycleway alongside the T-way was not built in its entire length, and included a large deviation which Council complained would erode the cycleway's effectiveness.[14] After the opening of the first stage of the T-way, a local cycle advocacy group identified a large gap in the cycleway, potentially compromising cyclists' safety.[15] Some local residents had their backyards destroyed.[16]

On the opening of the initial route several other problems were raised. Comments were made concerning the initial patronage of the T-way. While the State Government refused to say how many people used the T-way in its first week, a local newspaper discovered that the commuter carpark attracted as few as ten cars a day in the first week of operation.[17] Another local newspaper reported a traffic barrier separating vehicles from the busway at Westmead railway station was causing accidents.[18]

On 12 April 2007, the Roads & Traffic Authority quietly scrapped the bus priority system that would have given buses priority at all at-grade intersections. The decision was criticised as eliminating the main advantage of the T-way and not entice commuters back to public transport.[19] Bus operators expected better patronage once the toll on the Lane Cove Tunnel came into effect.[20]

References
  1. North West Bus Transitway Stage 1 Leighton Holdings
  2. Leighton Contractors preferred contractor for $524 million North-West Transitway in Sydney Leighton Contractors 6 December 2004
  3. Annual report for year ended 30 June 2005 Roads & Traffic Authority
  4. North-T-way Leighton Contractors
  5. North West Bus Transitway Leighton Contractors
  6. Ozroads. "Old Windsor and Windsor roads". Archived from the original on 26 April 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  7. Baker, Jordan (25 August 2006). "Transport's vision splendid running at only half capacity". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 19 October 2012. Retrieved 7 December 2006.
  8. Hillsbus Service Update: Routes T63, T64, T65 and 610Hillsbus 25 September 2007. Accessed 26 September 2007. Archived 30 March 2022 at the Wayback Machine
  9. Sydney's North-West T-Way Openng Australian Bus issue 21 May 2007 pages 17-19
  10. The North West Transitway Australian Bus Panorama issue 22/6 May 2007 pages 6-9
  11. Annual report for tear ended 30 June 2008 Roads & Traffic Authority
  12. Jordan Baker (25 August 2006). "Transport's vision splendid running at only half capacity". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 19 October 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2007.
  13. Service Adjustments Transport for NSW
  14. City of Parramatta, "News: RTA urged to reconsider noise walls and cycleway route" Archived 3 October 2006 at the Wayback Machine, 11 November 2005. Accessed 16 April 2007.
  15. "CAMWEST: North-West T-Way: From Abbott Road to Wentworthville" Archived 28 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine, 20 March 2007. Accessed 16 April 2007.
  16. Soon, Nick, "T-Way Nightmare", Blacktown City Sun, 14 March 2007. Accessed 16 April 2007.
  17. Campise, Kirsten, "Commuters Ignoring T-Way", The Northern News, 28 March 2007. Accessed 16 April 2007.
  18. Stevens, Kylie, "Barrier a 'hazard'", Parramatta Sun, 28 March 2007. Accessed 16 April 2007.
  19. Besser, Linton, "Priority bus green lights scrapped" Archived 23 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Sydney Morning Herald, 12 April 2007. Accessed 16 April 2007.
  20. Baker, Jordan, "New tunnel sums: 17 minutes less, $25 more in toll" Archived 22 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Sydney Morning Herald, 23 March 2007. Accessed 16 April 2007.
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