July 22 - 28, 2018: Issue 368

B-Line to Newport NOT Going Ahead


Proposed roundabout demonstration by residents at B-Line to Newport Rally, 2017  - photo supplied

Newport bus improvements take a different route

Transport for NSW Media Release
17 July 2018

Transport for NSW is investigating further options to improve bus services for customers living north of Mona Vale following a decision not to pursue a proposed extension of the B-Line route to Newport. 

“We’ve listened to the community and it’s clear that the most popular solution to improve public transport in the short term is to enhance existing bus services to meet the travel needs of Newport, Avalon Beach and the surrounding suburbs,” said a Transport for NSW spokesperson. 

“Over the last 12 months Transport for NSW has been investigating infrastructure changes needed to allow the B-Line buses to operate to Newport, and we’ve discussed with the community a draft concept for a new roundabout at the intersection of Neptune and Barrenjoey Roads. 

“From the feedback we received the clear message from our customers was that while they wanted more frequent buses, the preference was to increase capacity and frequency of existing services.  

“We remain committed to improving bus services north of Mona Vale and will look at opportunities where we can enhance travel options for customers.” 

The B-Line project will continue to focus on road improvements designed to reduce congestion along the entire B-Line corridor which will improve the efficiency and reliability of all bus services and general traffic across the Northern Beaches and Lower North Shore. 

“Infrastructure improvements such as bus indents, lane widening and tidal flow systems introduced as part of B-Line are addressing congestion that’s currently experienced by both bus customers and general traffic,” a Transport for NSW spokesperson said.

“On 15 January, sections of the morning peak citybound T3 lanes were converted to morning peak bus lanes which contributed to travel time savings of around 10 minutes for bus customers. 

“Whilst we are already seeing benefits, public transport users will see the full extent of these improvements upon program completion.” 

In November 2017 the NSW Government introduced more than 3,200 new weekly services to the Northern Beaches Bus Network. 

This included the introduction of a new, high-frequency 199 service between Palm Beach and Manly, additional E88 services between Avalon Beach and Wynyard, additional 191 and 192 services linking Avalon Beach, Clareville and Bilgola Plateau, a new E54 route between Mona Vale and Milsons Point, additional E60 services between Mona Vale and Chatswood, additional 156 services between McCarrs Creek and Mona Vale, additional E85 services between Warriewood Valley and Wynyard and additional E83 services between Elanora Heights and Wynyard.

______________________________________

The Hon. Rob Stokes, MP for Pittwater, said on Friday, 
“There were some ridiculous and misleading rumours being spread around the community.
 
“There was no proposal to build a bus terminal, no proposal to remove rows of trees, no proposal to construct new car parks and no proposal to introduce clearways.
 
“The most disappointing and mischievous rumour being peddled around the community was that the B-Line would somehow change planning and development rules. This is simply not true.
 
“The reality was the complexity of the underground utility relocations, and the timeframes involved, simply weren’t practical.
 
“Transport for NSW took the time to undertake the necessary investigations, they did their homework and they listened to the community.
 
“Nevertheless, I’m determined to see improvements to public transport services north of Mona Vale and I’m strongly advocating for this."

The community groups who have been behind a campaign for better bus services since the announcement of the B-Line to Newport Proposal are also advocating for transport solutions for those north of Mona Vale, including the restoration of the discontinued E87 (Express bus from Newport to Wynyard) and the L90 during peak hour (Palm Beach to Central Station).

Visit:

On Wednesday this news service was advised the March planned for Saturday July 21st had been changed to a celebration to be held at Newport. On Friday Pittwater Online received the following as an addendum to this:

The B-Line:
Protest March becomes a
Celebration Rally…
Starting with the October Rally, followed by the representations of the NRA to the council and Rob Stokes, and then the current flyer campaign, we can finally say the B-Line will not be coming to Newport, nor will that odious roundabout be constructed.

Having talked with hundreds of people in the street, we know there’s a strong majority in favour of limiting the B Line to Mona Vale while strengthening that service by adding B-Line services to Macquarie and Chatswood. With a full service bus station at Mona Vale, this becomes an effective B- Line hub.

Now the next focus of everyone living on the seaside villages north of Mona Vale will be the restoration of the E87 and L90 along with the provision of small connecting buses to Mona Vale. In the B-Line leaflet distributed last week, the government says it will look for opportunities to improve existing bus services north of Mona Vale.

The Development Issue…
We believe a blow has been struck against further inappropriate development with the scrapping of the B-Line to Newport. For those who don’t believe this, we would point out that when it was announced the B-Line would be stopping at Brookvale, the government stated that suburb could accommodate 6,000 more residents. Similarly in Frenchs Forest, a B Line connection was used to justify an increase in residents from an originally proposed 6,000 to 10,000.

Secondly, there has been tremendous pressure in this area for development. We are 34 km from Sydney, but we know developers eye this area enviously. We are not against appropriate development, but how much can an area take that has only one road in and one road out? It’s surrounded by water on all sides and there is no exit to the north.

Comments by Gavin Butler, President of the Newport Residents Association following the TfNSW announcement that the B-Line extension to Newport had been scrapped:

The announcement by TfNSW that the proposed extension of the B-Line to Newport will now not proceed is great news for the communities from Newport to Palm Beach.

Since mid-2016 when the NRA first came to hear about a possible extension the association considered the benefits and detriments of any extension and considered that the downsides far outweighed the upsides and wrote to both our State Member Rob Stokes and to the council. This was followed by a formal announcement a year later in June 2017 that TfNSW was going to in fact extend the B-Line to Newport and advised us of a number of alternatives to create a terminus for turning the busses around. TfNSW also advised us at a meeting at that time that the reason for the extension to Newport was due to the fact of not being able to supply commuter parking for 150 cars in Mona Vale as planned initially for the Beeby Park site and that the missing app 74 spaces would be provided by using the Newport Surf Club car park (these comments were later replaced saying it was only about providing a better service to the northern communities).

Most of the alternatives proposed at Newport were quashed (with the assistance of member Rob Stokes) and then replaced with a proposal for a roundabout on Barrenjoey road at the junction with Neptune road which the community still felt would be a nightmare and another congestion point for all the communities north of Mona Vale (and those communities forcefully advised the authorities of that fact). We were told that the decision to proceed would only occur once a REF (Review of Environmental Factors) was completed. Originally due in February this year, the document has never been seen.

The Newport Residents Association wishes to thank its members, the other residents of Newport and the invaluable support of the communities north of Newport. All these people and organisations supported us at our October rally, our flyer and letter drops, tables in the main street, many submissions and completing the on-line surveys. TfNSW comments were that they have listened to the community (whether that is the whole story is irrelevant as the outcome is what the community has been saying for over two years and confirmed by the survey results as noted below). We do thank our member Rob Stokes for carrying our survey results to the Minister for Transport.

Our next objective is to improve the bus services for all communities north of Mona Vale (which have been degraded since the introduction of the B-Line) especially in non-peak hours, and we have been advised that new timetables are to be announced in September. TfNSW has noted they will now look at these services north of Mona Vale

Newport update: July 2018

From Newport B-Line webpage

A proposal to provide B-Line services to Newport was announced last year to provide turn up and go bus services to customers north of Mona Vale.

After looking at a number of options to turn buses around, Transport for NSW presented a draft concept to construct a roundabout at the intersection of Neptune and Barrenjoey Roads in October 2017.

The proposal also included two B-Line bus stops at the existing northbound and southbound stops on Barrenjoey Road at Newport shops, and a southbound B-Line stop on Barrenjoey Road near Newport Beach at the existing bus stop site.

Early community consultation was undertaken with customers, local residents and community groups in October 2017.

The feedback received from the community and stakeholders, along with additional complexities identified during the site investigations undertaken earlier this year, has resulted in Transport for NSW reviewing how we can best service customers north of Mona Vale.

An outcome of this review is that B-Line services are no longer proposed to extend to Newport and the construction of a roundabout at the corner of Neptune and Barrenjoey Roads will not proceed.

We will continue to investigate opportunities to improve existing bus services north of Mona Vale to align with demand and customer travel patterns between the Northern Beaches, Lower North Shore and the Sydney CBD. Customers will be kept informed prior to any changes later this year.

Work will also continue along the corridor from Mona Vale to the Sydney CBD to manage traffic congestion, reliability of buses and support the new B-Line bus services.

Transport for NSW will investigate increasing the capacity and frequency of services for bus customers living north of Mona Vale following a decision not to proceed with a proposal to extend the B-Line route to Newport. 

What was proposed at Newport?

A proposal to provide B-Line services to Newport was announced last year to provide turn up and go bus services to customers north of Mona Vale. After looking at a number of options to turn buses around, Transport for NSW presented a draft concept to construct a roundabout at the intersection of Neptune and Barrenjoey Roads in October 2017.The proposal also included two B-Line bus stops at the existing northbound and southbound stops on Barrenjoey Road at Newport shops, and a southbound B-Line stop on Barrenjoey Road near Newport Beach at the existing bus stop. 

What you told us

Early community consultation was undertaken with customers, local residents and community groups. Key feedback we received included:• support for more frequent and reliable bus services• potential loss of amenity due to the increased frequency of buses in the town centre• preference for increased number of local bus services rather than B-Line services• possible traffic congestion on Barrenjoey Road and further north during construction and operation of the roundabout.

New plan for bus services

The feedback received from the community and stakeholders, along with additional complexities identified during the site investigations undertaken earlier this year, has resulted in Transport for NSW reviewing how we can best service customers north of Mona Vale. An outcome of this review is that B-Line services are no longer proposed to extend to Newport and the construction of a roundabout at the corner of Neptune and Barrenjoey Roads will not proceed. We will continue to investigate opportunities to improve existing bus services north of Mona Vale to align with demand and customer travel patterns between the Northern Beaches, Lower North Shore and the Sydney CBD. Customers will be kept informed prior to any changes later this year.Work will also continue along the corridor from Mona Vale to the Sydney CBD to manage traffic congestion, improve reliability of buses and support the new B-Line bus services.

Transport for NSW would like to thank community members who provided feedback on the roundabout concept

FAQ’s; B-Line Newport Changes Q&A

ABOUT THE B-LINE NEWPORT EXTENSION 

Q. When was the B-Line extension announced? 

The proposed extension of the B-Line bus service to Newport was announced on 30 May 2017 by Transport for NSW (TfNSW) as part of the new Northern Beaches Service Plan. 

Q. What action was undertaken following the announcement? 

The NSW Government proposed to extend the B-Line service to Newport and presented a draft concept to the community and key stakeholders in October 2017 as part of early consultation. 

Q. What options were looked at to extend services to Newport? 

A total of four options were identified as being possible locations for the B-Line buses to turn around: 

1. Plateau Road: Using the existing roundabout at the intersection of Plateau Road and Barrenjoey Road 

2. Neptune Road: Replacing the existing priority intersection with a roundabout at the intersection of Neptune Road and Barrenjoey Road. 

3. Newport Beach Car Park: Replacing the existing priority intersection with a roundabout at the intersection of the Newport Beach Car Park and Barrenjoey Road. 

4. Coles Parade: installing a dedicated signal at the intersection of Coles Parade and Barrenjoey Road for B-Line services to turn around. 

Q. What was the option selected for the extension? 

Following a review of options, a draft concept to construct a roundabout at the corner of Neptune Road and Barrenjoey Road, Newport was prepared and consulted on. 

This included: 

• construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Barrenjoey and Neptune Roads 

• a B-Line bus stop at the existing southbound stop on Barrenjoey Road at Newport Beach 

• two B-Line bus stops at the existing northbound and southbound stops on Barrenjoey Road at Newport shops, including weather protection, seating and real-time service information 

Q. Why was the Nepture/Barrenjoey Road concept selected? 

The Neptune/Barrenjoey Road roundabout concept had the least impact on parking spaces and Norfolk Island Pine trees, whilst having the best on time running scenario. 

The location of the bus stops were also ideally located close to the town centre and beach side car park. 

CONSULTATION 

Q. Who was consulted? 

Early community consultation on the draft concept was undertaken with customers, local residents and community groups. 

Q. What consultation was undertaken? 

Community meetings, stakeholder briefings and drop-in sessions were held between 10 October and 1 December 2017. 

Community members and stakeholders were encouraged to provide their feedback and make comments via email, mail, on the B-Line website, via phone contact with the project team, through a targeted newsletter drop and attendance at a community information drop in session. 

Q. What feedback was received from the consultation sessions? 

Key feedback received included: 

• support for more frequent and reliable bus services 

• potential loss of amenity due to the increased frequency of buses in town centre 

• preference for increased number of local bus services rather than B-Line services 

• possible traffic congestion on Barrenjoey Road and further north during construction and operation of the roundabout 

The overwhelming majority of feedback from the community was the preference for improving existing bus services rather than building new infrastructure to support the B-Line in Newport. 

CURRENT STATUS 

Q. Why is B-Line NOT being extended to Newport? 

From the feedback we received the clear message from our customers was that while they wanted more frequent buses, the preference was to increase both capacity and frequency to meet the travel needs of Newport and the surrounding suburbs. 

We remain committed to improving bus services north of Mona Vale and will look at opportunities where we can enhance travel options to improve existing services to provide better bus services north of Mona Vale that align with demand and customer travel patterns between the Northern Beaches, Lower North Shore and the Sydney CBD. 

Work will continue along the corridor from Mona Vale to the Sydney CBD to manage traffic congestion, improve reliability of buses and support the new B-Line bus service. 

Q. How was the decision made? 

The feedback received from the community and stakeholders, along with additional complexities identified during the site investigations undertaken earlier this year, has resulted in Transport for NSW reviewing how we can best service customers north of Mona Vale. 

An outcome of this of this review is that B-Line services are no longer proposed to extend to Newport and the construction of a roundabout at the corner of Neptune and Barrenjoey Roads will not proceed. 

We will continue to investigate opportunities to improve existing bus services north of Mona Vale to align with demand and customer travel patterns between the Northern Beaches, Lower North Shore and the Sydney CBD. 

Q. Will the extension to Newport be considered in future? 

Right now, we are looking at boosting the current services to meet travel needs of customers in Newport and the surrounding suburbs. 

Transport for NSW will continue to monitor travel demand across the Northern Beaches to make sure that the service plan meets customer travel needs. 

Q. How can customers in Newport and further north travel to the city? 

Customers north of Mona Vale are able to use the new 199 service between Palm Beach and Manly to access turn-up-and-go B-Line services at Mona Vale. 

Customers are also able to catch the L90, E88 and E89 to the city. 

Q. What On Demand services are available? 

The Northern Beaches On Demand transport pilot service, Keoride, began in November 2017. 

Keoride services allow customers to book a vehicle to pick them up from their home, designated pick up point or nearest bus stop and take them directly to the closest B-Line transport hub at Narrabeen, Warriewood or Mona Vale. 

The Northern Beaches catchment area is split into two operational on demand zones: 

Zone 1 - North Narrabeen to Mona Vale 

Zone 2 - Mona Vale to Palm Beach 

Currently services run during the following times: 

• Monday to Friday, 6am–10pm 

• Saturday, 7am–7pm 

• Sunday, 7am–5pm 

You can book the service at www.keoride.com.au, by calling 1800 KEO RIDE (1800 536 7433), or by downloading the Keoride app on your smartphone. Find out more at www.keoride.com.au

Q. What response has there been from On Demand? 

Accessing B-Line services 

The Northern Beaches On Demand transport pilot service, Keoride, began in November 2017. 

Keoride services allow customers to book a vehicle to pick them up from their home, designated pick up point or nearest bus stop and take them directly to the closest B-Line transport hub at Narrabeen, Warriewood or Mona Vale. 

The take up of Keoride continues to grow, with over 3000 passenger trips delivered in June 2018. 

You can book the service at www.keoride.com.au, by calling 1800 KEO RIDE (1800 536 7433), or by downloading the Keoride app on your smartphone. Find out more at www.keoride.com.au 

Q. What work has been completed to date on the Newport option? 

Following a review of potential options and stakeholder consultation, TfNSW prepared a draft concept design for the preferred option to build a roundabout on the corner of Neptune and Barrenjoey Roads to turn buses around. 

Geotechnical and site survey work has also been undertaken to inform the concept design. 

Q. When will customers at both Newport and north of Newport have access to additional services? 

In November 2017 the NSW Government introduced more than 3,200 new weekly services to the Northern Beaches Bus Network. 

This included the introduction of a new, high-frequency 199 service between Palm Beach and Manly, additional E88 services between Avalon Beach and Wynyard, additional 191 and 192 services linking Avalon Beach, Clareville and Bilgola Plateau, a new E54 route between Mona Vale and Milsons Point, additional E60 services between Mona Vale and Chatswood, additional 156 services between McCarrs Creek and Mona Vale, additional E85 services between Warriewood Valley and Wynyard and additional E83 services between Elanora Heights and Wynyard. 

Transport for NSW is investigating opportunities to improve existing bus services north of Mona Vale to align with demand and customer travel patterns between the Northern Beaches, Lower North Shore and the Sydney CBD. Customers will be kept informed prior to any service changes later this year. 

Q. Has the B-Line been successful? 

The B-Line service has been successfully operating since November 2017, with data showing travel time savings for buses. 

On 15 January, sections of the morning peak citybound T3 lanes were converted to morning peak bus lanes which contributed to travel time savings of around 10 minutes for bus customers. 

Coupled with the full completion of existing roadwork improvements, we expect further travel time benefits for customers to be realised by early 2019.

Q. When is the B-Line project due to finish? 

All project construction and roadwork is due to be complete by 2019.

PREVIOUSLY

Bus Rapid Transit Interchange At Mona Vale 

Mona Vale Residents Association: September 22 , 2015 - Community News, October 2015

Investigative Drilling is currently being undertaken in Beeby Park Mona Vale and Village Park Mona Vale by Transport NSW. They are looking at potential sites to build the bus rapid transit interchange. A number of sights are being looked at around the MV CBD.

MVRA contacted Transport NSW this week and found out there are 5-6 sites under investigation around Mona Vale.

The state owned Bus depot in Darley Street is also being looked at as a potential transport hub. This is a site that the Mona Vale Residents Association think should be seriously considered as it will not have an impact on green open space and will be far better for traffic movements. 

We are now seeking a meeting regarding this matter with Transport NSW. It is disappointing that communication with the community had completely been ignored. 

Pictures courtesy Mark Horton

Misleading B-Line Rumours Are Unhelpful - Issue 328 - September 2017
Newport B-Line Update October 2017 - Issue 333, October 2017
Sydney Metro’s Commercialised Future by Alex Gooding  (Transport Administration Amendment (Sydney Metro) Bill 2018) - May 2018
Golf Avenue Mona Vale Now A Car Park Due To B-Line Commuter Growing Pains + Newport B-Line webpage advises 'proposed solution to extend B-Line services to Newport will be presented in the Review of Environmental Factors planned for public display mid-2018'  - June 2018
First Pittwater Determination by Sydney North Planning Panel: to amend the Pittwater Local Environmental Plan 2014 to facilitate Seniors Housing Development on Crystal Bay Newport and E4 be re-zoned R2 to 'allow the proposed use as well as other suitable uses' for all adjacent blocks - June 2018
Open Letter To The Seaside Villages From Mona Vale To Palm Beach: B-Line to Newport Protest March on July 21st + residents needed to distribute flyer

Urban activation precincts: the concept and implementation
by Craig Johnston - Shelter NSW Update, 24th of February, 2014
The notion of an ‘urban activation precinct’ was announced by the state government in June 2012, at the time of the state budget for 2012-13. The name is not as impenetrable as appears at first sight: it is an area of land (precinct’) that the government has decided should be used more intensively for dwellings or businesses (urban’) and for which the government will fast-track the application of new planning controls (‘activation’). It is a mechanism by which the government proposes denser development for certain sites and prepares new planning controls (rezonings, height controls, floor space ratios) to do this. The new controls override whatever is in the local environmental plan which is made by the minister for planning following proposals by the local council and community consultation. The Governor issues a special state environmental planning policy (I’ll call this a ‘spot SEPP’), which is the legal basis for the new controls.

The mechanism is clearly an extra-ordinary assertion of state government power over local governments, with the work around the new planning controls — and the massaging and messaging of them with immediate stakeholders and the general public — being done by public servants in the Department of Planning. The purpose of the proposed changes is to promote ‘growth’.

The guideline was issued in October 2012. It indicates the process for a precinct, which is along the lines:
  • Someone (including a private developer) makes a proposal to the government for a particular area to be designated a UAP.
  • The Government considers the case for this area being so declared; the agencies involved include Transport for NSW, Finance and Services, Treasury, UrbanGrowth NSW as well as of course the Department of Planning, and the relevant local governments and other state government agencies are consulted. 
  • Factors to be considered in investigating the suitability of an area and in preparing a brief on the planning outcomes to be got from making it a UAP include constraints and opportunities (‘including environmental, social and economic factors’), and opportunities for increasing housing. The Affordable Housing Taskforce chairperson’s recommendation was not taken up. 
  • The Department of Planning prepares a set of proposals for new planning controls and advertises them. It holds information sessions. It might also establish a community reference group at this stage.
  • The Department considers feedback; the submissions are public, on the DP website. The Department addresses the issues raised, in a planning report, and prepares new planning controls for the minister to consider. 
  • The Governor (acting on the minister’s advice) issues a ‘spot SEPP’ to give effect to them.
The legal authority for this action was the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, specifically, section 37.

There have been questions raised about the adequacy of consideration of social impacts of more intensive development on the selected sites, of consideration of affordable housing, and about adequacy of community consultation processes, in the UAP process.

Another thing to remember is that, once the new planning controls are imposed, development applications will be assessed against these. In assessing applications, consent authorities are also required to consider — under then current planning law — the ‘likely impacts of that development, including environmental impacts on both the natural and built environments, and social and economic impacts in the locality’, and the ‘public interest’.

The guideline made no mention and has no special provision for affordable housing. As indicated above, the Department rejected the recommendation of the chairperson of the minister for planning’s Affordable Housing Taskforce that the UAP process do so. The UAP process has no remit for the housing of very-low, low and moderate-income households (as ‘affordable housing’ is defined in planning law). 

It does, however, have an expectation that the growth it is seeking to promote (including construction of more dwellings) might have some effect on house prices (for owner-occupation and investment). The opening sentence of the guideline indicates that the Government is committed to providing ‘housing choice and affordability’. What it is doing to achieve that is to encourage the construction of more dwellings, in locations with adequate infrastructure and access to transport. This approach is consistent with and falls out from theDraft metropolitan strategy for Sydney to 2031 (March 2013) and the NSW Government, A new planning system for NSW white paper(April 2013) - PDF: 44.5 MB. 

The white paper, in particular, made it clear that the Government wanted ‘housing choice and affordability’ to be promoted through strategic planning processes, not statutory planning processes (i.e. planning and development controls).