The idea was raised in Council on Monday night as Councillors work toward solving the Northern Illawarra’s traffic nightmare. A motion has been passed to investigate a series of possibilities, which includes this fire trail being opened to traffic in emergency situations.
Local Greens Councillor Mithra Cox says our subtropical rainforest is unique and wonderful and should be protected from development- and that includes more roads!
Councillor Cox says the traffic problem stems from a lack of transport options.
She says studies show 85% of all trips in Wollongong are made by car, compared to other OECD cities where it’s only 45%.
“People in Wollongong have no other way to get around,” she says. “Our local trains go once an hour or every two hours on weekends. Most streets don’t even have footpaths and there is no significant cycle network. It’s no wonder our roads are choked with cars!”
“Residents in Buttenshaw Drive have already contacted me, concerned about the increase in traffic and lack of footpaths. They can’t even walk safely to the train station.
“New housing should only be built along the train line,” she says, ” there should be a cycleway along the rail corridor and our trains should run every 15 minutes. If we don’t invest in public and active transport, our car use and our traffic congestion will continue to increase.”