Greens councillor Mithra Cox criticised the Transport for NSW decision along similar lines, saying it meant residents who lived a few hundred metres away from the university would be forced to drive there.

"When Transport for NSW do things like this it really reduces trust for this council, for our community and for engaging with their processes," Cr Cox said.

Story by Kate McIlwain in the Illawarra Mercury, 18 May 2024.

Greens councillor Mithra Cox criticised the Transport for NSW decision along similar lines, saying it meant residents who lived a few hundred metres away from the university would be forced to drive there.

"When Transport for NSW do things like this it really reduces trust for this council, for our community and for engaging with their processes," Cr Cox said.

"We've been engaging with them over a number of years on the integrated transport strategy which has all sorts of platitudes about increasing active transport, increasing permeability of the city, integrating our transport strategy to theirs and when things like this happen it really makes us question why bother engaging.

"It's just empty words written on a piece of paper that mean nothing. Shock, horror, they did exactly what we all expected and they removed all of the things that were written in this strategy at the last moment.

"When they engage with us they need to do that in good faith and they need to stick to the things that they said they were going to do."

Story by Glen Humphries in the Illawarra Mercury, 9 April 2024.

Greens candidate for Wollongong Lord Mayor Jess Whittaker said the removal of the bridge was a sign Transport for NSW was "quitting on the cyclists".

"The pedestrian bridge was a small ask from the community," Ms Whittaker said.

"It was provided in the feedback Transport for NSW received during consultation. It should not be the first thing to be cut when they tighten the budget for this $390 million project.

"We can't sacrifice the benefits of walking and cycling and our good quality lives in Wollongong so we can have an impassable major traffic thoroughfare through the heart of Wollongong."

Story by Glen Humphries and Connor Pearce in the Illawarra Mercury, 7 April 2024.

In a major blow for walkers and cyclists, Transport for NSW has quietly removed the pedestrian overpass from the Mount Ousley Road Interchange in their March 2024 project update.