Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore is renewing calls for the state government to help create four Sydney Metro stations and a light rail from the CBD to Green Square and beyond.
The council recently reserved a 4km eastern transit corridor for the future light rail and required commitment from the state government to bring the plans forward.
The light rail would defer traffic and change Broadway, Oxford and Flinders streets into green areas for more dining and entertainment.
A proposal to extend the Metro West line was also outlined in the Draft Access Strategy and Action Plan.
“The extension of Metro West to at least Randwick will supercharge the productivity gains of Sydney’s metro network through this century,” the strategy stated.
“The sooner it is built, the sooner the economic benefits to great Sydney accrue.”
Tech Central, Camperdown, Zetland and Randwick were identified by council as sites for potential metro stations with the number of new dwellings in the surrounding area expected to intensify.
The NSW government earmarked the extension of the line for 2041 however the City of Sydney advocated for this to be brought forward to 2030.
This could unlock development opportunities in the region to increase housing through height increases and changed zoning along the line.
Another action outlined in the strategy was moving kerbside deliveries off-street in the next 20 years by creating hubs for deliveries to be located in or shared by private developments.
In the interim, council planned an electric bus service along the light rail line for the city to achieve net zero emissions by 2035.
Moore said there was a unique opportunity to reshape how Sydneysiders moved around the city.
“We’ve come a long way since 2012 when the last strategy was released,” the lord mayor said.
“George Street’s transformation from a traffic-clogged arterial route to a destination in its own right is nothing short of remarkable.
“We’ve long advocated for many of the transformative ideas in this strategy and now we have a new state government we will reiterate our position so we can work together towards net zero.”
