The document summarizes a proposal for the next stage of expansion of the Sydney Metro rail system. A team at Macquarie University was assigned to determine the optimal route. They analyzed 18 local government areas and identified that Parramatta was growing to become the second major center of Sydney. Three route options were proposed - two southern lines and one northern line connecting Parramatta to the airport. The routes were evaluated based on population, employment, mix of activities, connectivity, and compliance with policies. Route 2 was found to be the most suitable as it passed through key precincts and allowed easier access between areas. However, expanding vehicle dependence would need to be reduced through education to align with policy objectives. Connecting the new western airport

1. SYDNEY METRO
Proposal for Next Stage Expansion
Prepared for Transport for NSW
Macquarie University, Sydney
Environmental Management Practice – GSE844
20 November 2015

2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Macquarie University Environmental Planning team has
been assigned the challenging task to determine where the next
Sydney Metro line should be located. After having assimilated
the basic techniques of transport planning, the assignment to
complete was to strategically assess the optimal route for the
Sydney Greater Metropolitan Area (GMA) by discerning the
future precincts for the horizon 2030-2035. Understanding
GMA’s context, that is to say a growing population combined
with a consequent economic expansion to the west side of the
city, the team rapidly grasped the necessity and the urge for
Transport for NSW (TfNSW) to develop an efficient, reliant, fast
and sustainable transportation system: the Sydney Metro. In
accordance with the main objectives dictated by the existing
policies for Sydney, the next stage of the metro was designed
while keeping tabs on the challenge to connect people to their
employment centre but also to places dedicated to a range of
activities. In doing so, Sydney could become a more vibrant,
dynamic and sustainable city.
A staged process of five methods has been followed in
order to assess the most adequate Metro corridor, in accordance
with a polycentric strategy. Firstly, the existing gaps in the
transportation network system have generally been assessed
through a Transport Network Assessment. The results showed
that the population was highly dependent on cars, especially on
the outskirts of GMA in particular in Botany Bay. Secondly, by
looking at the Urban Growth Centres based on selected
projections of interest for 2031, the team rapidly identified that
Parramatta was going to become the second CBD after Sydney
city. At this stage it was decided to narrow the scope from
Parramatta to Botany Bay, especially looking at how people
could access the airport more easily. In total, eighteen Local
Government Areas (LGAs) have been looked at in order to
identify the future precincts where metro stations should be
implemented. A population profile was established, based on the
assumption that people whose occupations that absolutely
require a car are removed from the potential metro patronage.
The results showed that the Western Sydney Area (WSA) was
not as much in need of a metro line than the city centre. Three
options for determining the future corridor have been proposed,
of these two southern and one northern line, each linking
Parramatta to the Airport through the development of an
Evaluation Matrix. Each LGA has then been weighted equally and
ranked according to five criteria of population, employment
growth, mix of activities, connectivity and the level of
compliance with the policies in place in GMA. It has to be noted
that projections for education and health have been looked at
based on the existing situation and the age profile. The locality
assessment displayed on maps showed that route number 2 is
the most adequate, going through key precincts that would
allow Sydneysiders to access areas more quickly and easily.
However this selected corridor will only be possible alongside
with the exertion of a strong education campaign to reduce
vehicle dependence to be consistent with the policies’ objectives.
Besides, it is explicitly recommended to consider this next stage
as a corridor that will be interconnected to other transportation
modes in order to link the WSA that is growing rapidly from the
perspective of providing social equity and avoiding social spatial
segregation. Connecting the domestic airport Badgerys Creek to
a western line is strongly suggested, bearing in mind that the
Sydney Metro will be the base for a polycentric network
contributing to sustainable, overall convenience and ease of
transport.

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