Blacktown City Council and Bicycle NSW have raised a series of objections to plans for a major widening of the Westlink M7, stretching 26 kilometres from Prestons to the Richmond Road intersection at Glendenning.
A group of companies led by toll road giant Transurban has put an unsolicited proposal to the NSW Government to widen the motorway in exchange for the right to charge tolls through to 2053.
Blacktown City Mayor Tony Bleasdale OAM says the project presents a golden opportunity to fix much more than just traffic congestion on the M7.
"At the time of construction, Council supported the M7 being a 6-lane motorway, albeit 2 lanes being dedicated to public transport, but this multi-million-dollar project should be much, much more than just widening a road. I also have great concerns with the plans over the lack of consultation with Councils or the community.
"The M7 was a godsend for road users criss-crossing Western Sydney when it was constructed and adding lanes will ease congestion on the motorway, but what about congestion on the surrounding roads, what about public transport, what about reuniting communities, what about cycleways and what about flood evacuation - the plans do nothing about these?" Mayor Bleasdale said.
Blacktown City Council has made a detailed submission on the planned widening, objecting to the proposal for a range of reasons, identifying a number of serious shortfalls and problems that could, and should be addressed.
"The plans don't adequately cater for current or expected increased traffic accessing the M7 from the rapidly growing suburbs in the North West such as Marsden Park, Schofields and Riverstone.
"Transport for NSW says road traffic along Richmond Road will almost double in the next 5 years to more than 65,000 vehicles every day.
"With so few exits and entrances on the M7, local feeder roads are already choked by cars and trucks getting off and on the Motorway. The situation will only get worse with the widening." Mayor Bleasdale said.
Council's submission calls for more entrance and exit ramps to be constructed along the M7 and for the M7 widening to be extended to the M2 at Windsor Road.
The submission calls for a massive upgrade of the local feeder road network including Bandon Road and the intersections at Richmond Road and Rooty Hill Road North, Great Western Highway at Rooty Hill Road South, and Wallgrove Road at Old Wallgrove Road.
The Council submission also calls for the duplication of the 2-lane railway overpass at Francis Road, Rooty Hill.
"The planned widening of the M7 does nothing to reunite communities that were split by the original construction and does nothing to improve access to community facilities on one side of the motorway for residents and businesses on the other side of the M7." Mayor Bleasdale said.
"There is a desperate need for more shared user pathways to improve pedestrian and cycle access across the motorway and to and from the M7 cycleway.
The submission highlights a condition of the original M7 development approval that the 15-metre median strip should be used for future public transport lanes. Under the plans the extra lanes will be used by cars and trucks with no provision for public transport facilities.
"Unfortunately, the latest plans dismiss the need for public transport facilities on the Motorway either now or in the future," Mayor Bleasdale said.
The submission raises concerns over the failure of the plans to address issues of flood evacuation, noise mitigation, urban heat and integration with the Castlereagh motorway.
"We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to widen the M7, increase access to the Motorway, re-join communities that have been split by the M7, fix the traffic chaos on surrounding main roads and intersections and cater for the massive residential and industrial development in the North West growth area.
"Council is also extremely concerned by the lack of consultation with the government having been actively considering the proposal for some months but only providing the community and Councils 21 days to digest the details and prepare submissions, without giving any adequate briefings in advance.
"The operators of Westlink M7 are reaping massive and increasing tolls from the Motorway. They, along with the Government, have a huge responsibility to ensure that this project delivers far more benefits for Western Sydney than just a wider road," said Mayor Bleasdale.
Bicycle NSW has also lodged a strong submission on the planned widening of the M7, raising a number of objections.
The submission states: It is essential that the NSW Government leverages the investment in toll road infrastructure to deliver new and improved active transport facilities that will meet the active transport needs of Western Sydney, now, and into the future.
Photo: Widening the M7 will put further pressure on Richmond Rd and the intersection with the Motorway and Rooty Hill Rd.
Blacktown City Council submission: https://majorprojects.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/prweb/PRRestService/mp/01/getContent?AttachRef=PAE-46671958%2120220830T081838.587%20GMT
Bicycle NSW submission:https://bicyclensw.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/220823-M7-Widening-Bicycle-NSW-submission.pdf
