Invitation to Community For Suggestions, Recommendations & Question For Blacktown Transport Forum

As usual, I have been invited to the Blacktown City Transport Forum for 2019. Members of the Mount Druitt Commuters Improvement Group members will be invited as well. This is a 'Closed' Meeting offering stake holders information of public transport changes within the Blacktown Local Government Area.

If anyone would like to offer suggestions, improvements or has questions they would liked asked on their behalf, please let us know.

The forum aims to identify and highlight the key transport needs and challenges facing residents and businesses in Western Sydney, and in particular, Blacktown City.

It will bring together the region's transport providers, users and planners as well as representatives from government, industry and the community.

Blacktown CIty Council Public Transport Forum Number 42 Is Nearing

This will be my 9 in row - Blacktown City Council Public  Transport Forums, that I will attend since, my original advocacy into Public Transport, within Mount Druitt and of recent, spreading into advocacy into our community improvements.

 It will be on the 23rd November  and I can assure you that all the publics transport ideas, suggestions for improvement I will still advocate for. A further report will come out on or after the date.

 Click here for last years post

Blacktown City Council Public Transport Forum Meeting Number 41 Coming Up

Blacktown City Council, is always taking interest in Public transport and future plans by inviting community members to a Forum.

I personally have been lucky to be invited, as they know my stance as an true advocate for public transport within the Blacktown Local Government Area. It detests me when I hear something like, ' Council doesn't do anything or care about us - and it is in relation to  roads and public transport'.

Yet, when I tell them that they do care and are interested the subject changes. I have been invited to  six transport forums from Blacktown City Council since 2010 and my seventh one is coming up out of forty-one of them. It doesn't make me an old hand but it makes me a really interested hand.

The basic topics coming up are: Sydney Metro Northwest Project Update 2016, Railway Stations Upgrade Programs and Bus growth programs.

What is missing is  traffic improvements: traffic lights,  pedestrian crossings, Bus Shelters, Taxi Stands  - growth and the Council Bike Plan and any upgrade. I understand there is a new Manager of Transport at Blacktown City Council and when I have a chance, I will discuss will him.

So, if you have any ideas please present to myself and I will raise them, on your behalf

 

Minutes Of Blacktown City Council Transport Forum of 26/11/2015

As usual, I am informing how I represented our community in the Blacktown City Council Transport Forum and you will also notice how the Mount Druitt Commuters Improvement Group Inc. was well represented a great voice of people, commuters of Mount Druitt and surrounding suburbs.

As stated on an email to myself from a Blacktown City Council Transport Officer, 'At its Ordinary Meeting held on 2 March 2016 Council gave consideration to a report concerning the deliberations of the meeting and resolved to endorse the Minutes.'

Click here for these minutes

Refer to previous post 

Whyilovemountdruitt Public Transport Submissions - Actions and Refers On.... 'Great For The Community!'

Blacktown City Council and Councillors have accepted and passed into the Blacktown City Council Integrated Transport Management Plan and also to be referred to NSW For Transport and NSW RMS for public transport improvements, submitted under 'whyilovemountdruitt', on behalf of our area. This report was presented at the Blacktown City Council  Public Transport Forum held on 27th November 2014.

Click here for My 'whyilovemountdruitt' submission for Public Transport Improvements

Click here for Councils Notification all submissions passed and referred on 

What is good about this is Black City Council and Councillors are listening and responding. There is that respect given to voices of the community. What we want them to do is follow up on the referrals to get that better public transport result, including Blacktown City Council Officers input as well as they can add the finishing touches to each submission. I would suggest they can report back at next Transport forum as to what developments have eventuated on each submission.

From my heart, I thank Nirab Rijal, Rudi Svarc and fellow transport officers of Council and all Blacktown City Councillors, may I ask  that this be forwarded to all of them!

Fr

Blacktown City Council Public Transport Forum Number 39

I think this is my 5th Blacktown City Council Public Transport Forum, I have attended on last thursday. The good thing is, it is not like a political debate in a council chamber, it is dedicated people working with local, state government, non-government organisations, individuals for the common good future of public transport.

Without these forums, proper decisions may not be made without proper inclusion of proper improvements.

Open by Rudi Svarc, Acting City Assets Manager, he warmly welcomed all participants to the forum, with the welcome to country and then introduced new Mayor, Mr. Stephen Bali.

Mr. Bali provided some interesting facts of Blacktown City Local Government Area:  Population today is around 327,000 people. In the year 2036, the population is expected to be 540,000 - larger than the current population of Tasmania. Our GRP - Gross Regional Product (similar as to a nation’s GDP) is $12.4 billion making us - larger than 63 nations around the world. We have a GRP growth of 7 perent compared to China 6-7 percent growth.

The Blacktown City Council Public Transport Forum established in 1999 to assist in providing smooth operations for public transport expansion  on services and infrastructure. NSW  Government is spending $600m  from NSW Government asset sales (Electricity assets sales) of  $20 Billion. From Government grants ' Blacktown is getting a small slice of the cake'.

In relation to Badgerys Creek Airport - unsure of the naming of it, it will need to have a cargo terminus and  the airport will be moving 33.5 million passengers per year. The distance from Sydney is 55-57km's - It needs the infrastructure to be put in place to move people around and have easy access - rail link to Blacktown and Penrith. Then the Infrastructure will be good for Sydney.

Then John Robertson, Member for Blacktown and Opposition Leader, Public Transport  is a big problem out west. He is concerned for the critical opportunities that are needed to address public transport issues from home to employment areas. ' Stop funneling people to the city. The future is in the west to have a great public transport. Fix the west and the Sydney public transport system is fixed.

North West Rail Link Update:

• Budget $8.3Billion Budget
• To be completed by middle 2019
• Rapid transit maximizing 15 train services per hour to 30 trains services per hour (future expectation).
• A service every 4 minutes - peak and 8 minutes off-peak*
• Automatic train driving
• Tunneling Project $3.8 Billion - 800 metres so far
• Skytrain contract $304 Million
• viaducts making it look more attractive
• Urban
• 4,000 commuter car spaces nowhere near enough to accommodate the amount of potential users
• The Skytrain will be between 10 metres and 13 metres above ground level and be supported  with 112 concrete piers, spaced approximately 39 metres apart.

Feed back/questions

• Trains will be level to platform level - confirmed
• With no staff on trains has it worked for possible evacuation procedures and how would the disabled commuter understand this? I think the answer was there maybe qualified customer service personnel on the train.
• Question was raised about a place to hook bicycles on the new trains
• Fares for the trains will matched to the current Opal Electronic ticketing system.
• No follow up on 2nd Stage of the North West Link as apparently it hasn't been announced yet!*

Bus Head Programs: 
13 areas were sighted, in order to accelerate to catering for new  communities which each bus service reducing road traffic by 2 or 3 cars. There will be 6 buses per hour in peak time and 4 buses per hour in off-peak. Hours are 6am to 10pm.

New services for Mount Druitt:
706 - Blacktown - Mount Druitt to Penrith
729 - Blacktown - Minchinbury to Mount Druitt

Abdun Noor - Senior Traffic and Transport Engineer  Blacktown City Council - Intergrated Transport Master Plan: 

short term - Rooty Road and Jersey Road road improvements

Continue for lobbying for Free shuttle bus in Mount Druitt

medium to long term - Francis, Railway and Duke Streets Rooty Hill - road improvements

Widening of overpass on Carlisle Avenue to include pedestrian access and cyclist path.

Road Safety - Traffic lights at the corner of Hythe Street and Luxford Roads Mount Druitt

Black spots program - Fuller and Coates Street Mount Druitt

Embellishment work  at Mount Druitt Bus Interchange. Improve Interchange at Rooty Hill

Blacktown City Council Bike Plan Update:

23 prioritized  routes detected in 2013. Jersey Road to M7 to connect to Luxford Road, under 50/50 Funding approval for route from Mount Druitt Hospital to Earl Street, Mount Druitt (600 metres). 

In addition Council undertook maintenance works and replaced the following damaged sections of shared paths :
•Bougainville Road to Halmahera Crescent (Lethbridge Park) – 305m
•Buran Close to Luxford Road Path (Mount Druitt) - 68m
•Luxford Road through Shennan Walkway to Hythe Street (Mount Druitt) - 145m
•Hythe Street to Methven Street (Mount Druitt) – 150m
•Methven Street through William Mason Reserve to Meacher Street (Mount Druitt) – 279m

There was general question time and I provided my submission, to the Blacktown City Council as well: Click here for my submission

At the end, Mayor Mr. Stephen Bali, closed the meeting but it doing so mentioned that 'Bloggers must be careful when making statements that are not true with Finances of Council' ( Yes that was directed to me - a lesson in learning)

  * 10 minutes indicated on North West Rail Link website
** It was raised and publicly announced at the Blacktown City Council Public Transport Forum Number 38,  in 2013

Blacktown City Council Public Transport Forum 2014

In the past I have been honored to represent the people of Mount Druitt to Blacktown City Council's annual Public Transport Forums since 2010. The next one will be held on the 27th November 2014. 

The event is an invitation only meeting not an invitation to all members of the public, anyone that is a member of a transport advocacy group is invited within Blacktown Local Government Area.

I am still a member of Mount Druitt Commuters Improvement Group Inc. and from next year I will ask if I can be  representing whyilovemountdruitt.blogspot.com? I have asked Council to invite the Secretary of the group, who can give a report of the group within the last year.

The Blacktown Public Transport Forum is important for Local Government Area's to have as it discusses the issues and improvements required current and for the future. I will report back to you in relation to this vital and important Forum.

I thank Council for showing keen interest in Public Transport.



 

Public Transport Forum 2014

This Forum was established in response to the need to have an ongoing structure through which public transport improvements in the Blacktown City Local Government Area can be co-operatively and effectively achieved.

The Forum has the following key objectives:

·                Act as a forum for exchange of information on local and state public transport matters between transport operators, community groups and relevant agencies.

·                Identify and consider the needs of the community with regard to public transport services and facilities.

·                Facilitate and encourage improvements to the level of public transport services.

·                Provide information and encourage input on Council's forward planning and activities in relation to public transport issues.

·                Initiate and facilitate projects as recommended by the forum and approved by Council. Sub groups be formed to deal with more complex issues that will require additional research and investigation.

·                With the assistance of Council, WSROC and any other supporting transport advocate group, lobby relevant authorities for alterations or amendments to Policy, Guidelines and Legislation. (Federal Government, State Government, Local Government Association).