Australian highways, freeways and motorways

[mgk920]

I'm gonna mention induced demand but leave out latent demand. Said every anti-car urbanist nut ever.

I agree with the 'latent demand' thing, this is traffic that was crossing in whatever way that it could now using the new much easier crossing.

Mike

[Duke87]

Sydney opened the Rozelle Interchange at a cost of $4 billion (US$2.5 billion). A giant underground complex that has created tons of traffic because merges are a thing, signage is terrible, and induced demand is proven real.

Don't think induced demand (or latent demand) has anything to do with this. It's entirely drivers being confused by a new roadway configuration, in particular not realizing that they can use the new tunnel to cut between the Anzac Bridge and the Iron Cove Bridge without paying a toll. Some of that is signs not making this clear, some of it is inevitable confusion around changes.

And well watch all the videos through to the end and you can see that by week 2, the traffic problems that were huge in week 1 had mostly abated as people started figuring things out. Gotta give traffic a little time to find a new equilibrium after a new road opens.

[Brandon]

Sydney opened the Rozelle Interchange at a cost of $4 billion (US$2.5 billion). A giant underground complex that has created tons of traffic because merges are a thing, signage is terrible, and induced demand is proven real.

Induced demand is bunk.  It's latent demand.  These people were using other routes before moving to this one.  I'll wager the traffic on the older routes dropped as traffic moved to an apparently easier/better route.  We've had much the same in my area when a new tollway opened and the queues of cars on the older two-lane roads paralleling it vanished.

[Chris]

WestConnex allows traffic to bypass 52 traffic signals, for example on Parramatta Road.

[ClassicHasClass]

Though the toll is a powerful demotivator. Look at how crammed A28 Pennant Hill Rd is.

[Chris]

I couldn't find much about continued traffic issues at the Rozelle Interchange on Google. Maybe it was just the initial opening adjustment which caused chaos because drivers were unfamiliar with the new situation?

Google Maps shows free-flow traffic in almost all of Sydney at this time (9 a.m. local time).

[bing101]

ABC News Australia does a segment on Toll roads in Australia.

[Road Hog]

I shunpiked until I finally broke through the NTTA web maze and was able to order a TollTag. It may cost you a little time but it can be done. Once they finish the Outer Loop access road extension to US 75, it'll be bye-bye DNT.

[NE2]

I shunpiked until I finally broke through the NTTA web maze and was able to order a TollTag. It may cost you a little time but it can be done. Once they finish the Outer Loop access road extension to US 75, it'll be bye-bye DNT.

Induced demand is real.

[Road Hog]

There is a finite number of automobiles at any location. "Induced demand" may mean an increase in traffic onto I-30 in Mount Pleasant, Texas, but a lessening of traffic on US 67. That's an argument for another board though.

[hotdogPi]

Induced demand won't move traffic from the A1 to I-30.

[ClassicHasClass]

Spotted a National 31 coverplate they missed, north of Albury, NSW (should be M31):

https://maps.app.goo.gl/YaTUcyBNCPSm9MMu6

[dvferyance]

Australia loves two things: tunnels, and tolls.

Well they don't call it the land down under for nothing.

[kernals12]

The Northeast Link in Melbourne will be tunneled a distance of 4 miles. The cost: $16 billion or $4 billion a mile (yes, those are US dollars), which is absolutely insane.

https://www.globalhighways.com/news/major-australian-tunnel-project

[Chris]

Australia's infrastructure cost has been mind-boggling for a while, even after conversion of Australian dollars to U.S. dollars. It predates the post 2020 inflation spike.

I don't know the exact reason for this. Labor cost is probably a significant one, but maybe also scarcity of construction labor. And most of their projects are urban. Australia's economy is essentially a set of urban islands.

[ClassicHasClass]

But that makes sense given the population distribution. Land in urban Australia is expensive.

Regional Australia, at least in NSW and VIC, is all maintenance, maybe some minor safety realignment, and no capacity. However, arguably for many places it isn't needed. Some bypasses might be nice, though.

[Stephane Dumas]

A new kind of roundabout give some headaches to Sydney drivers.

[ClassicHasClass]

It's a very extreme angle. My wife, a long-time Sydney driver, said "it looks like you have to chuck a you-ee to turn right. Did they mean it as a traffic barrier?"

[kernals12]

But that makes sense given the population distribution. Land in urban Australia is expensive.

Regional Australia, at least in NSW and VIC, is all maintenance, maybe some minor safety realignment, and no capacity. However, arguably for many places it isn't needed. Some bypasses might be nice, though.

This is a tunnel, so land costs are negligible.

[kernals12]

But that makes sense given the population distribution. Land in urban Australia is expensive.

Regional Australia, at least in NSW and VIC, is all maintenance, maybe some minor safety realignment, and no capacity. However, arguably for many places it isn't needed. Some bypasses might be nice, though.

This is a tunnel, so land costs are negligible.

I was wrong. And this begs the question of why they need to build a tunnel at all. I think this is an example of having a hammer and looking at every problem as a nail.