Victoria Road proposal to lower speed limit to 40km/h and cut lanes as WestConnex tunnel bypass nears completion

One of Sydney’s busiest roads could face both speed limit and lane reductions under a new wild proposal from the council.

The Inner West Council has proposed reducing parts of Victoria Road to a single car lane and a bus lane in both directions and reducing the speed limit to 40 km/h.

Victoria Road is a major thoroughfare stretching 13 miles (21 km) connecting western Sydney to the CBD, with the proposed changes applying to a small section of the road that passes through Rozelle, in the inner-western suburbs.

A separate bike path, widened sidewalks and more trees would also be planted, while a bike path would connect the Bay Run and The Bays neighborhood.

Also in the Rozelle section of Darling Street, the speed limit would be reduced to 30 km/h, halving the road surface and doubling pedestrian space.

The proposal comes as the WestConnex tunnel bypass from Iron Cove Bridge to Rozelle Interchange is expected to open later this year and will lead to a drop in traffic along Victoria Road.

The plans have been brought forward in an effort to make the inner-western suburb “more similar to its desirable sister neighborhood of Balmain.”

Inner West Labor Mayor Darcy Byrne has questioned the viability of the changes and has questioned whether traffic will be severely restricted when the bypass opens.

“The repeated claims of the former government that traffic volume would be reduced by 50 percent or more are not supported by a single piece of data,” he said.

“We took their claims for granted as they were made so often (but) we have to be honest and realistic with our community.”

Victoria Road is state owned, meaning any changes must be approved and funded by the NSW Government.

Transport NSW first introduced the vision for Victoria Road in February with the main aim of the project being ‘improved access to different modes of transport’.

From the desk website says key features of the project include “fast bus services,” prioritizing public transport in the area, and working with governments to expand cycle and pedestrian paths.

In addition to reducing the number of car-friendly lanes, Rozelle will also lower its speed limit to 30 km/h to encourage more cyclists and pedestrians (stock)

Victoria Road (pictured) currently links those in inner and north-west Sydney to the Anzac Bridge and into the city, but will soon be replaced by a WestConnex bypass

“The vision includes encouraging a choice to use more sustainable modes of travel, prioritizing public transportation to make it easier for people to take buses, walk and cycle to key destinations,” the website reads.

Transport NSW said assessments of the potential implications of the project for traffic will be made 12 months after the opening of the WestConnex bypass.

Inner West Bicycle Coalition advocate Neil Tonkin described current cycling conditions as “pathetic” and called for greater improvements all along the road.

“We’re talking about the whole run from Ryde over the Gladesville Bridge through Drummoyne and into town, not just messing around with people walking in circles on the Bay Run,” he said.