How do we solve a problem like Military Road?

Confusing, unreliable and infrequent: these are the words that have been used to describe the buses ferrying passengers between the Northern Beaches and lower North Shore. 

What happened: A state government review looking at congestion on some of the North Shore’s busiest corridors — Military Road, Pacific Highway, Spit Road — was released on Monday. Its findings have pointed toward the local bus network as a key cause of traffic issues.

While maintaining that public transport plays an important role in reducing congestion, the report found the current state of the bus routes connecting the Northern Beaches and North Shore — including the B-Line, 144 and 172X — was potentially pushing commuters into their vehicles. 

Why is it happening: The Northern Beaches is one of the few parts of Sydney totally inaccessible by train or metro services, and bus services need to compete with cars on the Spit and Roseville bridges to get in and out. 

The review found this competition for limited road space is slowing down bus services, making residents less likely to opt for public transport.

Flaws in the bus network are attributed to driver shortages. Late last year, government figures indicated there was a shortfall of 146 drivers across metropolitan Sydney. In December, North Shore routes saw a service reduction due to this shortage. 

What to do? Despite identifying Military Road as one of the most dangerous corridors in the area — recording 338 crashes in the last five years — the opportunities for improvement are limited. 

• The review suggests the prioritisation of buses along the Spit Bridge and parts of Military Road.
  

• This would include the extension and addition of bus lanes, queue jump lanes at intersections (allowing buses to cut to the front of traffic), and even “smart traffic lights” that can extend a green light if a bus is approaching.

The Beaches Link: The road network review was launched following the cancellation of the controversial Beaches Link project — initially part of the Western Harbour Tunnel — which proposed an underground tunnel running from Cammeray to Seaforth. 

North Shore MP Felicity Wilson has called for the project to be revisited, claiming the review shows there is “no viable alternative” to the beaches tunnel. 

Thumbnail: Transport for NSW