Traffic jams in Sydney during rush hour (Sydney Morning Herald)
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, a new study found that average commute hours in Sydney increased by 11 minutes during peak hours in the morning, while driving at night was not a congestion problem on the same section of the road.
By collecting Google Maps travel time, (Grattan Institute) researchers at the Gratham Institute recorded hundreds of Sydney commuting routes, including 41 to CBD, 25 times a day, for six consecutive months. The results showed that there was a big difference between morning and night travel times for (Cremorne) residents, with midnight trips only taking nearly eight minutes to jump to 17 minutes at peak hours in the morning.
In addition, CBD commuters living in areas such as (Ashfield), de Lanmoine (Drummoyne) and Bargola (Balgowlah) have more than doubled their morning hours due to traffic jams. CBD commuters outside Sydney, however, spend the most time commuting to and from work and face traffic jams every morning, according to the report. Commuters in the town of (Campbelltown) live on average 77 minutes a day, compared with 44 minutes during less busy traffic hours; commuters in (Liverpool), Liverpool, spend 65 minutes at work, but only 34 minutes at midnight, while commuters in (Liverpool), Liverpool, spend an average of 77 minutes a day at work, compared with 44 minutes at a time when traffic is not busy. These places are listed on the CBD list of most crowded commuting routes.
But Trill (Marion Terrill), head of transportation at the Gratham Institute, says building more roads is not a good way to solve traffic jams. She called on the goverment to follow suit in cities such as London and Singapore to introduce congestion charges. The move not only reduces traffic congestion, but also improves public transport and offers incentives for motor vehicle registration.
The researchers found that Sydney's worst traffic congestion occurred between Bargola and Claymont. Bargola commuters take 40 minutes to get to work during peak hours, compared with 34 minutes normally.
The report also points to a mix of Sydney toll roads as one of the causes of traffic chaos.