June 26, 2015
New bus interchange opens to cater for growth in public transport users
A new upgraded bus interchange has officially opened to cater for growth in public transport users.
A new upgraded bus interchange has been officially opened on Monday 29 June in Northfields Avenue at UOW to help meet growth in public transport users over recent years.
The $1.7 million UOW funded initiative includes a $185,000 contribution from Wollongong City Council and a planned contribution from the NSW State Government. The project involves a doubling of the number of bus shelters, the addition of a fifth bus stop, a widened footpath and a 3.5 metre wide cantilever shared path behind the bus shelters to help cater for more than 800 passengers an hour who catch the buses in peak periods of session.
There are now more than 282 buses a day stopping at the interchange with patronage growing from about 800 passengers a day in 2007 to more than 7,200 a day in 2013.
UOW Construction Manager, Paul Mourtos (pictured above right), said that 23 per cent of the 16,000 daily UOW campus commuters use the Northfields Avenue interchange to enter or exit the campus.
“At times in the evening peak, there can be as many as 300 people waiting in this area for a bus,” Mr Mourtos said.
Work began on the construction of temporary bus shelters east of the interchange in Northfields Avenue in December 2014. Construction on the new interchange began in February this year. The existing footpath/waiting area has been extended by 2.1 metres in front of the bus shelters to ease congestion and improve safety for bus passengers. The additional 3.5 metre wide cantilever shared path allows separation of pedestrians and cyclists from bus commuters and improves connectivity on Northfields Avenue.
UOW students and staff will also benefit from wifi connectivity now fitted in this area, and sustainable initiatives such as LED lighting and a water bottle refill station for commuters.
UOW Transport Project Officer, Anna McNeil (pictured above left), welcomed the upgraded bus interchange as a key component of UOW’s sustainable transport strategy.
UOW began a transport project in 2008 with a mandate to improve the transport experience for students and staff and achieve a modal shift from private vehicles to more sustainable forms of transport.
“The project has gained strong support from the University community for its environmental, social and health benefits,” Ms McNeil said.