CHAMBER CALLS FOR OVERDUE RAWSON ROAD RAIL CROSSING UPGRADE

CHAMBER CALLS FOR OVERDUE RAWSON ROAD RAIL CROSSING UPGRADE

The Peninsula Chamber of Commerce has today again called on the NSW State Government and Central Coast Council to collaborate on alternative solutions to the long running debate over the Rawson Road rail crossing at Woy Woy following a two year campaign.

“The Chamber made approaches to Central Coast Council back in April 2019 for the installation of traffic lights at the Rawson Road/Railway Street intersection in a bid to improve safety at the rail crossing without the necessity of spending millions of dollars on expensive underpass/overpass solutions”, said Peninsula Chamber President Matthew Wales.

“Clearly, there is never going to be a case in the foreseeable future for the replacement of the rail crossing with an overpass at the base of Bulls Hill which proved far too expensive and would never have met the cost/benefit thresholds with a projected cost of $120M”.

“It’s well past time to accept that a more modest and cheaper solution needs to be considered”, said Matthew Wales.

“With the existing intersection at the Rawson Road rail crossing becoming more congested and an increasing safety risk, the Chamber wants the NSW State Government to re-consider installing traffic lights on the Railway Street and Rawson Road legs of the intersection with traffic lights on the western side of the rail crossing”.

“The existing rail crossing warning lights and boom gates should be retained as part of major synchronised upgrade of the intersection”, said Matthew Wales.

“These improvements would improve traffic flow and safety both during normal traffic conditions and when the rail crossing is in operation”.

“This option is increasingly important with the prospect of the Ocean Beach Road/Rawson Road intersection due for reconstruction in 2024 with a resulting increase in traffic using Railway Street as a bypass route”, said Matthew Wales.

“Without these upgrade works, the vehicle and pedestrian safety concerns at the rail crossing intersection will increase not only from the extra bypass traffic but with commuter conflicts crossing the rail line heading and returning from the M1”.

“The Chamber is extremely disappointed that neither Central Coast Council nor the NSW State Government have made any substantive reply since 2019 to our request for the intersection upgrade”, said Matthew Wales.

“Due to this inaction and knowing how long things take to be considered by Council and the State Government, the community is going to be faced with a major safety and congestion problem both at the Rawson Road rail crossing and the Ocean Beach Road/Rawson Road intersection in 2024 when the excavators move in to dig up Ocean Beach Road”.

“Once again, the Peninsula is overlooked yet Council is happy to take our extra rates and give us little in return”, said Matthew Wales.

END

Matthew Wales

President

Peninsula Chamber of Commerce

0415 634 232