GATEWAYS - FACT SHEET

The City of Sydney is responsible for the upgrades of Broadway and Oxford Street. The RTA is managing the upgrade of William Street.

• The Gateways Project is a suite of projects whose intent is:
  • to define and develop significant roadway approaches/gateways to Central Sydney with improved levels of urban quality and functionality; and
  • to achieve local improvements in the design, arrangement, material detail, street front activity and safety of the city approaches/gateways.
• The specific projects include the upgrade of Oxford Street, Broadway and William Street.
• The City proposes to invest over $60 million in the upgrade of these gateways (with the cost of the William Street works largely absorbed by the Cross City Tunnel Project).
• The RTA and the City have entered into an agreement to commence works on the Gateways Project.
• It is proposed that all work on the Gateways Project be completed by December 2007 with Oxford Street being the first project to commence late in 2003.
•  All designs for the Gateways have been developed in consultation with the RTA.
  

Oxford Street - Fact Sheet

• Oxford Street is a successful shopping and cultural strip that terminates on two important city nodes: Whitlam Square at Hyde Park, and Taylor Square. 
• The proposal is for significant pedestrian footpath widening for almost the entire length of Oxford Street creating granite pavements of over 6 metres in width.
• These widened pavements will allow for new Smartpoles and street trees to be positioned clear of awnings and for more outdoor café seating opportunities.
• The new deciduous trees will be further away from buildings, where they are able to develop more balanced canopies.  In time, they will create an elegant canopied avenue, emphasising the approach to Hyde Park.
• The existing stock of heritage style, open truss awnings sets the direction for the awning upgrade component of the project.  Awnings will largely be retained but will be refurbished and reconstructed to allow more light to the pavements below.
• The carriageway is reduced from 7 lanes to 6 lanes with the median also removed.  (7 lanes retained toward College St to maintain dedicated right turn into College Street).
• Removal of slip lanes on both corners of College Street will civilise a congested traffic intersection and will allow Whitlam Square to form a stronger connection between Oxford Street, Hyde Park and the City.
• The design will be integrated with current works occurring at Taylor Square. 
• A new signalised pedestrian crossing will be located near Palmer Street to provide safer choices for pedestrians between Crown Street and Taylor Square.
• Right turns into Pelican and Riley Street will be removed and replaced by a new right turn from Liverpool Street into Wentworth Avenue to ensure local access is maintained.
• Bus lanes and stops are generally retained in their existing locations.

Broadway - Fact Sheet

• Broadway is a major western gateway into the city that links Victoria Park and the urban plaza of Railway Square.
• Significant benefits to the character of the street will be achieved through the creation of a wide green median strip planted with a substantial Fig tree avenue of up to 30 Ficus microcarpa var. "hilli".
• With time, their wide branching canopy will cast shade over the street and create a green frame to the vista down Broadway.
• Trees will be selectively pruned to ensure branching occurs above required clearance heights for traffic.
• Street awnings will be largely retained but refurbished when necessary.
• This grand landscape gesture will elevate the civic significance of this street and precinct, and the dominance of the wide road will be reduced through the screening and scaling effect of the trees.
• Selective infill planting along footpaths with new decorative deciduous trees will also be undertaken.
• General lane numbers are reduced from 8 to 7 (for the majority of the street, this is configured as 4 lanes eastbound, 3 lanes westbound), with right turn bays contained within the median alignment. The outer lanes will be dedicated bus lanes, providing parking outside designated hours.
• The opportunity to improve the width of some of the travel lanes, particularly the bus lane adjacent the footpath, will improve traffic flow and keep buses clear of pedestrians at the kerbline.
• A new additional right turn into Wattle Street to remove pressure on the right turn at Mountain Street is to be introduced.
• The existing pedestrian experience will be enhanced with upgraded and widened pavements at current pinch points such as Harris Street, UTS and Bay Street Grace Bros. 
• Smartpole lighting, banners, restored and new awning and signage treatments, and strategies for refurbishment of adjacent open spaces will also be implemented. 

William Street - Fact Sheet

• While the William Street upgrade will primarily be implemented by the State Government as part of the Cross City Tunnel Project, the City will work in partnership with the RTA to ensure maximum benefits are delivered to the City.  The City considers William Street a key component of its Gateways strategy.
• The carriageway will be reduced from 7 travel lanes to five travel lanes with dedicated parking bays outside the five lane carriageway. 
• This new arrangement will be supported by Smartpole lights, street trees, street furniture and granite paving to achieve an aesthetic order and civic connection on the axis between Kings Cross and Hyde Park.
• Central to the concepts for the street projects is the revitalisation of building frontages.  This will include restored and new awning and signage treatments and strategies for refurbishment of building facades.
• The City's preferred design (yet to be co-ordinated with the Cross City Tunnel works) allows for widened pavements and dedicated on street parking.  The city considers it is these two ideas in tandem that are critical to allow for enhanced pedestrian and retail activity along William Street.
• The ability for people to park at all times of the day and night on the street makes the street safer, makes retail more viable and is an effective barrier between pedestrians and moving traffic.
• Trees are placed further away from the tall buildings along the street, allowing them to better develop large, balanced canopies.  Over time this will develop into a continuous "green arcade" linking the ridges of the City and Darlinghurst.
• Dedicated cycle lanes are provided for the length of William St.
• Dedicated transit lanes are provided along William St.