What is the Westmead Place-based Transport Strategy?
Home to two universities, four major hospitals, research institutes, and high-tech innovation enterprise, Westmead is well-placed to be Australia’s largest health, education, biomedical research, and training precinct. The NSW Government’s vision is for the district to be Australia’s premier health and innovation district by 2036.
In the future, transport services will support more than 5,600 primary and secondary students, 35,000 residents and up to 50,000 workers travel to and from the area.
The Westmead Place-based Transport Strategy provides the overarching strategic transport network and vision that will guide future transport planning in Westmead.
The Westmead Place-based Transport Strategy is a supporting plan of Future Transport and sits alongside the Westmead Place Strategy prepared by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment.
The NSW Government has already committed more than $14 billion towards public transport infrastructure, through the city-shaping Parramatta Light Rail and Sydney Metro West projects.
The Westmead Place-based Transport Strategy will enable:
- new jobs as the Westmead Health and Innovation District attracts investment, enabled by efficient access for freight, deliveries, general services, and emergency services.
- better street environments to access places, health services, education services and jobs
- improved amenity and desirability of urban spaces, by mitigating the urban heat island effect
- transformation of Hawkesbury Road into a vibrant main street and part of a north-south movement spine, connecting the local activity centres within Westmead
- integrated and connected walking and cycling networks
- better north-south public transport connections
- infrastructure that supports new vehicle technologies
- smart infrastructure and services for improved customer experience and data driven decision making
Implementing the Westmead Place-based Transport Strategy will double the number of people who can travel to Westmead by public transport in 30-minutes. It will give Westmead residents access to up to 700,000 jobs by public transport within 30-minutes.