Master Plan 2009 - Sydney Airport

10.0 landside Access – Master Plan Concept
Sydney Airport is arguably the single most important piece of transport
infrastructure in Australia today. As Australia’s international gateway
and an integrated transport hub, the airport facilitates the exchange of
freight and passengers, and all the associated benefits that flow from
aviation travel. The need to ensure all users have convenient landside
access to Sydney Airport is therefore vital. With existing transport
infrastructure – including a rail passenger line serving two on-airport
stations and public interchanges serving buses, coaches, mini-buses,
taxis and limousines – non-private car access to Sydney Airport already
exceeds 50% of all trips. Sydney Airport aims to improve on this, as
well as work closely with governments to facilitate the timely provision
of necessary upgrades to motorway and other road infrastructure.
10.1 Transport setting
Sydney Airport’s proximity to the Sydney
CBD provides Sydney and NSW with a unique
advantage. Being only eight kilometres from the
CBD, Sydney Airport’s location results in extremely
efficient travel times to and from the airport. This is
important because, as a long haul destination, most
passengers have already been travelling for many
hours before touching down at Sydney.
10.1.1 Road network
The M5 East Motorway, Eastern Distributor,
Southern Cross Drive, General Holmes Drive and
O’Riordan Street form the main vehicular access
routes to Sydney Airport. Arterial road access to
the International precinct is provided by Airport
Drive, Marsh Street and to the Domestic Precinct
by the Qantas Drive/Joyce Drive/O’Riordan Street
intersection.
Airport Drive/Qantas Drive, which forms the
northern boundary of the Airport and is located
on airport land and maintained by Sydney Airport,
forms an important element of the southern Sydney
arterial road network. In conjunction with provision
of airport user access, Sydney Airport is committed
to maintaining general public accessibility to Airport
Drive/Qantas Drive.
10.1.2 Public transport
Passengers can access Sydney Airport using the
Airport Link train line, public buses, mini buses,
taxis and hire cars.
1 Infrastructure Australia, A Report to the Council of Australian Governments, December 2008 pages 12, 13
The Airport Link services travel from International
and Domestic Stations to City Circle stations within
the Sydney CBD and via the Airport and East
Hills Line to Campbelltown and Macarthur. The
Airport Link also provides an inter-terminal transfer
facility for passengers transferring between the
International and Domestic terminals.
Public bus routes 400 and 410 stop at Sydney
Airport, although only the 400 service stops at
the airport’s passenger terminals. These services
connect Sydney Airport to Rockdale, Burwood and
Bondi Junction.
Taxis are a major transport mode for access to
Sydney Airport, providing for a quarter of all
international and a third of all domestic passenger
trips. Mini-buses link Sydney Airport to the majority
of hotels nearby and further afield.
Cycle routes are provided along the Alexandra
Canal, on the north side of Airport Drive and via the
Giovanni Brunetti Bridge. The cycle routes provide a
means of access to Sydney Airport.
10.2 Transport infrastructure
responsibilities
Infrastructure Australia 1 has described the
responsibilities for the various types of transport
infrastructure in Australia as follows:
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