A few quibbles with the article. First "Sydney’s freeway and orbital motorway networks are integrated systems". The M5 East and the M2 are already at (or beyond) capacity. The opening of the M7 boosted traffic on the M2 by 14%, http://www.transurban.com.au (sorry full URL too long) with more to come with the opening of the Lane Cove Tunnel. They might be integrated, but they are already inadequate.

Secondly, "since 2000–01, Sydney's inner- and middle-ring suburbs have accounted for more than half the new dwellings in the city" with 60-70% of future urban growth expected to be accommodated in existing suburbs http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/soe/soe2006/chapter2/chp_2.1.htm#2.1.42 The authors' fixation on urban release areas ignores the realities on the ground.

Thirdly, Houston's traffic, despite Demographica's cheeleading, is amongst the worst in America http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2004/09/06/daily9.html Building roads doesn't seem to have fixed the problem there does it?

Having said all that, I don't disagree with the idea of extending the M4. I just don't see it solving Sydney's traffic woes.

Thanks for your post Shorbe. So traffic congestion is caused by slowpokes is it? Why don't you just put a big bullbar on the Mack and ram the blighters? I haven't had as big a laugh for weeks. Keep up the good work.

The policeman who attended the first recorded traffic accident in the US involving a motor vehicle stated "We must ensure this never happens again". Sound familiar?

Study and monitor all you want, it's still human beings behind the wheel. Is that not the way, remove them from behind the wheel?

Congestion? Take a decongestant, move to the country.

Apologies here. Rolly. Is that you? From Alice Springs? Must be. Good to see you alive and kicking if it is mate. Memories.

There was one reasonable point to make (at the end, about completing Sydneys m4), but you blew all your credibility trying to dress your opinions as fact.

You claim Londons Congestion Charge isn't a success, that must be why New York is introducing one, see http://www.channel4.com/4car/news/news-story.jsp?news_id=16068
or
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=145589&version=1&template_id=43&parent_id=19
“I understand the hesitation about charging a fee. I was a skeptic myself. But I looked at the facts, and that’s what I’m asking New Yorkers to do,” Mayor Bloomberg said. “The fact is, in cities like London and Singapore, fees succeeded in reducing congestion and improving air quality.”

> “These denser, ad hoc travel patterns can’t be serviced by public transport.”
Public transport is not the only alternative to one-car-per-traveller (bikes, walking, taxis, carpooling..), and you have no evidence anyway that a mix of bus+tram+train can’t provide the service, no city in Australia has ever really tried.

>”And the state can’t afford a transport network that is anywhere near as efficient and convenient as car use.”.
But we can afford to spend billions on new freeways, never mind the ongoing costs of road toll, pollution, obesity, wars for oil, etc etc.

> "These activists are really concerned about property values".
Article begins by saying traffic is Sydneys 2nd obsession after property prices, and finishes by attacking road opponents for being .. normal; clever. Do you have real research to back that up or is it just vindictive opinion?

Poor effort, but what can you expect of people who still push The Great Global Warming Swindle (on The New City website), despite the scientists unfortunate enough to appear in that fiction suing its maker for misrepresentation.

Most interesting thing about the site is not obvious, if http://castironbalcony.media2.org/?p=289 is correct its actually (right wing) union funded.. Joe Hill wept.

I recently discovered a transcript of a meeting from Sussex Street that sheds light on the creation of “The New City” blog.

“Comrades, there’s an election coming up, and we need to do something about Sydney’s transport.”
“Yeah, too right, the traffic’s a shambles, took me hours to get here from East Lindfield.”
“My driver had trouble too.”
“Apparently Sparkles can’t get the trains to run on time.”
General laughter
“Yeah well, why don’t we just blame the Libs?”
“Might I remind you comrade that as we’ve been in power for 24 of the last 30 years the punters might not buy that?”
“O well. Blame little Johnny?”
Sounds of half-hearted agreement
“Don’t think that’ll float either.”
Sounds of shuffling feet and tapping pens
“I know brothers, why don’t we start up one of those astro… astro something web things”
Sounds of head-scratching, long silence
“Oh, you mean an Astroturf operation on the web.”
“A what?”
“You know, set up a blog and blame….blame someone.”
“Who?”
Silence
“I know!! We’ll blame the self-serving latte drinking inner-city greenies.”
“Talking about ‘self-serving’ sounds a bit dangerous to me.”
Silence
“Well, Miranda Devine might be dumb enough to swallow that. And the Daily Telegraph.”
“Good work comrades, who can we get to front this show?”
“Well, Jeremy Gilling sent a love letter to Miranda Devine.” http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/09/05/1031115910448.html
“Rolly Smallacombe’s been doing good work in my electorate office” http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LA20051012050
“Yeah, and I’ve heard good things about John Muscat.”
Sounds of quiet rumination
“Brothers, I can see a small credibility problem”
“Mmm yes, three inner-city party hacks with no qualifications blaming…. inner-city lefties for Sydney’s problems.”
Long silence
“Well, just get them to spout a pile of neo-conservative twaddle. Then no-one’ll notice they’re our boys.”
“Brothers, I think that wraps it up. Drink?”
“Don’t mind if I do.”

Johnj: I didn't claim it was the sole cause of congestion, or even one of the major causes. However, it stands to reason that if every lane is occupied at the front by people doing 60km/h in an 80km/h zone then (leaving out traffic lights and other such delays), it will take one third longer to get anywhere than it should.

Obviously, it's likely that there are other factors, but this is still a problem.

Aime: I used to live in the country. The old guy in a ute (or worse, towing a caravan) is the bane of anyone's existence. Worse are those who do 80km/h until there's an overtaking lane coming up (which is usually a very short one), at which point they speed up to 100km/h, forcing you to either drop back (at which point, they drop back to 80km/h) or speed up to well over the limit. I never could figure that mentality out.