Motorists in the Liverpool area encounter congestion at every turn, according to the 2015 NRMA Seeing Red on Roads campaign.
But mostly Liverpool residents were critical of congestion on local roads.
Topping the list was Copeland Street or the Liverpool bypass as it is also known, which is the strip of road – or parking lot, as locals call it – between the Cumberland Highway and Hoxton Park Road.
In second place was Camden Valley Way, which at least is being widened so relief is in sight for long suffering local motorists.
Further south there are no surprises: Macarthur motorists detest Narellan Road the most, closely followed by the M5 Motorway, then Appin Road and in fourth spot the Hume Highway.
But the M5 and Narellan Road aren’t hated by just locals: they were voted ninth and 10th worst roads in the state wide ballot [full list at the end of the article].
Narellan Road is presently being widened to three lanes each way but it’s doubtful any congestion easing will last.
There are just too many new residents moving into the region so only a second road between Campbelltown and Camden and Narellan will be of lasting benefit to the motorists who must use Narellan Road every day.
Overall, while Greater Sydney roads filled five of this year’s top 10 Seeing Red places, there was noticeably less red mist around the M5 West at Padstow.
Though the M5 rated second in Liverpool, overall it dropped from fourth in all of NSW/ACT in 2014 to ninth this year – an improvement attributed to the widening of the road at key points.
NRMA local member David Bentham said the M5 – whose positive results were reflected in the NRMA’s Travel Times study last month – was instructive.
“While there are major new road and rail projects under way in Greater Sydney, we don’t need to await their completion to make things better,” Mr Bentham said.
“The current routes will bear the brunt of traffic into the next decade and we can make some practical improvements that will have an immediately positive effect and won’t cost billions.”
At least neither Liverpool or Campbelltown made the top 10 suburbs and towns with the worst roads in NSW and ACT, with Concord topping the list and Mosman in 10th spot.
Bankstown, however, was in seventh place.
Marisa Mastroianni, who is also an NRMA local member, said that the prominent position of local streets on the Seeing Red list was a reminder of the heavy road maintenance backlog carried by NSW councils.
“According to NRMA’s report earlier this year, metropolitan councils have a combined backlog in excess of $700 million,” she said.
“It is clearer than ever that a greater proportion of the fuel excise must be directed back into roads.”
A total of 7694 respondents made a combined 13,312 clicks on the Seeing Red interactive map via the NRMA’s website or in person at the NRMA’s 22 Fit to Drive Forums held during August and September.
Some 55,000 people have responded to Seeing Red in Roads since its inception in 2011.
10 Worst Roads in NSW/ACT:
1. Pacific Highway
2. Pennant Hills Road
3. Parramatta Road
4. Princes Highway
5. M4 Western Motorway
6. Wattle Tree Road
7. Great Western Highway
8. Barton Highway
9. M5 Motorway
10. Narellan Road
