Wharf Road and Hope Street - Proposed Pedestrian Crossings

Notice of decision and commencement of construction

Thank you to everyone that provided feedback during the public exhibition of the proposed pedestrian crossings at Wharf Road and Hope Street, Melrose Park, which was open from 28 July to 24 August 2026.

Council received 175 online submissions via Participate Parramatta from community members. We appreciate the strong level of interest in this proposal and the thoughtful feedback provided.

We acknowledge that many submissions raised concerns about traffic conditions at the intersection and suggested that traffic lights be installed instead of raised pedestrian crossings. We also received a community petition that was in support of traffic lights.

From the online submissions, 88 (50%) did not support the proposal, while 84 (48%) supported or partially supported the proposal. 3 persons (2%) were unsure.

Council has carefully considered all feedback received. After reviewing the submissions and the technical requirements for the site, Council will proceed with the proposed raised pedestrian crossings.

The raised pedestrian crossings are a requirement of the Review of Environmental Factors (REF) for Melrose Park High School, which was approved by the NSW Department of Education. Please note that traffic signals are not within the scope of this project.

The raised pedestrian crossings are designed to improve pedestrian safety, particularly for students and other people walking in the area.

Construction of the raised pedestrian crossings is scheduled to commence in October 2026.

Post-exhibition - Frequently asked questions

Was the decision to proceed with a raised pedestrian crossing rather than traffic lights informed by traffic engineering data and if so, what data?

The following traffic studies were used to consider the proposed raised pedestrian crossings rather than traffic signals:

• 2019 – Transport Management and Accessibility Plan for Melrose Park prepared by Jacobs, funded by the developer of Melrose Park North with close oversight from Transport for NSW and City of Parramatta Council – no proposal for signals at the intersection of Hope Street and Wharf Road advised that the intersection would operate satisfactorily with no changes.
• 2022 – Melrose Park North Internal Street Network report prepared by Pentelic Advisory on behalf of mProjects – stated that in the 2036 model scenario with the intersection of Hope Street and Wharf Road operating as a ‘Give Way’ controlled intersection, it would operate at a Level of Service B in the AM peak and Level of Service C in the PM peak, which is satisfactory.
• 2025 – Melrose Park High School Transport and Accessibility Impact Assessment prepared by TTW on behalf of School Infrastructure NSW (SINSW) – SINSW advised that the ‘Give Way’ controlled intersection would operate satisfactorily at a Level of Service B in the AM peak and Level of Service C in the PM peak. The only traffic and pedestrian facilities that School Infrastructure NSW offered were the two proposed raised pedestrian crossings (which are incompatible with traffic signals at the intersection of Hope Street and Wharf Road).

Based on the traffic studies, and the provision of the two raised pedestrian crossings by SINSW, traffic signals are not justified and are unlikely to meet Transport for NSW requirements.It is now proposed that a roundabout be the treatment to control the Hope Street and Wharf Road intersection, which would primarily be to address safety issues that often arise at cross intersections.

What are the expected pedestrian safety outcomes of raised pedestrian crossings in comparison to traffic lights at this location?

Based on the Crash Treatment Reduction and Safe System Alignment Matrix (which is used for funding applications) the raised pedestrian crossing will provide a better safety outcome than traffic signals. The calculations under this document indicate a 50% reduction in pedestrian accidents for a raised pedestrian crossing compared to a 30% reduction for traffic signals with no right turn filter phase or a 5% reduction for traffic signals with a right turn filer phase. A roundabout provides a 65% reduction in pedestrian accidents based on the matrix.

What are the expected traffic calming outcomes of raised pedestrian crossings in comparison to traffic lights at this location?

The traffic calming outcome for raised pedestrian crossings is better than traffic signals. The raised pedestrian crossings slow all traffic, while traffic signals would often not result in a speed reduction (depending on the part of the traffic signal cycle that a vehicle passes through the intersection).

What are the expected rat-running outcomes of raised pedestrian crossings in comparison to traffic lights at this location?

There would not be a significant difference in rat running between the two options. This is subject to appropriate ongoing management of traffic signal cycle times by Transport for NSW.

Was funding made available by developers specifically for traffic lights in this location?

The Department of Education has fully funded the raised pedestrian crossings. The Development Contributions Plan (outside of CBD) that was finalised in 2021 included traffic signals at the intersection of Hope Street and Wharf Road as a conservative approach because the more detailed planning and reviews for Melrose Park had not yet been undertaken and it is the higher cost option. The traffic signals were included in the 10 to 20 years category as the contributions plan would be reviewed multiple times before that timeframe would be reached. Funding from development throughout the Parramatta LGA (except the CBD) has been collected for this work. The current review of the Development Contributions Plan (Outside the CBD) proposes that this be replaced with a roundabout.

Background

Melrose Park High School is currently under construction at the north-west corner of Hope Street and Wharf Road, Melrose Park. To improve pedestrian safety and accessibility, two new raised pedestrian crossings are proposed on the northern and western legs of the intersection of Wharf Road and Hope Street, as shown on the attached plan. Together with associated footpath connections, the crossings will provide safe and convenient access to the new school entrances, student pick-up and drop-off areas, and staff parking facilities.

The proposal includes changing the ‘Give Way’ sign to a ‘Stop’ sign in Hope Street. The design also allows for a roundabout to be installed at the intersection in the future.

Please note that as Wharf Road forms the boundary between the City of Parramatta and City of Ryde local government areas, the proposal has been developed in consultation with both Councils.

A PDF version of the plan can also be downloaded from Resources.

Construction of the new high school is expected to be completed in time for the school to open on the first day of Term 1, 2027.

The project is fully funded by the NSW Government through the School Infrastructure Program.

Who can I contact for further information?

Please contact Iman Mohammadi on 02 9806 5148 during business hours: Monday to Friday (8:30am to 4:30pm).