NEW motorways in Sydney need to have public transport options built in, the Transport Minister, Gladys Berejiklian, said on Wednesday night.

In an apparent rejection of the direction of rival government body Infrastructure NSW, Ms Berejiklian declared the ''car as the sole focus of transport is past its use-by date''.

The "car as the sole focus of transport is past its use-by date" ... Transport Minister, Gladys Berejiklian. Credit:David Tease

Ms Berejiklian used an address to the Sydney Institute to outline her rationale for increased investment in public transport infrastructure, including a second rail crossing for Sydney Harbour.

She said most modern economic analyses of public transport did not fully capture its benefits, and cities such as Los Angeles, built around the car, were having to change.