OPINION

Sydney, it’s time we sat down and had an uncomfortable talk.

Look, you’re beautiful sure; those beaches, that coastline, is home — I really don’t want to start seeing other Australian cities, but I have to say I’m almost done. And it’s not me — it’s most definitely you.

Last week, the normal 25-minute drive to Coogee Beach took me a ridiculous one hour in traffic.

As I sat nestled between Moore Park Golf Course and the Supacentre, I questioned why it was taking 25 extra minutes to travel a couple of hundred metres.

And the cause of that delay? The Anzac Parade light rail construction.

Someone thought it would be a great idea to merge four lanes of traffic into one. At lunchtime. On a Saturday. On a major thoroughfare. Hell no.

As house prices continue to soar, bars enact bizarre drinking rules, and live music venues die out; the weather, Harbour and beaches are the city’s only remaining draws ... let’s be honest.

Yet the lack of public transport and road infrastructure has made getting to the city’s most desirable offerings a punish.

To be frank, traffic congestion and poor public transport routes are killing Sydney.

Geoffrey Clifton, senior lecturer in transport and logistics management at the University of Sydney, agrees.

“Sadly, we’re seeing congestion push people out of the city to less-dense areas such as Blue Mountains and Newcastle. This is particularly true of young families,” he says.

While Mr Clifton believes public transport has improved slightly over the last five years, he says city planners have fallen victim to an antiquated approach that has resulted in more traffic.

“The focus is still on getting people to and from the CBD for ‘the commute’. We’re seeing more and more people work different hours, from different locations, so this thinking is outdated. People need to be able to get from anywhere to anywhere.

“We’re also struggling with how many people want to use public transport.”

Unfortunately there is no simple solution.

Geographically, Sydney is not without problems. The beautiful hills and bays we love make roads and public infrastructure a pain to implement.

As Sydney isn’t based on a simple grid structure like Melbourne and Adelaide, congestion is a natural result.

Introducing public transport to coastal areas is also a notorious pain in the proverbial when it comes to residents. Often locals contest the influx of “undesirable characters” or the addition of high-rises.

Mr Clifton explains: “Sure, the beach suburbs could benefit from a train line. There was talk of extending the Bondi Junction line to Bondi itself, but the residents complained it would lead to high-rises and change the area too much.

“Additionally, the beach suburbs are too developed as is. When we’re talking a massive, costly project like this, the only way to justify the expense is if it can bring more people in long-term.”

To add insult to injury, Australian cities such as Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth invested in their public transport earlier, so the benefits are being felt today.

While Sydney has a number of projects in the pipeline, the Circular Quay to Randwick light rail for example, it will be years before traffic is decreased. And by then, Sydney will have another population growth to contend with.

Infrastructure Australia suggests that an extra 2.5 million people will call Sydney home by 2046, raising the city’s total population to a staggering 7.5 million.

So what is the solution?

Mr Clifton believes all Sydneysiders should be fighting for better roads and public transport.

“The important thing will be to keep that momentum going. In the next elections Sydneysiders need to focus on public transport and road infrastructure, and push for it,” he says.

And in the meantime for those who can’t comfortably get to the beach, it might be time to invest in a paddle pool ... or jump ship.

Continue the conversation in the comments below or with Raffaella Ciccarelli on Twitter.