Timid NSW transport policies show Labor and the Coalition have taken their feet off the accelerator

Sydney has been treated to a boom in public transport and road construction over the past decade, but the so far timid transport policies of the New South Wales election raise concerns the foot is coming off the accelerator.

Commuters have also had a taste of 21st-century rail technology with the first section of the Sydney Metro. While the wait was long, the very visible years of construction allowed residents to plan where to work and live. When the extended line opens in coming years, it will be transformational in moving people through the city faster. Those living near stations may think twice about relying on a car.

Then there have been more controversial projects, such as WestConnex and the vast network of privatised roads charging hefty tolls that Sydneysiders will have to navigate for decades to come, with those in the west feeling the greatest pinch.

One key policy difference is the Beaches Link tunnel. Promised to bust traffic in the car-dependent northern beaches of Sydney, the project has faced years of pushback, including from neighbouring communities with environmental concerns.

Minns has promised to scrap it. The Perrottet government insists it is committed to the tunnel pending planning approvals, but it has been curiously silent on the project. The Beaches Link has not been mentioned in any Coalition press release this year, and no timeline is set for construction.

However, there are now fears that deepening state debt will sink the political will to keep the momentum on building big picture city-shaping projects.

And here lies the clearest policy difference: spending on metro expansion.

The Perrottet government will push ahead with business cases for four lines to link up with the future western Sydney airport. Labor will only proceed with two, with the Coalition accusing it of deserting western Sydney, an area earmarked for extraordinary residential development in coming years.

After all, these metro commitments are for business cases only, which means they are far from a guarantee, especially under Perrottet.

In its priorities for a future NSW government issued on Friday, the committee urges progress on metro and fast rail projects.

Whoever wins the election, the task of tackling clogged roads, falling public transport use post-Covid, and ease growing pains as Sydney expands is immense.