ACCESS TO MORE TALENT THE NEW 30 MINUTE RAIL COMMUTE TO MACQUARIE PARK

Transport planning theory suggests most people want to commute for about an hour each day – or half an hour each way – and will adjust where they work or how they get there to be able to do so.

The expansion of Sydney Metro will create a new catchment area for Macquarie Park, with an increase in talent available within a 30 minute trip, as this new analysis from Connect Macquarie Innovation District reveals.

MARCHETTI’S CONSTANT

While improvements to planning, transport and technology have meant people are able to travel further, and more quickly – for example by Metro – the amount of time spent commuting remains constant.

Italian physicist Cesare Marchetti found people all over the world will commute for about one hour each day, (or half an hour each way) and will adjust their lives – including changing where they work or where they live – to meet this ‘travel time budget’.

The historic walking city spread out only 2-4km across, the tram city about 10km and the steam train city about 20km, before the car city went 40-50km out. All were “30-minute cities”.

The expansion of Sydney Metro services puts Macquarie Park at the centre of a new 30-minute catchment, with access to new localities of talent.

Source: Marchetti, C (1994) “Anthropological invariants in travel behaviour”

Source: NSW Government (2020) “Sydney Metro Corporate Plan 19-21”

NSW Government (2023) “Sydney Trains timetables”

Analysis assumes 5 minute transfer between lines on a morning peak weekday service.