The City of Sydney is not a world-class city. Sure, there are some features that are undoubtedly world-class. I don’t think anyone could argue that Sydney Harbour (especially the stretch from Mrs Macquarie’s Chair to the Harbour Bridge) is anything but.

However, there is a long list of things dragging Sydney down. Big issues like housing and transport certainly aren’t unique to Sydney, but after living here for six years, I don’t think I can honestly say I’ve seen much progress on many major problems.

I could harp on about the broader social, economic, political and other challenges that are preventing this fine (as in ‘okay’) city from greatness. It’s much easier to write a listicle about a few seemingly minor quibbles I’ve had during my time here though, so I’ll do that instead!

The slowness of the Sydney light rail

The opening of the L2 light rail line from Circular Quay to Randwick in late 2019 seemed like an exciting new development in the history of Sydney. Well, at least if we forget that the city already had a widespread tram network once upon a time.

Despite the significant delays and high cost, I was genuinely looking forward to the light rail. That was until I first saw it running down George Street. Running is a bit too generous. The speed at which this ‘new’ mode of transport was moving almost seemed like a joke at first.

There have been some improvements since then. However, analysis last year found that the new light rail is actually running slower than the trams of old. Trams sped along from Circular Quay to Central Station at 16km/h in 1937. Compare that to 11 km/h for the light rail as of 2023.

I obviously can’t walk faster than 11 km/h. Still, there have been plenty of times where I’ve been making my way down George Street and felt like I’m beating the light rail.

It seems to have too many things going against it. Traffic lights, pedestrians, some stations that are maybe a bit too close together. It’s great that this is a transport option for those who need it. I usually just walk wherever I’m trying to go, within the CBD anyway.

The pedestrianisation of George Street has definitely made walking around Sydney more appealing. That was part of the light rail project, so I guess I should be thankful for it. Sometimes it feels like the city is actively working against pedestrians though, like with…

The stupidly large billboards on footpaths

Sydney and advertising seem to go hand in hand. Plenty of us have stood waiting at a train station while a bright screen and loud speakers bombard us with a product or service we can’t afford, or had our view out the bus window blocked by an ad we can’t see.

But the City of Sydney (as in the council ‘running’ the place) took things a step too far when it let large billboards be placed stupidly on footpaths, adding a literal roadblock to walk around and preventing people from seeing what’s ahead, including buses they may be waiting for.

These billboards have received a lot of hate and rightly so. People expect ads in their lives and it’s great if council can bring in a bit of extra revenue. However, the fact that these seem to actively be trying to make life in the city more difficult is baffling.

I consider myself a good law-abiding citizen, but every time I’ve come across a billboard and had to stop walking, whether to wait for others to pass or to make room for someone with a pram or whatever reason, I’ve felt like coming back in the middle of the night with a chainsaw.

Around 30 of the worst billboards have now been relocated or taken down, reportedly costing council $325,000. Walking around the CBD, it really seems like more still need to be moved or removed. And speaking of council having to remove things…

The life and death of a Sydney kiosk

Part of my walk home from work used to involve crossing the light rail tracks at Circular Quay. Sometime last year, I noticed the beginning of a small construction site right next to the line. I watched over the following weeks as the project built up.

It turned out to be a kiosk. Similar kiosks were first installed in the lead up to the 2000 Olympics. In 2021, City of Sydney decided to replace these and also reduce the number of kiosks from 55 to 18. What I was seeing was one of these fancy new kiosks.

What did I not see in that exact spot a few months later? A kiosk. I was shocked at how quickly it had come and gone and immediately searched for what had happened. The Sydney Morning Herald has dutifully documented this poor kiosk’s short time on Earth.

After only being brought into the world in September 2023, the kiosk was taken away in February 2024. Apparently, light rail operator Transdev thought it was located too close to the tracks. Like with the billboards, council had to foot the bill for the removal.

I was reminded about this whole debacle after seeing another kiosk pop up further along the light rail line close to the Capitol Theatre.

We can only hope this one lasts longer than the ill-fated Circular Quay kiosk. Hopefully it will become a useful part of the city, maybe a mini cafe or an information spot. Oh I forget, this is Sydney we’re talking about. It’ll probably just become another overpriced convenience store.