Sydway: A Better Way to Navigate NSW Roads
Early in 2013, the NSW Government Roads and Maritime Services Department introduced a new road numbering system and renamed some important routes across the state road network.
NSW and Sydway have adopted the M, A & B Routes road system.
The M, A & B Routes system includes a combination of a letter – either an M (motorway), A (route of national significance) or B (route of state significance) – and a number from 1 to 99. Sydway maps have been updated to show these new route numbers locally in Sydney and also across the state.
Sydway, in an effort to implement these important changes, has timed the release of its Edition 17 street directory to coincide with the new M, A and B Routes. Sydway is the first local street directory to introduce the new route numbering system.
Melway Mapping Managing Director Dean Godfrey says the new route system provides a more intuitive way for road users to navigate around NSW. It also makes crossing state borders easier, he adds.
“The new system designates the type of road that the user is driving on, for example, whether it’s a motorway, route of national significance or route of state significance. Route numbers that cross state borders will be consistent with Queensland, Victoria and South Australia. These changes will help simplify journeys,” Godfrey says.
“We’ve worked closely with the NSW Government to include the new M, A & B Routes into Sydway Edition 17 to provide users with the most up-to-date and comprehensive street directory on the market.”
The above image shows the different routes systems used in Sydway street directories. Edition 17 on the right uses the new M, A & B Routes system.
Australia is working towards a national route numbering system. Most of Europe and UK/Ireland have a common system across countries. Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland have all implemented the alphanumeric route system over recent years. WA and NT are yet to apply the new route numbering system.
