Design to Begin on Bourke Street Cycle Route
From eNews 383 – Friday, 8 February 2008
A 3.2km two-way separated cycleway connecting Woolloomooloo with Zetland will commence construction late this year, with Council's Finance Committee next Monday considering appointment of a consultant team to undertake detailed design work.
The planned Bourke Street cycle runs 4.3 km from Cowper Wharf Road in Woolloomooloo to Elizabeth Street in Zetland, with the last 1.1km a shared foot and cycleway south of Phillip Street, Redfern.
The project also includes landscape and pedestrian improvements, particularly near intersections, and local residents will be consulted about changes in their neighbourhood as part of the design development.
City transport planners have drawn inspiration from leading bicycle cities such as New York, Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Paris, and adapted their approaches for inner Sydney's narrow streets. Many cities separate cyclists from fast moving traffic by locating cycleways between parked cars and the footpath.
This increases safety by removing the conflict between cyclists and cars, and is likely to attract many new cyclists and provide an easier path for existing cyclists.
The City's research shows that Sydneysiders would cycle more if there were dedicated bicycle lanes and better driver awareness of bicycle safety. Four out of five potential cyclists said there was currently too much traffic to contemplate cycling and 50 per cent said they were uncomfortable in shoulder lanes near parked cars, where doors are likely to be opened into the cycling path.
The RTA will fund the works between Corfu and Stanley Streets Darlinghurst, as this section implements streetscape and cycling improvements developed for this area following construction of the Cross City Tunnel.
The Bourke Street cycleway is part of our ambitious Cycling Strategy, adopted in 2007, to increase the cycling route network to almost 200 kilometres which includes 55 kilometres of separated cycle lanes and approximately 145 kilometres of cycle ways, dedicated cycle lanes and shared zones.
If Council approves the consultants' appointment, community consultation will begin on the project's detailed design, with construction expected to begin in the second half of the year.
Information
Officers' Report: www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/Council/MeetingsAndCom...