Bicycle Network: Metro Routes

Relected Clover Moore rides to work along Bourke Street

November 2008

Clover Moore's relection signals endorsement of her ambitious bike plans. Here she is riding to work along Bourke Street which was a contentious issue before the election. See below.

April 2008

The Bourke Street public consultation has stimulated some opposition to the project. Unfortunately the project proposal did not say exactly how many trees would be removed and how many more would be planted and some of the opposition has coalesced around this aspect of the project.

See the attached FAQ sheet for details about the trees.

There is still time for you to have your say and support the project.

It seems that all the Councillors - of all political persuasions - are standing firm behind the project.

Here is an extract from the Council's FAQ document

What will the Cycleway mean to the trees along Bourke Street?

There are over 500 trees on Bourke Street and only 16 trees have been identified as
protruding to a greater or lesser degree into the line of the proposed cycleway. What
this means is that those 16 trees could pose a serious safety hazard to cyclists riding
close to the kerb.
This does not mean all those 16 trees would be replaced. The City wants your
feedback to help work out the best solution.

Will any trees be removed?
Yes. Four trees are in poor shape and will be replaced with new, mature trees. One
further tree is in a planted median at the corner of Bourke Street and Zamia Street,
East Redfern, and is directly in the way of the cycleway. It will be relocated nearby.
The City is still considering the best solution for the other trees and is seeking
community input.

Where are the four trees to be removed and replaced?
Four trees that are not in good condition will be replaced by mature trees and are
situated at the following locations:
Outside 91 Bourke Street Woolloomooloo.
Outside 131 Bourke Street Woolloomooloo.
On the western footpath near the corner of McEvoy Street, Waterloo.
On the western footpath opposite Sydney Gate, Waterloo.

So the cycleway means there will be less trees on Bourke Street?
No. The four trees will be replaced by new, mature trees. In addition, during the
project many new trees will be planted in areas were there are none now. At the end
of the project, Bourke Street will have more trees than it has now.

What about the other 11 protruding trees?
It is not the City's intention to remove these trees. Rather, design solutions will be
investigated. Again, the City will value any ideas and comments from the local
community.
Depending on the tree options for the eleven trees include pruning, the diversion of
the cyclepath around the tree, or, as a last resort, the removal of the tree and its
replacement with a new, healthy, mature tree.

Why not divert the cyclepath around all the trees?
That is an option for each of the eleven trees. However, diverting the cyclepath in
this way will mean the loss of a small number of car parking spaces on each
occasion.

Will the construction of the cyclepath mean the loss of any car parking on
Bourke Street?
Most of Bourke Street is at least 12.8 metres wide. This is the minimum width
required to easily accommodate this infrastructure. The road narrows between
Phelps and Rainford Streets.
About 12 or 13 car parking spaces will need to be removed on the Western side of
Bourke Street between Phelps and Rainford Streets to provide space for a
separated cycleway.
Options to provide replacement parking spaces are being investigated. The
designers are investigating providing replacement parking in nearby cross streets by
adding blisters to the footpaths.
The City is seeking ideas and comments from the community to get the final design
right.

Earlier

The overall length of the Bourke Street
bicycle route and variety of different traffic conditions means the project has been
divided onto 3 separate precincts to
enable a coordinated approach to the
design and construction process.

Each precinct has been broken down
as follows.

• Precinct 1: On road bicycle path - Cowper Wharf Roadway to Eastern Distributor, east Sydney
• Precinct 2: On road bicycle path - Eastern Distributor to Crescent Street/Philip Street Redfern
• Precinct 3: Shared off road path from Crescent / Phillip Street – Elizabeth Street, Zetland.

Detailed investigation of Precinct 1 (between, Cowper Wharf Roadway to Eastern Distributor) is currently underway with construction scheduled to commence in the second half of 2008.

Detailed design of Stage 2 is planned for mid 2008, with design of Precinct 3 planned for late 2008.

To show your support refer to the panel (right).