Bicycle Network: Metro Routes

Sydney cycleway heads south

18 March 2010.  Federal, State and Local politicians gathered near the airport in the south of the municipality of Sydney to launch the City of Sydney’s first ‘cycleways’.

The Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese, Sydney MP Tanya Plibersek and City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore (centre) officially opened 3.1km of two-way separated ‘cycleway’ on Bourke Road, Mandible and Bowden Streets in Alexandria near the massive urban renewal project in Green Square.

The cycleways are the first to be completed as a part of the National Bike Paths fund, which is a component of the Federal Government's jobs fund initiative. The Federal Government added further $1.79m to the $76m committed by the City. The presence of the Minister for Infrastructure at the launch is significant.

Strong support from riders

The Bicycle Network surveyed over 200 Sydney residents about the Federal Government’s National Bike Paths Projects fund. The Federal Government funding for the Accelerated Cycleway Implementation project in the City of Sydney, which includes the Alexandria paths opened last week, was rated by over two thirds of riders as having a high or very high impact on reducing traffic congestion and delivering healthy lifestyles.

Riding growing in the area

Bike riding is already starting to grow in the area. Census data shows Alexandria and Beaconsfield already have the second highest percentage of residents cycling to work in the City of Sydney with a 74 per cent increase in bike riders between 2001 and 2006. 57 per cent of workers in Alexandria and Beaconsfield live within 10 kms (or a bike ride of less than 30 minutes) of their workplace.

The Green Square development will add further momentum to the growth of bike riding in this area.

Bike routes around the City network

We have seen the high standard of streetscaping that the City is doing on the CBD routes like King and now under construction in College Street on the east side of Hyde Park near the Museum and on Kent Street working back from the Harbour Bridge to Druitt Street.

These CBD routes cost around $3m a kilometre but are much more than a bike route. The entire streetscape, including lighting, paving and some underground services are upgraded. Few municipalities will have funds to follow the City of Sydney down these paths.

The Alexandra lanes are the first rideable examples of the pattern that the City will follow outside the CBD. These cycleways will be more economical to build and are finished to a less exacting standard to the CBD routes. Nonetheless they still provide the same degree of separation from traffic and will be, we imagine, just as effective in stimulating a mode shift to bicycle trips.

The cycleways are also under construction in Bourke St - the northern continuation of Bourke Road from Woolloomooloo to Zetland; and Union Street, Pyrmont at the western end of the Pyrmont Bridge and part of the King Street to Anzac Bridge route.

The Alexandra cycleways show how the City will handle intersections and bus stops.

Intersections

At the intersections of Bourke Road and Huntley, Collins and Wyndham Streets, the separated cycleways and footpaths will meet and turn into shared paths for both pedestrians and riders. These will be indentified with a stencil and riders will have to give way to pedestrians. 

Bus stops

The bus stops have been handled in an exemplary manner. The picture shows a platform stop under construction at the northern end of Bourke Street.

The platform stops provide a high level of service for passengers who will cross the cycleway on a dedicated crossing and then wait on the ‘other side’ of the bike lane in a dedicated area. Riders will have to give way to passengers crossing to the platform.

The bus service will benefit as the bus will load from the travel lane without having to turn into the kerb and then wait to rejoin the traffic flow.

Motorists will have to wait behind the bus while it is at the platform.