A Sydney council has shelved plans for a cycleway that was set to become a vital active transport link through the eastern suburbs.
The proposed cycleway was part of the Maroubra Junction Public Domain Masterplan, a strategy to create a thriving people-oriented town centre with large tree plantings, improved pedestrian crossings and a cycleway along Maroubra Road.
This bi-directional cycleway was to connect Eastgardens shopping centre with Maroubra Beach about 3km to the east and included narrowed vehicle lanes to make space for wider footpaths.
The route is one of eastern Sydney's busiest traffic corridors. It has been identified as a Strategic Cycleway Corridor by Transport for NSW.
The proposal was applauded by local advocacy group Bicycle NSW as recently as March, who described the plan as an "impressive strategy to revitalise this important urban centre".
At a recent Randwick City Council meeting, however, councillors voted to delete the Maroubra Road Cycleway from the masterplan entirely due to concerns about safety for drivers.
"It is a serious setback," says Bicycle NSW Head of Advocacy Francis O'Neill.
The Climate Council has urged Australians to triple bike riding and walking trips to tackle the ballooning transport emissions tied to private vehicle use.
The Randwick City Council's Integrated Transport Strategy aims to increase active transport mode share from 26% to 35% by 2031. It also aims to reduce the proportion of private vehicle trips from 58% to 45% over the same period.
Randwick City Council declared a state of climate emergency in 2019.
"We intend to expose these inconsistencies," says O'Neill.
Randwick's new Active Transport Strategy will be put on public exhibition later this year.
In a letter to the council following the cycleway cancellation, Bicycle NSW called on councillors to defer the decision until that consultation is complete and they have a clearer view of the community's needs.
"They make all these beautiful motherhood statements but at the end of the day they're looking to turn the beach into a car park," says O'Neill.
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