Works are now underway on the first stretch of a vital bike route upgrade into Sydney’s CBD.
The Oxford Street West Cycleway will be a 1km long separated bike route helping connect Sydney’s eastern suburbs to the CBD, between Taylor Square and Castlereagh Street.
Construction kicked off in early March following site investigations late last year.
“Oxford Street is one of our most popular streets for riding, but it also has the most reported bike crashes of any street in our area,” says Sydney’s Lord Mayor Clover Moore. “This dedicated cycleway will give thousands of people confidence to safely get around on two wheels. “
Works will be staged to keep disruptions to a minimum and the cycleway is expected to be complete by the end of the year.
Credit: Andrew Moss/BikEAST
The new cycleway will connect with the planned Oxford Street East Cycleway between Taylor Square and Paddington Gates, which is being delivered by the state government and will create a new transport link with Bondi Junction.
This is part of a broader vision for Oxford Street, which involves revitalising the busy thoroughfare with six lanes of traffic to a people-friendly high street with upgraded pedestrian facilities and protected infrastructure for bike riders.
The timeline for construction of the Oxford Street east project, however, remains unclear.
The City of Sydney has experienced a large uptick in riders as it continues its investment in dedicated bike infrastructure. Record numbers were logged across the inner city suburbs last year, while the city has earmarked a further $69 million for bike projects over the coming four years,
“When we install safe cycling infrastructure, we regularly see the number of people riding that route double in the first 12 months,” says Moore.
“We know more people want to ride but will only do so when they feel it’s safe – that’s why we’re working so hard to complete our bike network.”
Or become our friend and subscribe to receive our fortnightly newsletter.