Newsroom

Bike riders are being urged to stand up for North Adelaide's proposed O'Connell Street bike lanes, currently under fire from local businesses worried about the loss of car parks. 

The City of Adelaide's draft concept for the six-lane O'Connell Street reimagines the iconic strip and major transport corridor with a protected cycleway in each direction, along with wider footpaths, raised pedestrian crossings, more greenery, better lighting and a 30km/h speed limit.

The proposed cycleway would connect to Prospect Road shared paths, Kangatilla Park, Aquatic Centre and Braund Road cycle path in the north, and with Adelaide Oval and Adelaide’s city centre in the south. 

O'Connell Street is filled with restaurants, cafes and historic hotels; as such, it is a high-demand street for pedestrians. The street is also currently a key bus route in North Adelaide and has been identified as the preferred route for the AdeLINK tram network expansion connecting to Prospect.

As part of the draft concept, the council will not remove any parking spaces, but will rather limit on-street parking to two hours within off-peak hours and transform them into clearways during peak hours.

The 88 O'Connell development, featuring apartments, retail and hospitality outlets, is due for completion in June 2025, bringing hundreds of new residents and workers to the street. One hundred and sixteen new public parking spaces are earmarked within the new development.

The City of Adelaide website states that the proposed changes "will improve safety, walkability and cycling access, introduce more green spaces and create a welcoming public environment that supports local businesses while preserving the street's heritage".

Early works on the project will begin mid 2025 and initially focus on the section between Tynte Street and Archer Street (to allow work on 88 O'Connell Street to be completed). These early efforts are limited to footpath and new street furniture works, improved lighting and enhanced pedestrian crossings.