Achievements
2005
BIKEast’s advocacy for cyclists and for a safer cycling environment in the Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs is beginning to pay-off. Patience and persistence is important and recognising that ‘the-devil-is-in-the-detail’. BIKEast has been active in:
Lobbying the Roads and Traffic Authority, the eastern suburb Councils and Centennial Parklands for bicycle facilities and a cycleway network.
Auditing work in Woollahra, leading to a total re-do and addition of logos and changes to some signs and road-side works to make the routes safer. In Waverley, along the Bondi Beach/Bondi Junction route, as input to improving this route
Attending many meetings: Bike Plan Working Party, Traffic and Transport Study and Traffic Committee meetings.
Preparing Submissions & Reports
- to Sproat Eastern Sydney Local Government Inquiry on Bondi Junction
- to the RTA on the Parking on Footpath Discussion Paper and the Cross City Tunnel
- to Woollahra’s Traffic and Transport Study and Bike Plan Working Party, including the Cross City Tunnel - consequential amendments to the Bike Plan between Rushcutters Bay and Edgecliff.
- for Bicycle NSW on:
- State Policy No. 66 - Integrated Land Use and Transport;
- Planning for Bicycling to the Public Transport Authority; and
- Input submission to PlanningNSW on the PlanFirst White Paper.
Organising free community forums, seminars and workshops:
- 2005 - Bicycle Commuting - Saves $$ and Makes Sense
- 2004 - Building the Cycling Century
- 2003 - Developing Regional Bike Routes
- 2002 - Building the Eastern Suburbs Bike Network
Bike Plans Completed
In 1996 BIKEast presented a letter, along with a petition of 271 signatures, in support of a Bike Plan to the Mayors of Woollahra and Waverley. South Sydney and Randwick Councils had their Bike Plans underway by that time. All of Sydney’s Eastern Suburb Councils had adopted plans by 2000. Over the last five years much has happened to implement these plans.
The Waverley and Woollahra Bike Plans were prepared during 1999 and received very positive feedback from the local community. As a result, each Council allocated $30,000 to begin implementing the plans in 1999-2000. With matching funds from the RTA, this should have meant a significant start could be made on the highest priority routes. However, both Councils were very slow to begin implementation.
What’s Happening Now?
2005
Since the last annual forum BIKEast has gained support from the five Councils, who have all increased funding for bike facilities, The run down is:
- City of Sydney spent in excess of $250,000 and is about to mount 186 bike parking rings to ‘Smart-poles’, at a cost of over $100,000. It has a budget of $7.6 million for bike facilities for the next four years and is preparing a comprehensive bicycle strategy for exhibition later this year.
- Woollahra allocated a budget of $127,000, most of which went to renewing logos and completing the Bondi Junction to CBD and Birriga Road route with 12 bike parking racks soon to be mounted in Oxford Street. For FY 2005-06 the Bike Plan budget is $50,000 with an equivalent amount to be spent under traffic calming measures when bike lanes will also be painted in Hopetoun Ave Vaucluse, and Victoria and Bellevue Hill Roads, Bellevue Hill.
- Waverley has completed bike facilities as part of its Bronte - Queens Park system along Queens Park Road and up to the edge of Bondi Junction, at a cost of about $80,000 this year and has similar plans for the current year.
- Randwick spent $100,000 on centre line marking the shared paths along Alison and Darley Roads, bike lanes on Houston Road, Kingsford and setting many parking rack at all the main Beaches, Des Renford Pool and the Administrative Centre/Town Hall. For the current year, Council has received confirmation of 50:50 funding with the RTA for a total value of $180,000 for works.
- Botany City Council is negotiating a new bike facility with the RTA along Wentworth Avenue, between Eastgardens and Mascot.
- The five Council’s are about to consider the preparation of a Regional Bike Plan for Sydney’s east, as request by BIKEast, under the aegis of the Southern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils. This is to agree and establish priorities to connect key bike routes before 2010 and address specifically intersections and routes along major roads, which are now emerging as the main impediment to completing a reasonable bike network by then.