ONE bicycle parking space will have to be provided for every new residential dwelling built in the Woollahra municipality, under a recommendation to be considered by the full council on Monday night.
BIKEast committee member Adrian Boss said he was “extremely pleased” a council committee had recommended adopting the group’s call to boost the number of bicycle spots required for new developments.
Woollahra’s draft plan to overhaul its parking policy had originally recommended one spot for every four dwellings.
The council is also set to adopt BIKEast’s suggestion to introduce bicycle parking rates at schools, hospitals and recreation facilities.
Mr Boss said the changes would help encourage ride-to-school programs and add to the “attractiveness of cycling”.
“It’s about casting our minds to the future and helping to promote cycling for recreation as well as commuting to hopefully reduce traffic congestion,” he said.
The proposed new policy will also require developers to provide at least one motorbike parking space for every 10 car spaces.
A “discount” would be provided to developers who introduce a car share space, which would replace up to four private car spaces.
A 40 per cent discount would be introduced to the parking requirement for studio and one-bedroom apartments to help “activate” the Double Bay town centre.
Double Bay Residents Association president Mark Silcocks supported mandatory parking for bicycles and motorbikes but was not sold on parking discounts for developments in Double Bay and car share spaces.
“Car share sounds great in principal, but unfortunately people tend to need a car at the same time as everyone else and therefore it’s a little naive to think that most residents of a new development won’t want the flexibility of their own car,” he said.
“Before we start reducing parking rates in new developments, we probably need a much more comprehensive, efficient transport system.”
