Adelaide City Council threatened with legal action over proposed East-West Bikeway through CBD

A high-profile lawyer and a group of businesses are threatening to sue Adelaide City Council over a proposed bikeway through the CBD.

The proposed route for the East-West Bikeway through the Adelaide CBD. Picture: Adelaide City Council

Property owners have vowed to take legal action if Adelaide City Council approves a new $5.8m bikeway.

Elected members will hold a special meeting on Tuesday night to discuss two options proposed by staff for the East-West Bikeway through the CBD.

Lawyer Greg Griffin has told the council he will seek court orders to stop the project, which must be approved by the end of this month otherwise it will lose a $3m State Government grant.

Mr Griffin, who operates from a building on Flinders Street, wrote a lengthy letter to the council last Friday on behalf of property owners on Flinders and Franklin streets who will lose up to 180 parking spaces if it goes ahead.

Council planning staff already have changed the route of the bikeway to avoid legal action by the property owners, changing an original proposal to go up Franklin and Flinders streets by creating a dog-leg into Gawler Place and on to Wakefield Street.

Adelaide lawyer Greg Griffin is threatening legal action over the East-West Bikeway. Picture: Colin James

They now are seeking approval to either put the bikeway alongside footpaths or in the centre of the road, with physical barriers separating cyclists from other road users.

A bikeway next to footpaths would result in cyclists riding near students attending four schools, parishioners at two churches, passengers at several public bus stops and customers entering various shops, hotels and small businesses.

In his letter, Mr Griffin said the council had ignored resolutions it had made in 2017 to ensure there was widespread community consultation on any proposed bikeway, instead only seeking public feedback for a brief period last month on the likely design, not its overall route.

“We are vehemently opposed to the East-West Bikeway where it concerns any portion of Flinders or Franklin Street,” he said.

The proposed route of the East West City Bikeway up Franklin Street. Picture: Colin James

The proposed route of the East West City Bikeway on Gawler Place. Picture: Colin James

The proposed route of the East West City Bikeway up Wakefield Street. Picture: Colin James

“It is obvious to me and my clients that council’s administrative personnel continue to operate without regard to this feedback and the strong and well-considered opinions of their ratepayers and elected members.”

In a report for the meeting, staff said a project team had met with 10 key stakeholders, including primary schools, property owners and churches.

“These stakeholders are generally not supportive of the bikeway along the currently proposed route,” the report said.

“Their concerns include safety and access across the bikeway for children, older people and people living with a disability; loss of carparking or drop-off spaces, in particular at schools and places of worship; and impact of parking controls on clearways.”

The report said there would be further consultation once the council decided on the type of bikeway it wanted to develop, ensuring it was “safe and functional for all street users and can be implemented within the available budget”.

The special council meeting on the bikeway will start at 5pm in the Adelaide Town Hall.