Oxford St traffic: City of Sydney Council bike lane construction makes arterial road one lane to the CBD from eastern suburbs
Motorists travelling from the eastern suburbs are being choked into one lane on Oxford St as construction of the controversial bike lanes is already sparking commuter mayhem.
Central Sydney
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One of Sydney’s busiest roads is already feeling the brunt of a controversial plan to see the construction of a massive two-way bike lane, leaving commuters travelling from the eastern suburbs confined to one lane on the congested Oxford St to Liverpool St.
Furious commuters have labelled the move by City of Sydney Council as “bulls**t”, claiming the decision to restrict motorists to one one from the east to the CBD as causing traffic “worse than ever”.
In November, council nderwent preparation on the Oxford Street West project, which looks to develop a two-way cycleway connecting Oxford St and Liverpool St with it being one of the city’s busiest bike routes.
However, commuters claim it comes at the expense of their travel time, as even before construction has begun westbound lanes to the Sydney CBD have been jammed into one lane, with a second lane dedicated to buses.
Financial worker Ben Miller, 25, who drives to work daily has felt the sting of the reduction in lanes, telling the Wentworth Courier traffic is far worse than he’s experienced previously.
“It’s absolute bulls**t, I don’t know why they changed Oxford St,” he said.
“It’s added an extra 10 minutes to my commute per day.”
City Of Sydney said the decision came after new data revealed Oxford St was one of the city’s most popular bike routes with around 3000 trips daily, before dedicated bike lanes have been installed.
The decision has left those travelling to the Sydney CBD up in arms, such as Tom Nation, a 24-year-old property developer who drives and or buses to work daily.
“I’ve been travelling down Oxford St for years now and it’s very frustrating knowing this is what I have to deal with daily now,” he said.
“I appreciate the idea of opening it up for everyone and making it a friendlier walking spot as well but why are they making the westbound lane two and not the east
“Hopefully they are able to figure something out with the traffic.”
A council spokesman said that the Oxford Street West project is integral to the governments strategic vision of brining the eastern suburbs and city centre together.
“The city supports Transport for NSW’s proposal to build the Oxford Street East cycleway,” Spokesperson said.
“In addition to providing safer riding options, the Oxford Street West project will also improve safety for people walking while making Oxford and Liverpool streets more pleasant.”
“By improving public transport connections and completing our safe cycleway network, we’re encouraging more people to leave the car at home which frees up road for those who need to drive, such as delivery drivers and taxis.”
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