Cycleway linking Bicentennial Park to Strathfield station deferred

A cycleway linking Bicentennial Park to Strathfield Station has been put on ice following concerns it could lead to clashes between riders, pedestrians and buses.

Bicycle NSW’s GM of public affairs Bastien Wallace at Bicentennial park. Picture: John Appleyard

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A cycleway linking Bicentennial Park to Strathfield Station has been put on ice following concerns it could lead to clashes between riders, pedestrians and buses.

Last Tuesday Strathfied Council overturned a staff recommendation to push ahead with implementation after Cr Maryanne Duggan described the $97,000 plan as “underdone” due a lack of risk assessment, funding and consultation with relevant agencies.

Concerns were raised about potential conflicts between cyclists and buses in Raw Square.

Ms Wallace has welcomed the deferral of the bike path to ensure it is done properly. Pictured with Bicycle NSW CEO Alistair Ferguson. Picture: John Appleyard.

But mayor Gulian Vaccari said the plan would improve safety and was primarily a low cost way of formalising an existing bike link.

“It mainly seeks to improve signage and widen footpaths to make the link more visible and accessible,” he said.

“As a community we must continue to address the twin epidemics of car overuse and increasing obesity. This seeks to do just that.”.

Other councillors dimissed this, saying the plan constituted an extension, rather than a formalisation, of the cycleway at Allen St reserve at Powells Creek.

Councillors backed a proposal by Crs Matt Blackmore and Karen Pensabene to “navigate” the proposed route during a site visit and the plan will got to the traffic committee for input and advice before implementation.

Strathfield mayor Gulian Vaccari said the plan would simply formalise an existing bike path through better signage and footpath widening.

Bicycle NSW’s Bastien Wallace welcomed the deferral and urged the council to get in touch.

“Although we’d like more cycling facilities as fast as possible they need to be done properly at a standard that is suitable and safe for everybody so consultation, proper planning and design is important,” she said.

“We saw with the Lilyfield Rd cycleway that if you get it wrong it can upset a whole lot of local residents and still not be fit for purpose so we do commend efforts to make sure it’s built right.

“If it’s a formalisation by putting down a little bit of paint and some signs, that’s not a cycleway.

“Every little bit helps but if we’re serious about investing taxpayer dollars to change behaviour and reduce congestion, we have to build something everyone can use, not just something that is exclusively for the use of the fearless and the athletes.”

She described riding between the park and the station as “awful”

“The roads are very crowded, there’s not much room, there’s a lot of aggression, you get drivers deliberately swerving at you and trying to intimidate you, its really frightening.”

The route would begin at the entrance to the Powells Creek corridor on Allen St. It then goes along Pomeroy St, Underwood Rd, across Parramatta Rd up towards subway land under the tunnel and left along The Crescent towards the station.