Oxford St cycleway planned by NSW government, City of Sydney, Woollahra Council gets backlash

Controversial plans to halve the number of lanes to accommodate a new cycleway on one of Sydney’s busiest roads has been backed by Sydney Mayor Clover Moore, as local business hit out.

Centennial Park gate at Musgrave Ave.

A vision to slash the number of traffic lanes from four to two on one of Sydney’s busiest roads to make way for a cycleway, is facing mounting backlash with business owners as Sydney Mayor Clover Moore gives the project her tick of approval.

Plans for a two-way cycleway along Oxford St, between Paddington Gates and Taylor Square, will come at a cost to motorists with the existing four lanes of traffic to be reduced to two.

But Cr Moore said the proposals was “really exciting” arguing there was an “appetite for cycling infrastructure”.

“Oxford St is an important piece of the puzzle – it is the city’s busiest bike route, with over 2000 bike trips per day, but also has the most reported bike crashes of any street in the City of Sydney,” she said.

There has been mounting backlash to the cycleway plans. Picture: Julian Andrews

“A separated cycleway will improve safety for people riding and reduce the number of riders on the footpath, as well as improving urban amenity, which is great for local businesses.”

Cr Moore said construction would start soon on the cycleway – which would be an “important link” between the city and the eastern suburbs – connecting with another cycleway between Taylor Square and Castlereagh St.

“Studies from other global cities prove that cycleways are great for the businesses along the route,” she said.

Mayor Clover Moore. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“They increase footfall and provide a traffic buffer, which makes the area a more pleasant place to be so more pedestrians are attracted to and linger longer in the area.”

However, owner of Maccheroni Italian restaurant Marcello Farioli said a cycleway on the major thoroughfare would only increase parking issues for his patrons.

Mr Farioli said he cycled regularly in his home country of Italy but said he did not ride down Oxford St because “I find it unsafe.”

Owner of Maccheroni Marcello Farioli is opposed to the Oxford st cycleway plans.

Not all businesses were against the plans, with Owner of Jozo cafe Aleis Carline, located at the Oxford St intersection near the Paddington Gates at Centennial Park, saying she welcomed “30 to 40” early morning cyclists into her business every day.

Owner of Jozo cafe Paddington, Aleis Carline, says she supports the east Oxford st cycleway plans.

She said measures to revitalise Oxford St had failed – and a new approach was urgently needed.

“I just think that things have got to change because there are businesses that are empty and in its current state it’s not working,” Ms Carline said. “If it’s a quieter street, it’s more welcoming for our customers,” she said.

Owner of Paddington Fine Wines Stephen Harris said reducing car lanes required “deep consideration”.

“For most of the retailers around here, parking is our lifeblood,” Mr Harris said.

He said the majority of local and visiting customers required cars to transport their shopping.

“We require people to actually buy goods that are probably too bulky and heavy for them to put on a bike,” he said.

“It’s quite dangerous.”

Paddington Fine Wines owner Stephen Harris said the majority of Oxford St small business customers used cars to visit the shopping district. Picture: Julian Andrews.

Committee for Sydney public policy advisor Harri Bancroft accepted “retrofitting” cycling infrastructure in Sydney was not an easy task, but said it was important to ensure rider safety for the cyclists making “more than 2000 trips” along Oxford St daily.

Transport for NSW was contacted to provide the daily traffic count for Oxford St but was unable to provide data. The average traffic through nearby New South Head Rd – which carries cars out of the eastern suburbs and runs parallel to Oxford St – averages 59,646 daily.

Ms Bancroft said safe bike infrastructure would reduce congestion by freeing up space on the roads for people who need to drive and revitalising the once vibrant shopping district.

“Over the past few decades, noisy diesel buses running along the footpath on Oxford St have created an environment that’s a big turn-off for people dining and shopping,” Ms Bancroft said.

A TfNSW design review panel will ultimately determine the proposed cycleway.

An approved 1.7km cycleway between Taylor Square and Hyde Park is set to begin construction this year. The newly proposed cycleway seeks to link the existing bike path at Bondi Junction to cycleways in the CBD.

Following community consultation, TfNSW will undertake investigations and studies to inform the concept design, which will be placed on public display with a review of environmental factors. TfNSW’s design review panel will ultimately determine the project.

There is already a pop-up cycleway along Moore Park Rd which was erected in 2020 to connect eastern suburbs bike paths to the city, however TfNSW has indicated the temporary cycleway will be removed once the east Oxford St cycleway is completed.

Minister for Infrastructure, Cities and Active transport Rob Stokes said the cycleway was essential to realising the government‘s networked transport vision.

“You wouldn’t drive your car on a road that leads to nowhere, and that’s the problem we’re trying to solve by building a connected and complete cycleway over the Sydney Harbour Bridge, through to the CBD all the way to Bondi Junction”.