Oxford Street Cycleway: The Paddington Society propose shared traffic lanes, lower speed limit

A unique proposal for a 30km/h speed limit on Sydney’s much-loved Oxford St to allow bikes to share traffic lanes with buses and cars has been mooted as an alternative to contentious cycleway plans.

Artist impressions of the Oxford St East Cycleway showing parking in bus lanes, permitted during off-peak periods and weekends (subject to change). Picture: TfNSW.

A unique proposal for cars and bikes to share traffic lanes in Sydney’s much-loved Oxford St has been mooted by a community group, in response to contentious plans for a cycleway which would halve the number of lanes from four to two.

Plans for a cycleway on Oxford St, between Taylor Square and Centennial Park, aims to rejuvenate the thoroughfare but residents and business owners fear the opposite, raising concerns about rising traffic congestion on one of the city’s busiest roads, safety fears and business impacts.

Transport Minister Jo Haylen, five weeks after taking up the portfolio in March, made the extraordinary step of reopening public debate around the plans – three months after the first round of community consultation had ended.

Now the Paddington Society, a group which launched 40 years ago and includes concerned citizens and architects, drew up their counter-proposal to provide a “more positive” option.

The group’s vision, revealed at a meeting at Paddington RSL, includes a permanent 30km/h speed limit between Paddington Town Hall and Queen St “and ultimately extending to Taylor Square and on to the city”. Last month, Paddington Chamber of Commerce suggested a 40km/h speed limit as an alternative to the plans.

The Paddington Society’s counter-proposal for Oxford St East Cycleway.

The counter-proposal drawn up by The Paddington Society.

As a result of the lower speed limit, the kerbside lane in each direction would be shared between cyclists, buses and cars. The existing bus and clear way lane would be removed to allow for footpath widening at key locations, carparking, and bus bays.

The concept is partially-modelled off London’s Kensington High Street, one of the city’s most famous shopping streets.

The group referenced the 2020 UN Stockholm Declaration on road safety which calls for a 30km/h speed limit on roads where cars mix with pedestrians and cyclists. It also highlighted research which indicated if an adult was hit by a car at 30km/h they had a 90 per cent chance of survival compared to 50km/h where one in five people survive.

BIKEast member Andrew Moss said Oxford St was “too dangerous” for such a model and that he didn’t believe people would feel comfortable allowing an eight-year-old or an 80-year-old to mix with traffic.

A Paddington Society committee member said the design was “not such a radical idea” with France’s capital Paris implementing a strict 30km/h across the city with a few exemptions.

Transport for NSW spokeswoman said it welcomed the society’s input, with all community submissions now being carefully considered.