Spring St cycleway: Bondi Junction bike link to Sydney’s CBD nears completion

A newly constructed cycleway linking the eastern suburbs to Sydney’s CBD will be completed next month, with the project to cater to the post-pandemic cycling boom.

A newly constructed cycleway in Bondi Junction will link the eastern suburbs to Sydney’s CBD, as part of a push for bike paths which popped up during the Covid pandemic to become a permanent fixture.

The separated 2.3km cycleway, which travels through Bondi Junction’s commercial centre and links with Oxford St, Syd Einfeld Drive and Bondi Rd to an existing cycleway at Centennial Park, comes amid a cycling boom accelerated by rolling lockdowns over the past two year.

The soon-to-be completed bike link comes following criticism from small businesses, which feared the construction of the project would kill them off.

Incumbent Wentworth Liberal MP Dave Sharma said the $18 million Bondi Junction cycleway project, co-funded by the federal and state governments and delivered by Waverley Council, would reduce traffic congestion and drive business to Spring St.

“This is really about giving people the choice; about how they’re going to commute, how they do their shopping, how they get to work,” he said.

A concept design for the Spring St cycleway. Picture: Waverley Council.

“It’s good for people wanting to live active lifestyles, it’s good for congestion. And of course it’s good for the environment.”

A number of eastern suburbs political figures, including Waverley Mayor Paula Masselos, Vaucluse Liberal state MP Gabrielle Upton, federal Urban Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher and state Active Transport Minister Rob Stokes, spoke about the benefits of the project at a press conference on Tuesday.

Waverley Mayor Paula Masselos, Vaucluse Liberal state MP Gabrielle Upton, federal Urban Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher, state Active Transport Minister Rob Stokes and Wentworth Liberal federal MP Dave Sharma announce the upcoming completion of the Spring St cycleway. Picture: Bianca Healey

The first six stages of the cycleway will be completed next month, coming at a time when more people are cycling than ever before.

A City of Sydney report, released in August, found more people were walking and cycling within 10km of Sydney’s CBD with more than half of bike riders saying they regularly cycled in the CBD and surrounds.

NSW Active Transport Minister Rob Stokes said 5000 cyclists were using sections of Oxford St each week.

“This number will only grow as people become more and more confident to use what was a missing link in the network,” he said.

An old artist impression of the Spring St cycleway.

Vaucluse MP Gabrielle Upton said the cycleway route was selected after stakeholders assessed safety issues.

“Several different routes were considered as part of the process to ensure the safety of pedestrians as well as bike riders,” she said.

Waverley Mayor Paula Masselos said the cycleway project was the largest ever sustainable transport project delivered by council.

“It has transformed connections for cycling, walking and access to public transport in our area and aligns with our vision to reduce car travel overall and help us achieve a new community greenhouse gas target of net zero by 2035 as announced by council in March,” she said.

The final stage of the cycleway’s construction, on Oxford St near St James Rd, is expected to be completed early next year.