Waverley Council to trial 64 e-bike parking stations across Bronte, Bondi and Bondi Junction

Cyclists in Sydney’s east will soon have no excuse to dump their shared bikes, with dedicated parking spots to be trialled in a bid to restore order to the area’s walkways.

A trial aimed at cleaning up eastern suburbs’ streets will provide designated parking spots for e-bikes, in a bid to stop riders dumping them.

Waverley Council has started installing the first of 64 parking spaces, solely dedicated to e-bikes as part of a 6-month pilot program between the council and share bike operators, Hello Bike and Lime.

The number of parking areas planned, both off-street and on-street, will be able to accommodate a quarter of the shared bikes believed to be in Waverley, each able to hold between 8-12 bikes.

Bronte Beach, Bondi Beach, and Bondi Junction are the first areas slated for the parking, having been identified as significant destinations within the LGA where e-bike commuters ride.

Specific areas within the three suburbs are selected based on their proximities to key infrastructure or attractions, footpath width, and whether bikes were being dumped there previously.

Mayor of Waverley Will Nemesh meets with representatives of share bike companies Lime and Hello Bike.

The cost of covering these trial parking spots will not fall on riders, with the bill of $65,000 to be passed onto the providers.

The trial is the first component of Waverley council’s memorandum of understanding, an agreement negotiated with and signed by Lime and Hello bike aimed at regulating the “explosion” of e-bikes in recent years.

Waverley Major Will Nemesh and Carolyn Martin from Randwick Council.

On June 30, other agreements will come into play, including a limit on the number of bikes permitted in Waverley at any given time, speed limits and geofencing around locations with high foot traffic.

At the end of the six month period, the pilot’s effectiveness will be assessed based on compliance and the frequency in which dumped e-bikes were obstructing walkways.

Waverley Council Mayor Will Nemesh said the lack of clear legislation led to an “uncontrolled” explosion in e-bikes being dumped on footpaths and ridden at dangerous speeds, with bike share trips increasing by more than 350 per cent in the area between 2021 and 2024.

Mr Nemesh says the upcoming parking was the result of a “very effective working relationship with Lime and Hello” and “a very visible indicator of the real change in share bike management”.

Elsewhere in the neighbouring LGA of Randwick, Councillor Carolyn Martin wants a similar strategy to tame the “uncontrolled proliferation” of shared bikes in the area.

Cr Martin plans to raise a similar motion at Randwick Council’s next meeting, stating an agreement needed to be reached with share bike operators amid community frustration.

“E-bikes are a sustainable and convenient mode of transport however they are often parked in a manner that block walkways, creating problems for pedestrians especially those with disabilities or mobility issues,” Cr Martin said

“When parked ‘willy nilly ‘they become visual pollution and a trip hazard in our community.”