Advocacy News

Bicycle NSW Submission to Long Term Transport Master Plan Final dated 27th April Click here to read submission

Bicycle NSW has prepared a submission to the Centennial Parklands Trust in relation to the proposed Grand Drive safety improvement project. There is considerable concern in the bicycle community over the proposals and we thank our Members and Bugs for their engagement in providing useful feedback to Bicycle NSW and also in sending well worded submissions direct to the Trust.

The planned fourteen day period when the bridge will not open to marine traffic has been
postponed and will now be from Monday 14 May to Sunday 27 May 2012, inclusive. This is due to a
delay in equipment delivery. We apologise for any inconvenience.
Immediately prior to this work we need to fully close the road to deliver equipment. Once the bridge's lift
system has been upgraded we will again need to close the road to traffic to test the equipment. Click here for full details

This month, Staysafe issued its report on road safety, focussing on bicycles and motorcycles. Staysafe is the joint standing committee on road safety of the NSW parliament. Click here for the report

In October, Bicycle NSW - Omar Khalifa, Chloe Mason and Warren Salomon - appeared before the Staysafe Committee to answer questions about its written submission. Our focus was on improving the safety and amenity for bicycle riding in the road environment, and the relationship to other people using the road space

Bicycle NSW, along with local BUGs and residents, met with the RTA at Moonee last Friday to lobby for safer cycling provision and better cycling routes on the Sapphire to Woolgoolga Pacific Highway upgrade.

Project manager for the upgrade Bob Higgins gave the community assurances that a cycleway similar to what is seen on Hogbin Drive will be factored into the highway upgrade.

Bicycle NSW is calling on the RTA to deliver safer cycling provisions and better cycling routes on the Sapphire to Woolgoolga upgrade.

As part of the 25km highway upgrade, the RTA plans to incorporate bicycle and pedestrian facilities on the overpass sections of the freeway but no physical separation will be provided for cyclists on the rest of the local road link.

The M2 Upgrade environmental assessment was exhibited from 19 May 2010 to 21 June 2010 and submissions were accepted until 5 July 2010. During the exhibition period, 910 submissions were received. Three of the submissions were from government agencies, six from local councils and 901 from the community. 

The RTA has budgeted $1.363 million this financial year to construct a 1.3 km long SUP (shared user path) along the Warringah Freeway that will result in nearly half of HarbourLink / the 3km long "missing link" between the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Naremburn being completed within the next 12 months.

Many will know of last October's announcement of a $168,037 scoping study regarding the 3km long "missing link" between the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Naremburn, this to connect with the 7.5 km long SUP (shared user path) through Lane Cove to North Ryde.

The study is being funded by the RTA ($93,037), the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change ($50,000)

The RTA has released its final plan (REF) for the cycleway upgrade along Victoria Road. There appears to have been no changes to their position since about June/July when we last had a meeting with BTBA and a walk-through of the Rozelle side). The REF does not have a lot of detail in terms of designs or drawings but I assume they are mostly as we have gleaned in the last year or more.

I also spoke to Verity Firth and she says she will make representations to the Ministers on our behalf for some more funding or some more attention to the things the RTA has left out or only half heartedly addressed.