The City of Sydney will rapidly install 6 new cycleways in the city centre and surrounds as it makes bike riding a transport priority in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The new bike links will make it easier for people to ride to work, school, to access services and local Sydney businesses while keeping physical distance.
Bike riding in Sydney has exploded over the past few months, as essential workers and residents look for alternatives to public transport and for safe exercise options.
In some areas of Sydney, bike trips increased more than 50% during April and May.
As social distancing restrictions ease and more people return to work, bike riding will play a critical role in reducing passenger loads on public transport, which will have significantly reduced capacity.
40% of households in the City of Sydney area do not own a car, relying upon public transport, walking or riding. Improving the ease and safety of trips by bike is an important step in helping people begin to move about the city once again.
The new cycleways will use simple and inexpensive infrastructure, including road dividers and painted markings. This means they can be installed quickly and adapted as circumstances change.
Locations for the new connections form important links with our existing network and are part of City’s broader planned bike network and the NSW Government’s Principal Bike Network, Work on the new cycleways will be shared between the City of Sydney and Transport for NSW.
The 6 locations are:
- Pitt Street, from King Street to Reiby Place, CBD
- Henderson Road, Eveleigh
- Dunning Ave, Rosebery
- Moore Park Road to Fitzroy Street
- Pyrmont Bridge Road, Pyrmont
- Sydney Park Road, Erskineville
We’re supporting the increase in new riders with our regular ‘share the path’ sessions back and running. These give riders access to free tune-ups, maps and advice.
And we’ve doubled the number of cycling in the city courses, which provide practical on-street training for riders. Sessions run on Saturday and Sundays at Sydney Park, Erskineville. The 4-hour course costs just $25.
Published 18 May 2020, updated 19 May 2020
