Category: Current issues

Annual election for BNSW Board is underway by electronic vote. Members will have received an email with how to vote instructions and candidate profiles.

IWBC has some serious concerns about governance of the present board and Neil Tonkin has released the following statement.

I would like to draw your attention to matters of concern taking place in the Bicycle NSW Board over the last year:
1. Poor Board governance, a culture of non-disclosure of Annual Reports, Board Minutes, activities of the Bicycle NSW Environmental Trust. These are not available to members or on the website.
2. Strategic Plan and Policy undeveloped and undisclosed.
3. Minimal information on Board engagement with State Government. BUG’s need to know what the state advocacy organisation is doing to engage with government so we can be a unified force.
4. Poor workplace productivity resulting from a culture of secrecy and interference in day to day running.
5. Board preoccupation with the mergers of racing cycling organisations, which are focussed on seeking government funding for elite sport. Bicycle NSW’s main purpose is to advocate for improved cycling conditions for all people who cycle for reasons of health, environment and social equity. The two organisations are very different and Bicycle NSW has a registered charity status that the sporting organisations do not.
6. The Covid pandemic has provided a unique opportunity for Bicycle NSW to capitalise on the move to substantially provide for and promote of active transport. We have no evidence to suggest the Board has pivoted to embrace this opportunity and actively engage with state government to ensure the organisation and its members benefit from this game changing event.

We have the opportunity to influence a change in culture of the organisation by the election of two (2) highly qualified Board candidates.
I recommend that you vote for:
John Hawkins
Paul Oosting
Please do not hesitate to distribute this to any other Bicycle NSW members.

Kind regards

Neil TonkinAdvocacy Coordinator

Inner West Bicycle Coalition

Hunters Hill Council is updating its Bike Plan, and is proposing to improve the access to the Gladesville Bridge from the north (see pages 53-54). The current access is very poor, requiring a circuitous poorly signposted route down under the bridge then back up to the start of the bridge shared path, with steps at one stage. Informal routes are used by some cyclists, which involve crossing the slip lane off Burns Bay Rd from Tarban Ck and scrambling up a rough path. The solution would be a footbridge over this slip lane from Huntleys Point Park.

IWBC made a submission supporting the Council’s plan for the bridge, pointing out that a plan was put forward in 2004 but never implemented. There were many comments on the bridge on the Council’s interactive web tool (now closed for comment but can read comments) for the new bike plan. Maybe this time something will get done.

Final plan as approved in April 2021 has only called for a “visionary” link to be built sometime in the future- no funding even for a study. Council is to lobby the State Govt, as they are responsible for the bridge.

Note added in Nov 2021. Transport for NSW has announced changes to the development of its Principal Bike Network for Sydney. They had it listed as a project under Infrastructure Australia, but it hasnt progressed for years, requiring some body to develop a business plan and a design. So now they seem to be implying that they will do important links themselves, and have asked bike groups for a list of 10 projects in their areas. This is an opportunity to get Gladesville Bridge on the final priority list. IWBC has added it to our list, although it is a little out of our area. If you are a member of Bike North, support them in any attempts to get the bridge approach fixed.

IWBC asked the Council for a breakdown of the bicycle budget for 2020/21 and following years. Council replied promptly and the amounts are substantial, particularly compared to only a few years ago.

Cathy Edwards-Davis provided the attached spreadsheet . $6.005M is committed to bicycle works in the current financial year (20/21). These are gross figures and some of these have been partly funded by grants from TfNSW/RMS. Most of those items were for Leichhardt and Marrickville projects that were in their bike plans. In addition there was an announcement in Inner West Newsletter that 2020-21 would have a total footpaths and cycleways budget of $23.7M. 

Some of the funds were from developer contributions. There were also funds from the State Goverment for the Parramatta Urban Improvement Project and for the Greenway. (Council has matched the State Govt funding on the Greenway).

A further update on this were two items that are to be included as a result of TfNSW responses to Covid. These were:
1. Fast tracking part of the already approved Summer Hill to Newtown cycleway as a “pop-up” cycleway,

2. Stage 1 of the Livingstone Rd cycleway from Albermarle St to Marrickville Park (this was to be funded solely by IWC as part of LR03).

Neil Tonkin provided the folowing comment:

As you know the former Ashfield Council had a sorry history of not formally providing for cycle facilities and hence not even having plans in place, should funding opportunities arise. The budget reflects this deficiency. At all our communications with IWC we have stressed that we expect Ashfield to be brought up to speed with the rest of the municipality. The staff are painfully aware of these deficiencies. All I can say is the merger has not been easy for the new council, they claim a significant capital budget deficiency. They have at least determined to complete ’legacy’ projects that were included in the former Leichhardt and Marrickville bike plans. That is why the new bicycle strategy being prepared by Council is so important and the route suggestions made by us for Ashfield.

10 members of Bike Marrickville, Bike Leichhardt and Ashfield Bike Group attended.

Topics discussed:

1. Summary of IWBC relationship to IWC, including Councillors, departure of CEO Michael Deegan, working relationship with IWC planning staff and traffic managers.

2. Discussion of reasons for IWC unresponsiveness to cycle infrastructure requests, including merger, staff changes, lack of capital funds and funding disparities between Ashfield and other former councils.

3. Update on latest cycle facility diversions (good and bad) around Rozelle Interchange.

4. Discussion on pothole repairs, confirmation that Snap Send Solve system is still working within IWC.

5. Discussion on ways forward to get central lane logo placements progressed around former Ashfield municipality.

6. Discussion and tips on how Bike Marrickville/Massbug achieved many small improvements by compiling a ‘Bike Works programme’ that was gradually diligently worked through by Marrickville council engineers with little knowledge of bicycle infrastructure provision. A good lesson in detail, diligence and persistence.

7. Discussion on ways to stimulate and facilitate cyclist requests, queries to council (and Councillors), including easy standard e-mails and ways of reaching and empowering more cyclists in the municipality.

8. Review of successes and setbacks in implementation of Pop-Up cycleways in City of Sydney and surrounding councils. Tips on how IWBC can get more action from IWC on Pop-Ups.

9. Discussion on the rationale behind cycle route planning in IWC municipality with regards to desire lines, trip generators, delivery riders routes and links to external council bike routes. The group agreed to look at routes that would capitalise on the emerging popularity of bikes during Covid for families, workers, e-bike riders, cargo bike riders and delivery riders.

10. The group started proposing cycle routes on a large map of the community. There were many suggestions in the former Ashfield which historically has had no bike plan. Other routes in the former Leichhardt and Marrickville were also proposed. Further work on this will be undertaken by the group taking into account current conditions, opportunities, previous bike plan routes and group members detailed knowledge of their areas.

The meeting was well attended and evenly represented by persons from all three former municipalities. New members contributions were appreciated.

Neil Tonkin
Advocacy Coordinator
Inner West Bicycle Coalition

IWBC Coordinator Neil Tonkin and other IWBC members have been to around 45 meetings during the year, on a wide range of topics. Meetings were held with Inner West Council staff, Inner West Council Bicycle Working Group, Council Planning Sessions and Reference Groups, RMS, Westconnex (John Holland), a Parliamentary Forum, and local member BUG meetings, plus meetings with Canada Bay BUG. IWBC member Col Jones went to 10 Traffic Committee meetings.

It is apparent and gratifying that we are being accepted as the voice for cyclists in the Inner West.

Some of the issues discussed were:

Lilyfield Rd Cycleway.

The project initiated by RMS and Transport for NSW to develop Lilyfield Rd as a Regional Cycleway began in 2016 but was shelved in May 2018 due to strong resident and cyclist opposition. A new attempt was approved later in 2018 and a Concept Plan was put on exhibition in mid 2019, with two options. One option was to install bidirectional paths as before, the other to do a more “minimalist” less controversial makeover. We met with the new Consultant, Nathan Parish, from Complete Urban, and Stephen Joannidis, Project Manager from Inner West Council.

We made a submission supporting the minimalist option, but said that some of the better parts of the previous plan shoukd be included if they were non-controversial.

The minimalist option was also the preferred option based on community feedback. There seemed to be a more positive response from residents to the idea of a Cycleway.

A detailed design is now being prepared, maintaining (we think, without being involved) in general the existing design philosophy of uphill bike lanes only but making it more consistent and making safety improvements.

Although we opposed a bi-directional cyclepath on the steep hill west of James St we were not opposed to a path along the south side of Lilyfield Rd between Balmain Rd and Gordon St, which is non-residential, and where loss of parking to fit a bike path in would be less controversial. however there may well be an off-road path next to Lilyfield Rd in the Railyard park when it is finished, starting near Lamb St, as part of the Westconnex Active Transport Enhancement Plan.

Inner West Bike Plan

We have attended a number of meetings with council staff to discuss IWBC member groups’ “wish lists” of desired bike routes and safety improvements, for inclusion in a new Inner West Bike Plan, which will be prepared in 2020-21 we hope. Council has also selected some items for attention now.

Parramatta Rd Urban Access Improvement Project, or PRUAIP.

IW Council received $120m from Greater Sydney Commission to do Active Transport projects along the Parramatta Rd corridor. We have been consulted on the particular improvements we would like at key points, such as putting in bicycle crossings, new bike lanes, connecting an East West route from Flood St St to Nelson St via Dot Lane and a path between Balmain Rd and Hay St.

IWC Integrated Transport Plan

IWBC attended meetings on the ITP and had input into cycling strategy and desirable improvements to the cycling infrastructure. One interesting outcome was a recommendation for a bicycle path on one side of Parramatta Rd.

Westconnex and Rozelle Interchange.

We have attended a number of meetings with Council staff and also with the contractor John Holland on bicycle related matters, as part of a Bicycle NSW team. Cyclist detours during construction are a hot topic, as cyclists face several years of disruption to regular routes. We have been keen to find out the route of new paths promised through the Rozelle Railyards to Anzac Bridge. Final details won’t be released until 2020.

We made a submission on the proposed modification to the EIS for The Crescent, where a new motor ramp over the City West Link has been proposed, reducing bike and pedestrian access at Johnston St. There was strong community opposition to the changes and it appears that RMS may back down on parts of their plan.

City West Cycle Link

IWBC has sought to progress the idea of a level route between Hawthorne Canal and Pyrmont, via the railway corridor to White Bay, then via the Glebe Island Bridge. IW Council has passed resolutions supporting the CWCL, but little has been done to push the idea with the State Government.

A promised letter to the Minister Constance apparently never went. IWBC has written to the Govt but as yet no reply. We are currently exploring the idea of a route behind the sound wall of the City West Link road, from Canal Rd to Balmain Rd as an alternative.

We, with Bike Marrickville, met with Council staff on a proposed bike route from Tempe Station to Sydenham Station.

To be continued…

Inner West Council is supporting the construction of the City West Cycle Link. At a recent council meeting they resolved to seek talks with the State Government about including the CWCL in the Westconnex/Harbour Tunnel project, which has been given the go ahead.

The CWCL is a relatively flat bike path from Hawthorne Canal, alongside the railway, going under Norton St and through the deep cutting to the Rozelle/Lilyfield Railyard east of Balmain Rd and on via the proposed new parkland towards White Bay and the Anzac Bridge Cycleway, or the old Glebe Island Bridge if that is opened to foot and bicycle traffic in the future. It would run under Victoria Rd where the old rail tracks ran.

As originally proposed by Bike Sydney the CWCL would require temporary closure of the light rail or night working to cut a half tunnel into the side of the cutting for bicycles to travel in, next to the railway. An alternative idea is to bore a separate tunnel, which would not require any disruption to the rail operation, and give greater flexibility to the start and finish of the tunnel. A tunnel for bicycles would be just one of many tunnels under Leichhardt, Lilyfield and Rozelle/Balmain to be built as part of the Westconnex/Harbour West Tunnel project.

IWBC will be seeking talks with local MPs to get their support for the concept. The greatest benefit would be to the residents west of Leichhardt, in John Sidoti’s electorate, and to the southwest in Ashfield and Croydon area. They would have a flat bike path into the CBD, encouraging many more to cycle than currently do on the hilly Lilyfield Rd route. The CWCL is a logical extension of the Greenway towards the CBD.

The Mayor, Darcy Byrne, has reported the shelved* cycleway project to the independent Council watchdog, to investigate if there was a proper oversight of the project by Leichhardt Council from 2015-2016, when it was in the hands of the Administrator prior to the recent amalgamations with Marrickville and Ashfield Councils. Around $500,000 was spent on the project.

The project was announced by Transport for NSW as part of its Regional Cycleway Network in late 2015 and more or less dumped on Leichhardt Council to do the tendering and supervision. Council selected GTA Woodhead as consultants to do the design. The first concept design ran into opposition from residents on the grounds of loss of parking, and cyclists on the grounds of narrowness of the cycleway and steepness of the route A revision, which took about 12 months to do, also met opposition, largely due to it requiring one way restrictions on parts of Lilyfield RD. Residents and cycling groups complained about the method of consultation and slowness of responses. The mayor announced the project would be “shelved” and “not proceed to detailed design stage” in early 2018.

A public meeting was held in May 2018 and it was decided to do a review of the project and produce a new design.

*At time of writing Council was  about to call for tenders for a new consultant to do a review and work on a new plan for a cycleway, with some alternative routes, as suggested by IWBC, and options to be considered.

At the same time Council has decided to seek talks with Transport for NSW about construction of the City West Cycle link, a tunnel or half tunnel under Lilyfield in or near the railway corridor. The CWCL would provide a flat route from Hawthorne canal to the Rozelle Goods Yard, with easy connection to White bay and Anzac bridge. If built it would largely replace the need for a Regional Cycleway on Lilyfield Rd.

UPDATE, June 2019: 

In May 2019 Council appointed Complete Urban (completeurban.com.au) to do a report on the shelved Lilyfield Rd cycleway project and come up with some new suggestions. IWBC met with Nathan Parish from Complete Urban and  Council officers in June. Stephen Joannidis is the Council officer in charge of the new project. Further meetings and consultations are scheduled.  Community management of the project will be important, considering the opposition to many aspects of the shelved plan.

Council has implemented a ban on trailers and heavy vehicles along the railway side of Lilyfield Rd. Cars can park there but lengthy sections are empty, and we continue to call for a ban on all parking to allow space for a wide high quality bike path or lanes.

Also affecting the project is the Rozelle Interchange (stage 3 of Westconnex) which will create a parkland on the adjacent Goods Yard east of the Light Rail stabling sheds. If a path through the new park (from about Justin St) is built to connect to Anzac Bridge the eastern section of Lilyfield Rd will be bypassed. The footbridge at Victoria Rd is to be demolished as part of a widening of Victoria Rd, so an alternative is needed in any case.