By Lilia Guan

Despite recent criticism of cycleways disrupting traffic, the City of Sydney plans to continue with its cycle strategy.

 

The Council is determined to push ahead with its 2007 Cycle strategy and action plan to get 10 percent of all trips in and around the City taken by bike. The Council said it will continue to roll out its 200 kilometre cycleway network.

 

City of Sydney’s manager of cycle strategy, Fiona Campbell, said 10 kilometres of the network was already complete.

In October, the Council will begin work on connecting King Street, in the inner-west Sydney suburb of Newtown, to the existing cycle ways located on the suburb’s Wilson Street. The cycleway on Bourke Street, Surry Hills, will also be under construction this month.

 

Ms Campbell admitted that construction on busy streets would be difficult and disruptive.

 

“People don’t like change and it will take a while to get used to,” she said.

 

According to the Bureau of Transport and Regional Economics, Sydney’s traffic congestion is costing businesses an estimated $3.5billion. Ms Campbell predicts that this cost will rise.

 

“It’s not viable for Telstra employees to be sitting in their van, stuck in traffic and not out on a job site,” she said.

 

“As a council we can’t change the way public transport runs – that’s a State Government issue, but we can work within our own budgets and means to come up with alternatives ways for people to travel.”

 

Ms Campbell said “not everyone likes the cycleways” but the cycleways weren’t built for experienced riders that are confident in riding in heavy traffic.

 

“These cycleways are designed for mums and dads and for commuters that have just started to use bicycles to get around,” she said.

 

Bicycle New South Wales’, vice president Richard Birdsey, agreed that the cycleways weren’t suited to experienced riders, especially those that participate in cycling as a competitive sport.

 

“The number one issue we get from riders is safety concerns when riding around with the traffic,” he said.

 

“There’s been some criticism from experienced riders, but it’s generally experienced riders that want to get somewhere really fast. That’s not what the cycleways are about – it’s for getting inexperienced riders to get out there.”

 

Mr Birdsey said the Council’s was doing the best in can with retrofitting designed cycle paths on Sydney’s narrow streets.

 

“The Council is incorporating real cycling infrastructure on the roads, rather than just spray painting a few road signs to warn traffic about cyclists,” he said.