Bicycle NSW recently learned that an important cycleway connection, part of the exciting Sydney Park Junction project, has been quietly abandoned.
No official announcement or public consultation
For many years, the community has been waiting for a makeover of the intersection of Sydney Park Road with Mitchell Road. This upgrade would provide a seamless, safe connection between two disjointed sections of separated cycleway, and add a much-needed pedestrian crossing of Sydney Park Road.
An artist’s impression of the new Mitchell Road intersection, looking north. The cycleway separates bike riders from vehicle and pedestrians improving safety for all road users. This image is from the March 2022 community update, the last information presented to the public about the public domain upgrade elements of the Sydney Park Junction project (Image: Transport for NSW/Bicycle NSW)
At a meeting in early August, a representative from Transport for NSW’s Active Transport team reported that work about to start on the permanent two-way separated cycleway on Sydney Park Road. This would replace the “full extent of the existing pop-up cycleway”.
A very important addendum – that the full intersection project had been cancelled – was announced only by omission.
What is Sydney Park Junction?
The mammoth Westconnex project was required to include “traffic calming initiatives along Princes Highway, improvements in accessibility to Sydney Park and the provision of upgraded cycle and pedestrian facilities within one kilometre of the St Peters Interchange” as part of the Conditions of Approval for the M8 Motorway (B44, B50 and B51).
Of course, this was intended to reassure the community, impacted by massive upheaval of WestConnex, that surface roads would have less traffic after the tunnel opened. The neighbourhood would be nicer and less dominated by noisy through traffic.
Bicycle NSW was very supportive of the 2021 Sydney Park Junction Review of Environmental Factors. This document detailed the major transformation of arterial roads to the north and west of Sydney Park.
The 6-lane Princess Highway was to be narrowed to 4, speed limits lowered to 40km/h, and road space reallocated to separated bicycle paths, widened footpaths and new landscaping.
The Sydney Park Junction project that was detailed in the 2021 Review of Environmental Factors (Image: Transport for NSW)
The improved amenity would facilitate mixed used development, turbocharging both economic activity and new housing supply. A future ‘place’ would emerge from today’s traffic sewer.
The proposal provided exciting evidence that the city can move forward from decades of car domination. It would change the dial on how we measure the success of a movement corridor and set a benchmark for reimagining Sydney’s unloved arterial roads.
Read our submission here.
The change to the project scope has shocked City of Sydney
Council delivered a separated cycleway on Mitchell Rd in 2022 that ends short of the intersection. Council was instructed to not build up to the intersection, as Transport for NSW would complete the missing connection to the Sydney Park Road cycleway.
In the meantime, bike riders need to use a narrow and congested 1.8m wide footpath to navigate the corner, before rejoining the pop-up on Sydney Park Road. This is NOT a suitable long-term configuration.
Apart from anything, the existing shared path connection does not meet Transport for NSW’s own design standards for a footpath, never mind a shared path. The Cycleway Design Toolbox states that the ‘desired minimum width of a shared path is 4.0m’. Austroads says that 3.0m is a workable minimum in a location like this. And shared paths should only be used where walking and cycling volumes are low. Not in the dense inner city next to major park!
The separated cycleway on Mitchell Road (top left) ends abruptly. Bike riders transfer to a narrow and busy shared path (Top right) and negotiate a blind corner (bottom left) before joining the Sydney Park Road cycleway. Note there is no pedestrian crossing to the west of this intersection (bottom right, looking north up Micthell Road) Getting to the park is a laborious trip across three roads via multiple traffic light cycles. (Images: Jake Coppinger)
Can Transport clarify what has happened?
It may be a cost cutting measure. But this project is but lipstick on the pig of WestConnex. It doesn’t make sense to renege on a small upgrade with huge community benefits.
Advocates and Council assume that Transport for NSW has had second thoughts about reducing road space for vehicles in this location. Despite its excellent policies and strategies that prioritise pedestrian and bike riders ahead of private cars.
Bicycle NSW wrote to Transport Secretary expressing our deep concern that the safe protected cycleway link through the intersection has been cut from the project.
We reminded the Secretary that the groundbreaking Road User Space Allocation Policy has been updated following a review. The new version provides Transport for NSW with a stronger mandate to find a better balance between movement and place. Priority must be given to people walking, cycling and using public transport. Transport for NSW must adhere to these principles ahead of any guidance that seeks to protect or maintain private vehicle level of service.
Road user space decisions must be documented, providing evidence and reasons, and the outcomes assessed against strategic intent. Projects must aim for an overall reduction of the mode share of private motor vehicle trips within built-up areas.
Compliance with this Policy and related procedures is mandatory, and projects may be subject to an audit and monitoring process.
The update has lots of ‘musts’ instead of the previous ‘coulds’ and ‘shoulds’. It’s good!
We asked the Secretary to provide evidence that the Road User Space Allocation Policy has been corrected applied at the intersection of Sydney Park Road with Mitchell Road.
An inadequate response!
The Executive Director Planning & Programs (Greater Sydney), Steven Issa, wrote back on behalf of the Transport Secretary.
Mr Issa did not directly state there was no intersection upgrade but reiterated that the Klemfix barrier used for the pop-up on Sydney Park Road would be replaced with a permanent median. Wider kerb ramps will connect to the shared paths at each end.
And then he said: “Transport acknowledges that the existing shared path connection between the Mitchell Road cycleway and the Sydney Park Road cycleway is narrow and is investigating options to provide improved connectivity between the two on-road cycleways.”
But this investigation was done years ago, in 2017, as required by Condition of Consent B50!
And no evidence was provided that the Road User Space Allocation Policy has been correctly applied.
Do you want to learn more?
Jake Coppinger of Better Streets has written an amazing and detailed blog post about the Sydney Park Junction changes. Appalled by the lack of transparency, Jake has dived deep into the planning documents, the conditions of consent, the relevant standards that should apply and the promises made to Council and the community. He has even scoured archived parts of the web to see what has been amended and what has been hidden!
Have more elements of the Sydney Park Junction project been canned?
The short answer is – we don’t know. There are no updated plans that the public can access. Even though work is due to start in October!
The best we have is this network plan that Mr Issa included in his letter.
A map shared by Transport for NSW in its response to Bicycle NSW’s letter (Image: Transport for NSW)
And this highlights some worrying changes - beyond the missing crossing to the west of Mitchell Road and the abandoned intersection upgrade.
For example, what happened to the 270m separated cycleway between Mitchell Road and Euston Road? Or the mid-block crossings on the Princes Highway near Goodsell Street and Short Street?
Or the widened shared crossings at the intersection of King Street and Sydney Park Road that were meant to frame St Peters Square, a ‘multi-modal hub’.
Will Princes Hwy still be reduced from 6 lanes to 4? The speed limit from 60km/h to 40km/h?
Check out the Community Update from March 2022 for a graphic reminder of what was promised!
Of course, this is just one of several projects Transport has neglected or delayed
WestConnex was meant to free up road space on Parramatta Road and Victoria Road. There would finally be dedicated lanes for public transport, wider footpaths, cycleways, landscaping and urban beautification.
A condition of consent was dedicating two lanes of Parramatta Road solely to public transport. But years after the first stage of the tunnels opened, Parramatta Road still has no bus lanes.
A critical cycleway between Iron Cove and Anzac Bridge ended up as a wriggly, hilly back street route that few bike riders know about or use. Instead, they grapple with a substandard shared path on Victoria Road that has actually got worse as a result of the Rozelle Interchange project.
The Alexandra Canal cycleway has been shelved due to one short missing link. This was meant to be an easy win, first off the rank in Transport for NSW’s Strategic Cycleway Corridors program.
Wilson Street West, a connection that has been on everyone’s wishlist for years, has been put on hold because there is no budget. It’s only 200m long!
The King Street missing link in the CBD was promised in 2022 but there is no sign of progress. Transport for NSW insist that pedestrian space must be removed, and a substandard cycleway (only 2.1m wide in places) provided, to maintain 3 lanes for vehicles. But there are 16 other east-west lanes for vehicles in the CBD and only 1 for bikes!
Design work on the Oxford Street East cycleway is crawling forwards, while community sentiment slides backwards. And we are still waiting for the permanent cycleway on Bridge Road in Glebe.
It shouldn’t be this hard to build cycling infrastructure in Sydney!
A call to action
It is essential to put pressure on the NSW Government to deliver the project that the community was promised at Sydney Park Junction, with high-quality spaces for walking, cycling and public life.
- Write emails or letters!
Transport Secretary, Josh Murray – secretary@transport.nsw.gov.au
Minister for Transport, the Hon. Jo Haylen MP - via the ministerial website
Ask to see the current plans and a clear list of what has been cut from the project scope. Remind Transport that it must follow its own policies and meet the conditions of consent for WestConnex.
Two state electorates border Sydney Park. You should also register your concern with:
Member for Heffron, the Hon. Ron Hoenig MP - heffron@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Member for Newtown, Jenny Leong MP - newtown@parliament.nsw.gov.au
- Join Bicycle NSW!
Bicycle NSW is the only bicycle advocacy group based in NSW with full time staff
advocating every day for all riders. But did you know that we are funded only by membership fees and donations?
Please join Bicycle NSW and support our advocacy for better infrastructure and safer streets. You will also ride easy, covered by our comprehensive insurance and enjoy many other Member-only benefits.
And if you are not ready to sign up, then we would love you to Buy Us a Coffee (or three!)
