Image: The long-awaited Rose Bay Cycleway has officially opened for use. Photo: Woollahra Council.
By ERIN MODARO
The Rose Bay Cycleway along New South Head Road is officially up and running, after opening to the public earlier in the month. Running along New South Head Road between William Street and Norwich Road, the new cycleway is designed to improve safety and accessibility for both cyclists and pedestrians using the busy route.
Woollahra Mayor Susan Wynne said that the Rose Bay Promenade route is “such an important one for our community”.
“The Rose Bay Cycleway will vastly improve safety for cyclists on what has until now been a dangerous route, and also meets the needs of our diverse community by ensuring pedestrians and parents with prams are also safely accommodated” Cr Wynne said.
“If people want to utilise a greener, more active form of transport on their commute, we want them to be able to safely access that option and link up to other forms of transport, such as ferries to the CBD as part of their journey.”
The connection has been underway for a long time, after Woollahra Council flagged the area as a safety concern and a missing link in a cycling route with direct city connection. Now cyclists and pedestrians can make use of the shared pathway between William Street and The Boat House, as well as a bi-directional cycle path separated from traffic along New South Head Road.
Woollahra Council decided to move on the project after several near miss accidents involving cyclists on the route.
MP for Vaucluse Gabrielle Upton said that the cycleway will not only vastly improve safety, it will also “ease congestion on our roads”.
“What was once a busy and dangerous route for cyclists, is now a safer and scenic connection across Rose Bay” Upton said.
Shared pathway now in use, following previous concerns
Contention over the shared pathway included in the cycleway came to light earlier in the year when Woollahra Councillor Mary Lou Jarvis proposed a motion to defer construction, due to community concerns over including a pathway for both cyclists and pedestrians.
The motion was lost however, with other Councillors eager to begin construction after previous delays were caused by lockdowns.
Cr Wynne was against the motion to defer construction, citing other delays to the start of the project. Now, both Upton and Cr Wynne are celebrating the official start of what has been a long process.
“I fought hard to ensure this important cycleway was delivered as another valuable link in the Eastern Suburbs and by working with Woollahra Council, it is now open for everyone to enjoy” Upton said.
