Sense and nonsense as critics attack College Street cycleway

Sydney’s bike wars rage on with both a Surry Hills resident group and the acid pen of far-right tabloid columnist Piers Ackerman attacking the College Street cycleway, which is nearing completion.

The cycleway has the same design as the Bourke Street and King street segments of a network still marked more by its gaps than its connections. It’s a two-way route placing bikes going in both directions on one side of the street.

Ackerman railed against Clover Moore and “Clown Hall” on the totally inaccurate basis that the cycleway reduced College Street to one lane for traffic, writing: “Until recently there existed two lanes in each direction but now, at Moore’s decree, there is but one for motor vehicles and one for cyclists and chaos for all.”

However our camera recorded on the weekend that there are still two lanes in each direction plus turning lanes.

This clanger was followed by another furphy: “…the climate and the topography mitigate against those who may wish to bicycle to work. It’s too hot in summer and too wet in winter and too hilly all the time for all but a handful.”

Cyclist chat rooms reacted with a chorus of posts pointing out that cities famous for their strong bike culture like Amsterdam and Copenhagen are subject to freezing snow and blizzards during winter, and Amsterdam’s narrow streets are criss-crossed by canals. Hills were a problem only for beginners and anyway, half of a hilly journey is downhill.

Ackerman’s selective facts continued to pour out with: “Moore’s dead hand has all but throttled the life out of the CBD in her attempt to replicate an Amsterdam or Copenhagen, without the public transport system either enjoy.”

Perhaps Mr Ackerman has not heard about Clover Moore’s relentless and ultimately successful campaign in favour of extended light rail through the city and out to Dulwich Hill, in concert with all the surrounding inner city councils.

But more credible criticism came from Brian Noad of the Nichols Street Community group, whose members are affected by the Bourke Street route.

“The  cyclepath removes about 52 on street parking spaces on the western side of College Street, forcing motorists and churchgoers to St Mary’s Cathedral to park in the near-by expensive, City Council car parks,” he said.

And Mr Noad is upset that a 50m section of the route cuts into Hyde Park on the corner of College and Park Streets.

“This year marks the bi-centennial of Sydney’s much loved Hyde Park, created by on 13 October 1810, by Governor Macquarie,” he said.

“Now Sydney City Council is cutting away a huge section of the park to make the College Street cycleway fit. City Council says its minor landscaping works!”

While most of the path occupies the previous parking lane on the street, this section veers towards the park to make room for the extra traffic lane needed so cars can turn right from College to Park. Part of the original stone wall has been removed and is being replaced with a stone-clad concrete wall.

The design retains a footpath, but Mr Noad points out that this is no longer needed as its only use was for people parking their cars  along the section, which will no longer happen.

A City of Sydney spokesperson responded: “The College Street cycleway is being built on the road and for most of its length replaces the parking lane.

“For a slim section approximately six car lengths long, north of Park Street (where there was no parking lane), the cycleway and a new sandstone clad retaining wall will replace the existing concrete block wall and narrow footpath. One tree will be replaced as a result of this work.”

The City also denies owning any carparks near the work.

by Michael Gormly