Cycling in Sydney Australia
Bourke Street presence
Hello All,
I'm getting rather tired of hearing naysayers stating that they never see any bikes on Bourke Street.
Today I rode from Bondi Jungle to the Opera House and decided to make sure I did as much of of the trip as possible via Bourke Street.
I propose that cyclists should start to use this wonderful route (regardless of treatment, its a great link from Alexandria and beyond to the city).
Let's inhabit it, swamp it, make it a grand cycling focus point. Pull up out front of the businesses that are complaining about lost trade and make a point of supporting them.
I have seen people on fixies pulling great moves in the flat area where Bourke crosses Oxford.
I think cyclists should try to have a strong positive rallying presence here.
I know its a mess right now, but I think if we don't use it we'll lose it, and it could become to the cycling community what Oxford Street is/was to the gay community.
I'm getting rather tired of hearing naysayers stating that they never see any bikes on Bourke Street.
Today I rode from Bondi Jungle to the Opera House and decided to make sure I did as much of of the trip as possible via Bourke Street.
I propose that cyclists should start to use this wonderful route (regardless of treatment, its a great link from Alexandria and beyond to the city).
Let's inhabit it, swamp it, make it a grand cycling focus point. Pull up out front of the businesses that are complaining about lost trade and make a point of supporting them.
I have seen people on fixies pulling great moves in the flat area where Bourke crosses Oxford.
I think cyclists should try to have a strong positive rallying presence here.
I know its a mess right now, but I think if we don't use it we'll lose it, and it could become to the cycling community what Oxford Street is/was to the gay community.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Bill Parker on -
Bourke St / Rd (especially Taylor Sq south) has been the preferred route for cyclists for years and years, it is a natural, direct, fairly level route with Oxford in the north (major route east & west) and Bourke St (Mascot) to Coward St in the south (again major east - west route especially to airport , cooks river beyond)
The northern section (Taylor Sq to Woolloomooloo Bay) will encourge bike traffic between Woolloomooloo and Surry Hills which is now a pain to drive, too far to walk but 5 - 10 minutes on a bike
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Permalink Reply by Andrew Mac on -
"Bourke St / Rd (especially Taylor Sq south) has been the preferred route for cyclists for years and years, it is a natural, direct, fairly level route with Oxford in the north (major route east & west) and Bourke St (Mascot) to Coward St in the south (again major east - west route especially to airport , cooks river beyond)"
So if you were riding from the city to Alexandria or Surry hills etc you would ride all the way up Oxford to Bourke st only to ride back down a hill again rather than take the easy option of turning right off Oxford at Crown street? Why? Why ride further up a hill than you have to? Sorry it just doesn't make sense.
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Permalink Reply by Colin on -
Crown St is horrible to ride. To escape the door zone means taking the lane, and motorists get really pissed off because they are unable to overtake due to volume of traffic. There's much less traffic on Bourke St, so motorists can overtake easily, and it's less stressful for everybody.
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Permalink Reply by Daniel S on -
yeah, it's not for the faint hearted. i get in the middle of the lane there, and don't budge. too dangerous going even slightly to the side.
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Permalink Reply by Colin on
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The CoS doesn't have total power - they have to compromise with other interests. For example, the RTA control Oxford St, not the CoS, so the CoS can't build a cycleway there unless the RTA agree, and the RTA don't agree.
So if you want somebody to blame, blame the RTA, not Clover. Is Clover striking the hardest bargain she can in these negotiations? Who knows, but she's managing to get more done for cycling than anybody who's come before her.
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Permalink Reply by Colin on
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I've heard that the RTA refuse to have cycle logos stenciled in bus lanes in Sydney, but for some reason the bus lanes in Oxford St have them. Considering how few people (motorists and cyclists) know that it is legal to ride a bike in a bus lane, I think the stencils should be in every bus lane, and they should be referred to as bike/bus lanes.
Then it's just a matter of getting lots of cyclists using them until the lanes become useless for buses. That'll create a strong argument for turning the lanes into bike-only lanes, and the next lane over can become the bus lane. How's that for a plan?
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Permalink Reply by sit ubu sit on
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A good idea. Furthermore they could stencil "no bikes allowed" logos (bike with the circle and bar diagonally across it) in to "Bus Only" lanes.
It would certainly help everyone understand bikes have a right to use bus lanes. I get sick of being buzzed by buses thinking I have no right to be in a bus lane. And what pisses me off is when they overtake you (invariably not obeying the road rule to completely change lanes and pulling back in on top of you), only to then pull in to service a bus stop, and you overtake them again.
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Permalink Reply by Andrew Mac on
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I agree , love those Bus lanes.
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Permalink Reply by Andrew Mac on
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Colin , Clover is saying she is providing x amount of cycleways but whats the point if they are not on usable or desirable cycling routes? Some of the money would have been better spent in different areas. For most (all if your honest) the section to W'loo from Oxford or at least William st could have been in Perth for all the difference it will make for a commute to the City.
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Permalink Reply by Bill Parker on
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Andrew MAc, It is NOT a commuter section but for the residents of Surry Hills and Woolloomoloo to cycle between, just becaue you don' use it does not make it less desirable
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Permalink Reply by Susan on -
Don't forget there is a large school (SCEGGS) on the area between Taylors Square and William st. There has been an increase in the number of students riding, perhaps with a fully functioning cycleway those numbers increase again?
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Permalink Reply by Colin on
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I agree that the bit from Taylor Sq to Woolloomoolloo is pretty marginal in terms of utility, but I also think it's worth it as an experiment in "build it and they will come". I live locally and I'll use it a bit, but I agree it's not a major commuting route.
As for the rest of the routes chosen by the CoS, I think they're doing OK within the very tight restrictions placed on them by the RTA and basic politics. The routes may not be optimal, but I think they're still usable and desirable, and they're likely to achieve their goal - to get more people riding bikes. That will help both you and me, even if we don't ride on the cycleways ourselves.
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