Cycling in Sydney Australia
Getting more cycle paths in lower north shore: how to go about it
Hello,
I've recently moved to sydney from Canberra, where there are cycle paths galore and you can ride everywhere safely. I'm appalled at the lack of safe cycle paths and infrastructure for cyclists. My partner and I live in Cremorne Point and he would like to ride to work in North sydney, but is too worried about how dangerous it is to ride on the roads in heavy traffic.
I wanted to know does this group petition the local council/govt to put more $$ and planning into for eg, widening footpaths and making them a co cycleway/pedestrian path? A good eg of one is between North Ryde and Lane Cove - however I have not seen many anywhere, particularly not the lower north shore and Military rd is just ridiculous. Also, the side streets are choked with traffic so you can't ride anywhere safely.
Which brings me to my second point - does anyone know of any good/safe-ish routes from Cremorne Pt to North Sydney?
Cheers
Cristina
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jason Brown on -
I assume you're in North Sydney Council, not Warrangah or anything? Sorry, not familiar with boundaries north of the harbour.
N. Syd Council Cycle hub: http://www.northsydney.nsw.gov.au/www/html/2677-cycling-north-sydne...
Looks like from Cremorne point you have the ride around the bays, which can be busy but is WAAAY better than military road
Oops, meant to link direct to the bike path map too.
http://www.northsydney.nsw.gov.au/resources/documents/NorthSydney_b... -
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Permalink Reply by Neil Alexander on -
Ferry?
But seriously... it depends exactly where you are starting from and tolerance of hills.
I don't ride in this particular area all that much because it's hard to get in and out of with so many one-way and dead end and non-connecting streets and level changes in the back streets dealt with by steps.
However, there is a cycleroute marked part of the way along quieter streets from Neutral Bay near Anderson Park. It goes up Rawson, Montpelier, Spruson and Phillips Sts to Ben Boyd Rd. If you continue east on Phillips you hit a closure at a playground with steps up on the other side of it to the continuation of Phillips St. If you then turn into Raymond Rd you come out at Wycombe Rd. Look at a street directory to determine your options from there. Gruesome, I suspect.
It's all downhill from North Sydney CBD to Anderson Park, which means it's all up on the way in and the roads aren't very cycle friendly. Inbound, the best route may be to give the left turn into Rawson St a miss and continue straight ahead on Eaton St to get into Alfred St North.
Unfortunately, as far as bicycle commuting goes, I think you may have chosen one of the most difficult places in the metropolitan area to ride from. You might want to think of moving... ;-)
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Permalink Reply by Jason Brown on
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Think of it as KoM training. That's the only reason I ever go round that way
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Permalink Reply by Cristina Clarke on
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argghh! thanks for that route though, and Jason thanks for the map - I was hoping I might not know about some great route or off road cycle path, but my worst fears are confirmed. yes my partner currently drives his car to Anderson park and then walks from there into North Sydney - but he wanted to ride. you're right, there are a whole heap of crazy hilly streets with dead ends and then there's those horrible steps getting up to North sydney from neutral bay! but I will tell the route to him and maybe we can try it on a weekend and see what it's like. then if he feels confident he could try it on a weekday. It currently takes him about 20 or 25 mins each morning with his drive/walk route.
It's easy for me though, i catch the ferry to the city! but again it'd be nice to ride but there's just no good infrastructure here! It makes me wish I was in Canberra again :( PS in Canberra, cyclists can ride on FOOTPATHS which I think actually makes a lot of sense. Pedestrians don't have an issue with it and cyclists are courteous, yet Sydney govt and councils cannot seem to learn from cities who seem to have far more planning/engineering wisdom than they do!
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Permalink Reply by MadameBike on -
Cristina, I ride from Cheltenham to North Sydney and return twice a week (weather permitting - not today) and I agree it is a pain in the butt from Naremburn to North Sydney business precinct.
I don't mind riding on-road but I wish, when a road has white painted bicycles on the bitumen and signs indicating it is a cycle route, that motor vehicles had some disincentive to use that route. It's a shit-fight unfortunately. The only way I (sort of) deal with it is I ride very early in the morning so I can also leave early in the afternoon to (sort of) avoid the peak traffic at both ends of the day.
P.S. I do ride on footpaths but that really slows down the commute.
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hopefully a ranger or policeman doesn't pick you up when you ride on the footpath. I've heard terrible stories where someone rode for about 2 metres to get to a shop in the middle of the city and a policeman came and gave him a really big ticket.
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Permalink Reply by SatNav on -
Bonjour MadameBike
A little off the point of Cristina's note, however relevant to yours. We have a daily bike bus (EasyRiders) that comes in to the City from the North Shore and more recently has started from Epping. Both groups typically intersect on the Gore Hill SUP near Artarmon Oval at c7.05am, and get to North Sydney at c7.20am. Return buses thru North Sydney at 5.25pm and 6.10pm. More than welcome to join us. Our website link is at the top of the Commuting page on Syd Cyclist, which has maps, full timetable etc.
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Permalink Reply by Si on -
FWIW, Wycombe is not too bad* as far as traffic goes (it's wide-ish anyway). Kurraba between Holdsworth and Ben Boyd is the worst bit heading westwards anyway - narrow and steep.
Then again, my wife managed it for a couple of years. The hills bothered her more then the traffic.
*Relatively speaking. In comparison to cycle tracks/paths in a planned city, I agree with Neil. The options are "move" and, well, "Run away! Run away!".
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Permalink Reply by Paul on -
Riding the Pacific Hwy and New Line Rd every day must have hardened me up. When I take the Gore Hill path on a "cruisy" day, I find West St to be a non-event. I have raised the issue of the bicycle logos being in the wrong place (with nth syd council), as I have copped abuse for not being in the bicycle lane, despite there not being a bicycle lane!
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Permalink Reply by Paul on
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In regards to the north Ryde to lane cove path you have seen, that was constructed as part of the approval conditions for the Lane Cove Tunnel. So, Ryde & Lane Cove Councils did not fund it. Lane Cove Council is so under funded for bicycle infrastructure that I think their existing bike plan will take about 40 years to implement.
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ahh that explains why it was done then. What's their existing bike plan? Does anyone know if North Sydney council has a bike infrastructure plan? or what the best way is to lobby them?? I think enough people just need to lobby/sign petitions/put pressure on etc for things to change. Although often you need really powerful people/groups involved for them to take notice...
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Permalink Reply by baa baa on -
What about walking? Seems about 30 minutes by leg and that would be quicker than finding a car spot around anderson park
http://www.northsydney.nsw.gov.au/resources/documents/WalkNS_Final2...
When I worked at Nth Sydney I would run in and out just as often as riding and would loop around the harbour via Anderson park to avoid the traffic fumes. It really is a nice way to take in the daily sights of the foreshore.
Sorry but North Sydney is lagging behind as far as doing things to improve bike usage . Mosman have seen the light as has Manly. Bike North would have a very thick Nth Sydney file
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