Sydney Cycleways - George st

http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/Council/OnExhibition/CyclewayGeorgeStreetRedfern.asp

There is no doubt in my mind that the Sydney City Lord Mayor Clover Moore is one gutsy lady. She has been under sustained media attack for her determination with the installation of segregated on road bikeways. This is all about to begin again with the conclusion of consultation of the George St Cycleway.

The strange thing regarding the cycleways in Sydney is that the most controversial cycleway have not been one of the CBD cycleways but the first to run through Inner city suburbia, the Bourke St cycleway. To me this seams completely bizarre but it is the way it is. The main complaint seamed to stem around the fact that to make the Bourke St Cycleway work over it's 3.2 km length there was to be a lost of around 60 car spaces. To me this very little as it equals around a lose of around 6% of the street frontage to car parking.

The George St Cycleway is no different. Just like the Bourke St cycleway it runs in Inner City Suburbia in fact it is just 700m to the west of the Bourke St Cycleway & the main complaint regarding the cycleway again is around the removal of some parking to make it work. This has been outlined out in this article. This is currently being heavily debated on the Sydney cycling forum Sydney Cyclist.  In the debate some very interesting facts are coming up regarding the people that are complaining about the removal of the car spaces so I strongly suggest you look at the links.

I would like to preface this next bit that I do not fully understand the area in question but have looked at it with the help of the Internet. My profession is as a drafter and as such I not only love looking at plans and maps but I can quickly and easily understand them. I have looked at the plans that the council have released and I love it. To me they make sense and I see no problem with them. Yes there is the lose of some car spaces but some things have to change to fit in a new transport corridor. The new cycleway is to be around 2kms long and will run along George Street between Cleveland St & Bourke St (not the Bourke street cycleway as that has not got that far yet). The street in this distance goes from units and terrace houses to light industrial. This means that there will be trip generators at both ends of the cycleway. A very important thing when making an active transport corridor. At the City end (Cleveland st) the cycleway links into and existing shared path through Prince Albert Park that will then link to the CBD cycleways such as Wentworth Av Cycleway that then links into the Collage St Cycleway. All in all this cycleway is not a stand alone cycleway but like other cycleways is forming and network that will allow most people to get where they want on a bike.

From looking at plans I think the new George St Cycleway will be a success just like the Bourke st cycleway. I know there is a serial Youtuber that continues to post footage saying the Bourke St is not being used (he uses the same footage over and over and over etc etc). He has in fact flooded you tube with his garbage. All I have to say is don't believe him. I have been to Bourke St Cycleway myself during peak hour and seen people using it. For that reason I submit these pictures I took during March and the councils own video data.

I have to say I look forward to seeing the commencement of the George St cycleway and all I can say is go Clover! Now if only Brisbane's Lord Mayor Graham Quirk would do the same to our George St. Hummm

Trying you find this clip was made very hard because there is so much junk that has been posted by that serial Youtuber. But I found it that is the main thing.

It should be noted that in all the pictures there is always more than just a few cyclists in each photo. These were taken within only about 2 minutes as I only went up to have a quick look. Don't believe everything you see on Youtube.