Change takes time, and in the case of the Curl Curl - Freshwater Connectivity and Streetscape Upgrade, lots and lots of time. The Northern Beaches Council first considered options to better connect the Sydney suburbs of Curl Curl and Freshwater in 2021. Though a shared path was originally proposed, an outpouring of community support for a separated cycleway saw it approved in April 2022 and works began in November 2022. This was a massive win for the community. The cycleway will connect thousands of homes, shops, two schools and several parks to the existing cycleway network. An outline of the cycleway’s 1.4km route within the planned cycleway network is shown below. However, since work began it hasn’t been smooth sailing. Local residents encountered issues such as not knowing where to park or how to access their driveways, and narrowed lanes made it more difficult to turn safely. After community outcry, work was paused in June 2023 and partially reversed, for further community consultation and refinement. Following further community consultation, the option of a shared pedestrian-cyclist path was revived as a compromise. Better Streets Northern Beaches firmly objected to the shared path option, the reasons including:
Throughout this process Better Streets Northern Beaches has worked with Northern Beaches Council to complete this cycleway. Better Streets Northern Beaches and Bicycle NSW have lodged several joint submissions and met with the project team on multiple occasions. Following these discussions Council’s team implemented several suggested changes such as additional landscaping along the route. Crucially, after Better Streets' advocacy with strong support from the community, Councillors voted in April 2024 to move forward with the proposed separated cycleway, pending Transport for NSW feedback. An artistic render of what the cycleway might look like when complete is given above (title image). Better Streets Northern Beaches wholeheartedly supports the Curl Curl to Freshwater Cycleway and hope that this marathon journey to deliver a cycleway is coming to an end. The project will not only provide a new and safe Active Transport connection, but will deliver a whole host of other benefits including:
While this project, like so many others, has encountered hurdles and delays we are confident that once complete, the community will wonder how they ever lived without it! Nevertheless, advocacy for Better Streets for the Northern Beaches continues. Recently we’ve:
Better Streets Northern Beaches is currently gearing up to formally register as a community group with Northern Beaches Council, which will strengthen our ties and ability to work constructively with the Council . If you live on Sydney’s Northern Beaches and want to follow or join us on our mission for safer and more active communities, please reach out on Facebook or [email protected], we’d love to have you on board!
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Did you know that around 60% of car trips in Sydney’s Inner West are under 5 kilometres? That’s a short distance – perfect for hopping on a bike! But here’s the catch: our street designs prioritise driving over walking and riding a bicycle...
This means pedestrians have to cross wide streets without protection, and bike riders are often squeezed between parked cars and speeding drivers. The Inner West’s bike advocates have been inspired by our neighbours in the City of Sydney. They’ve shown us that high-quality cycleways can be built rapidly, transforming the way people move around the city. Safer infrastructure means more riders, less congestion, better health outcomes, and increased independence for students and mobility scooter users, too! The Inner West Council has worked hard on a Cycling Strategy, but we've yet to see much action on the ground. With a train line closing for upgrades, and new urban highways causing unprecedented congestion, the Inner West Bicycle Coalition has started a petition to show council that we want and need more cycleways now! Join us in creating a safer, greener, and happier Inner West. Sign the petition, share it with your friends, and let’s pedal toward a brighter future! 👉 Sign the Petition here: https://www.change.org/SafeCyclingInnerWest At its 4th June meeting, the Inner West Council unanimously voted for the motion raised by Councillors Dylan Griffiths and Tim Stephens on our petition. The council resolution acknowledged our petition and has requested council staff to produce a report outlining opportunities to accelerate cycleway delivery. However, we need more than a report to improve our streets! Whether you’re a school kid, a daily commuter, or a cargo-bike enthusiast with toddlers, pets, or groceries, we want you to reach your destination safely and with a smile. Remember, every signature counts! Together, we’ll turn our streets into vibrant, bike-friendly corridors. 🌟 Happy cycling! Better Streets, along with over 450 organisations around the world have signed the open letter by the Partnership for Active Travel and Health (PATH), calls on the UNFCCC, governments and negotiators of the COP28 climate conference to give more priorty and investment in walking and cycling to significantly accelerate progress on climate goal and improve people's lives.
Link to the letter here Where are you based: Sydney / Gadigal What do you do for Better Streets? I've done some work on the website, trying to make it more streamlined to learn who we are and how to help out (like adding the big yellow "Get involved" button). I was one of the marshalls at the Better Streets Weekend as well. I also do work with BIKEast (who are Better Streets coalition members) advocating for better cycleways in the Eastern Suburbs. Lately I've been working on an online map to help people find bicycle infrastructure in their area so they can work out good routes to ride: https://sydneybikemap.ethan.link/ Why did you join Better Streets?
Riding my bike to explore Sydney and get around has been so good for my mental and physical health. There's nothing better than riding home after a tough day and feeling stoked afterwards, or taking a little detour along the way and discovering an interesting new place. I want us to build enough bike infrastructure so that everyone can have that experience. I'm also interested in making our streets more fun, beautiful, enjoyable places to be. I love walking through the city with friends, sometimes we will walk halfway around the city chatting without even realising it. George Street, Darling Harbour and Barangaroo are such beautiful places to be at night. Although sometimes we will accidentally walk to Barangaroo before we've eaten and then remember you can't get anything for under $20 there. What is your favourite street in the world and why? George Street for sure!! It's like the spine of our city, everyone walks down there if they want to go north/south. It's so full of activity, particularly in winter when it gets dark early, and there's some beautiful architecture along it too. And no traffic noise or fumes of course! It's what I show visitors to Sydney. Bourke Street in Surry Hills would be a close second, I love that it's such a long cycleway that takes you so many places. It's crazy to think it was completed all the way back in 2011 when there were barely any cycleways, and still holds up as a great quality cycleway. And soon to be connected properly to the city via Oxford Street! Where can we find you online: I have a Mastodon account where I post about cycleways, transport and urbanism. Mastodon works similar to Twitter but not controlled by a single company. There's lots of other great urbanist and cycling folk on there. Mastodon: https://urbanists.social/@SydneyCyclewaysFan Our roads wouldn’t work too well if they weren’t connected.... and neither will our bike lanes..... It’s time to connect the dots. It’s time to Choose Better! |
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