“From bikelash to beloved” the story of Sydney’s first separated cycleway
“From bikelash to beloved: measuring what the community thinks of a cycleway 10-years later” with Dr Mike Harris, Associate Director of Mobility at the City Futures Research Centre, University of New South Wales.
It was great to revisit Sydney’s Bourke Street cycleway, and explore Mike’s research - I hope you enjoyed the conversation as much as we did!
Watch again: catch the webinar online here.
Read the paper: take a deep dive into the research, and download Mike’s paper, “Community perceptions on the contribution of bicycle paths to street quality in cities new to cycling infrastructure” here (it’s open access!).
Interesting: community concern can be surprising - 87.6% of respondents said large street trees are more important than car parking.
Attendees had questions about the bidirectional design of the Bourke Street cycleway, and if it was enough. A final word from Mike about that:
“Although limited in width, the bidirectional cycleway has delivered the single most important factor in encouraging more people to ride bikes in Sydney: safety. Since its completion, the Bourke Street cycleway has experienced sustained growth in usage. Similarly, in newer development areas designed with connected, separated cycleway networks leading into the city centre, significant numbers of residents are now cycling. A 2023 study by the UNSW City Futures Research Centre found that 19% of residents in the Ashmore Precinct and 15% in Green Square commute by bike, demonstrating the transformative potential of providing safe and connected cycling infrastructure.”
Found this webinar interesting?
Engaging Communities for Changing Streets leadership program - to be led by Mark in Amsterdam, April 2026 - is nearly full, so hurry if you want a place – details here.
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Proposed Cycleway Network (source: Bicycle NSW / Better Streets Northern Beaches)
Photo: Artistic Render of the Curl Curl - Freshwater Cycleway (source: Northern Beaches Council)