Waverley Council has opened its largest sustainable transport project to date – the Bondi Junction Cycleway and Streetscape Upgrade (Bondi Road to St James Road section).
The Bondi Junction Cycleway links Bondi Road to York Road via Bronte Road, Spring Street, Oxford Street and Denison Street, providing a connection to the city on existing cycling infrastructure.
Waverley Mayor, Paula Masselos, said the cycleway has transformed connections for cycling, walking and access to public transport in Sydney’s east, with an average of 3000 trips being taken on the cycleway each week.
Mayor Masselos said the project aligns with Council’s vision to reduce car travel overall and help Council achieve its new community greenhouse gas emission target of net zero by 2035, as announced by Council in March this year.
“The Bondi Junction Cycleway and Streetscape Upgrade is a priority project of the Council’s Complete Streets plan to enhance the vibrancy of the Bondi Junction CBD, making it a more beautiful place to live, visit and do business,” Mayor Masselos said.
“It allows people of all ages and abilities, including families, to hop on a bike and travel safely from A to B and beyond.
“We know that a separated cycleway is best practice infrastructure, and since the bike link was first proposed, extensive work was undertaken to achieve a world-class design.
“Throughout this project, Council has been working closely with our local businesses to support their needs during construction and we value these relationships as we continue to see an increase in visitation to the Bondi Junction CBD during this vital period of economic recovery after lockdowns, and this project supports that.”
All the pathways and streets along the cycleway have been upgraded with new street furniture and garden beds and 57 trees have been planted along the route.
“These new trees are part of our commitment to increasing tree canopy in our area to help cool our dense urban spaces, with temperatures likely to increase further under projected climate change,” Mayor Masselos said. Read our related story here about our SkyParks program.
The upgraded streetscape will greatly improve safety, accessibility and the general aesthetic around Bondi Junction, and businesses are reporting increases in foot traffic and visitation. The public infrastructure enhancements Council has delivered are also expected to improve locality values.
To enhance the safety of the cycleway, Council is launching an awareness campaign for pedestrian and bike riders, including increased signage and education.
“We acknowledge that cycleways aren’t as common in Sydney as in other cities around the world, so we encourage pedestrians to always look both ways when crossing the bike route and for bike riders to be courteous, patient and always aware of their surroundings.”
Construction of the final section [210 metres] of the cycleway, connecting Oxford Street to Centennial Park, is due to commence in the coming months and will be completed by late 2022, weather permitting.
