{"id":96,"date":"2025-03-06T13:22:26","date_gmt":"2025-03-06T13:22:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bikeleichhardt.nfshost.com\/?page_id=96"},"modified":"2026-04-27T15:13:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T15:13:29","slug":"news","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bikeleichhardt.nfshost.com\/?page_id=96","title":{"rendered":"NEWS"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The News through 2024\/25 and into 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scroll down for Lilyfield Rd Cycleway Plan<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

AGM 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bike Leichhardt AGM was held on 2 December at 6 pm at West Leagues Club Auditorium, Liverpool Rd, Ashfield.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Annual reports were presented and election of Office Bearers and Committee Members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Results of election: President, Tim Coen; VicePresident, Bob Moore; Secretary, Mark Irish; Treasurer, Laura Cunningham. Three ordinary Committee Members, Heather Manning, Keith Stallard, John McNeil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Petition<\/strong> gets Attention<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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IWBC ride to Council meeting Aug 2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A Change petition<\/a> on lack of action on new cycleways in August 2024 gathered hundreds of signatures and was presented to Council by IWBC<\/a>. IWBC member groups organised rides to the meetings and spoke in favour of a number of positive cycling motions put up by Labor and Green Councillors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mayor Darcy Byrne promised to meet with IWBC reps if Labor was returned as the majority party in the September Local Government elections. All councillors were approached to sign the Cycling Pledge, put together by IWBC. Most did, or agreed in principle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Subsequently IWBC members met with the Mayor and senior staff in December 2024 to discuss matters such as lack of resources and dedicated staff to get projects ready. The meeting was a positive one. Council and the Mayor are realising that the growing population and increasing housing densities need good cycling and walking conditions if traffic congestion and pollution is to be avoided and grid lock averted. Plus the health, greenhouse gas reduction and other benefits of Active Transport. 
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An Active Transport Forum was proposed by Councillor Kerrie Fergusson (Balmain Baludarri Ward) and was held in May 2025. Many positive statements but little effect on Council, in terms of new initiatives as of October 2025. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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40 K Speed Limit Change <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n


The IW Council and the State Government have put a plan forward to have most speed limits lowered to 40, except for some State Roads. While this is welcomed it fails to recognise that many cities and some countries around the world have adopted 30 as the Urban Default, where crashes are much less likely and 95% survivable, and streets are much more pleasant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is pleasing to see that some State or Regional roads that were 60, and where cyclists often ride, have been reduced to 50 recently, eg The Crescent, Annandale, and Sydenham Rd, Livingstone Rd and Railway Tce in Petersham. Speed limit changes are published on the Transport for NSW web site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

See more on Bicycle NSW site, Better Streets, Walk Sydney or 30 Please, and any number of research papers and articles. The United Nations also put out a declaration urging 30 be the default speed limit. The savings in deaths and injuries are well documented. <\/p>\n\n\n\n


Lilyfield Rd Cycleway<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A revised plan for a separated cycleway was prepared by consultants Complete Urban. This was be the fourth plan, after earlier plans from 2016 were withdrawn after resident backlash about loss of parking. The last plan in 2022 was withdrawn because of \u201cconcerns\u201d about tying in with Rozelle Parklands. We were quite happy with that plan, which didn\u2019t affect parking very much. The new plan was to be ready in early 2025 for consultation, but as of late 2025 itwas not ready. BL had a preview.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Update April 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The concept plan finally went on Public Exhibition, and was considered by the Local Transport Forum in April(formerly the Traffic Committee). It shows a two-way path, between parked cars and the verge, starting on the north side of Lilyfield Rd at Hawthorne Canal and swapping over after Norton St. Ending at Ryan St. A few car spots are removed between Mary and Norton Sts and east of Balmain Rd, more than balanced by 115 angle parking places east of Ryan St, for the new Parklands. (Excessive in our view)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We made a submission<\/a> .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our major concern is the two-way narrow 2.6 m path on the steep hill (300m in length, 8% average gradient) up from the canal, to Mary St, which we fought against in previous plans. Australian Standards like Austroads Part 6A or the NSW Toolbox on Cycling guide on bike paths recommend a desirable minimum of 3 m, \u201cmore on hills\u201d. We can\u2019t think of any other paths on such a steep gradient. Risks of head on collisions are high. Only a narrow buffer to cars is proposed, so car doors being opened and passengers boarding or exiting are a hazard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other concerns in the submission were the proposed roundabout at Denison St, access to side streets, lack of a connection on Balmain Rd from the City West Link to Lilyfield Rd, due to narrowness ofthe western footpath over the railway bridge, and the design of the Gordon St intersection, including the entry to Rozelle Parklands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

White Bay Power Station<\/strong>. 
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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New path from the Victoria Rd underpass to the Power Station. Gate is locked as at March 2025.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Placemaking NSW has received $17m funding for active transport works around the recently renovated and repurposed Power Station.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The shared path on Victoria Rd east of Robert St is to be widened by using some of the Power Station land adjacent to the current path. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bus stop on Robert St near Victoria Rd will be relocated off the shared path or the path rerouted around the back of the stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And last but not least a connection direct to the Victoria Rd underpass and Anzac Bridge path from Robert St is planned, on the flat land next to the Power Station, opening maybe late 2025. A temporary path is already built but can only be used when no events or construction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sydney Ports<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A meeting was held in November with Sydney Ports about future bike links to East Balmain and connections to the Glebe Island Bridge or Anzac Bridge on Port land at White Bay. Members of Bike Leichhardt and Balmain Rozelle Climate Change Active Transport Group attended. Sydney Ports has just finished a Masterplan for White Bay and were generally supportive of links we proposed, such as opening Lower Booth St so cyclists could get to Donnelly St more directly from Robert St, and getting to the old Glebe Island Bridge. They said the old bridge might have to wait until 2032, when the Metro will open, for it to be opened as a bike and pedestrian way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Greenway<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Work is proceeding on the section between Parramatta Rd and Canterbury Rd, with several tunnels already built or under construction at Parramatta Rd, Longport St, Davis St and Constitution Rd. See Inner West Council Greenway page<\/a> for the latest, or go for a ride!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Greenway Path is cantilevered over the canal between Parramatta Rd and Longport St.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Federal Govt announced in February 2025 that they would fund the missing link, an underpass of Old Canterbury Rd at Weston St.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Inner West Bike Routes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well known consultant and Bike East member Dick van den Dool has been employed by Council to select new routes for the Bicycle Strategy and Action Plan and sift through lists of current routes and works supplied by Bike Leichhardt and IWBC that need upgrades. 

Council has a few projects ready and some almost ready for funding applications but they need to have more \u201cin the pipe line\u201d, and ready to go, to attract very limited State Government Active Transport grants. Labor councillors have promised to double the spend by 2028, but we have doubts they can get enough projects selected, concept designs done, consulted on, final designs done and approved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bike Leichhardt has also been attending the quarterly IWBC meetings with Council engineers to discuss many smaller \u201cworks for bikes\u201d that will improve access. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

***Current news<\/strong> and views<\/strong> are often put up on our facebook page \/bikeleichhardt or on Bike Marrickville group page. Another popular face book group with current news and discussion is Sydney Bicycle Commuters (Old and New). Bicycle NSW has good info or advocacy articles. ***<\/p>\n\n\n\n

IWBC.ORG.AU has more details and news on bike routes and Council meetings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The News through 2024\/25 and into 2026 Scroll down for Lilyfield Rd Cycleway Plan AGM 2025 Bike Leichhardt AGM was held on 2 December at 6 pm at West Leagues Club Auditorium, Liverpool Rd, Ashfield. Annual reports were presented and election of Office Bearers and Committee Members. Results of election: President, Tim Coen; VicePresident, Bob […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-96","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikeleichhardt.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/96","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikeleichhardt.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikeleichhardt.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikeleichhardt.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikeleichhardt.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=96"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/bikeleichhardt.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/96\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":256,"href":"https:\/\/bikeleichhardt.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/96\/revisions\/256"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikeleichhardt.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=96"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}