City West Cycle Link
The City West Cycle Link (CWCL) will make cycling from the inner west to the CBD accessible to all
- A flat, completely off-road cycleway, linking the GreenWay, Bay Run and Cooks River cycle paths to the Anzac Bridge and the city’s “green lane” cycleways.
- A chance to make riding a bicycle from the inner west to the CBD more enticing to families and new riders by avoiding the traffic, “car door” lanes , 21 intersections and 45 vertical metres of climbing of the current Lilyfield Rd route
- A facility that will significantly expand the cycling catchment and thereby increase health and happiness and reduce congestion and pollution
What the City West Cycle Link means to you
How much will it cost?
Approximately $5 million.
(Approx Cost of Iron Cove Bridge duplication: $200 million)
Why is it urgent?
Despite strong support from all local councils and cycling groups throughout 2010, the CWCL was ruled “out of scope” for the Inner West Light Rail Project (The GreenWay) by the previous state government. Construction of the CWCL within the Lilyfield Rail Cutting must be completed before the commissioning of the Light Rail (likely, second half of 2012) after which, it will be difficult to justify service disruptions.
The time to demand the CWCL is NOW! Today.
When could it be ready?
Fourth Quarter, 2011.
Easily constructed in conjunction with the Light Rail
How can I make this a reality?
Contact your local councillor, state member and federal member with your own account of why the CWCL is important to you.
Contacts
Barry O’Farrell – State Premier
Gladys Berejiklian – Minister for Transport
Duncan Gay – Minster for Roads
Anthony Albanese – Federal Member for Grayndler and Minister for Infrastructure
Tanya Plibersek – Federal Member for Sydney
Jamie Parker – NSW Member for Balmain
Clover Moore – NSW Member for Sydney and Lord Mayor of Sydney
Other NSW Members
City of Sydney Councillors
Leichhardt Councillors
Marrickville Councillors
Ashfield Councillors
Other Federal Members
Volunteer your time/expertise to the campaign (eg, Website, Media/Communications, Cost Benefit Analyses, Graphic Design, Animation, Urban Design expertise, Bike Counts, Handing out Flyers, Philanthropy :-)…). Email Us.
Media Enquiries: David 0416 055 266
Media Articles
CWCL Proposal outlined in Sydney Morning Herald (4 May 2011)
CWCL mentioned in State Parliament (4 May 2011)
This project seems awesome. It’s not so much a case of how much it costs, but the obvious opportunity to do it in conjunction with the light rail proposal.
I have the great fortune of riding the Fernleigh track, a rail corridor in Lake Macquarie/Newcastle every day. It’s awesome. On the weekends I repeat it 2 or 3 times just to keep fit(ter).
Please seize this opportunity to make cycling in Sydney irresistible. I’m not going to benefit from this on a daily basis, but it will improve the average health of NSW. It will make health savings, and congestion improvements that will completely justify this investment by my state government.
Go for it, southern cousins!
Great Job David!
Of course I might be biased, though anyone that puts their front foot forward on a volunteer basis for a $5 million dollar project should be congratulated. I love riding bikes, and one good reason other than the obvious environmental ones, is that this project can save lives. Bring the tour de France to Sydney!
If you have ever been knocked off your bike by a car you will know what I mean!
Get on your bike an help David to help you!
Claudia
We are one of the most developed nations in the world, but our cycling infrastructure is seriously lacking. It’s even safer to ride alongside the double-decker buses in London than it is to traverse King Street during peak hour! Let’s get this happening sooner rather than later: I miss riding to work but choose not to risk my life amongst Sydney traffic. Bring on the connected cycle paths so we can all enjoy our ride to work!
Hi everyone.
The new CWCL website has more detail about the concept:
http://citywestcyclelink.org.au/
Please also “Like” us on facebook: enter “City West Cycle Link” in your facebook search bar.
Please keep the support rolling in…
The obvious next step, once a path is put in along the rail line to White Bay, is to open the old Glebe Island Bridge to cyclists permanently, rather than once a year on Cycle Sydney. There are rumours it might be demolished so this would be an opportunity to put in a lightweight foot/cycle bridge that can be opened or raised. It could be opened by remote control for the odd large boat that needs to come into Blackwattle Bay. Could still be done even if the old bridge wasnt demolished.
Another useful link would be to East Balmain via the underpass of Victoria Rd at White Bay. City of Sydney should improve its Blackwattle Bay path too, it is full of hazards (including dogs off leash). It is a flat way into Ultimo, Haymarket and parts of Glebe but was never designed adequately for cyclists. This could be accessed from the CWCL by a crossing of the City West Link road near The Crescent. Cyclists to Leichhardt from the City could also exit here and get into the back streets of Annandale, rather than go through the railway cutting and then have to climb up to Leichhardt, depending on where they were going.
So many opportunities. If only the Light Rail people had just accepted the logic of it when the light rail project was approved. It was obvious then that there was strong support for extending the Greenway through to the to the Goods Yard at Lilyfield/Rozelle.
love this visionary approach to urban living wholly support this initiative. now its just a matter of getting the critical momentum going and showing the decision makers there is a mass of people that want this to happen! spread the news.
I commute every day from Ashfield to the city via Hawthorn Canal and Lilyfield Road. This would be a fantastic addition to cycling infrastructure in Sydney and would encourage more people to ride to the city, thus relieving the awful congestion on the trains and buses. My son is about to start Year 10 at the Sydney Secondary College Blackwattle campus and this cycleway would make it much easier and safer for students such as him to ride to school.
Please let me know if I can do anything to help.
Regards,
Liam
Hi guys,
This morning 23 June 2011 a cyclist was involved in a collision on the intersection of Lilyfield Road and Balmain Road. I only emailed my state MP’s yesterday, see my post above.
To happen on to this incident today made me sick – we really need the CWCL. Please ride safely on Lilyfield road, as this mornings events show the danger is real. It could of been any one of us.
Stay safe people,
Jimwa
I sent this email to Duncan Gay today, if anyone would like to use it (with a few of their own words here and there):
Dear Mr Gay,
First of all, I’d like to pass on my congratulations regarding your appointment as NSW Roads Minister.
I write to you today regarding the City West Cycle Link.
This flat, completely off-road cycleway, linking the GreenWay, Bay Run and Cooks River cycle paths to the Anzac Bridge and the city’s “green lane” cycleways, represents an excellent, value-for-money opportunity to make riding a bicycle from the inner west to the CBD more enticing to families and new riders by avoiding the traffic, “car door” lanes , 21 intersections and 45 vertical metres of climbing of the current Lilyfield Rd route.
This facility also will significantly expand the cycling catchment and thereby increase health and happiness and reduce congestion and pollution.
I notice you have recently been quoted in The Sydney Morning Herald as saying your government wants to encourage cycling.
That is very reassuring to read, and as such I’d like to ask that your government seriously consider funding the total $5 million cost of this excellent new cycling facility.
The cycling community – indeed, the community at large – would greatly appreciate and applaud such an act.
Many thanks.
Hi all, excellent campaign.
Can we please get details on how to address the Premier? Dear Honourable Member? Sorry I’ve no idea. Will email Barry, and cc Gladys and Duncan.
I love the hills on Lilyfield Road but not the cars cutting through the cycle lane and the car doors – so would take the CWCL for sure.
Cheers,
Jimwa
@RayG – you’re obviously a bike rider, I don’t understand why you’d so oppose any development that makes riding safer, easier and more accessible to more people. OK, there may be other areas that you think need more attention, but why not support this? If this is built it will allow more people to ride bikes and that can only add more weight to any further cycleway development proposal.
I think it a great idea – I don’t live in the inner west right now but I used to ride from Leichhardt to the city daily (the flat way – via the bay, NOT via Anzac bridge), now I live in Coogee so have no choice but to climb 70m first thing every morning! I do however still ride all over sydney and I would love to be able to make use of this new link.
@Rob – I’m a web-designer/programmer with quite a bit of wordpress experience – you guys seem to have things running nicely, but if I can help, please let me know.
Imagine what it will do to property prices in the area! And, um, would be fantastic cause of the environment and everything…
News articl
http://www.news.com.au/national/australians-too-scared-to-ride-their-bikes-survey/story-e6frfkvr-1226068213282
“The joint study by the Cycling Promotion Fund and the National Heart Foundation of Australia found 80 per cent of people would like to see more bike paths separated from motor traffic.”
All the more reason for building a separated CWCL to replace the dangerous Lillyfield rd lane
Hi Rob,
Could you possibly post and explain the construction plan you brought with you to the recent GreenWay meeting. It contained an image of an undercut in the embankment and you had emphasised the pressing time constraints to get such work completed.
Thanks,
Gilbert
I am the volunteer co-ordinator for this currently unfunded project and would welcome anybody’s offer of assistance. If you have an initiative that you can offer time or talent to, please give me a call on 0419160361.
If this becomes a reality I will definitely bike to work. I live in Tempe and work at Balmain. That would give me a safe comfortable off road route almost door to door. I have been looking at bike maps to try to find a suitable non dangerous and easy way to do this. I think in general bikeways following railway lines is a good idea.
Steve,
Great idea. A copy of the flyer is on its way to you. Thanks for the suggestion. Excellent.
D
Eleena
The point I’m trying to make is that Lilyfield Road isn’t busy. I probably only get passed by about ten cars each time I use it. And that’s peak hour, with the traffic.
I think there’s a lot of higher priority cycle routes to improve before the Govt starts spending my taxes on this relatively safe, relatively flat, one.
Duplicate the path from King St to Pyrmont Bridge for starters.
Hi guys, do you have some marketing material I can print out and stick up in the bike room at work to get the message out there?
I’m not a cyclist but I think this is a good idea because my daughter cycles to work this way.
I’m all for running a cyclepath along the railway lines. Ray – there’s nothing stopping you from continuing the slog along Lilyfiled Road if this turns you on. I personally would prefer a quiet flat route that links up to the GreenWay along Hawthorne Canal. I’m happy to share busy roads where that’s necessary but I am fully supportive of pursuing a project that provides more people with more choices.
I love the idea of the City West Link. I find the hill on Lilyfield Road daunting at the best of times and I ride all over Sydney. I am often riding a cargo bike with a fair amount of gear and if I’m coming into town from Haberfield I simply cannot get up the Lilyfiled Road hill. Having an off road flat route would be just wonderful.
Sorry, David, but if you guys think that Lilyfield Road is hard and dangerous, you should move away from Sydney. Because no matter how many flat paths you get provided with here, somewhere on your ride you’re going to find a hill and some cars.
RayG – As above, addressing the Lilyfield Rd gradient is not the only justification for the project. However, in direct response to your questions/assertions:
a) Anzac Br Shared User Path (SUP) is not as steep as the Lilyfield Rd hill and further, allows for cycling OFF the road and away from car doors. (Also: can you guess what might be the future alternative to the Anzac Bridge SUP?)
b) Fix the overpass but not duplicate?
As per links above, Councils and politicians are starting to come on board.
We’re hoping to encourage a shift away from car use in the inner west and inner city and so reduce the economic, health and environmental imposts …and bring happier living.
Great job – thanks for raising awareness of this great opportunity. I regularly ride Lilyfield Rd in my commute from Ashfield to the city and consider it by far the most dangerous section of my commute.
I agree with RayG that spots like Concord to Haberfield also need attention. However it seems logical that the Lilyfield Rd section be upgraded now when other works are taking place along the proposed CWLC.
Ikea Tempe is opening in October – it’s a big deal, the largest in the Southern Hemisphere I believe. Maybe we should ask them if they want to throw their corporate weight behind this campaign as a link to the Tempe cyclepath would be beneficial for them in many ways.
David
If they can’t get up the hill from Hawthorne Canal, what are they going to do when they get to the Anzac Bridge?
I think we need to get the Govt to target areas that don’t already have good facilities, not provide duplicates.
Yes, fix the Victoria Rd overpass. I’ll agree with you on that.
RayG: The Lilyfield Rd hill (up to James St) is prohibitive for MANY people. In addition, the other gradients, on-road shoulder lanes, speeding traffic and the inappropriateness (for cycling) of the Victoria Rd overpass make the route intractable – not just difficult – for many who wish to cycle. We want cycling to be available to everyone, not only the fit and the brave. This proposal is not aimed at providing benefit for only commuters, but families and kids should be commuters too, no? Those that like the Lilyfield Rd hill (and there are many) will still get to ride the hill should they wish.
I do agree with you about the need to correct the Concord to Haberfield route. Happy to put you in touch with advocates in that area if you would like to lend support to that cause.
D
Thanks for the support guys. The project is making waves, and what is now most needed is vocal public support. Please DO write to the politicians with your views. It will make a difference with this ministry.
Chem & WK: Personal accounts to the Minister trump pro-forma letters by a long shot.
D
Someone just mention that it will remove x tonnes of C02 and they’ll be all over it.
They have very stringent targets for cutting Greenhouse gases and will pay $$$’s to meet them.
What a crock. The Lilyfield road route isn’t very hilly or very busy (I ride it regularly, so I know). You should have left the elevation scale off your profile because, with a max elevation of 35m, it argues against your case.
Why do we need a route for commuters that’s “amenable to families and kids” (SMH today)? When did families and kids become important in the commuting debate?
I think we’d be better off getting $5M spent on fixing some spots that are actually dangerous (like the places the bike lane disappears along the road from Concord to Haberfield).
Like “chem” above has suggested, a proforma ‘click send’ email would make this a lot easier.
This cycleway would be great. Lilyfield road is hard going. It would make a great connection between the Bay Run and the City/Glebe/Pyrmont cycleways.
There is no question that this city needs more cycleways.
This would be truly wonderful, removing all the barriers to commuting to the city by bike. I’ve written to the relevant government people.
please lets get this happening.
a proforma ‘click send’ email to pollies would make this quick and easy.
looking good so far…….can a pressure group be formed?
what else can we do to make it happen?
best of luck