Newcastle’s cycling network continues to grow, with City of Newcastle seeking community feedback on the second stage of the Hunter Street Trial Cycleway project.
The proposed cycleway between National Park Street and Ivy Street will run on both sides of Hunter Street, separated from other traffic.
The project follows successful completion of the Stage 1 Hunter Street trial cycleway between Worth Place and National Park Street in 2021.
Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said this project is part of an ongoing effort to deliver safe, connected and convenient cycleways across the city.
“By prioritising our investment in cycleway infrastructure, we want to provide connections for people of all ages and abilities to ride along safely and confidently, giving everyone the choice to incorporate cycling into their lives,” Cr Nelmes said.
“We’re applying a human-centred approach to our planning that promotes sustainability and liveability. As a result, we are making a significant investment in new, safe cycleways with almost $5 million being allocated to cycleways projects under the 2023/24 capital works budget.”
Councillor Charlotte McCabe invited the community to embrace the opportunity to discover the joy of riding more in our beautiful city.
“As population growth puts pressure on our roads and streets, providing additional space for cars is not the answer, but re-evaluating how we use these spaces will help to support and enrich our daily lives and lead to a healthier, greener and more connected Newcastle,” Cr McCabe said.
Stage 2 of the trial cycleway proposes a reduction to one travel lane on each side of the road to improve pedestrian safety and allow for parking to be retained, new treatments at all intersections and at the rail bridge, and safe buffer zones with plastic separators.
Once linked with Stage 1, this 2km long dedicated lane for cyclists will connect commuters, residents and visitors from the suburbs of Islington and Tighes Hill into the city.
President of the Newcastle Cycleways Movement Sam Reich said the project aims to address the need for safer active transport networks.
“The Hunter Street Cycleway builds towards the current best practice approach by providing a safe separated bicycle lane in each direction, between the parked cars and the footpath,” Mr Reich said.
“Since the installation of the separated cycleway as part of stage one of this trial, we’ve seen an increase in the number of cyclists using Hunter Street.
“By connecting it to this second stage of the project, it will help encourage people in Mayfield, Islington, Hamilton and Wickham to take up bike riding for at least some of their short to medium trips into the city, thereby reducing traffic volumes and congestion and freeing up car parks whilst undertaking enjoyable exercise.”
City of Newcastle received $1.5 million from Transport for NSW under the NSW Government’s Get NSW Active Program to complete this important cycleway connection.
Community feedback on the proposed concept plans for Hunter Street Trial Cycleway Stage 2 is open until 5pm, Wednesday 8 November 2023. Visit newcastle.nsw.gov.au/yoursay, to complete the online survey.
