Manly Daily :: 1 Mar 2011 by Peter Bodkin
Oliver Dharma-Ratne, a cyclist and Brookvale Bike Factory employee, wants dedicated on-road bike paths. Picture: VIRGINIA YOUNG
Cyclists hoping for a dedicated bike route to connect the northern beaches to the CBD could have their wish answered, with the RTA investigating the feasibility of installing a path.
Three RTA-engaged consultants have begun preparing concepts for five proposed routes across Sydney, including one running between the northern beaches and North Sydney and then to the city.
The route was previously earmarked in the State Government’s 10-year bike plan, released last year, although this did not identify any paths on the northern beaches as among those tagged for priority.
Oliver Dharma-Ratne, from Brookvale Bike Factory, said he would like to see dedicated on-road bike paths provided for cyclists, similar to those recently installed in Sydney CBD.
“A normal, off-road pathway tends to get very congested, so road cyclists, who are riding a lot faster, won’t want to use it,” he said.
Mr Dharma-Ratne said an increasing number of people were commuting to the city on bikes, but many of them were worried about their safety when sharing the road with drivers. Adrian Bond, from Belrose Bicycles, said the main road routes from the northern beaches to the city were the most obvious locations for installing bike paths to help insulate cycle commuters from traffic.
“But there’s more talking going on than anything else, I think it’s a long time before we’ll see it happen,” he said.
An RTA spokeswoman said the bike plan was about promoting cycling as a mainstream means of transport for everyday use and the study would determine the “technical and economic feasibility” of the routes.
“The final stage of the studies will see preliminary route concept designs drawn up,” she said.
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