How the City of Sydney was able to shift towards cycling infrastructure

[AUbicycles]

This is an article in the Guardian - most know that the mayor Clover Moore and her dedicated staff have been pro-cycling but limited, blocked, reversed by the state premier and politicians like Duncan Gay.

This article takes a look at what appears to to be an enduring shift. Bicycle NSW is mentioned also the impact of Cameron Frewer and tragic death and realisation. Behind this I feel is also a lot of the activity of riders who took part in protests and even some of the momentum pinged by the Australian Cyclist Party... in other words, groundwork which included many forum members that eventually contributes to the positive momentum.

However is it noted that Manly and Bayside still are against bicycles... so there is still work to be done.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-n ... the-corner

[ColinOldnCranky]

Offhand I can only think of two politicians who have risked offending their support base for an unpopular or easily attacked principled stand. Angella Merkell who accepted refugees when all others resisted and Clover Moore for standing up for the unpopular and readily attacked cycling demographic.

I know little about Sydney politics and it does not greatly affect me anyway. However I do admire her willingness to bat for a cause and not just for re-election. Methinks we need more like her in public office.

Now I need to log off and read the article.

[Comedian]

I wish we had such an innovative council in Brisbane. The focus of our council seems to be convincing car drivers that they are doing everything they can to encourage cycling. Of course if anyone actually tries cycling they pretty soon find the issues.. but hardly anyone does that so it's silly to try and actually fix the issues when that money could be better spent on marketing.

[find_bruce]

Offhand I can only think of two politicians who have risked offending their support base for an unpopular or easily attacked principled stand. Angella Merkell who accepted refugees when all others resisted and Clover Moore for standing up for the unpopular and readily attacked cycling demographic.

I know little about Sydney politics and it does not greatly affect me anyway. However I do admire her willingness to bat for a cause and not just for re-election. Methinks we need more like her in public office.

Now I need to log off and read the article.

It's probably not obvious from media accounts, but Clover is hugely popular with the voters of Sydney, as are her cycling policies. In 2016 the state govt tried to oust her by increasing the number of voters to include businesses in the area, expanding the roll from 100,000 to 140,000 - Clover's primary vote increased from 51% in 2012 to 57% in 2016 & 5 of 9 councilors.

For the Sydney CBD it's a matter of maths as well as politics - 75,000 people who live &work in the CBD & 420,000 who commute to work in the CBD & 29,000 non-residential car spaces in the CBD. The other change is that NSW we previously had a separate minister for Roads (facetiously referred to as the Minister for cars & trucks) while buses, bikes & other transport were under a separate minister.

The result was you had a transport minister who would develop a bike plan & a roads minister who would not permit it to be implemented or actively impede it, such as limiting cyclists to 6 seconds of green light every 2 minutes, even where cyclists were the majority of users of that road. Another example was on Epping Road where the lights were programmed so that cyclists had to wait for 4 to 6 minutes to cross Pittwater road. I rode that way yesterday & was shocked to find that the lights have been re-programmed so that the cycle lights were green except when other vehicles had a green light to cross that part of the intersection

Similarly the Roads minister spent $38 million on a circular bridge that meant pedestrians had to walk 440 m to cover 200 and didn't connect with cycling infrastructure. 5 years later it remains largely unused.

That changed last year & 1 minister is responsible for all transport.

I wish we had such an innovative council in Brisbane. The focus of our council seems to be convincing car drivers that they are doing everything they can to encourage cycling. Of course if anyone actually tries cycling they pretty soon find the issues.. but hardly anyone does that so it's silly to try and actually fix the issues when that money could be better spent on marketing.

Don't wish too hard - the progress looks impressive because it is from a low base & there is still a whole lot to do - there are far too many "missing links" - you can ride north to south in the CBD on cycleways, but not east to west & barriers to cycling big (52 steps on the Harbour bridge) & small (12 steps on the Gladesville Bridge)

Even the new "pop-up" cycleways are a let down in significant aspects. Pyrmont Bridge Road is a good example - there you are riding happily in a protected lane when suddenly it stops & you are forced back into the traffic at a pinch point

Overall though its a bunch of steps in the right direction & I'm hopeful that the momentum continues.

[g-boaf]

Offhand I can only think of two politicians who have risked offending their support base for an unpopular or easily attacked principled stand. Angella Merkell who accepted refugees when all others resisted and Clover Moore for standing up for the unpopular and readily attacked cycling demographic.

I know little about Sydney politics and it does not greatly affect me anyway. However I do admire her willingness to bat for a cause and not just for re-election. Methinks we need more like her in public office.

Now I need to log off and read the article.

It's probably not obvious from media accounts, but Clover is hugely popular with the voters of Sydney, as are her cycling policies.

I don't quite agree with that statement, I can find cyclists who absolutely despise Clover Moore. They would prefer Duncan Gay to rip up her cycleways just in spite at Clover.

Sadly there is a lot more needed to be done to link up all the disconnected cycleways here in Sydney. I think that's the biggest barrier to getting more people riding. They won't enforce 30km/h speed limits in suburban areas, even riders will shout that down because it will inconvenience them when they get off the bicycle and change into a car driver again.

There are of course many "riders" who believe the only place for riding should be on a cycleway or a park and that you should drive there and back, and riders don't deserve any place on the road.

[opik_bidin]

Many members of this forum contributed, I think of these:

1. More normal people while cycling : We have more people not in lycra cycling while going to work, taking kids to school, or just going to the shops. a Huge shift from the weekend warriors and sport. I think it is a good strategy to pursue and I think CoS persued this, not using the sporty ones. Why? Because these people are doing their normal activity, and are seen as one of us from many drivers point of view as they do it for work, not leisure activity. it normalizes the cycling as something everyone does, not a special superhuman doing the fastest and the furthest

2. Fighting fire with fire. This is something I and many do now. But I think before, cyclists are too polite and just receive drivers lobby complaint and anger without any rebuttal or comeback. riding on sidewalks, helmets, bike lane, cyclists on road,disabled, road tax, etc. And they mostly just keep quiet on destruction and deterioration of cycleways. I think there is a huge shift when westconnex was done, and some people now have their property destroyed and environmental concerns. Tie that to the worshipping of Cars and hating on walking, cycling, and public transport. And cyclists were beginning to get into urbanism and economics so now they can fight back. About how cars were expensive, about how more roads mean more destruction and high cost, about how bike lanes make travel time faster, economy alongside the lane blooming, and the place attractive so property price rises.

So rather than getting silenced, now we fight back and present our own case. And in many things it backfires the attacker, as it shows its actually drivers sucking money away, destroying property and business, and rather than stayong out, they make destructive roadways to the places that dont welcome cars.

on the overblown things, I think now many bogan drivers shut up about crashing into cyclists as cyclists now just say they will place nails and big stones on motorways. Same like the helmet debate, as drivers also dont wear helmets and dont want to be not left dying on the road

Other things is Money, money, money, as cycle infrastructure and cyclists are more profitable and bring money, compared to cars and drivers and just suck money. This is true for many business and property owners who now change minds, either after seeing their profit/value rise or don't want loss because their property got near or taken over by road(like westconnex did)

[find_bruce]

It's probably not obvious from media accounts, but Clover is hugely popular with the voters of Sydney, as are her cycling policies.

I don't quite agree with that statement, I can find cyclists who absolutely despise Clover Moore. They would prefer Duncan Gay to rip up her cycleways just in spite at Clover.

I'm sure you can - I didn't say she was universally popular or that every cyclist loves her, but that she keeps easily winning the elections since 2004 - we've had 7 Premiers in that time. Sorry if you thought I was referring to Sydney generally rather than the people that can actually vote for or against her.

[g-boaf]

It's probably not obvious from media accounts, but Clover is hugely popular with the voters of Sydney, as are her cycling policies.

I don't quite agree with that statement, I can find cyclists who absolutely despise Clover Moore. They would prefer Duncan Gay to rip up her cycleways just in spite at Clover.

I'm sure you can - I didn't say she was universally popular or that every cyclist loves her, but that she keeps easily winning the elections since 2004 - we've had 7 Premiers in that time. Sorry if you thought I was referring to Sydney generally rather than the people that can actually vote for or against her.

And thank goodness the objections and rants from the cyclists among us against her are drowned out. We need more like her.

Of course the other complaint is that she is a special case and all of greater Sydney must be able to vote in the elections against her, or certain people should get multiple votes. All the reasons under the sun to achieve one objective, "Get Clover". And the more they try, they fail.

Just makes me angry that we have those among us that are anti-cycling.

[opik_bidin]

Clover Moore for standing up for the unpopular and readily attacked cycling demographic.

I think its kinda not true, she stands up for would be cyclists that are not there yet and are mostly quiet as they are not being given a platform by the media. Most established cyclists are more like brave people who are okay with the condition like @g-boaf and weekend warriors. while what Clover did was more appealing to normal people who wouldnt cycle without separated protected lanes.

[g-boaf]

Clover Moore for standing up for the unpopular and readily attacked cycling demographic.

Most established cyclists are more like brave people who are okay with the condition like @g-boaf and weekend warriors. while what Clover did was more appealing to normal people who wouldnt cycle without separated protected lanes.

Speak for yourself, I'm not okay with the condition things are at right now. I'm very unsatisfied with how disjointed the cycling infrastructure is. But I'm realistic that if car driver behaviour was much better and perhaps if speeds on roads were lower more people might take up riding.

That said, we have "riders" among us here who are extremely anti-Clover and are desperate to see her gone and replaced by the LNP. These same people also sing the same tune as Alan Jones and some of the other "get Clover" types. That is just lunacy.

[ColinOldnCranky]

opik_bidin

It sounds a little like you are seeing the needs of "normal people who wouldn't cycle without separated lanes" as less worthy of attention, (which, I note from the nature of your other posts here is not really your view of the issue). I'm pretty sure that rate paying, registration paying and voting motorists defending their existing road space would not make the distinction so the risk to Clover Moore is still there.

But moving on...

...while what Clover did was more appealing to normal people who wouldnt cycle without separated protected lanes.

Which is sorta my point. Separated cycle paths in established CBDs and crowded road space almost invariably involve taking lanes from motorists. Motorists who, by and large, see those roads as an unassailable entitlement and who have considerable political clout.

So, to return to the intent of my earlier post, Clover Moore seems to have a larger pair than most of her naysayers and many others in public office.

[fat and old]

Being in Melbourne, the only time we hear about Clover Moore is when cycling has forced it's way into the news. Either a new cycle plan/facility, or occasionally the removal of a cycle facility. My impression is that she is pro cyclist. Not pro this type or that type, just cyclist. Maybe I have the wrong impression?

Bruce….we have a fair few of those sort of situations here now, but almost always with "sharrows" and big paint markings on the car side. Can't tell if there are any in that example?

[g-boaf]

Being in Melbourne, the only time we hear about Clover Moore is when cycling has forced it's way into the news. Either a new cycle plan/facility, or occasionally the removal of a cycle facility. My impression is that she is pro cyclist. Not pro this type or that type, just cyclist. Maybe I have the wrong impression?

Bruce….we have a fair few of those sort of situations here now, but almost always with "sharrows" and big paint markings on the car side. Can't tell if there are any in that example?

She is pro-cycling, she wants to get people moving and more people cycling in general, not one particular type or the other which is good, although that might annoy some who would prefer a greater preference towards one type of riding versus another. From my point of view, if we get more connected cycling infrastructure then it's a good thing. I will ride on roads if I have to, but I'd prefer not to if possible.

She will be removed and gone when all of greater metro Sydney region is allowed to vote in the local government elections for City of Sydney region, or when companies are given multiple votes to offset residential votes. This is the sort of thing we hear being proposed every time elections for City of Sydney are coming up.