As glitter and feather remnants disappear from Sydney’s Oxford St following last weekend’s Mardi Gras parade, construction works are kicking off on the thoroughfare.
It’s the beginning of a 1km cycleway on the west end of Oxford St that will aim to make cycling simpler and safer for thousands of commuters and locals daily.
The dedicated cycle path will connect the city to the eastern suburbs, and separate cyclists from motorists along one of the busiest and most dangerous roads for riding in the area.
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The works between Taylor Square and Castlereagh St, along the northern side of Liverpool St and Oxford St, will be staged throughout the year to minimise disruptions.
Weather permitting, the section of new cycleway is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.
Almost 3000 cyclists travel along the bike route daily but, after completion of the ‘west end’ project, that number is expected to double in the first year.
“We know more people want to ride, but will only do so when they feel it’s safe,” said Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore.
“When we install safe cycling infrastructure, we regularly see the number of people riding that route double in the first 12 months.”
She says there are more cycling accidents on Darlinghurst’s main street than anywhere else in the city — a grim statistic it’s hoped the cycleway will minimise.
“Oxford Street is our most popular street for riding, but it also has the most reported bike crashes of any street in our area,” Moore said.
“This important project will also calm traffic, create a buffer that makes the footpath more pleasant and increase the number of people using the street, all of which will make Oxford Street an even more vibrant part of our city.”
Some minor changes will be made to parking and loading, and to the location of bus stops, but it will “largely reflect the existing situation” when works are completed.
The Oxford St west project is jointly funded by the City of Sydney and the NSW Government.
A separate Oxford St east project will aim to extend the cycleway on the southern side of Oxford Street, east of Taylor Square and up to Paddington Gates.