We oppose the Neutral Bay to Mosman Route (NB2M) proposal in its current form.

The proposal claims to improve child safety and maintain parking, yet neither outcome has been demonstrated in the project documentation and both are unlikely to be achieved in practice.

1. Improved safety for children has not been established

The project presents a cycle path on a congested transport route as a safety improvement for children’s journey to school. However, Transport for NSW guidance makes clear that young children and beginners are safest in enclosed, off-road environments.

Through the conversion of Barry Street to one-way operation, the proposal introduces additional traffic circulation into the Neutral Bay Public School zone and the surrounding tight network that together accommodate more than 2,200 child transfer movements each weekday. The project documentation does not assess these circulation impacts or demonstrate that safety is improved across the full journey children actually take.

2. No net loss of parking is not credible

Council claims there will be no overall loss of parking from the cycle project, yet it has not identified where all displaced spaces will be relocated. This makes meaningful community consultation premature and raises serious questions about whether suitable locations can be found at all.

A significant portion of displaced parking is proposed to be relocated onto Barry Street, a narrow residential street within the tight local network. In practice, the resulting circulation pressures are likely to trigger removal of parking at nearby choke points on Lindsay Street, reducing overall parking rather than preserving it.

The community deserves better than a proposal that relies on high-level claims while leaving critical impacts unaddressed.

Council should withdraw and redesign the proposal to properly address safety and parking outcomes.

“The safest places for young children and beginners to learn to ride bikes, scooters and skateboards are in enclosed areas. This helps to prevent falling onto the footpath, driveway or road while they’re learning to ride. Children need ongoing adult help and supervision in safe, off-road locations to develop their skills.”
Transport for NSW

Illustration of proposed circulation loop in the tight Barry–Bydown–Lindsay Street network (accommodates >2,200 child transfers per weekday by car and foot)

Lindsay Street choke point with parking on both sides and a single lane for two-way traffic.  Is this sustainable with increased and forced circulation through this tight section? Typical measures to restore traffic flow include removing parking on one side of the street.