Attention:

Premier of New South Wales, Mike Baird

Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight, Duncan Gay

Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Andrew Constance

The NSW Government's Sydney City Centre Access Strategy, a plan which includes a number of vital improvements to the accessibility of the Sydney CBD including transformation of George Street into a pedestrian boulevard, the expansion of our light rail network and the commitment to complete the Sydney Cycleway Network was an exciting prospect and and an example of the type of forward-thinking solutions demanded by the increasing demand on our limited public space. The vast majority of people access the city by public transport or on foot. The rate of cycling in the Sydney CBD has more than doubled in the past three years. These forms of transport are active and sustainable. Their promotion improves the health and wellbeing of our city's residents and encourages them to be participate in and activate our city's spaces, while also addressing the urgent environmental challenges that we face.

It is with great disappointment that we Sydneysiders see our government backtracking on the promises that were initially made as part of this plan. Instead of further promoting cycling infrastructure as part of this plan the Government is propsing to indefinitely postpone sections which were due to be constructed this year and to destroy sections that have already been constructed. These involve major backwards steps and a number of broken promises.

The College Street Cycleway is one of the most successful elements of the existing Sydney Cycleway Network. It is one of the most utilised sections of separated cycleway in Sydney, funneling thousands of commuters in and out of the CBD each day. It takes up only 20% of the road space while moving 20% of the flow of people on College St in the morning peak, a share which is only continuing to rise. The separated cycleways have halved the reported rates of injuries on the sections of road on which they have been constructed. It has done all this with no negative impact on the traffic flow on College Street.

These facts are all known to you as they are the result of the technical analysis which your government undertook to support the Sydney City Centre Access Strategy. Despite this, you have proposed to destroy this piece of infrastructure to expand the roadway on College Street. We demand that you maintain this vital piece of Sydney's Cycleway network.

Initially your government committed to delaying this destruction until after the completion of the proposed Castlereagh Street Cycleway, but on 28 May Minister Gay announced that not only would the Castlereagh Street Cycleway not be constructed until at least after the construction of light rail (if ever), but that the College Street Cycleway will still be destroyed regardless. This amounts to a broken promise on top of a broken promise.

Premier and Minister, we are Sydneysiders who are committed to promoting a livable Sydney which promotes the movement of people over the movement of motor vehicles. We have repeatedly written to you. You did not respond. We have gathered in our hundreds to ride on this infrastructure and on the roadways to voice our displeasure. You did not respond. We will continue to make our voices heard until you get the message that active and sustainable transport is the future for our city.

Do not destroy the College Street cycleway!