After years of campaigning by cyclists, work has begun on the Oxford Street cycle path. The dedicated 1km path will run from Taylor Square to Castlereagh Street, separating cyclists from motorists and buses on what the City of Sydney has referred to as Sydney’s busiest cycling route. And it's just the start of a larger cycle way connected Sydney's city to the east.
Although Oxford Street wasn’t listed on BikeSpot’s 2023 round-up of the most dangerous places to cycle in Sydney, anyone who’s pedalled their way along the busy six-lane road knows that it’s not the crusiest place to take on with two wheels. And according to Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore, there are more bike accidents recorded on Oxford Street than anywhere else in the city.
The first phase of the Oxford Street cycleway project – Oxford Street west – will feature a two-way cycle path connecting cyclists from Darlinghurst’s Taylor Square directly to Castlereagh Street in the CBD. Once this stage is complete (by the end of 2024), work will begin on Oxford Street east – a further stretch of cycleway running from Taylor Square to Centennial Park’s Paddington gates.
The City of Sydney pinned the current number of commuters who take on Oxford Street by bike at around 3,000 per day, a number they expect to double once the first stage of the cycle route is open.
If you commute along Oxford Street by bus, fear not; changes to bus stop locations have been described as “minor”, and fewer cyclists on the road will only make bus journeys smoother.
The project is also set to bring new garden beds and street furniture to Oxford Street, with Lord Mayor Clover Moore saying, “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.”
All the better to enjoy the excellent bars and restaurants that Darlinghurst has to offer.