Oxford Street East Cycleway

Public Domain and Activation Consultation

Thank you for providing your feedback and ideas for Oxford Street East.

The latest stage of consultation has closed and we’re reviewing all the feedback we’ve received, including over 1,100 survey submissions.

Feedback from the consultation is informing the Oxford Street East Public Domain and Activation Strategy.

Transport for NSW’s (Transport) separated cycleway will make Oxford Street safer for people who walk and people who ride bikes, as well as encourage more people of all ages to ride bikes. It will help reduce congestion, noise and pollution. The scope of the project has expanded and it will also deliver upgraded public spaces, activities and events, through the Oxford Street East Public Domain and Activation Strategy, helping to revitalise the street.

There are many active transport projects (focused on walking and bike riding) underway or recently completed in the City and surrounding areas of Bondi Junction, Surry Hills/Darlinghurst, the CBD, and Randwick. The Oxford Street East Cycleway is the missing link to help connect these cycleways for safer travel between the Eastern Suburbs and Sydney CBD.

The project proposes a two-way cycleway on the south side of Oxford Street between Paddington Gates and Taylor Square. It will reallocate road space, reducing four traffic lanes to two and retaining two bus lanes and kerbside parking. This will free up more space for walking, bike riding and outdoor dining.

The cycleway will connect to the completed Centennial Park Cycleway. It will also connect to new cycleways on Liverpool and Oxford streets at Taylor Square. These cycleways are being delivered by the City of Sydney and are jointly funded by Transport. Together these cycleways will create a continuous separated cycleway corridor between the Eastern Suburbs and Sydney CBD.

Building on early work by the City of Sydney, Transport prepared a high-level strategic design for the cycleway. In late-2022 and early-2023 we sought feedback from councils and other stakeholders on an early design. We then carried out broader public consultation from June 2023.

We are currently finalising the concept design, Oxford Street East Public Domain and Activation Strategy and final business case for the cycleway.

• The project will help to revitalise Oxford Street. The place vision to be set out in Transport’s Oxford Street East Public Domain and Activation Strategy has the potential to deliver major, wider improvements beyond the cycleway, on one of Australia’s most iconic, vibrant and culturally significant streets. 
• It will improve safety. People riding bikes currently have no choice but to ride alongside cars and share the bus lane with buses during the peak period. A separated cycleway will provide a dedicated and safer bike route for people of all ages and abilities.
• It will encourage more people to ride bikes. Bike riding can be a great option for short trips, such as from Bondi Junction to the City. Providing a separated cycleway between these two destinations along Oxford Street will make bike riding a safer, reliable and viable transport option for more people.

In February 2023, we sought feedback on the strategic design via an interactive map.

You can view comments by clicking the link below. We've also published an Early Feedback Report which captures this feedback and can be viewed here: Early Feedback Report (PDF, 10.31 MB)

View map

What is the Oxford Street East Cycleway project? 

The project seeks to deliver a new 1.8 kilometre cycleway on Oxford Street to create a safer, more convenient route between the Eastern Suburbs and Sydney CBD. The two-way cycleway will be on the south side of the road, between Paddington Gates and Taylor Square, with a barrier to separate people on bikes from vehicles. It will reduce four traffic lanes to two, while keeping two bus lanes and most kerb side parking. Importantly, since it was first announced the scope of the project has been expanded and it will also deliver upgraded public spaces, activities and events, through the Oxford Street East Public Domain and Activation Strategy, helping to revitalise the street.

Who will deliver the cycleway?

Transport is responsible for the delivery and we’re working closely with a range of stakeholders, including the City of Sydney, which is delivering new cycleways on Liverpool and Oxford Streets. The cycleways will join on Oxford Street at Taylor Square. 

The cycleway was first announced in March 2021, why has it taken so long to reach this point? 

We’ve been busy progressing the cycleway’s design, but there is a process to follow, which inevitably takes time. To date our team has carried out investigations along the route, led conversations with local councils and other key stakeholders and carried out three stages of extensive public consultation to complete the strategic design and develop the final concept design.

Why is Oxford Street the preferred cycleway location?

• Major revitalisation benefits: the place vision to be set out in Transport’s Oxford Street East Public Domain and Activation Strategy (the focus of ‘Have your Say’ consultation in 2024), has the potential to deliver major, wider improvements beyond the cycleway, on one of Australia’s most iconic, vibrant and culturally significant streets. 
• A more walkable and rideable street will be good for business: growing evidence supports this claim about business benefits (please see the Oxford Street East Cycleway Consultation Report (PDF, 11.73 MB) for more information).
• Greater safety benefits: crash data collected between 2019 and 2023 (inclusive) shows a total of 65 reported crashes on Oxford Street. 14 involved people riding bikes, a very high proportion, compared to the total number of crashes. A separated cycleway will help more people travel more safely, including around 220 people a day who feel the need to ride on the footpath. 
• Recognising Oxford Street is a more popular route: although numbers inevitably vary, currently over 900 people a day use Oxford Street as their preferred bike riding route, which is more than twice as many as the temporary cycleway on Moore Park Road, even without a separated cycleway. At the weekend, bike riding along Oxford Street also increases, which shows the great potential for more leisure trips along Oxford Street by bike. 
• Using a better connected and more direct route: the Oxford Street East Cycleway will connect to the Centennial Park Cycleway, which has been completed, and the Oxford Street West Cycleway, which is nearing completion. Together they will create a continuous, separated cycleway corridor between Bondi Junction and the Sydney CBD, joining at Taylor Square.

What is Transport’s approach to parking and traffic modelling?

Transport’s approach is to minimise any impacts where possible. We’ve heard loud and clear from the community and businesses that parking is very important and we’re keen to emphasise that the current parking arrangement, with parking on both sides of the street during off-peak hours, will be retained once the cycleway is in place, noting there may be some changes to parking restrictions. We're working hard on the current design to have no net loss of parking. 

We do have some constraints and accommodating new 40 metre bus stops will mean better access to public transport, while also meaning we will need to relocate some parking spots. We’re also looking at some new peak hour parking restrictions to maintain the traffic flow. These restrictions are only proposed on around 20 per cent of the total parking spots and include spots located on the north side in the morning peak, on the south side in the afternoon peak and both sides during the Saturday peak traffic period. We’ll release more information about proposed parking changes as soon as possible. 

Our approach to traffic modelling includes both technical and behavioural elements. For example, we’ve carried out comprehensive traffic modelling to assess the impact on general traffic and buses. However, when the cycleway goes in, people will be adapting to a completely new road environment where some people may choose to bike ride or walk where they may have otherwise driven, or they may take another route to get to work once the changes are in place. We’ll be running campaigns to help promote the use of the cycleway, especially for people who don’t currently feel safe enough to ride because there is no separated cycleway. This includes women and children for example, which studies have shown are less likely to ride without this separation. 

The modelling report will be part of the suite of documents made available for further public feedback during Transport’s Review of Environmental Factors (REF) exhibition, which is consistent with what we do on other similar projects.

How will people get around with changed traffic conditions?

Transport has heard and acknowledges concerns about the removal of right-hand turns and we’ve re-examined our plans in light of this feedback. As a result, we're considering retaining the right-hand turn at South Dowling Street onto Oxford Street, following design and safety assessments. However, as well as for safety reasons, right-hand turn bans are necessary to ensure the flow of traffic. Alternative access towards the southern side of Paddington will be from Flinders Street and Moore Park Road. The access for the northern side, for Jersey Road, will be from Ocean Street, with minimal impact to travel times.

Will there be right-hand turn bans? 

Internal safety and operational assessments indicate right-hand turns bans are needed for the cycleway to operate safely. Introducing bans reduces the risk of cars turning into the path of people walking, people riding bikes and other vehicles and avoids queuing behind turning vehicles. It has been increasingly introduced in cities across the world to address congestion and safety issues. 

Right-hand turn bans were proposed at the following locations:

• Northbound from South Dowling Street onto Oxford Street
• Eastbound from Oxford Street onto Greens Road
• Eastbound from Oxford Street onto Oatley Road
• Westbound from Oxford Street onto Jersey Road
• Eastbound from Oxford Street onto Lang Road.

However, we’ve heard and acknowledge local concern about the removal of right-hand turns and have re-examined our plans. In response to this feedback, we are considering retaining the right-hand turn at South Dowling Street onto Oxford Street, following design and safety assessments.

Will there be changes to bus stops and bus services?

To provide space for the cycleway and to mitigate any delay in bus travel times due to the reduced number of lanes, we're proposing to reduce eight bus stops to five along the south side of Oxford Street.

Bus stop consolidation has distinct benefits for people who rely on bus travel. Fewer bus stops mean less stopping which would help to improve bus travel time and reliability. The larger bus platforms, big enough to hold two buses at each location, will also improve bus capacity along the corridor.

When will the project be delivered?

Funds are in place to develop a concept design, final business case and planning approval for the project. This will help to determine delivery funding and construction timeframes. Further updates will be shared with the community and key stakeholders.

What consultation have you carried out?

We’ve consulted for over two years – from early feedback on a very high-level design through to the latest consultation on the Public Domain and Activation Strategy. The results have seen community-driven initiatives as the centrepiece of this project feedback. These were generated through consultation, including an online ‘Have Your Say’ survey, which resulted in over 1,100 responses, a workshop with the community and key stakeholders, and meetings with businesses and other groups. We’ve received over 3,000 written feedback responses to date and continue to engage widely with key stakeholders and the wider community.

What changes have you made based on community feedback?

All feedback received has been carefully considered and responses have been provided in the Oxford Street East Cycleway Consultation Report (PDF, 11.73 MB) where possible. However, there are matters that can’t be feasibly and safely addressed through design changes. For example, removing all the proposed right-hand turn bans.

Internal safety and operational assessments show most are needed to prevent the risk of collisions between vehicles, and people both riding and walking. It’s also important for public transport passengers to avoid delays to off-peak buses.

Planned changes and actions in response to the feedback include:

• keeping the right-hand turn at South Dowling Street onto Oxford Street
• a speed zone review
• behaviour change campaigns to encourage people to choose bike riding or public transport options, over driving or using alternate routes. 

We’re also currently developing the Oxford Street East Public Domain and Activation Strategy in direct response to feedback.

How have you addressed the concerns that some businesses have about the cycleway?

We are mindful of the needs of local businesses who have weathered the challenges of retail malls, Covid-19, online shopping and the cost-of-living squeeze and are understandably worried about the impacts of any further change. We take these concerns seriously and share the community’s aspiration for an economically vibrant Oxford Street. Far from jeopardising local business, we believe the cycleway offers an opportunity to catalyse placemaking, encourage visitors and support business success, as described above. Please see the Oxford Street East Cycleway Consultation Report (PDF, 11.73 MB) for more information. Business owners are encouraged to contact us at osecycleway@transport.nsw.gov.au, or by calling 1800 684 490 to discuss their specific concerns.

How does the Oxford Street Cycleway connect to the rest of the bike network in the area?

It will connect to the completed Centennial Park Cycleway and the City of Sydney's new two-way, separated cycleway along Liverpool Street and Oxford Street, from Castlereagh Street to Taylor Square. When the Oxford Street East Cycleway is delivered, these two routes will create a continuous, separated cycleway corridor between Bondi Junction and the Sydney CBD.

Other cycleway projects are underway or have recently been completed in the City and surrounding areas, including between Kingsford and Centennial Park.

How wide will the cycleway lanes be along Oxford Street?

The width of the cycleway will vary along the route. In most places, it will reach a maximum width of three meters (1.5 metres in each direction). In locations where there are upgraded bus stops, the cycleway would be 2.4 metres wide (1.2 metres in each direction). Traffic lanes would be 3 metres wide, which is wider than the current width of 2.5 metres, and bus lanes would be 3.2 metres wide, which is greater than the current width of 2.7 metres. Lane width will be looked at more closely as part of the development of the design.

When will construction happen on Oxford Street? 

Transport is very keen to manage any construction in close consultation with business and residents, to reduce or mitigate any impacts where we can. We're learning lessons on other projects including the Oxford Street West cycleway project, as well as from the invaluable feedback we’ve received from businesses about previous works on Oxford Street. We'll ensure business access is maintained at all times. Subject to project funding, our construction period is anticipated to be between 15 and 18 months.  

We're also looking at additional assistance to businesses as part of the Oxford Street East Public Domain and Activation Strategy, through business support and activation programs. These will be developed further in the detailed design stage, in consultation with local councils and businesses. Construction would take place in stages to minimise impacts and a detailed construction staging plan will be developed during the next stage of design. This will also be part of the public Review of Environmental Factors (REF) exhibition.

How can I find out more about the City of Sydney's cycleway project?

For more information on the separated cycleway on Oxford Street West and Liverpool Street, please see the City of Sydney's project webpage, which also includes contact information, for anyone seeking more information.

What are the next steps?

We're currently working to finalise the concept design, Oxford Street East Public Domain and Activation Strategy and final business case.

We'll then prepare a Review of Environmental Factors (REF), to assess the Oxford Street East Cycleway. The REF will be placed on public display.

The public display period for the REF will allow the community and stakeholders the opportunity to provide further feedback on the design of the cycleway and the impacts that we’ve identified.  We will continue to engage with the community and stakeholders through the life of the project.

All feedback received will be carefully considered before a final decision on the project is made.

• Community update – July 2024 (PDF, 899.82 KB)
• Community update - December 2023 (PDF, 149.91 KB)
• Community update - June 2023 (PDF, 792.81 KB)

• Oxford Street East Cycleway Consultation Report - December 2023 (PDF, 11.73 MB)
• Early Feedback Report - June 2023 (PDF, 6.58 MB)