Oxford Street East Cycleway

In June 2023 we began further public consultation about the cycleway, and we have spent hundreds of hours engaging with the community about it. Our face-to-face engagement has included pop-up community information sessions and door-knocking businesses along the proposed route.

We received over 2,000 submissions which were carefully considered. In response, we have published the Oxford Street East Cycleway Consultation Report (PDF, 11.73 MB). This report provides an overview of what we heard, gives our responses to frequently raised topics, and outlines next steps.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to give us feedback.

A separated cycleway will make it safer for both people who walk and people who ride bikes, as well as encourage people of all ages to ride bikes. It will also help rejuvenate Oxford Street by improving its amenity, reducing congestion, noise, and pollution.

There are numerous active transport projects 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 Oxford Street East Cycleway project proposes a two-way cycleway on the south side of Oxford Street between Paddington Gates and Taylor Square. It will change the allocation of road space, reducing four traffic lanes to two and retaining two bus lanes and kerbside parking.

The cycleway will connect to the Centennial Park Cycleway, which has been completed. 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 for NSW (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 of the Oxford Street East Cycleway. We then carried out broader public consultation from June 2023.

We are currently progressing a more detailed concept design for the cycleway.

• The cycleway will help to rejuvenate Oxford Street. Historically, Oxford Street has hosted a mix of businesses, educational institutions, health facilities and visitor destinations. Replacing two lanes of traffic with a separated cycleway will enhance the amenity of Oxford Street and provide opportunities for place making by reducing traffic, noise, and air pollution.  
• The cycleway will improve safety. People on bikes currently have no choice but to ride alongside cars and share the bus lane with buses during the peak period. A separated cycleway would provide a dedicated and safer bike route for people of all ages and abilities.
• The cycleway 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 have 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. It will deliver a new two-way cycleway 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.

Who will deliver the cycleway?
Transport is responsible for the delivery of the Oxford Street East Cycleway, and we are 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 have 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 extensive public consultation to complete the strategic design and develop the final concept design.

Why is Oxford Street the preferred route for the permanent cycleway instead of Moore Park?
There are several reasons for this decision which are detailed on pages 26 and 27 of the Oxford Street East Cycleway Consultation Report (PDF, 11.73 MB). Among other things, Oxford Street is a more direct route between the Eastern Suburbs and Sydney CBD. In comparison to Moore Park Road, and despite the absence of a separated cycleway, Oxford Street is currently used by many more people who ride bikes and demand continues to grow.

Will parking spaces be removed?
Car parking along Oxford Street is currently prohibited during the peak period to give priority to buses (westbound 6am -10am and eastbound 4pm - 7pm) and permitted during the off-peak period and at weekends. 

We recognise that parking is important to local businesses, and we are working to ensure the current arrangements broadly remain in place when the cycleway opens. However, the location and number of parking bays along Oxford Street could change to ensure bus services can continue to run efficiently. We are carrying out investigations and studies as the concept design develops, to keep any parking reduction to a minimum.

Will the project cause congestion?
The cycleway will provide the community with more travel choices. There are many examples that show reallocating road space to bikes and buses helps to reduce congestion. For more information, please see page 30 of the Oxford Street East Cycleway Consultation Report (PDF, 11.73 MB). During the concept design stage, we will model the possible effects of the cycleway on the road network to understand any impacts.

Will there be right hand turn bans? 
Internal safety and operational assessments have indicated 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, avoids queuing behind turning vehicles and 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 have 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.

What modelling will be done to understand traffic changes and congestion impacts on Oxford Street and surrounding roads?
We have received feedback about the impact the project could have on traffic congestion. 

Traffic modelling is helping us understand what those impacts might be and to understand future traffic forecasts. We know from precedent and research that reallocating road space to public or active transport often results in reduced traffic congestion as people alter their travel choices, either by changing mode, changing route and/or changing travel time.

Our modelling results will be published as part of a Review of Environmental Factors (REF), which is a document we will prepare to assess the Oxford Street East Cycleway project under Part 5.1 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.

The REF for the Oxford Street East Cycleway project will be placed on public display and will allow the community and stakeholders the opportunity to provide further feedback on the proposal.

The travel choices people make can also be supported by public behavioural change campaigns encouraging people to choose bike riding or public transport options over driving or using alternative routes. We will continue to work with key stakeholders on these matters.

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 are 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 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. 

While these changes have been made in response to feedback, we acknowledge that there are some are matters that can’t be feasibly and safely addressed through design changes. For example, our assessments have shown that we still need to remove several right hand turns along Oxford Street. 

Internal safety and operational assessments have shown that these right hand turn bans 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.

To address feedback about public space and amenity, we are currently developing a Public Domain and Activation Strategy.

How have you addressed the concerns that some businesses have about the cycleway?
We are mindful of the needs of local traders 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 retail success. Please see pages 27, 28 and 29 of 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?
The Oxford Street East Cycleway will connect to the completed Centennial Park Cycleway, and the City of Sydney's new two-way, separated cycleway along Liverpool Street and Oxford Streets, from Castlereagh Street to Taylor Square. Work on the Liverpool Street and Oxford Street the cycleway (Oxford Street West) started in November 2023 and is expected to be completed by late 2024. 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. The Oxford Street East Cycleway is the missing link that will connect these cycleways in the Eastern Suburbs to Sydney’s CBD.

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 floating bus stops, the cycleway would be 2.4 metres wide (1.2 metre 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 concept design phase.

Transport's Oxford Street East Cycleway and the City of Sydney's cycleway along Liverpool and Oxford Streets are on opposite sides of Oxford Street. How will the two connect?
The City of Sydney's will run between Castlereagh Street and Taylor Street on the north side of Oxford Street. It is proposed that people riding bikes will transition between the eastern and western sections of the cycleway via a signalised intersection at Taylor Square. This cross-over point is being looked at more closely as part of the concept design for the Oxford Street East Cycleway project. 

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.

If you have questions about the work being carried out, or impacts of construction, please contact the construction manager directly at michael.l@mackcivil.com.au.​​​​​​

What are the next steps?
We are currently working to finalise the concept design and final business case, while also carrying out further investigations to understand how outstanding placemaking and activation outcomes can best be delivered in collaboration with a range of partners.

We will then prepare a Review of Environmental Factors (REF), to assess the Oxford Street East Cycleway project under Part 5.1 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. The REF for the Oxford Street East Cycleway project 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 have 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 - 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)