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Sydney’s COVID-era “pop-up” bike lanes linking the inner east to the CBD are set to remain, as the City of Sydney pushes ahead with plans to make the once-temporary infrastructure permanent despite mounting opposition from residents.
Councillors this week voted to extend the Moore Park Road and Fitzroy Street cycleways until at least the end of the year, as it initiates a formal process to determine whether the lanes become part of the city’s long-term cycling network.
Originally installed in 2020 during the height of COVID-19 restrictions, the pop-up cycleways were built as a short-term measure to support essential workers and reduce pressure on public transport. But in the years since, they have evolved into one of Sydney’s busiest cycling corridors.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the extension reflected “changed circumstances”, pointing to the rapid rise of e-bikes, food delivery services and shifting commuter habits.
“When we started this network we didn’t have e-bikes and we didn’t have delivery riders,” Moore said.
Council data shows bike usage on Moore Park Road has increased by 89 per cent since 2023, while Fitzroy Street has had a 74 per cent rise. On peak days more than 900 riders use each route – numbers Moore said far exceeded original expectations.
“People are not in overcrowded public transport, they’re not in cars. They’re on a healthy form of transport and not contributing to emissions,” Moore said.
Supporters argue the lanes have delivered safety benefits. In the five years before installation, the Moore Park Road corridor recorded one fatal collision and four serious injuries involving cyclists. In the nearly six years since, there have been none.
Transport safety expert Ben Woodner warned removing the infrastructure could reverse those gains.
“If you remove this, there is no alternative – you will see up to 1000 cycle trips a day pushed back onto main roads.”
The data has done little to appease concerns among some residents living along the route, including Ann Cairns, who said the council has quietly allowed a temporary measure to become permanent.
“It breaks every promise, and residents feel deceived, betrayed and scapegoated,” she said.
Others point to practical frustrations. Kristen Greaves said the cycleway has effectively cut homes off from direct road access, complicating deliveries and reducing parking.
“Every day we deal with basic access problems – Uber drivers refusing to stop, deliveries left in back lanes or parcels thrown over our fences and gates,” she said. “This is a consistent degradation of daily life.”
Concerns have also been raised about e-bike riders travelling at speed, running red lights and moving in large groups, creating what Greaves called “an intimidating, almost gang-like environment”.
Bicycle NSW planner Sarah Bickford, however, argued removing the protected lanes could deter cyclists – particularly families and older riders who may feel unsafe on busy roads.
Cost has also factored into the council’s decision, as officials estimate removing the lanes would exceed $1 million.
While the council originally planned to remove the temporary lanes once the final stage of the delayed Oxford Street cycleway is completed, it now argues the Moore Park Road and Fitzroy Street routes serve distinct functions by connecting drivers to Surry Hills and Central Station, and that removal would “outweigh any benefits”.
The council will conduct a detailed review and consultation into the permanent retention, with a final decision expected later this year.
Until then the cycleways will remain a lasting imprint of the pandemic and a visible fault line between competing visions of how Sydney’s streets should function.
“When you’re reallocating limited road space in densely populated areas, it will always be a contested issue,” said UNSW City Futures professor Chris Pettit.
“This is particularly the case in areas with an ageing resident population such as Paddington, where residents can be vocal and worried about certain cohorts coming in.”
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David Barwell is an urban affairs reporter for The Sydney Morning HeraldConnect via email.From our partners
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