Willoughby Council has a draft Cycling Strategy and Action Plan on exhibition at https://www.haveyoursaywilloughby.com.au/willoughby-city-council-cycling-strategy-and-action-plan
This strategy will be of interest to all who live, work or ride (or want to) their bike through or to the Willoughby area and we encourage you to review the document and consider what you would like to see in Willoughby’s cycling future.
There is an on-line survey where you can indicate your level of support for the Strategy and provide further comments. This closes on Sunday 20 October. Bike North is making a submission and we will follow-up this news item in two weeks with this feedback. In the meantime, we encourage you to also let us know your thoughts about what would make Willoughby a better place to cycle. If you get back by Saturday 5 October, these could help inform our submission.
Council also has a Public Engagement Session on Monday 30 September, 2024 from 7 to 9pm at the Zenith Theatre and Convention Centre (Mcintosh St & Railway St, Chatswood) for an opportunity to discuss the strategy with Council officers.
This is Willoughby Council’s first Bicycle Strategy and Action Plan which provides the City’s long term vision and priorities for cycling in the City. This is a different style of document to the Bike Plans produced in previous years, with a stronger focus on vision and principles, and greater flexibility to allow for what is now increasing change.
Willoughby has some great bike and shared paths which were made possible by the vision of many people in the past. Late last century this resulted in parklands with walking and cycling paths which created a wonderful base from which a state transport minister saw the opportunity of a motorway project to fund and built one regional bike route linking Willoughby to the West. More recently visionary Council staff grabbed the opportunity of funding from NSW Planning developments for bike paths linking to the growing St Leonards strategic centre, which is still a work in progress, but with linkages beyond our area unresolved.
Other parts of Willoughby, though, remain locked in the past, with poor on-road routes, signage faded or missing and often including dangerous dooring lanes. Willoughby itself is also in the process of further big changes, with increasing densification, a new metro line, and major road works with potential congestion impacts if we don’t make it easier and safer to get around Willoughby by riding a bike. Developments also bring the opportunity for funding, as too does preparedness and readiness to be eligible for future state and federal funding opportunities. All depends on getting the vision and concepts for cycling right and preparing for an increasingly changeable future.