Sydney Harbour Bridge bicycle access saga

[find_bruce]

Abbotts views on road cycling are coloured by the fact he rode with a police security detail

The Harbour Bridge is principally used by commuters & utility cyclists - by definition only those who are willing & able to push their bike up 52 stairs use the bridge.

What the noise omits is that there are a significant group of people who are excluded - young, old, disabled or those riding something out of the ordinary. I am tempted to take my wife's e-cargo bike over and ask Joan Street to get it up the stairs.

[Thoglette]

Strange he would rise up against what, at face value, looks like a good idea.

Adjust your lens: it’s no longer about thought-through “good ideas”.

The apparent view is that any statement is a good statement if you can get some elite-bashing click-bait out of it.

" (are you sure about "conservative"!?) .

Per the comment above, “Reactionary” is closer to the correct word.

But even that implies party alignment, which no longer appears the case.

I’ll stop there as this is getting far too close to being off topic.
</cynic>

[g-boaf]

But even that implies party alignment, which no longer appears the case.

I’ll stop there as this is getting far too close to being off topic.
</cynic>

A moderator has already gone close to being off topic with commentary on Abbott's riding so you are in safe company. Go for it I say.

It's always those less able to get about who will suffer the loss of these projects. Of course it's easy to ride anywhere you want with protection cars nearby, but not everyone has that luxury. So those without make do with crap cycling infrastructure or just don't ride at all.

[warthog1]

I didn't read any moderator making political commentary.
I don't live in Sydney but the valid point was made that carting your bike up 52 stairs is hardly equal or reasonable access for all.
Those attempting to limit use of the bridge by cyclists by opposing the new ramp do deserve the universal salute of derision at the very least. Hopefully the ramp is completed soon and access to the bridge becomes easier and fairer for all.

[zebee]

Abbotts views on road cycling are coloured by the fact he rode with a police security detail

The Harbour Bridge is principally used by commuters & utility cyclists - by definition only those who are willing & able to push their bike up 52 stairs use the bridge.

What the noise omits is that there are a significant group of people who are excluded - young, old, disabled or those riding something out of the ordinary. I am tempted to take my wife's e-cargo bike over and ask Joan Street to get it up the stairs.

Let me know when you do. Cos she can do my recumbent trike after that. And of course being a polite person she would lift it off the ramp to allow people to come down.

[recumbenteer]

Abbotts views on road cycling are coloured by the fact he rode with a police security detail

The Harbour Bridge is principally used by commuters & utility cyclists - by definition only those who are willing & able to push their bike up 52 stairs use the bridge.

What the noise omits is that there are a significant group of people who are excluded - young, old, disabled or those riding something out of the ordinary. I am tempted to take my wife's e-cargo bike over and ask Joan Street to get it up the stairs.

Let me know when you do. Cos she can do my recumbent trike after that. And of course being a polite person she would lift it off the ramp to allow people to come down.

Oh, and don't forget to count me in!! the Rotovelo will make it a "GREAT" photo opportunity

[00tones00]

North Sydney Council Election Candidates - Who will support Active Transport?

Council elections are just 3 weeks away and North Sydney is regularly referred to as a "cycling infrastructure black hole" - the fight against the bridge ramp being a prime example.

If you live in North Sydney Council area, please contact the candidate group leads below and tell them that you want better Active Transport infrastructure and initiatives from the next Council. It could be missing links that you and your kids need to get to school, work or shops. With the bridge ramp now finally starting construction, we need safe and efficient infrastructure linking the ramp through to Narremburn cycleway and other existing connections.

Bike North is currently publishing candidate responses to an Active Transport questionnaire on their website https://elections.bikenorth.org.au/elec ... th-sydney/

Bicycle NSW has an Active Transport Support pledge on its website https://bicyclensw.org.au/councillors-f ... transport/

Candidate addresses are below. Note that some candidates are sharing the same email address:
If you don't want each candidate to see who else you're emailing, you can paste all the addresses in "BCC" instead of "To".
gsanter@ozemail.com.au
james@spenceley.org
jessicakeen@tpg.com.au
NorthSydney.council@nsw.greens.org.au
northsydneycouncil@sustainableaustralia.org.au
shannoncwelch@aol.com
therealindependentsnorthsydney@gmail.com
vote1pallavi@gmail.com

[mikesbytes]

Can the North Sydney council stop the Harbour Bridge Ramp at this point?

[00tones00]

Can the North Sydney council stop the Harbour Bridge Ramp at this point?

It's extremely unlikely that a future potentially anti cycling North Sydney Council could stop the ramp now, but they can very easily make it as dangerous and difficult as possible to access the ramp area by blocking off connections to it. We already saw Jilly Gibson do that with St Peters Park back in 2020 and then temporarily managed to also ban cycling along the Pacific Hwy shared path between Arthur and Blue St although that was rescinded before implementation.

It would be in everyone's best interests to have a pro cycling Council that pushes hard for a high capacity link up the Pacific Hwy from Arthur St as well as a safe and convenient connection to serve the area east of the bridge so that the bike bigots can't manufacture claims of "pedestrian safety" just because bikes are being squeezed in with pedestrians in a narrow space from cars.

Bike North is collecting feedback from candidates about their views on active transport and cycling specifically. It's pretty clear who the best candidates are so far:
https://elections.bikenorth.org.au/elec ... =candidate

[g-boaf]

North Sydney council is in such a dire situation because of its disastrous policies previously that it wants to get private schools to pay voluntary rates:

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/bro ... 5kxbr.html

Also:

The council is separately considering selling a street to SCEGGS Redlands after the school offered to buy a cul-de-sac – Monford Place – next to its Cremorne campus.

It's hard to believe how bad that council is.

[familyguy]

Ms. Gibson is giving a few posts about the councils poor performance, conveniently ignoring that the pool saga and ramp stalling happened on her watch.

[g-boaf]

Ms. Gibson is giving a few posts about the councils poor performance, conveniently ignoring that the pool saga and ramp stalling happened on her watch.

Everyone needs to slam her on social media about that instead of letting her get away with it.

Surely a thousand replies all reminding her she was the boss at the time and it’s her fault will do the job.

[familyguy]

Ms. Gibson is giving a few posts about the councils poor performance, conveniently ignoring that the pool saga and ramp stalling happened on her watch.

Everyone needs to slam her on social media about that instead of letting her get away with it.

Surely a thousand replies all reminding her she was the boss at the time and it’s her fault will do the job.

Unfortunately that's the fast route to being banned and having your comments removed. If it's not Jilly, itys her daughter who is admin on more than a few local news pages. They know they did wrong but enjoy their echo chamber. Nothing a referral to ICAC wouldn't fix.

[g-boaf]

Looks like the former leader gets away with this:

https://www.news.com.au/finance/money/c ... 890fd8d7f1

The entire comments blame “lefties” for this. I don’t know, but Gibson didn’t strike me as that type.

The current council gets the blame for the mess they inherited.

Amazing how ill informed the spam gangs are in the comments.

[00tones00]

There are even more shenanigans from certain North Sydney Councillors trying to impede the ramp.
Cr Keen and Carr have lodged a notice of motion that attempts to block TfNSW's existing community consultation on whether to increase the number of night works per week to reduce the duration of the night works.

It's worth noting that Keen (and Carr who was elected as the 2nd on Keen's ticket) of the Liberal Party had volunteers promoting the Liberal Party's support and achievement of facilitating the ramp during the Council election campaign late last year. This is quite bemusing because Keen (who was elected to Council during the 2016-2021 term before losing her seat for the 2021-2024 term) supported fellow Liberal Party member and rabid bike hater Jilly Gibson's (and Ian Mutton's) motion to spend $10,000 of rate payers money to try and hijack the 2021 community consultation process with misinformation flyers. All while supposedly being the chair of Council's Sustainable Transport Reference Committee.

Link to the Council meeting agenda for Mon 10th Feb:
https://www.northsydney.nsw.gov.au/ecm/ ... t-11366538

Should you wish to respond to the TfNSW consultation before it closes today, you can do it here:
https://forms.zohopublic.com/SHBCyclewa ... HO16EimxRs

[g-boaf]

That whole Gibson saga should be before ICAC.

Others behind it should also be investigated.

But of course we know it's okay to waste rate-payer/taxpayer money provided it is for anti-left, anti-woke causes like stopping harbour bridge ramps.

[familyguy]

That whole Gibson saga should be before ICAC.

Others behind it should also be investigated.

In time it may well be. The trail of mismanagement sits behind her, to which many appear blind.