The Rose Bay Residents Association says it opposes the cycleway because of the danger it may present to pedestrians on the promenade.
Its vice president Bruce Bland said it was “only a matter of time until an elderly resident, or a resident with a dog on a lead, is seriously injured”.
Adrian Boss, cyclist concerned the construction of a cycleway along Rose Bay promenade may be shelved. Credit:Louise Kennerley
The Double Bay Residents Association also opposes the construction of the cycleway on the promenade, which it said would reduce the amount of space for pedestrians.
DBRA president Anthony Tregoning said the cycleway should be rerouted along the road instead. Other residents have suggested building the cycleway on the other side of the road.
“We support the council’s determination to protect the safety of cyclists, but its present plan will place pedestrians at risk,” Mr Tregoning said. “Is it prepared to compensate pedestrians who are injured in a bicycle accident?”
Mr Tregoning said other options would minimise risk for both cyclists and pedestrians. “They may be more expensive and less convenient, but one of these should be adopted,” he said.
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Adrian Boss, community captain of Cycling Without Age, said the cycleway was part of a regional bike route and “not merely a local bike path”. He said the promenade section would separate walkers from cyclists, and the safety concerns of those opposed to the cycleway were misguided.
“They are snobbish, narrow-minded and largely ignorant of relative safety matters and do not see or respect the needs of others that require reasonable and safe access to roads and footpaths,” he said.
The council spokesman said putting a cycleway on the road was not feasible. “The current design balances the needs of all road users and provides a safe solution for cyclists and pedestrians”.
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Cr Marano said development in Sydney’s eastern suburbs was stymied by a small group of residents with a “not in my backyard mentality”.
He said a short construction period in which pedestrians would have to walk along the other side of the road was a “small price to pay for the sake of the whole community”.
The controversy over the Rose Bay cycleway follows a decision last week by the City of Sydney to ditch plans for a cycleway in the middle of Oxford Street.
The design of a new cycling ramp at the northern end of the Sydney Harbour Bridge has also attracted controversy.
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