Conceived by the Combined Chippendale Community Groups
(CCCG), the Parkway Plan addresses the glaring absence of small to medium sized
routes in Chippendale, Darlington, and parts
of Redfern in the City’s draft network of cycle routes.
The Parkway Plan features two major axes of ‘green people
connectors’.
A north-south axis runs from the city and East Darling
Harbour through Pyrmont, Ultimo, the
Carlton United Brewery (CUB) site, Chippendale and finishes in Alexandria. An east-west axis links the University of Sydney
with the University of NSW, running through Chippendale and Darlington, and linking Glebe into the City’s draft
network.
Both axes run through Redfern Station, which the Parkway
Plan prescribes as the City’s pedestrian cycling hub. Links with train stations
and support of future light rail use are additional features of CCCG’s
initiative.
The forecast urbanisation of the Chippendale area and its
surrounds under the Redfern Waterloo Authority’s Built Environment Plan (BEP)
and development of the CUB site provided more than enough impetus for CCCG to
push for the City’s adoption of the Parkway Plan. The CCCG claims more than
40,000 workers and residents will be added to a land corridor 1.5 kilometres
long under the BEP and CUB proposals.
The Plan is also a timely and beneficial addition to the
City’s Draft Cycle Strategy which has been on exhibition since early August and
aims to increase the number of bicycle trips made in Sydney as a percentage of total trips from
the current 2% level to 10% by 2016.
CCCG representative, Jeanette Brokman, said the Parkway Plan
will fast track the City’s targets for increased bicycle usage by providing
routes that are safe, in contrast to commuters having to negotiate hazardous
‘road arterials that quarantine our suburb’.
“The City based their forecasts on experience in the US and journeys
to and from work,” she explained.
“Our plan encourages bicycle use whenever people wish to
commute locally”.
The Parkway Plan went before the City’s Steering Committee
on the 26th September. Prior to that date Andrew Dodds from the pro-cycling
group BIKESydney who sits on the Steering Committee, canvassed his thoughts
about the Plan with the South Sydney Herald.
“There are lots of cyclists in and around the Chippendale
area,” said Andrew Dodds. “I think the Parkway Plan would promote further
biking and make it more liveable for everyone.
We will, however, need to talk more about the Plan’s routes
for The Block and for the CUB site”.
The Parkway Plan features a route through the heart of The
Block and through Balfour Street
on the CUB site. The route through the Block awaits approval from the
Aboriginal Housing Company.
“We think a cycling route through The Block is a wonderful
opportunity to unite the community,” said CCCG’s Jeanette Brokman. “We also
believe a CUB site route is a logical fit in the network.”
The City expects to finalise their Cycle Strategy by the end
of the year.
[Source – South Sydney Herald October 2006]