Bicycle NSW Level 2, 209 Castlereagh St Sydney 2000 phone: 9283 5200 fax: 9283 5246 31 July 2000

Dear Ross,

This is the response from Bicycle NSW and the North Shore Bicycle User Group to the amended proposals for cycle facilities along Epping Road, Longueville Road and the Gore Hill Freeway as part of the Lane Cove Tunnel project and to feed into the current EIS process.

First, my apologies for the delay in providing this response back to you. As you would know we are all volunteers working in our spare time and our processes also require internal consultation. The task at hand also was a rather larger task than at first envisaged as can be seen from our approach and the detail in our response.

The most recent meetings with the consultants on the Lane Cove Tunnel project, on 23 June and 26 June 2000, were very pleasing to the bicycle representatives present. The ideas and suggestions that were presented to us by the consultants were clearly aimed to provide both a commuter and a recreational bike route along the corridor. This follows from the recognition that cycling is a viable form of commuter transport that must not just be catered to but be promoted in this important transport corridor. It is also important to maintain a low stress link for less experienced cyclists or children who may not wish to travel as quickly.

As requested, we received detailed plans from Hyder Consulting immediately following our last meeting and we were thus able to undertake a detailed review of the proposals. Subsequently we prepared this submission which reinforces the proposed facilities and gives our preferences when multiple options were presented. At the meeting a series of options were presented to us which indicated that there were sections where compromises were required. Our assessment of the plan indicates that, for cycle facilities, fewer compromises are necessary than were suggested to us in the meetings. It is possible to maintain a higher standard of cycle facility by making arrangements or compromises to other uses in the same competing space. When our amended proposals are incorporated into the project then cyclists will have an adequate facility along the entire corridor.

Although it is not within your current project brief, we would like to advise you that Bicycle NSW is focussing on the regional context of the proposed project. We will be approaching the government to request improvements to cycle facilities at both ends of the project including from Naremburn to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and from North Ryde to Epping. The objective of this approach would be to ensure that the new high grade facilities will be available from Epping all the way to the city.

It is important that the proposals with our amendments be adopted in the EIS process and become the recommended option for implementing cycling infrastructure in this project. Clear commitment to cycling is required by the planning and funding authorities.

For any further information on this proposal please contact one of the contacts below:

Neil Tonkin, Phone: 9283 5200, Email: ntonkin@bicyclensw.org.au

Carolyn New, Phone: 9438 1903, Email: carolynn@ihug.com.au

Russ Webber, Phone: 9906 7238, Email: r.webber@bom.gov.au

Doug Stewart, Phone: 9887 1478, Email: speedwell74@yahoo.com

Please note the this submission consists of this word document plus 9 figures which are sent separately due to space reasons.

Yours sincerely,

Doug Stewart