Transport for NSW is progressing plans to upgrade access to the Sydney Harbour Bridge cycleway.
Project information
The program will deliver well-designed solutions that respect the heritage of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and enhance public open space.
It will also improve the safety and capacity of the cycleway, enhance connections to the wider bike network and make bike riding a convenient and attractive for more people.
Around 2,000 bike trips are taken across the Sydney Harbour Bridge cycleway on weekdays, making it the most heavily used cycleway in Sydney. It is the only cross-harbour bike route in Eastern Sydney and is a critical part of the Principal Bike Network.
To get on and off the cycleway at the northern end, riders need to carry their bikes through some safety barriers and up or down 55 steps at Bradfield Park North.
The steps create a backlog as people get on and off their bikes, interrupting the flow of cyclists and reducing capacity at peak times. The steps are also a safety hazard and can deter a wider group of people from riding their bikes more.
Many plans to replace the steps have been explored over the years. But it’s been hard to find a solution that all our stakeholders agree on.
As more and more people have taken to their bikes during the Covid pandemic, it has become clear that better infrastructure is needed to cater for this growing interest and make bike riding a more common choice of transport. So, the NSW Government is taking a fresh look at the project to develop a replacement for the steps.
Our analysis indicates that a ramp would deliver considerable capacity, accessibility and safety benefits to the cycleway overall. We are committed to driving positive place outcomes and are acutely aware of the need to minimise impacts to open space and the heritage value of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. So, we will take a design excellence process to make sure the ramp is refined, elegant and appropriate to the surroundings.
The southern access ramp to the cycleway is steep, has poor sightlines and creates a 'pinch point' with cars and pedestrians on Upper Fort Street. In 2016, RMS developed a design concept to replace the southern access with a separated and more accessible ramp. A Review of Environmental Factors was displayed in 2017.
Over the next few months, we will be consulting key stakeholders on the project's urban design and heritage requirements, and on a shortlist of ramp options. And, during the first half of 2021, we will consult the local community and cyclists on a concept design.
The Government will assess the southern and northern access projects together once a preferred design for the north has been selected. This will inform a decision on the best way to improve the cycleway's capacity, safety and connectivity and deliver enhanced customer and place outcomes at each end.
Project documents
Northern cycle ramp documents
File | Title | Size |
---|---|---|
November 2017 options report
Sydney Harbour Bridge Northern Cycle Ramp |
50.4Mb | |
November 2017 options report
Appendix A – Site Constraints. |
19.1Mb | |
November 2017 options report
Appendix B – Preliminary Strategic Options. |
7.9Mb | |
November 2017 options report
Appendix C – Case studies for outdoor elevators/escalators. |
74.5Kb | |
November 2017 options report
Appendix D – Cycle ramp options feasibility study – 2012. |
20.9Mb |
Southern cycle ramp documents
File | Title | Size |
---|---|---|
November 2017 review of environmental factors report
Sydney Harbour Bridge Southern Cycleway. |
16.4Mb | |
November 2017 review of environmental factors report
Appendix A - Urban design, landscape and visual impact assessment. |
7.98Mb | |
November 2017 review of environmental factors report
Appendix B - Consideration of clause 228(2) factors and matters of national environmental significance |
43.2Kb | |
November 2017 review of environmental factors report
Appendix C - Statutory consultation checklists. |
43.9Kb | |
November 2017 review of environmental factors report
Appendix D - Non-Aboriginal heritage assessment. |
12.7Mb | |
November 2017 review of environmental factors report
Appendix E – Noise and vibration impact assessment. |
5.82Mb | |
November 2017 review of environmental factors report
Appendix F – Traffic and transport assessment. |
5.35Mb | |
November 2017 review of environmental factors report
Appendix G – Socio-economic impact assessment. |
4.81Mb | |
November 2017 review of environmental factors report
Appendix H - Biodiversity impact assessment. |
4.56Mb | |
November 2017 review of environmental factors report
Appendix I – Arboricultural impact assessment. |
5.11Mb | |
November 2017 review of environmental factors report
Appendix J - Preliminary site investigation. |
37.4Mb | |
November 2017 review of environmental factors report
Appendix K – AHIMS search result. |
315Kb | |
November 2017 review of environmental factors report
Appendix L - Preliminary options testing. |
5.94Mb |