Plans for North Shore councils to build an interconnected cycling network across the region are encountering one of their biggest opponents: locals who don’t want to lose kerbside parking.
What happened: On Monday evening, Willoughby Council debated their plans for a major cycle path, running from St Leonards to Chatswood.
This specific path would run along Herbert Street and Hampden Road.
Councillors were reluctant to endorse the plan, with many feeling uneasy about its proposal to remove 92 parking spaces from the local area.
What they said: Councillor Nic Wright urged council to push on with the plan, claiming that “sometimes we do need to get rid of car parking … the densification that’s coming requires active transport lanes”.
Ultimately, councillors voted to change the wording of the motion, deciding to “release” rather than “endorse” the plan for community consultation. A stipulation was also added, asking council staff to find any way they could claw back some of the 92 car spaces impacted.
Pushback: The implementation of better cycling infrastructure can be a tricky task for councils; the end goal is to have less cars on the street, but pursuing this goal too vigilantly — by stripping parking or tightening roads — can result in frustration and backlash from local road users.
Around the grounds: In Cremorne, another controversial bike path saw approval this month from North Sydney Council, following a heated public forum where the plan saw opposition from local residents.
This project would connect Bent Street to Spofforth Street.
Those opposing it claimed the plan was “materially different” than the one they were previously shown and would worsen existing traffic problems.
In the original plan, there was no proposed net-loss of parking spaces.
Later, a revised plan projected a loss of 11 spaces in order to accommodate design changes.
What does the data say? A 2025 case study on Sydney bicycle paths found that the largest obstacle comes from local pushback in the planning phase, particularly regarding the loss of parking spaces.
However, it also found that once the cycle paths were built, 83.1 percent of residents believed it positively contributed to their street.
Dr Mike Harris, a UNSW academic who worked on the study, argued motorists and cyclists should not be opposed to one another, and claimed more cycling could reduce congestion.
NSW Government studies indicate a lack of cycling infrastructure is one of the largest barriers to getting more people riding bikes instead of driving.