Opponents Question Plan to Replace Sydney CBD Parking With Cycle Lanes

Further reading of the City Centre Access Strategy published by the O'Farrell government last month has revealed that hundreds of parking places and loading zones are to be replaced by cycle lanes. Fairfax Media, owners of the Sydney Morning Herald, suggest that this could mean the loss of 250 spaces, and suggest the dedicated cycle lanes would come at a great inconvenience to city business and their workers. 

Chan Vongsarath, an electrical contractor working nearby commented that ''it's not feasible to pay $50 an hour for off-street parking and carry our tools down from the top floor''. 

The City of Sydney Council have said that early estimates suggest that the CBD would loose 20% of its parking places and loading zones on Castlereagh and Kent streets. Wentworth Avenue, Pitt Street, King Street, Liverpool Street, Hay Street and Campbell Street would also loose some parking bays.

This decision is backed by the government's resolve to encourage off-street parking and estimates that there are 7,000 to 21,000 vacant spaces in the CBD per day. It is a position that David Borella, president of Bike Sydney, agrees with. ''We all still want our coffees and shopping items but the current transport landscape by far too much prioritises the parking of cars.''