Work will soon begin on implementing Council’s bike plan following its adoption at Council’s meeting yesterday evening.

Council will begin in the current financial year designing key links connecting residential areas to major transport hubs in Brookvale and Manly, and delivering the missing sections of the bike network in the Frenchs Forest area.

A fully developed and designed delivery program for high priority locations is expected to be completed by the end of the next financial year, ending June 2022.

Mayor Michael Regan said adoption of the bike plan was a major step forward in meeting Council’s Transport Strategy of encouraging people to use cars less and alternative means of transport more.

“With an increasing number of cars of the road, our bike plan not only provides a necessary cycle network and infrastructure, but it also helps shape behaviour in terms of how we travel around the Northern Beaches.

“Leaving our cars at home reduces traffic and parking congestion and helps to make streets safe and active for cyclists and pedestrians. This also adds to the public health benefits that come from a more active community.”

The bike plan is estimated to cost $170 million.  The funding for this program is expected to come from a mix of current Council CAPEX budget as well as through grants provided by Transport for NSW. Council will continue to seek grant funding from Transport for NSW to deliver the bike plan based on high priority routes.

 It is also expected that sections of the network will be delivered as part of larger infrastructure projects such as Beaches Link and Strategic Centre redevelopment. Council will also seek other grant funding opportunities if and when they become available.

 The bike plan was subject to two rounds of extensive community engagement, which among other things helped guide Council on the missing links to the existing network and what new sections to add.