The Bike Lane Trial began in September 2022
Following the trial of an on-road bike lane along Beach Street in Woolgoolga it is proposed to integrate parts of the existing lane into a future cycle route to improve transport and movement links throughout the town.
The aim of the protected on-road bike lane trial was to assess its value as a safer cycling experience. Installing bike lanes to improve the connection between West Woolgoolga and the town centre, as well as enhance transport routes around the town centre, is a key part of the Woolgoolga Town Centre Masterplan.
The bike lane was opened in September 2022 and a number of online and in-person surveys, plus bike and traffic counts, were carried out between then and February 2023 as part of the trial.
General community feedback from the six-month trial highlighted a range of issues including the look of the temporary bike lane, the lack of connectivity at the River Street intersection where the lane was shortened from the original design early in the trial, and traffic and road safety issues at some intersections.
As a result of the feedback, it is proposed to:
- Remove the section of on-road protected bike lane between River Street and Bultitude Street
- Retain the concrete shared path between Boundary Street and Wharf Street
- Defer a decision over the retention of the section of on-road protected bike lane between Bultitude Street and Boundary Street. Bike count data indicates this section serves as a desired cycling route between Wharf Street and Bultitude Street due to the links through to Sunset Avenue and then to either Solitary Islands Way, or as a loop around to Melaleuca Avenue and Lake Road.
The long-term option of providing a bike lane that links West Woolgoolga to the beach reserve and Beach Street town centre along the Clarence/Beach Street corridor is still considered an important element of the bike network for Woolgoolga.
Bike lane users that participated in the trial surveys showed interest in using a bike lane more often if a bike lane in Beach Street was connected to West Woolgolga, particularly to Solitary Islands Way.
An essential component of this link is a safe and convenient crossing of Solitary Islands Way. This makes it a major investment and longer-term commitment that will be addressed as part of the draft Woolgoolga Movement and Place Plan which is out for public consultation from 28 March 2023 until 5 May 2023.
