Decision details

Original motion moved by Councillor Weldon, seconded by Councillor Jarrett.

It is resolved that:

(A)        Council note:

(i)           1-3 Elger Street in Glebe is home to around 175 residents, the vast majority of whom are either elderly and/or are living with a physical disability;

(ii)         1-3 Elger Street was not occupied at the time the cycleway was built on Elger Street so it was not possible to consult its residents;

(iii)        Bridge Housing, the community housing provider who owns and manages the block, wrote to Council in December 2019 to raise concerns about the installation of a bike lane along Elger Street;

(iv)        that in this correspondence, Bridge Housing noted that the bike lane restricts egress and access to the building and posed a trip hazard, particularly for elderly residents and those with limited mobility;

(v)         a petition was circulated by and amongst residents last year noting the hardship that the bike lanes caused (particularly for those who are elderly or who rely on wheelchairs or walkers) and called for the removal of the bike lane, the installation of mobility parking, the installation of footpath ramps and the provision of parking permits;

(vi)        the petition was signed by more than 50 residents;

(vii)      that the bike lane in Elger Street is not part of the City’s integrated cycleway network and does not feature in the City’s Cycling Strategy and Action Plan or the NSW Government’s Co-designed Bicycle Network;

(viii)     that the only area for passenger pick-up/drop-off in Elger Street is located on the opposite side of the road, requiring residents of 1-3 Elger Street to walk down to and cross at Bay Street (a journey of almost 100 metres);

(ix)        the aforementioned bays are marked as a ‘no parking’ zone rather than pick-up/drop off bays;

(x)         the current layout of Elger Street significantly inhibits emergency vehicles, community transport, taxis and resident’s family, friends and support workers from picking-up/dropping-off residents;

(xi)        that the very limited number of mobility parking and the ‘no-stopping’ zone do not meet the needs of the Elger Street community; and

(xii)      that City staff met with residents in mid-2022 and although residents were appreciative of the visit, the proposed solutions do not sufficiently mitigate the issues; and

(B)        the Chief Executive Officer be requested to:

(i)           meet with residents and Bridge Housing staff to better understand the accessibility needs of the Elger Street community; and

(ii)         provide a report to Council via the CEO Update on the outcomes of the meeting between the City, residents and Bridge Housing and present Council with a range of options for additional works that can be implemented to better meet the accessibility needs of the Elger Street community.

Amended motion carried unanimously.

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