Decision details

2025/203630

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Committee endorse the reallocation of parking on the northern side of Hickson Road between the points 21.5 metres and 26.5 metres west of Towns Place as "P Bicycles Only".

Voting Members for this Item

Advice

The Committee unanimously supported the recommendation

Background

The City supports the use of share bikes as part of a safe, sustainable and efficient urban transport system. They provide a useful opportunity for people to try riding in our area and to incorporate riding into their daily travel.

In 2024 there were over 1,940,000 share bike trips in the city, averaging over 160,000 trips per month – or 5,339 trips a day.

Reallocation of road space for the parking of shared micromobility vehicles has been widely adopted in leading cities around the world. Most notably in London, UK where they have found that locating share bike parking in the road has led to less issues regarding parking compliance and obstructions. Having parking on the footpath leads to more conflict and increases cycling on the footpath.

In August 2024, Car Next Door (CND, branded as Uber Carshare) ceased all car sharing operations. CND had 100 car share bays across the City of Sydney. These spaces are now vacant. Being signposted “No Parking, Authorised Car Share Vehicle excepted”, the spaces are currently available to all drivers for pick up and drop off.

The City investigated the usage patterns of these spaces (based on monthly reporting provided by CND) to inform a decision on the future best use of each space. Traffic Operations provided input on options for any spaces considered for potential conversion to other high value kerbside uses.

Several spaces were identified, based on usage and location, as highly suitable for on-street bike parking, to help address footpath clutter caused by high level of share bike use.

Share bike users will be directed to park appropriately through targeted share bike operator education. Share bike operators will be monitoring their bikes within the City of Sydney area. If bikes are in a dangerous place, the operators will make arrangements to move them.

Operators provide clear contact details on each share bike so that members of the public or motorists can contact them to move the bicycles out of the traffic lane or when their vehicles are damaged.

Share bike operators have 3rd party insurance and in the instance that a share bike causes damage to a parked car, the operators insurance covers these costs (on a case-by-case basis).