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.
X086653