Wilson and Burren streets improvements

This work will provide a safer and more enjoyable link for people riding between Newtown, the city centre and eastern suburbs.

Cycleways Newtown

Project Status: Completed

The Wilson and Burren streets improvements are now complete, making the local area better for people walking and riding.

Craig Ryan

Senior Community Engagement Coordinator

: 02 9265 9333
: [email protected]

Wilson and Burren streets

Newtown 2042

Directions and transport

What we’re doing

We’re making the local area better for people walking and riding. It will provide a safer and more enjoyable link for people riding between Newtown, the city centre and eastern suburbs.

The project includes:

new 2-way separated cycleway on Wilson Street
new 1-way (southbound) separated cycleway on Burren Street
a 1-way (northbound) bike lane on Pine Street
a widened shared path and a shared zone on Leamington Lane connecting the 1 way pair on Burren and Pine streets
2 new pedestrian crossings for better access to Macdonaldtown station and Carriageworks
improved street lighting, including additional lighting between Ivy Street and Carriageworks for people walking to Redfern station
new paved thresholds, flat top speed humps and footpath widening to slow traffic
more garden beds and new trees providing shade and amenity to the street.

Why is this project needed?

Wilson Street is a priority NSW Government cycling route and one of 10 regional bike routes across the city. The changes will make it safer for people riding between Erskineville, Newtown and the city centre. It will also provide an alternative transport option for the growing residential population.

Responding to the community

We exhibited the plans and consulted the community in early 2017. Council endorsed the proposal in March 2017. The Local Pedestrian, Cycling and Traffic Calming Committee has endorsed the scheme.

In response to community feedback, we reviewed parking in surrounding streets and found 29 new spaces, 17 additional residential spaces and extra drop-off zones at Ivy Street, near Redfern station. These offset the loss of 37 parking spaces associated with the project.

We reviewed the design at Macdonaldtown Station and Leamington Lane to improve safety and sight lines. We changed the shared path to a separated cycleway adjacent to the existing footpath and the direction of the separated cycleway on Burren Street and Pine Street. Bike riders travelling north will now turn into Leamington Lane from the far left side of the cycleway ensuring they can clearly see the corner and people walking nearby.

Other questions

We’re replacing 3 roundabouts on Wilson Street with t-intersections because they are safer for all road users.

At roundabouts, vehicles do not have to give way to people walking. And while some roundabouts do have refuge islands they are not accessible to people with prams, using wheelchairs or vision impairments. In our local area we have observed more bike crashes at roundabouts compared to t-intersections because people driving tend to look for other cars, not bikes.

The new intersections will give priority to people walking and provide safer cycling connections to the cycleway. They will also retain traffic flows along Wilson Street.

The t-intersections will include wider footpaths to shorten the crossing distances and 2 of the intersections will have new pedestrian crossings.
Yes, we'll upgrade the road section in Leamington Lane to a formal shared zone. People walking will have priority in the 10km/h signposted shared zone.

The footpath alongside the station will be formalised as a shared path so people riding northbound can connect from Burren Street to Wilson Street via the new bike lane on Pine Street.

This 1 way pair route has the least impact on parking spaces on Burren Street and keeps the existing footpath width.
We are installing a clear t-intersection at Brocks Lane and Wilson Street with wider footpaths and a safe crossing for people walking and riding. The t-intersection will maintain key traffic flow and a connection to the new separated cycleway.

There will be a turn ban on vehicles travelling west on Wilson and north on Burren streets into Brocks Lane. People driving will still be able to access Brocks Lane turning left from Wilson (heading east) and the local street network.

The Wilson and Burren Street walking and cycling improvement project has been developed and funded in partnership with the NSW Government.