A SURVEY to close the six-month community consultation period for the Woolgoolga Bike Lane opened on Monday 13 February and closes Sunday 26 February 2023.

To be found on the City Of Coffs Harbour (CoCH) website, the survey invites the community to share its experience of the bike lane and shared path.

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The survey is composed of a series of questions asking participants to say what they like or would like to see improved.

The temporary bike lane was installed at the end of August 2022 along Beach Street between River Street and Wharf Street in Woolgoolga, as part of the NSW Government’s Streets as Shared Spaces program.

According to Ray Willing, a long-time resident of Woolgoolga and President of the Northern Beaches Residents Association (NBRA), “This bike lane is an accident waiting to happen for many reasons.

“It is unsafe in many places for cyclists and pedestrians, it is in poor condition, it is not maintained and possibly cannot be maintained effectively in its present form.

“If there is an accident to a motorist, a cyclist or a pedestrian in or around the cycleway there is a liability on Council; it is unacceptable that Council imposes such exposure on its ratepayers.”

At the time of installation, the Coffs Council website stated, “We are using this opportunity to trial a protected on-road bike lane to see how effective this type of bike lane may be in providing a safer cycling experience for residents and visitors”.

Woolgoolga business owner Sam Hill finds some value in the bike lane, but says there is work to be done.

“I’ve seen people using it, but the execution has got to be right.

“The way it’s currently executed is not well done,” he said.

Glenn Buckley, Venue Manager at Woolgoolga Diggers Club was unaware of this second CoCH survey.

“I sit here in my office and watch the intersection of Bultitude Street and Beach Street and am amazed that there’s not an accident once a day.

“There are incidents and near misses five or six times a day…here’s another one right now, from my office I’m looking straight at it.

“The cycle path has taken car parking from in front of our club and the access to the club from Beach Street is now a bit tight, too.

“And unfortunately, you rarely see cyclists on it,” he said.

“I’ve seen cars backing-up along Beach Street, as they leave town, waiting for a car to turn right into Bultitude Street, because we’ve lost the slipway and there’s a blind spot, it’s just a mess.

“They (CoCH) are doing a process to widen the footpath, why couldn’t we have this as a shared footpath and cycle way?”

Resident Terry Banks was also unaware of a new survey and said he would get onto it.

“My thoughts haven’t changed since it went in six months ago; get rid of it,” he said.

“Coming out of Bultitude Street onto Beach Street has become a nightmare.

“If you’ve got a car turning right up the hill, no-one can turn left and that means all the cars back-up behind.

“With residents and traffic from the caravan park there can be a lot of cars queuing on Bultitude Street.

“It’s become a dangerous intersection and a nasty corner.”

Three key points why Ray Willing is giving the bike lane a thumbs down are that it visually detracts and closes in the entrance to one of the best beach side villages on the eastern seaboard; it causes traffic congestion which is dangerous; and the whole consultation process in advance of its ‘installation’, since ‘installation’ and generally, has been inadequate, not transparent and shows that this Council so far has not been prepared to listen to its residents, he told NOTA.

CoCH states the survey will assist Council to evaluate and look for opportunities to improve the current trial.

By Andrea FERRARI