The NSW Government has today announced that we will start construction on an Oxford Street cycleway following Sydney WorldPride 2023 next year. Initially planned for the Western section of Oxford Street to Taylor Square, the State Government has since announced they'll extend the cycleway all the way to the corner of Moore Park Rd in Paddington.
The appetite for cycling infrastructure and an unprecedented level of collaboration with the State Government, prompted in part by the pandemic, has accelerated our work and made a comprehensive cycleway network possible.
Oxford Street is an important piece of the puzzle.
It is the city’s busiest bike route, with over 2000 bike trips per day, and also has the most reported bike crashes of any street in the City of Sydney. A separated cycleway will improve safety for people riding and reduce the number of riders on the footpath.
Providing separated bike lanes here will have huge safety benefits, as well as improving urban amenity.
Furthermore, we were delighted to commission Queer artist Amy Blue to wrap the Oxford/Foley development in a bright tribute to Gay icons of Sydney. Work is well underway on this multi-million dollar redevelopment, which will help revitalise the strip, but until then we're turning construction hoardings into a massive canvas.
This fantastic work of art will make Oxford Street look the part for WorldPride 2023 and Mardi Gras’ return to its spiritual home, and tells the incredibly diverse and colourful story of Oxford Street’s rainbow community.
Amy Blue's artwork is a salute to the LGBTIQA+ communities, andwill remain in pride of place until the redevelopments are completed.
The artist herself has perhaps put it best, "Now, Oxford Street is entering a new era, and what better way to celebrate this moment in history than with an illustrative representation capturing 'The A–Z of Oxford Street’ … a sort of ‘GAY-B-C’, if you like!”
