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CAMWEST Advocacy

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🙋 Intro

Advocating for better cycling facilities can take a number of different forms. Everyone can be involved! Here are a few ways:

  1. Ride a bike: Just being out there on your bike is a really good (and easy) first step! While not perfect, there's cycling infrastructure out there that's just waiting to be explored and enjoyed. See info on the Rides and Resources pages on where to ride around Western Sydney, or contact CAMWEST or other local Bicycle User Groups.
  2. Snap Send Solve: Download the Snap Send Solve app to your mobile phone. When you see something that needs attention, report it to the relevant authority using the app. Things like paths that are overgrown, signs that are pointing the wrong way, debris across the path etc can all be reported. Each report usually only takes a couple of minutes. CAMWEST are currently exploring options to display our reports and resolutions publically.
  3. Respond to Community Consultation: Most councils provide a 'Have Your Say' (or similar) page or website - see the ones from our area listed below. Some councils provide an option to subscribe to their project notification email list where you can filter by the types of projects that you're interested in hearing about.
    When you see a current cycling infrastructure related project, either submit some comments yourself, or preferably, contact CAMWEST or other local Bicycle User Groups and work with others towards preparing a submission on behalf of the group.
  4. Other Ways: See Bicycle NSW - How to Advocate for Bikes or contact your local Bicycle User Group.
📌 Latest Cycle Route Changes

This is a list of known recent openings, re-openings, temporary shared path or popular cycling road closures around Western Sydney. Please contact us if you have any updates to these, or would like to let us know of other closures that aren't listed here.

⛔ Closure:

Location: Cooks River Shared Path Canterbury Rd underpass. See position on Google Maps.

Reason: Underpass upgrade by Canterbury Bankstown Council.

Dates: After much delay, between Aug 26th 2022 until 'early 2023'.

Details: Council's Canterbury Town Centre Upgrade page. Some additional notes to the route below, thanks to James who emailed the below comments:
The Council has helpfully installed a short temporary asphalt path through Tasker Park so cyclists don't have to conflict with pedestrians using the Aquatic Centre entrance and carpark, they have also linemarked Phillips Avenue in Canterbury with cycleway signs too. Another asphalt path has also been installed next to the dog park in Close Street on the other side of Canterbury Road in case people miss the detour or need to go to Canterbury Station/Town Centre.

Note: This is part of a popular cycling route between Strathfield and Wolli Creek, and being done as part of the Canterbury Town Centre upgrade.

Suggested Detour:

Canterbury Rd underpass detour map
Council's revised suggested detour during underpass closure.

✅ Re-opening:

Location: Prospect Reservoir Shared Path between the Prospect Reservoir Picnic Area and Chandos Road. See the section on Google Maps.

Reason: Upgrade work on the Spillway bridge by Select Civil/Cardno on behalf of Water NSW.

Dates: Initially closed intermittently between April and July 2021, but works continued until September 2022.

🎈 Opening 🎈

Location: 350m popup cycleway from Harris Park Station path to the M4 shared path, along Cambridge and Wigram Sts, Harris Park. See the Transport for NSW information brochure.

Date: October 2021

Note: This is easier and safer than the previous route along Raymond and High Sts.

Popup cycleway along Wigram St, Harris Park
Popup cycleway along Wigram St, Harris Park

🎈 Opening 🎈

Location: Parramatta Escarpment Boardwalk Shared Path, opposite the Parramatta Ferry Wharf. See approximate alignment on Google Maps.

Date: April 1st, 2021

Note: This is a valuable 460m long addition to the Parramatta Valley Cycleway (shared path). It removes the need to climb the hill to cross Macarthur St at the zebra crossing, and makes navigation of the shared path a lot more straight-forward. See CAMWEST's Westmead to Concord West ride, which uses this section of path.

Escarpment Boardwalk near Parramatta Ferry terminal
Escarpment Boardwalk near Parramatta Ferry terminal

⛔ Closure:

Location: Cornwallis Road in Cornwallis (Richmond Lowlands). See approximate position on Google Maps.

Reason: Section of road severely damaged by floods.

Dates: Closed March 2021. Still closed mid November 2021. Further damage has occurred in floods since.

Note: This is part of a popular cycling route between Richmond and Windsor, along the Hawkesbury River. It looks like it may take some time to reconstruct the road. There was no way through when the site was visited in May. A shorter loop can still be completed, starting and finishing at Richmond, and doing a loop around the western half of the Lowlands.

Damage to Cornwallis Road from floods
Cornwallis Rd gap....
🚧 Paths under Construction

There are several shared paths currently under construction or soon to start construction in the Parramatta and Blacktown areas. These include:

  • Parramatta Light Rail Stage 1 (Westmead to Carlingford). See Project Active Transport Link Map.
  • Alfred St Shared path, including a bridge across Parramatta River.
  • Milson Park masterplan (Shared path between Mons Rd and Darcy Rd, Westmead, following the Finleysons Ck corridor) and Shannons Paddock, the continuation of the shared path from Darcy Rd through Shannons Paddock to Reid Avenue and hopefully eventually to Wentworth Ave.
  • Constituion Hill To Westmead T-way Shared path re-alignment with a new bridge across Toongabbie Creek and diverting away from the problematic crossing of Hart Drive at Old Windsor Rd and a number of commercial driveways along Briens Rd.
  • A shared path starting at the M7 shared path Mavis St Rooty Hill ramp and proceeding under the M7 alongside Angus Creek to the new Blacktown Exercise Sports and Technonlogy Hub (BEST) at the Blacktown International Sportspark, then onto Charlie Bali reserve. See a mention of the path here.
🕵 Routes under Investigation
  • Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2, which includes 8.5km of shared path linking in to existing shared paths in the area. See the EIS Portal, and click on the 'Active Transport' checkbox for a map of existing and proposed routes. For more general info on the project see the Parramatta Light Rail Virtual Room.
🤔 Community Consultation:

CAMWEST along with other bicycle groups, individuals, and government bodies submit comments when community consultation is sought on projects that affect cycling in our area. Below are some examples of what we and other organisations have submitted or been involved with.

Wigram St Popup Cycleway Conversion

Two options were presented to convert the Wigram St popup to a permanent cycleway with additional streetscape improvements. Consultation closed on 28th Feb, 2023. 95 responses were received by council. More updates will be posted here when received. Project details below:

91km Parramatta to CBD Foreshore Link

Please submit comments to the Transport for NSW Interactive map below.

2km Pippita Rail Trail

The NSW State Govt have granted Cumberland Council over $770,000 to undertake detailed investigations on converting the disused 100 year old Pippita abatoir line between Lidcombe Station and Olympic Park into an active transport corridor. Although in poor condition, bridges already exist across Parramatta Rd and the M4. See this link for a link to the video story from Seven News.

This phase of Community Consultation is now closed. The project documentation can be found at:

Feedback from CAMWEST:

Strategic Cycling Routes for the Central River City

The Greater Cities Commission is currently working on priority strategic cycling corridors across the three nominal 'cities': Eastern Harbour City, Central River City and Western Parkland City.

A report has been released on corridors for the Eastern Harbour City.

Bicycle NSW, CAMWEST and other Bicycle User Groups are currently assisting Trasnport for NSW with identifying corridors for the Central River City.

Walking and cycling in Cumberland

Community consultation is now closed. The project documentation can be found at:

View an interactive map where people have made comments.

Penrith Accessible Trails Hierarchy Study (PATHS) Implementation Plan

Community consultation is now closed. The project documentation can be found at:

Feedback from CAMWEST and Bicycle NSW:

Summary of CAMWEST Feedback:

  • Penrith Council overlayed proposed paths on base-maps which were meant to show current shared paths. A number of current paths which we're aware of were not shown on these base-maps. These included both old and new paths. We asked the question whether council needs to conduct an audit of what they already have.
  • There are a number of 2m wide paths throughout the council area. Although failing to meet minimum current specifications, some paths looked like there were meant to be shared paths and provided needed linkages. Some were marked on the base-maps while others weren't.
  • There was no direct mention of the Dunheved Rd upgrade (which includes a shared path) or the proposed Werrington Arterial Stage 2 in the plan. The Dunheved Rd upgrade is anticipated to be finished in around 4 years time.
  • We questioned whether proposed new sections of the Penrith to Cranebrook path alongside roads were the best use of scarce Council resources, where an existing path (albeit 2m wide) already existed through a nearby reserve. We asked Council to consider whether extending the existing path and slowly updating sections of it may provide better long-term outcomes.
  • We suggested several other shared path routes should have a higher priority, including the 2km link along Forrester Rd from St Marys Station to Ropes Ck Blvd, which would provide connectivity for the residents of Ropes Crossing (in Blacktown LGA) to their local train station.
  • We suggested a couple of options to improve access to the northern section of the River walk.

Duck River Parklands - Draft Strategic Masterplan

Community consultation is now closed. The project documentation can be found at:

Submissions from CAMWEST and Bicycle NSW:

Prospect Pipeline Corridor - Draft Strategic Masterplan

Community consultation is now closed. The project documentation can be found at:

Submissions from CAMWEST and Bicyle NSW:

M7 Roadway Widening

The project is for widening the Westlink M7 Motorway between Prestons and Richmond Rd. Community consultation is now closed. The project documentation and a copy of all submissions including the Submissions Report can be found at:

Individual submissions from CAMWEST, Bike North, Bicycle NSW and Blacktown Council: Submissions Report (including a copy of all received submissions):

Observatons:Some cycling related observations from the Executive Summary Report:

  • After completion, cyclists will no longer have the option of riding on the roadway between the M5 junction (Prestons) and Richmond Rd. They will need to use the shared path. (Page 12)
  • During construction there will be 'Temporary detours off the existing shared path adjacent to the Westlink M7, resulting in approximately 300 metres to 1.3 kilometres of additional travel distance for motorists' (Page 12). This apparently only addresses those motorists using the shared path.....
  • It was good to see that the community consultation feedback identified 'Impact on shared path' as one of the construction impacts. (Page 11)
  • One of the potential benefits of the project is adding extra lighting along the shared path. (Page 14)