Crossing Sydney CBD East - West

[straightsilver]

Hi BNA
I am new so please don't bite.
I am currently working on Castlereagh Street near Bathurst Street. What would be the safest route to get there from Kent St as I am coming into the city over the Harbour Bridge?

I have had a look at the map on the nsw cycling website and it seems I can go two ways.
http://www.bicycleinfo.nsw.gov.au/downl ... _guide.pdf

-Come up King street and down Castlereagh
-Come up Durit and Park Street and down Castlereagh
Thanks!

[sogood]

Tight city traffic and largely similar in terms of safety. Try both and see. A major factor would also depend on the time of day.

An alternate but longer route is through the Rocks, Circular Quay and Macquarie St. Swing around through Elizabeth St by Hyde Park and then duck down to Castlereigh at the right time. This I find to be more spacious than the cramped road conditions on York, King, Druitt Sts etc.

[straightsilver]

Thanks sogood that looks like quite a safe route and if Elizabeth street is a bit feral I can go through Hyde park. Any other tips?

[radiohead]

I go from Neutral Bay to UNSW - so I go down Kent St - then left at King St - wait a bit for traffic to go and get into the right lanes. I used to love the York St bus lane but then the buses are just too many - then I used to like the George St bus lanes - but then buses were too many and the pedestrian traffic lights pissed me off (im a stickler for traffic lights - must stop). I now always go all the way up to Castlereigh to turn right. And the bus lanes there are pretty quiet and the pedestrian lights are sparsely used - and astonishingly there is a good green wave of lights. I then go left onto Park - right at College onto the cycleway - left down Oxford and onto Flinders etc.

[radiohead]

Coming back is the worst though - and I really really hope they eventually do the King St Cycleway all the way to College St - at the moment I go down Park - slip past a thousand cars and trucks and buses in absolute stand still. I then somehow go down Druitt - just hoping the buses stay still - if there is a green light at the corner of Kent and Druitt - I go in front of the cars on Kent looking to go up Kent - there is a little bike box there. If there is a red light at the corner of Druitt and Kent - i knock over a few pedestrians and go straight into the bike lane on Kent.

If anyone else has a better way to go from the College St Cycleway to the Kent St Cycleway tell me.

[gururug]

safest: College -> Martin Place -> Barrack -> Escalator Down from Office works ( or Erskine )...viola!

Park is a madhouse.

fastest: You could also go south to liv ( pretty crazy too ) and take the right into kent.

IMO: Clarence is a much better / safer road than kent. south -> north on the western side of the city

[trailgumby]

Slighlty OT:

Kent St and its associated traffic lights and anti-prioritisation of the bike lanes is a PITA for north-south movement. I prefer Sussex St southbound. Heading north from Darling Harbour back up past King St to Sussex -> Hickson Road I prefer to go all the way down to Darling Harbour and go Wheat St -> Shelley St -> left into Sussex. Fewer traffic lights, much less hassle from grumpy cars, and a nice climb up around Towns Pl up to Argyle and the northen approach to the Bridge.

[radiohead]

I used to do Clarence going north before the Kent St Cycleway - but the amount of buses blocking all lanes was so annoying. So as soon as I get onto the Kent St Cycleway im fine - im relaxed - i really don't care about the light sequencing. I just stop and wait patiently and bask in the fact im not stuck with a ton of buses going nowhere. But point taken - I think the best option actually might be to get off the bike at the corner of George and Park - walk it down to the intersection of Druitt and Clarence - wait for the lights to change and ride up Clarence - then left down Market - right into Kent St Cycleway.

[straightsilver]

Thanks for all the tips guys!

[Nate]

South bound from Chatty to Hyde park
Kent St --> King St --> George St --> Park St --> Castlereagh

North bound
Liverpool --> Kent St

[radiohead]

OK give Druitt - Clarence - Market - Kent a miss - the buses just choke Clarence way too much.

Nate I have never tried going all the way down Liverpool then Kent - will try that tonight. And if that sucks - back to just Park - Druitt - Kent. Ive been doing that for a while and even though its very scary im getting used to it. Don't die for a deadline - buses are bigger than bikes and all that.

[straightsilver]

I am gonna do a dummy run this weekend to get my head around the route.

At the moment my favorite suggestions is gururug's of College > Martin Place > Barrack.
Seems like the best for not getting run over by buses and taxis.

[Evetsllub]

As sogood suggested, going through the rocks is a far more pleasant (and faster imo when you account for traffic lights) experience. When i was commuting from the north side to the top of Martin place, i would come off the bridge, go down Argyle St, around circular quay, jump on Pitt st (very quiet of a morning), and then turn up Hunter St. For you i'd be taking Pitt, then turning onto King St up to Castlereagh. Depending on how early you are you could ride through Pitt St mall (illegal i know and i wouldn't suggest it at 8am) and take Pitt St almost the whole way to work.

[Evetsllub]

And leaving in the afternoon, head straight up to Macquarie st (for you up elizabeth st, or through the park), Fly down there, to Alfred St, take it down, back around Circular Quay and up to Argyle st. Crossing the city East to West is a nightmare, far easier down the quieter end of town at Circular Quay.

[radiohead]

Ive been fussing over safer routes - East and West - In my hatred of Park-Druitt. I feel the stress of the close quarters with buses is not worth my daily commute.

My commute south to east is now Kent Street Cycleway - left into King St Cycleway - wait for traffic to clear - get into the middle lane - go all the way up to Castlereigh Street and turn right - use bus lane all the way down to Park - left there - right into College Street Cycleway. Now at the moment there is horrible road works on King Street - but hopefully this will be fixed soon.

My commute east to north is now College Street Cycleway all the way up to half way up Hyde Park North. Then ride through park - and come out at Market Street pedestrian lights. Have you noticed when going up and down either George - Clarence - York - Kent - that you are waiting around forever for the Market Street lights? Its amazing how much time they give the traffic going down Market. So use this to your advantage - you don't even have to get to the front of the traffic - the wave of cars will guide you on a wave of green. Then right into the Kent Street Cycleway.