Frequently Asked Questions

Council is installing a trial bicycle path in Woolgoolga along Beach Street from River Street to Wharf Street. It includes:

• a protected on-road bike lane from River Street to Boundary Street
• a new wider shared footpath between Boundary Street and Wharf Street
• a raised crossing point over Wharf Street to make it easier and safer to cross to the Beach Reserve.

Some parking will also change to parallel parking on the north side of Beach Street between Bultitude and Boundary Streets. 

There will be some changes at intersections to help improve safety for everyone.

The need for a bike lane was initial identified in the Woolgoolga Town Centre Masterplan adopted in 2018. 

Since then NSW Government launched the Streets as Shared Spaces program in 2020 to help test and trial projects to improve local streets, paths and public spaces before they are made permanent.  Funding under this program could be used to trial bike lanes. 

Council is using this opportunity to trial a bike lane and see how effective this type of bike lane can be in providing a safer cycling experience for residents and visitors.

During the 6 month trial Council will monitor use of the bike lane, ask the community for feedback on its effectiveness and also for ideas to how initiatives such as this can be improved. 

At the end of the 6 months, all the information and feedback received will be used to assess whether the bike lane should be retained and made permanent and what changes should be made to make this work better.

The change to parallel parking will help accommodate the bike lane and is consistent with the Woolgoolga Town Centre Masterplan, adopted in 2018.  

This change to parallel parking will only occur on the north side of the Beach Street. 

Council is drafting a car parking management plan for the town centre as part of the Draft Woolgoolga Place and Movement Plan (in development). The plan will consider measures to make best use of existing parking spaces (including time restrictions) and providing accessible parking spaces. 

To help develop this plan, Council has been monitoring car parking use in Woolgoolga over the last 4 years including car space counts and use during peak times.

This work identified:

• There are about 450 spaces within a two to three-minute walk (about 200m) from the shops. 
• At peak periods, normally around 10am, parking is about 70% full. This means most people who park at peak periods are a short walk from the shops.

The car parking management plan will also identify where additional parking can be created as the town develops. This will be done in line with the town centre masterplan – recognising that streets belong to every person who walks, rides, plays and drives. 

The masterplan vision is to make the corridor “a convenient, safe and enjoyable experience for cyclists and pedestrians of a wide range of ages and abilities”.

The north side proved to be a better option as the side-street intersections generally have less traffic, particularly the River Street intersection. 

Safer crossing points will be provided near key destinations such as the public school and Centennial Reserve to keep users safe.

It’s important to accommodate everyone’s needs during the trial where possible – riders, pedestrians and drivers. A safe, easy and non-stop commuter-style bike link will be trialled along Beach Street between River Street and Boundary Street to keep both pedestrian and cyclists safe.  As part of the trial a shared path link is being used for the section to the link to Wharf Street to minimise impacts on parking closer to the town centre.

The off-street car park is managed by Council and will continue to operate as normal. Bike rack facilities will be installed on the outside of the carpark where they will not impact on pedestrian flow. 

Buses and trucks will still be able to use Beach Street with ease. The design has been checked to sure the bike lane does not prevent buses and trucks operating as normal.

Yes. Bicycle riders who currently use the footpath have to pass very close to the property boundaries and driveway entry/exit points. By moving the bike lane further away, exiting drivers will have additional time and improved sight distance to avoid cyclists passing by. 

Remember, under the current NSW Road Rules drivers exiting/entering driveways must give way to pedestrians and all other vehicles, including people riding bicycles, travelling along the road or bike lane.

Bultitude Street and Boundary Street intersection

 A vehicle turning either right or left off Beach Street into the side street must give way to cyclists travelling along the bike lane. 

Entering Beach Street from a side street

A vehicle coming out onto Beach Street must give way to cyclists travelling on the bike lane. 

Give Way signs and road markings will be installed to help drivers. The bike lane will be coloured green at these intersections to make both vehicle drivers and cyclists more alert.0

Ganderton Street 

Where the new shared path crosses Ganderton Street, cyclists and pedestrians need to give way to cars in Ganderton Street and watch out for cars entering from Beach Street.

As always a bicycle is considered a vehicle and must obey the same road rules as other vehicles. 

The project is funded by the NSW Government’s “Streets as Shared Spaces Program”. The program helps councils across the state to trial new and innovative ideas for streets as safe, shared public spaces. Council has received $555,000 in funding from the program.

The bike lane will be trialled over a six-month period. Council will monitor use of the bike lane, ask the community for feedback on its effectiveness and also for ideas to make improvements. 

At the end of the trial all the information and comments provided by the community will be used to assess whether the bike lane should be kept and/or what changes should be made to make it work better.

If this trial is successful, and based on community feedback, Council will look at other opportunities to improve the cycling network in the area.

The key benefits include:

• safer and more inviting bike route that reduces impact on other road users;
• key link for the proposed bike network for Woolgoolga;
• opportunities for school children to ride safely to school;
• ability to trial a protected bike lane;
• improve overall safety for bicycles, pedestrians and vehicular road users.

The need for a bike lane was initial identified in the Woolgoolga Town Centre Masterplan adopted in 2018.

More recently Council has consulted key stakeholders and notified residents along the route to ensure the design accommodates their needs. 

The trial is next stage of consultation as it provides the community to test a bike lane. During the trial Council will be seeking your feedback on what you think of the bike lane and your thoughts on if it should be changed to a more permanent solution and how it could be improved.

Keep an eye out on opportunities to provide input during the 6 month bike lane trial. 

We will also monitor how many people use the bike lane and if it increases over the trial period. 

In the meantime, please leave any questions you have on our Questions board below.

https://haveyoursay.coffsharbour.nsw.gov.au/  - Currently being updated 

email contact: coffs.council@chcc.nsw.gov.au