Waverley Council has received funding through Transport for NSW’s Road Safety Program and The Federal Government’s Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program (SLRIP) to provide upgrades to Bourke Street between Queens Park Road and Birrell Street, Queens Park.

Works will start on 3 March 2026 and are expected to take approximately 3 months to complete. Work will be carried out during standard work hours, and to minimise disruption to traffic and the local community the project is staged to focus on one intersection location at a time. Construction will progress from southern end to northern end, starting at the Queens Park Road intersection and moving towards Birrell Street.

Upgrades include:

• A new, separated uphill one-way bike path along the western side (northbound)
• Various intersection improvements, including new continuous footpath treatments
• Kerb extensions reducing pedestrian crossing distances across the road
• Pedestrian crossings on Bourke Street at Cuthbert Street intersection
• Landscaping, such as: new garden beds; installation of 5 new trees; and new turfing along the streetscape
• Kerb and gutter reconstruction to improve stormwater flow

During construction, some on-street parking will be occupied to allow access for construction vehicles and delivery of materials to site. Please do not park your vehicles within the works areas prior to the commencement of works, otherwise it may be towed away. Traffic will be guided by signage and Traffic Control Personnel at work locations.

You can view maps of the works areas below.

We are happy to announce that Council has sourced funding for the Bourke Street Upgrades project and that construction is anticipated to commence later this year. The community will be updated with more specific timelines closer to construction start dates.

Thank you for your patience and understanding during this process.

The survey for this project was open from 8 August to 5 September, 2023.

All community feedback was consolidated into a report that recommended Council proceed with Option 1 (separated bike path), but implement several suggestions from community members where feasible.

The Option 1 design was amended as per the feedback received and the plans were unanimously approved by the Waverley Traffic Committee on 26 October 2023 and Council on 21 November 2023.

Council officers will apply for funding for this project, and if successful, will update the community with the construction schedule as soon as it is known.

Bourke Street, Queens Park is an important road in Waverley. It runs north - south between Birrell Street and Queens Park Road and forms part of one of six priority bike path routes identified in the Waverley Bike Plan 2013. The 356 bus from Eastgardens to Bondi Junction runs through the street as well as a number of school routes.

At present, Bourke Street operates with bicycle lanes situated within the shoulder lanes between parked cars and travel lanes. This arrangement presents safety concerns, particularly for bike users travelling uphill where they are travelling at considerably lower speeds than cars, trucks, and buses. Separation of bike users from the travel lane is preferred under these circumstances. Further to recent bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure upgrades along Birrell Street and Queens Park Road, it is timely to consider upgrades to Bourke Street which forms a connection between these two streets.

The proposed upgrades will improve the safety of pedestrian and cycling facilities in line with Council’s People, Movement, Places Strategy Report and the Waverley Bike Plan 2013, resulting in an improved experience for pedestrians, bicycle riders, motorists and public transport users along the street. Two options were considered for the proposed upgrades, with improved intersection treatments to promote pedestrian safety incorporated in both designs.

Expected outcomes

• Additional parking spaces
• Safer pedestrian islands and crossings
• Northbound separated bike path (Option 1) or bike lane (Option 2)
• Greater connectivity with existing bike routes
• Relocation of bus stops to facilitate additional parking spaces
• New trees attracting greater biodiversity and enhancing street appeal
• Improvements to stormwater drainage

The community consultation that ran from 8 August - 5 September 2023 showed that Option 1 (separated bike path) was favoured, with several recommendations to Council.

Summary of Option 1

Bike Paths: Inclusion of a new separated bike path along the western (uphill) side of Bourke Street between the kerb and parked cars. Concrete separators will be installed adjacent to the parking lanes to provide a buffer from parked vehicles.

Parking: A net gain of 11 parking spaces.

Bus Stops: Kerb extensions are proposed to be constructed for all three northbound stops and the furthest south and southbound stop. This essentially converts these bus stops to in-lane stops, with the kerb extension alignment matching that of the parking lane. A raised median/platform is provided for bus stop patrons with raised pedestrian crossings allowing safe and non-step access across the bike path from the median to the adjoining footpath

Please click the links below or in the document library to see the plans for each option.

OPTION 1 FULL PLANS (original)

OPTION 2 FULL PLANS

Please see the Bicycle Strategy Consultation Report 2021 in the Document Library to see the findings from the Bicycle Ridership Engagement Survey that informs the safety issues addressed in these proposed upgrades.