State MP Tim Crakanthorp wants the NSW government to build a separated east-west cycleway through Newcastle in light of its "admission" that it "failed to plan" for active transport as part of the city's light rail project.
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Mr Crakanthorp moved a notice of motion in parliament this week calling on the government to identify, fund and deliver a bi-directional path from Union Street to Newcastle East "as a priority".
He also posed a series of on-notice questions to Transport Minister Andrew Constance, asking him to commit the funding.
Earlier this week, the government released its review into road safety along the light rail line, which was commissioned after the death of a cyclist near the Newcastle Beach light rail stop in July.
The Centre for Road Safety report identified safety deficiencies in the mixed-running section of the light rail line which had "intolerable" risks.
In response to one of the eight recommendations made in the report, the government promptly banned cycling in the 340 metres of mixed-running on Scott Street.
Mr Crakanthrop said the ban was a "stark admission that the government absolutely failed to plan for active transport as part of the light rail project".
"This government did not make any provision for active transport when planning the light rail, and time and time again they ignored the pleas of the community who knew this was unsafe for cyclists," he said.
A day after the ban on Wednesday, cyclists rode through the Scott Street section unaware of the ban or shared path that had been designated on the northern footpath.
Cyclists and local residents expressed the need for an east-west link to prevent the current mishmash of routes being used.
The Newcastle Herald detailed the possible options for a separated east-west cycleway through the city on Friday, but a key connection between City of Newcastle's planned west end bike path, which runs to Union Street, and east end bike path, which runs through Hunter Street mall, remains up in the air.
Mr Crakanthrop said the state government needed to finish the job of revitalising the city centre by installing a separated bike path as soon as possible.
"Now that these safety deficiencies have been reassessed from high risk to an intolerable risk this government needs to fix its abhorrent stuff up and not only identify a safe east-west route for cyclists, but also fund it," he said.