The Get NSW Active program supplies funding to councils to improve the planning, development and delivery of functional and safe walking and cycling infrastructure.
Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: From $20,000
- Application opened: 25 November 2022
- Application closed: 6 January 2023
Program objective
This program aims to support the planning and delivery of functional and safe walking and cycling infrastructure that can promote bike riding and walking as attractive, reliable and competitive choices for travel.
The Get NSW Active Program’s strategic objectives are aimed at:
- bike riding to and within centres, neighbourhoods and to key destinations
- walkability in centres, neighbourhoods and at key destinations, and
- vibrant centres and liveable neighbourhoods through the creation of street environments that prioritise walking and cycling.
This program is administered by Transport for NSW.
Eligibility
The Get NSW Active Program is open to local government organisations across NSW.
Types of projects funded under this grant
Walking
- new footpaths
- widening of existing footpaths
- signalised crossings
- unsignalised crossings
- low speed streets (10–30km/h speed limit)
- road closures (street activations).
Cycling
- bike paths
- shared paths
- quietways.
What can’t you apply for
Walking
- maintenance of existing assets
- closed loop recreational projects, such as walking circuits within open space
- paths that cross roundabout intersections but do not provide dedicated and suitable crossing facilities. Crossings that provide priority for pedestrians should be utilised except were specific site constraints prevent this reasonably being achieved.
- non‑infrastructure projects such as behavioural change campaigns, events, promotions, maps
- projects that predominately focus on vehicular traffic improvements.
Cycling
- Maintenance of existing assets
- Closed loop recreational projects, such as BMX tracks
- Non‑infrastructure projects such as behavioural change campaigns, events, promotions or maps
- Projects that predominately focus on vehicular traffic improvements, and
- Mixed traffic solutions with design speeds above 30km/h and unsuitable street environments.
Most recent recipients
What your application needs to include
Prepare your application with this checklist
The portal will prompt applicants to add information about the project and documents to support an application. The information requirements will vary from project to project but are likely to include some or all of the following, plus additional documents specific to the project:
- a map of the project
- coordinates for the start and end point (latitude and longitude)
- relevant strategy document(s) where the project has been identified
- project concept/detail design documents,
- consultation summaries/reports,
- cost estimates,
- planning/approvals documents and studies, such as REF, Traffic Committee etc (where required), and
- relevance to the Cycleway Design Toolbox or Walking Space Guide.
Address the eligibility criteria
Funding is categorised into 4 streams:
- Greater Sydney walking
- Regional and Outer Metropolitan walking
- Great Sydney cycling
- Regional and Outer Metropolitan cycling.
For full eligibility details for each stream, see the guidelines (PDF 3.11MB).
Bike paths
The facility type selected should align with the recommendations in the cycleway facility selection tool on page 15 of the Cycleway Design Toolbox. Applicants are required to detail in their applications why the facility type proposed is appropriate for the location.
Shared paths
Applicants seeking funding for shared paths projects should review the guidance regarding shared path design in the Cycleway Design Toolbox. Shared paths with a width less than 4.0m are eligible only where the applicant can demonstrate that site conditions and/or constraints justify a narrower minimum width than recommended in the Cycleway Design Toolbox.
Quietways and low speed zones
Designs for quietways are to include treatments/facilities that would enable the speed limit to be reduced to 30km/h in future.
Projects should also comply with relevant Australian Standards and the Transport for NSW Technical Directions as well as be consistent with Austroads and other relevant guidelines.
Footpaths
Footpath widths proposed for walking projects should align with the recommendations in the Walking Space Guide and summary guide below. Where narrower than recommended footpaths are proposed,
the application needs to demonstrate why site conditions and/or constraints justify a narrower path.
Projects should also comply with relevant Australian Standards and the Transport for NSW Technical Directions as well as be consistent with Austroads and other relevant guidelines.
Address the assessment criteria
Project assessments will be categorised based on:
- the geography: Greater Sydney or Regional and Outer Metropolitan (ROM), and
- customer group: walking or cycling.
Eligible projects will be evaluated and ranked against the following evaluation criteria:
- financial information,
- strategic merits and alignment with Transport for NSW design guidance for walking and cycling
- project design and documentation (project readiness), and
- stakeholder engagement.
Each of the evaluation criteria listed above is critical to the assessment of projects submitted for funding. The criteria are not of equal weight for evaluation and are not listed in order of priority.
Further detail regarding what is assessed in each category, see the guidelines (PDF 3.11MB).