Three separated cycleways have been unveiled in Sydney, Australia, as part of the local authority's wider scheme to establish a 200km (124.3-mile) cycle network across the city.

Located on Bourke Road, Mandible and Bowden Streets in Alexandria, the 3.1km (1.9-mile), two-way routes are among the first to open under the City of Sydney's Sustainable Sydney 2030 strategy to boost cycling facilities. Funding for the cycleway scheme has been contributed by the City of Sydney and the Australian federal government department for infrastructure, transport, regional development and local government.

The Bourke Road cycleway will connect with another route under construction on Bourke Street to provide cyclists with a 7km (4.3-mile) corridor from south Alexandria into central Sydney. Designs for a number of other cycleways are currently being drawn up, with construction work due to get underway on around 12 further routes over the coming months.

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said: "Alexandria and Beaconsfield already have the second highest percentage of residents cycling to work in the City of Sydney with a 74 per cent increase in bike riders between 2001 and 2006. "We want to increase the number of people cycling - currently about two per cent of trips in the city are by bicycle, our plan is to increase that to 10 per cent by 2016."

Image: City of Sydney – Bowden Street cycleway