BUSINESSES near Sydney Airport have slammed the state government’s bike path plan and warned of traffic chaos if it goes ahead.

Roads Minister Duncan Gay yesterday tried to ease concerns, however, promising any new bike paths in the area would be on existing pavement.

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Mr Gay said the cycleways — part of a $500 million plan to reduce congestion around Sydney Airport — would mainly be used by local residents and airport workers.

“As I’ve always said, if we are building infrastructure, including cycleways, it needs to be in the right place,” Mr Gay said.

“The recently proposed walking and cycle paths are being built on existing pavements — no extra road space will be taken.

“These new paths will connect to existing ones already used by the local community. No doubt with better connections, more people will use these paths.

“There are people living around the airport who have asked for cycleways, including airport workers.

“These walking and cycle paths were never intended to be used exclusively by airport passengers.”

type_quote_start “I’m up and down here all day, it’ll really hold up traffic.” type_quote_end

Opposition infrastructure spokesman Ryan Park said Mr Gay needed to “get his priorities straight” and explain why the bike paths were necessary.

“If this is really important then he needs to outline who it’s going to benefit,” Mr Park said.

Workers at the airport may not live in the area and may not be able ride a pushbike to and from work.

Business owners near the airport slammed the plan as stupid and dangerous.

Those fronting O’Riordan St at Mascot — where cars, buses and trucks roar down the road bumper to bumper at 60km/h from morning until night — do not think a bike lane will work.

Mascot Airport Carwash and Cafe owner Charles Micalizzi has watched the street for 28 years and said a bike lane did not make sense: “How can you put your suitcase on a bike? I can’t see the sense.’’

Cafe 235 owner Dee Mintz said the government “had lost the plot”.

“There’ll be a lot of people run over,” she said. “It’s ridiculous, especially towards the airport. Come here and see it in the morning, we need another lane here.”

Hire car driver Reece Smith, who was born in Holland, said Australia was just not a bike country, unlike his birthplace.

“I’m up and down here all day, it’ll really hold up traffic,” Mr Smith said. “There’ll be bottlenecks getting to the airport; it’s too busy for bikes.”