Cycling in metropolitan areas is key to reducing passenger numbers on public transport, which has reduced capacity while social distancing measures remain in place.
Lord Mayor Sally Capp says the City of Melbourne will deliver adaptable bike lanes that can be constructed and installed more quickly to provide more space for people riding bikes.
“Riding and walking have increased in popularity during the pandemic. As people return to the city, they will want to travel in ways that allow them to maintain physical distance,” the Lord Mayor says.
The City of Melbourne is building the fast-tracked bike lanes in two stages, with the first 20 kilometres to be delivered in 2020-21 with a $16 million investment.
“By fast-tracking the delivery of bike lanes on key routes, we’re creating streets that people can feel confident riding along, which in turn will free up space on our roads, buses, trams and trains,” says the Lord Mayor.
“Our research shows that it’s essential to create physical protection from motor vehicles to encourage more people to ride in the central city. These priority routes will better connect suburbs like Carlton, East Melbourne, North Melbourne, Brunswick and West Melbourne to the central city.”
Transport portfolio Chair Councillor Nicolas Frances Gilley says the City of Melbourne is working with the Victorian Government to fast-track protected bike lanes on key routes to maximise safety for bike riders without impacting heavily on vehicles.
“These routes are already earmarked in our Transport Strategy 2030, which sets out a 10-year roadmap for Melbourne to become a premier cycling city with a network of protected cycling lanes and intersections, lots of bike parking and facilities for cyclists,” Frances Gilley says.
“We’ve seen other leading cities around the world, such as Paris, London, and Milan, successfully integrate cycling as a key mode of transport to reduce congestion and accommodate growth.
“We will use plastics, rubber and recycled materials than can be installed quickly so we can accelerate bike lane delivery. The infrastructure we install will be functional for years to come and can be progressively replaced with fixed lanes over time as required.”
Bike lanes pop up in Sydney
Meanwhile, the City of Sydney has installed pop-up bike lanes in response to changes in transport usage due to COVID-19 restrictions. While people movements fell by 87 per cent during the lockdown, trips by bicycle increased by 50 per cent in some areas in the City of Sydney LGA in April and May.
The new cycleways will use simple and inexpensive infrastructure, including road dividers and painted markings, which means they can be installed quickly and adapted as circumstances change.
Ten kilometres of pop-up bike lanes will appear in six locations around the city: Pitt Street in the CBD; Henderson Road in Eveleigh; Dunning Ave in Rosebery; Moore Park Road to Fitzroy Street; Pyrmont Bridge Road in Pyrmont, and Sydney Park Road in Erskineville.