Mega bike highway between Dandenong and Melbourne blasted

A proposal to create a mega bike highway linking Dandenong to Melbourne would strip a busy Caulfield North street of parking and has been slammed as an “absolute traffic nightmare”.

Caulfield North residents are furious about Glen Eira's plans to create a safe cycling route on busy Inkerman Rd and remove parking spaces. Picture: Josie Hayden

A proposal to create a mega bike highway linking Dandenong to Melbourne and strip a busy street of parking has been slammed as an “absolute traffic nightmare”.

If approved, the Inkerman Rd Safe Cycling Corridor would bring hundreds of cyclists to the residential street in Caulfield North, running between Hotham St and Normanby Rd.

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The route would provide an east–west cycling link from Dandenong to the CBD, and separate cycle lanes and footpaths would connect to the new elevated rail shared path in the Caulfield activity centre and St Kilda Rd.

Glen Eira Council will spend $300,000 on the pilot program to determine design, cost and how many car spaces would be lost.

But more than 200 residents blasted the plan at a recent community meeting, saying it would put bike riders before ratepayers.

They want Dandenong Rd to be considered instead, using existing infrastructure along the tram route.

A residential street in Caulfield North could be turned into a major biking highway and residents aren’t happy.

Mum-of-four Simone Zmoot has lived on Inkerman Rd for 20 years and said residents would be forced to park in side streets and be unable to get out of their driveways at peak times.

“This is expected to bring 4600 cyclists per hour, and it’s literally pitting them against drivers,” she said.

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“I support safe cycling for commuters, but what they’re doing is sacrificing residents’ amenity for those in the outer suburbs, and it will put people’s lives in danger.”

A fellow Inkerman Rd resident, who wanted to remain anonymous, fears house prices could also be affected.

“Bright all night lights, no parking and throngs of cyclists outside your door is not an attractive location to buy a house,” she said.

Caulfield Liberal MP David Southwick has also requested a meeting with Roads Minister Jaala Pulford to discuss an alternative location.

But Glen Eira planning director Ron Torres said Dandenong Rd had been identified as a priority for cars and public transport, and 30 other streets had also been ruled out.

“We want to encourage people to ride to work or school in a safe environment, particularly those … not confident to ride on the road without greater protection from parked cars or passing traffic,” Mr Torres said.

Port Phillip Council is also planning to improve bike access on Inkerman St, which is the continuation of Inkerman Rd into St Kilda.

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