Merri-bek city council could scrap protected bike lane plans on De Carle St, Coburg after risk audit

Plans for extending a protected bike lane in Coburg could be scrapped after an independent audit raised serious safety concerns.

Merri-bek council to scrap bike lane after safety audit. Picture: Generic

An inner-city council could be about to scrap plans for a protected bike lane project after an independent audit flagged serious safety risks.

Merri-bek councillors will vote on Wednesday on whether to abandon plans for separated bicycle lanes along De Carle St, between The Ave and Moreland Rd in Coburg.

The bike lane, allowed for in Council’s budget for 2024/25, would have connected to another section of bike lane already built to the north of The Ave.

But a recent road safety audit found the new section carried risks “beyond the scope” of the council to fix without extra funding.

Problems identified included narrow driving lanes, difficulty with two-way traffic — particularly during school pick-up and drop-off times near Merri-bek Primary School — and confusion for drivers entering De Carle St from nearby roundabouts.

The audit also raised concerns about bike lane width and a lack of its continuity through roundabouts.

In her report, Merri-bek director of city infrastructure Anita Curnow said De Carle St did not play a “strategic role” in north-south bike travel through Coburg.

She recommended councillors vote to abandon the project at Merri-bek’s upcoming council meeting.

Council officers have also proposed reallocating the remaining budget to Merri-bek Primary School’s Ride and Stride program.

The development comes after the council signed off on the protected lanes between Rennie St and Moreland Rd in November 2023.

De Carle St was first earmarked for bike infrastructure back in 2019 as part of the council’s 10-year capital works plan, which envisioned it as a low-stress “shimmy route” alternative to busy Sydney Rd.