City of Melbourne set to remove 80 parking spaces to make way for new bike lanes

More than 80 inner-city parking spaces will be scrapped if a City of Melbourne plan to roll out new bike lanes gets the green light.

The City of Melbourne is planning to remove more than 80 parking spaces and reduce traffic to one lane on two inner-city streets to make way for new protected bike lanes.

The council has proposed 3km of protected bike lanes on Arden St in North Melbourne, which would see 41 parking spaces removed.

It would take out another 40 parking bays on Macaulay Rd – which spans from Kensington to North Melbourne – to make way for 2.8km of bike lanes.

The council plans to install “midblock traffic lanes” along Arden St and Macaulay Rd, which would see traffic reduced from two to one lane in both directions.

Members of the public have until May 24 to submit feedback on the proposed project. Picture: David Crosling

It has also proposed a lane removal at the Stubbs St intersection, while traffic would be reduced to one lane at the Macaulay St pedestrian crossing to allow for the upgrades.

The separated lanes will run in both directions and link the Moonee Ponds Creek Trail and the Capital City Trail with existing protected bike lanes on Abbotsford St.

Cyclists would be protected from traffic by separation kerbs, spike down islands and parking bays.

Members of the public have until May 24 to submit feedback on the proposed project, which will require approval from the Department of Planning and Transport.

Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp said the council was committed to upgrading popular cycling corridors and implementing safe infrastructure to “accommodate all road users”.

“We’re connecting key suburbs to the CBD by upgrading popular corridors such as Arden Street and Macaulay Road – allowing us to get more people into the city, safer and sooner,” Ms Capp said.

“We will continue to work closely with residents, workers and businesses to make the city’s transport network more efficient, while investing in the projects our city desperately needs.”

The installation of new protected bike lanes in the CBD was put on hold for 12 months in June last year.