‘More bike lanes than the Greens’: Yarra Mayor Stephen Jolly pushes for more cycling projects

The City of Yarra is set to embark on several new bike lane projects with new mayor Stephen Jolly slamming previous councils for their inaction on separated cycle paths.

The City of Yarra is set to embark on several new bike lane projects with new mayor Stephen Jolly slamming previous councils for their inaction on separated cycle paths.

“We will do more bike lanes in the next four years that they did in the past 20,’’ Mr Jolly said.

“The last five councils including the last Greens council created just two bike lanes.’’

The independent Fitzroy councillor also hit out at current criticism over proposed changes to bike lanes on Elizabeth St, North Richmond.

Temporary bike lanes were installed on Elizabeth St, North Richmond in 2020.

“Bike groups and the Greens are saying we are ripping these lanes out. We’re not.’’

“They are being adjusted to match the connecting lanes on Albert St, East Melbourne.’’

Plans for new projects for protected bike lanes are being drawn up at inner city in locations including Baker St in Richmond, Wellington St in north Collingwood, Langridge St in Collingwood and the current trial site at Coppin St, Richmond.

Some of the changes are expected to be brought to council meetings where six independents have a majority.

The Critical Mass Melbourne lobby group is organising a protest ride on Friday, urging its supporters to send a message to Yarra council not to remove safe cycling lanes.

Both of Yarra’s Greens councillors, Sophie Wade and Edward Crossland, are backing the protest.

Critical Mass said that for more than two decades “Yarra has been one of Melbourne’s best areas to walk and ride”.

“We know lots of people love living here because of opportunities to walk or cycle to work, school or home.

The bike lanes on Elizabeth St, North Richmond, are set to be modified.

“Just days after getting elected in November 2024, new conservative councillors on the Yarra Council threw down plans to explore removing the bike-friendly pop-ups in Richmond at Coppin St, scrapping the barriers that help separate people on bikes from car traffic, and narrowing the Elizabeth St protected bike lanes to increase carparking.’’

But Mr Jolly said changes to the Elizabeth St lanes also would improve access for residents and for worshippers at the Phuoc Tuong Buddhist Temple.

He said he hoped the Coppin St changes would also include the return of the right turn lane at the Swan St intersection.

Yarra mayor Stephen Jolly is proposing more inner city bike lanes. Picture: Mark Stewart

“Our opponents are literally making stuff up.”

The Herald Sun has spoken to Elizabeth St residents who said the first they knew about the separated bike lanes outside their homes was when council workers arrived to start on the project in 2020. It began as a trial and was then made permanent in 2023. The lanes would be narrowed and some parking spaces reinstated.