Six years ago, City of Melbourne had a plan to stop cyclists speeding down Southbank - it’s still an issue.

Southbank residents are pleading with the City of Melbourne to finally deliver on its six-year-old promise to upgrade the busy promenade to slow down speeding cyclists.

Southbank residents say they are concerned once again about speeding cyclists through the promenade. Picture: Mark Stewart

Southbank residents are pleading with the City of Melbourne to finally deliver its promise from six years ago to upgrade Southbank Promenade and deliver an infrastructure solution to slow down speeding cyclists.

Southbank Residents Association Tony Penna said the Promenade was a critical safety concern for locals who used the thoroughfare almost daily to get to and from the city.

“Speeding cyclists on Southbank Promenade have been a major issue for years and the City of Melbourne hasn’t done anything to find a solution,” he said.

“Several years ago the City of Melbourne promised to upgrade Southbank Promenade and make changes that would force cyclists to go slowly on the area to protect pedestrians.

Southbank residents are pleading with the City of Melbourne to finally deliver its promise from six years ago to upgrade the promenade. Picture: Mark Stewart

“They never delivered what they promised and we still have the same problems (with cyclists and pedestrians) to this day.”

In 2019, Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece – who was a councillor at the time – spruiked the first stage of the promenade upgrade as an important project to improve safety for people walking in the area.

At the time, he said the council wanted to “to reduce conflicts between cyclists and pedestrians by creating a slow zone on the promenade” and encourage riders to use bike lanes on Southbank Boulevard.

“I’m a regular cyclist at Southbank Promenade and like everyone else I’ll be slowing down to take in the wonderful city view.”

Initial renders from 2019 of the City of Melbourne’s major revamp of Southbank promenade. Picture: supplied

The upgrades were proposed as a solution to make Southbank more pedestrian friendly and discourage speeding cyclists. Picture: supplied

However, when the City of Melbourne undertook a partial upgrade of the Southbank Promenade in 2022 – between Princes and Evan Walker Bridges – it never delivered on its promise to slow down cyclists.

Instead, the council went ahead with scaled-back works that scrapped new seating and garden beds in the middle of the Promenade that were key parts of the original design to slow down cyclists.

Mr Reece did not answer the Herald Sun’s questions about why the council failed to deliver what it promised six years ago or whether it had any future plans to actually make Southbank Promenade safer for both cyclists and pedestrians.

Instead, he said: “As a bike rider myself, Southbank Promenade is a special spot to slow down and take in the views.”

Speeding cyclists have been such an issue in the past that police conducted a blitz in 2021 to improve safety. Picture: Mark Stewart

“No-one wants to see people riding fast along the promenade – that’s why we have made changes to the pathways to help slow riders down and protect pedestrians.”

“The Southbank Boulevard bike lanes have provided riders with a safe and efficient alternative route, and we continue to explore more ways to improve safety and awareness in the area.”

Mr Penna said the council’s lack of action on this issue for years was unacceptable.

“The Promenade is a key safety concern and the council really needs to get its act together and deliver what it promised – and that’s an upgrade that slows down cyclists and improves safety for pedestrians,” he said.

Speeding cyclists have been such an issue in the past that police conducted a blitz in the area in 2021 to improve safety.

The council’s own data shows that in the week to April 26, almost 177,000 pedestrians and around 7,500 cyclists used the thoroughfare.