Speeding cyclist safety plan change in Southbank Promenade upgrade plans

Safety measures to slow cyclists speeding along Southbank promenade no longer feature in an upgrade plan of the popular riverside strip.

Police target speeding cyclists along Southbank Promenade. Picture: Mark Stewart

A key part of the Southbank Promenade upgrade which was supposed to stop dangerous collisions between pedestrians and cyclists has been quietly dumped by the City of Melbourne.

The first stage of the much-delayed project was originally set to include refurbishing a 300m stretch of the Promenade – between Princes Bridge and Evan Walker Bridge – and adding dozens of trees to slow cyclists in the popular walking area.

However, what was delivered was three sections of paving work – short of the 300m originally announced – with just nine trees added.

Southbank Residents Association president Tony Penna said the local community was disappointed key elements of the upgrade to encourage cyclists to go slower through the area were not included in the project.

Sally Capp outside Town Hall as people returning to the city. Picture: David Caird

“Cyclist speeds are a serious concern to all patrons of the promenade and that was apparently going to be addressed in this redevelopment but that seems to have been overlooked,” he said.

“It would appear there are significant changes from the original proposal which have not been communicated with the community, which is disheartening – in particular the significant reduction in the tree offerings and greening.”

“We are taking this as an opportunity to address this with the council to at least ensure some compliance with the future stages.”

The council’s website states the first stage of the project was completed in July and there is no timeline for future stages of the promenade upgrade, despite its poor condition.

Deputy Mayor Nicholas Reece.

In 2019, Deputy Mayor Nicholas Reece spruiked the first stage of the promenade upgrade as an important project to improve safety for people walking in the area.

“We want to reduce conflicts between cyclists and pedestrians by creating a slow zone on the promenade and moving as many commuter cyclists as possible to an alternative route on Southbank Boulevard, which will feature 1km of separated bicycle lanes,” he said.

The speed at which cyclists ride on Southbank Promenade has been an issue for several years, with police even launching a blitz in 2021 to stop speeding cyclists in their tracks.

However, the council and the Lord Mayor did not respond before deadline when the Herald Sun asked questions about why key elements of the upgrade were not delivered.