By Cara Waters
The City of Melbourne will pause construction of new bike lanes in the Hoddle Grid as it instead focuses on routes into the city centre.
Separated bike lanes in Flinders, Bourke and Spring streets that were meant to be built this year have been delayed, with the Bourke and Spring street lanes postponed indefinitely.
A cyclist at the corner of Bourke and Spring streets.Credit: Chris Hopkins
“To proceed with these works would have been too disruptive to the transport network given the number of major state projects currently under way in the Hoddle Grid,” a report to be presented to the council’s Future Melbourne Committee on Tuesday night says.
In 2020, the council set ambitious targets for accelerated delivery of 44 kilometres of bike lanes, but this year the only bike lanes it is building are in Grattan and Arden streets, Royal Parade and Abbotsford Street, and an addition to the existing bike lane in Exhibition Street.
Lord Mayor Sally Capp said the planned separated bike lanes for Bourke and Spring streets would now be for future councils to decide on.
Capp is stepping down as lord mayor in June and council elections will be held in October.
“There have been some delays beyond our control,” she said. “So we just want to be very transparent over progress. I think that’s a positive thing. Where we’ve been waiting for approvals from state government, or where ongoing Melbourne Metro works, for example, on Flinders Street, make it logistically difficult to move ahead.”
Since June 2020, about 27.4 kilometres of new bike lanes have been built in the City of Melbourne, but this figure includes infrastructure built by the state government.
Separated bike lanes are kept apart from traffic by a physical barrier. Most in the City of Melbourne will be concrete barriers, but there will be a small number of mountable kerbs.
The bike lanes have been criticised by some traders and delivery drivers who say they increase congestion and make it hard to park.
The council also has to switch to using durable kerb materials for the bike lanes rather than the adjustable cycling infrastructure used during the pandemic, after the state government withdrew its support for the adjustable infrastructure.
“All of our work going forward will be permanent and ... whilst we’re doing that work, we’re actually improving the streetscapes around to add more greening, to really set them up for the future,” Capp said. “What’s important is that this report, again, is stating our commitment to the entire network.”
Nik Dow, of cycling advocacy group Bike Melbourne, said switching materials would slow bike lane construction further.
“We are really back to the speed of the rollout pre-pandemic, which will take another four or five years at least,” he said. “The council is a lame-duck council and it will go into caretaker mode very soon.”
Dow said the council was doing the best it could, and it was the state government that was slowing down bike lane installation.
Research by Monash University found the crash rate was down 46 per cent and bike traffic up 22 per cent in the CBD’s new protected bike lanes.
Monash University transport academic Alexa Delbosc said there was significant evidence that separated cycling infrastructure improved the safety of cyclists in the city, and that should be the No.1 priority.
“It’s a shame if the momentum slows, and both the council and the state should be doing whatever they have the time and budget to do if we are going to be making inroads into more sustainable modes of transport,” she said.
A cyclist in Flinders Street, where a planned separated bike lane is also on hold. Credit: Simon Schluter.
Bicycle Network chief executive Alison McCormack said separated bike infrastructure made it better for everyone accessing the CBD because it reduced congestion.
“It is really concerning that some of the critical connections will be delayed,” she said. “There may be all different reasons for the delays, but with all the projects going on in the city right now and the supply chain-related cost increases, it shows a worrying indecisiveness by the council.”
The state government was contacted for comment.
Get the day’s breaking news, entertainment ideas and a long read to enjoy. Sign up to receive our Evening Edition newsletter.