Upgrades by Melbourne City Council to sections of the Latrobe Street bike path are nearing completion.
(Click here for the report into the Latrobe Street upgrade by MCC)
General Manager of Bicycle Network Victoria, Garry Brennan said the upgrade will “make a huge difference for commuters”.
“It will provide a quick, direct and relatively safe route east-west” he said.
“It’s hugely positive and will encourage more people to ride to work – especially women”
Melbourne City Council is spending 2.4 million dollars on the Latrobe Street upgrade to separate cars and bikes and prevent ‘dooring’ incidents.
Mr Brennan said that the bike lane upgrade will be “an advantage for all those who ride into the city”.
The Council expects that by 2016 there will be:
(To read the report on cycling in Melbourne Click Here)
A 50% increase in bicycle trips to and from the City.
15% of all vehicles entering the city in the morning will be bicycles.
Two east-west and north-south bicycle routes through the city.
The upgrades to the Latrobe Street bike lanes are similar to those already in place on the upper sections of Swanston Street.
Bikes will be separated from traffic by a raised traffic island and parked cars.
Doctor Alan March of Melbourne University’s school of Architecture, Building and Planning sees problems with separating the road with bike lanes.
He said that while they remove parked cars from bike lanes they also cause issues.
“They create conflict at the additional points where cars and bikes turn onto or out of side streets”
Dr March says they require drivers to engage in multiple decisions and be aware of lanes of multiple lanes of traffic at intersections.
“They reduce the quality of the streetscape” he said.
“If you want a parade there’s no room for it”
“We should avoid clutter and busyness in a streetscape”
The Latrobe Street upgrades are a part of a larger plan by Melbourne City Council to create two north-south and east west routes through the City.
View Latrobe Street Bike Path in a larger map
Mr Brennan said “the plan has a few small imperfections but it is a huge step forward”
He also called for more investment for riders coming from the west.
The City of Yarra is seen by some as a model of effective bicycle management, reflected in the large number of riders visiting the CBD coming from the North East.
Mr Brennan said this was because the city of Yarra had invested heavily in bike infrastructure.
The Council is also creating peak-hour bike lanes on Exhibition Street which will function during the morning and evening rush.
Work is continuing on the Latrobe Street upgrade.
