Skip to main content

Melbourne fast-tracks 40km of new bike lanes

Australian city binned its bike-share scheme but is now making more space for two wheels
By Adam Hill June 17, 2020 Read time: 2 mins
The Melbourne bike-share scheme was scrapped last year, but the city is still keen on bikes (© Rafael Ben Ari | Dreamstime.com)

The City of Melbourne is making more space on its roads for bicycles, adding 40km of dedicated bike lanes to its road network. 

Lord Mayor Sally Capp said they would be 'adaptable', which means they "can be constructed and installed more quickly".

The city, which scrapped its own bike-share scheme last year, said lanes will be built in two stages, with the first 20km in 2020-21 via a $16 million investment.

The new routes are part of the Australian city's Transport Strategy 2030, which sets out a 10-year plan to become a "premier cycling city with a network of protected cycling lanes and intersections, lots of bike parking and facilities for cyclists".

"We've seen other leading cities around the world such as Paris, London and Milan successfully integrate cycling as a key mode of transport to reduce congestion and accommodate growth," said councillor Nicolas Frances Gilley, transport portfolio chair.

"We will use plastics, rubber and recycled materials than can be installed quickly so we can accelerate bike lane delivery. The infrastructure we install will be functional for years to come and can be progressively replaced with fixed lanes over time as required."

The authorities have carried out research which suggests that it is essential to create physical protection from motor vehicles if people are to have the confidence to ride in the city centre.

The first priority routes include:

Exhibition Street stage one (Flinders Street to Bourke Street)
Rathdowne Street (Victoria Street to Faraday Street)
William Street (Dudley Street to Flinders Street)
Abbotsford Street (Flemington Road to Queensberry Street)
Swanston Street (around the University of Melbourne from Grattan Street to Cemetery Road).

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Uber calls on US legislators to prioritise VRUs
    January 28, 2020
    Uber is urging the US House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure to prioritise the safety of vulnerable road users (VRUs) through funding and incentive programmes. 
  • City of Seattle implements SCOOT adaptive traffic management
    May 2, 2017
    Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has implemented a new adaptive traffic control system at 32 intersections along Mercer Street between 3rd Ave W and I-5, which has been one of the city’s most congested corridors for over 40 years. Developed by the UK’s Transport Research Laboratory, the SCOOT (Split Cycle Offset Optimisation Technique) system coordinates the operation of the traffic signals in and around the corridor to help vehicles move more efficiently. SCOOT works in real-time to reduce delay
  • TfL allocates funds to improve London’s traffic
    December 19, 2012
    Transport for London (TfL) has allocated more than US$240 million transportation projects in London, aimed at improving traffic flow and making both walking and cycling safer. The funding has been allocated through the Local Implementation Plan (LIP), allowing the money to be spent on projects that support the Mayor's Transport Strategy. "This funding will benefit all of London and everyone living in, working in or visiting the capital," London Mayor Boris Johnson said. "A world class city deserves a world
  • Rediweld slims down cycle lane separators
    June 16, 2015
    Rediweld has introduced a new narrower version of its surface-mounted Orca cycle lane separator called the Orca Kerb which is only 150mm wide rather than 200mm as in the original unit. On the cycle side of the 100mm high Orca Kerb is a splayed face to guide a cycle tyre back into the lane rather than tripping the cyclists, while on the traffic side is a vertical half-battered face to deter vehicles crossing into the cycle lane. Also unlike the original, the recycled rubber Orca Kerb comes in lengths of up