The route is part of the City of Ballarat’s Ballarat Cycling Action Plan 2017-2025 and fills a missing link between Wendouree train station and the suburb of Miners Rest.

City of Ballarat Mayor Councillor Des Hudson says the new safe, separated path is suitable and safe for inexperienced riders, school children and confident commuters.

“I encourage everyone to head out and give it a try to enjoy the new connection,” says Hudson 

The council is working on other important projects for riders, too. On the other side of town, a proposed 3.4km bike path along the Glenelg Highway in Sebastopol is out for public consultation.

The community can now have their say on the draft plans and share feedback on the location of rest stops, seating and crossings.

The project will be built in stages and ultimately provide a separated connection between the Yarrowee River Trail and Delacombe Town Centre. See the map below and have your say here.

Meanwhile, a problematic intersection in central Ballarat has received much-needed attention from the federal government.

As part of the $25.6 million Black Spot Program to improve safety at 57 dangerous crash sites around Victoria, $615,000 will go towards construction of a new roundabout at Dana Street and Raglan Street, which features splitter islands and separated pedestrian and bike paths.

These types of roundabouts, popularised in the Netherlands and often referred to as Dutch-style roundabouts, are designed to better protect bike riders by separating them from traffic.

The UK’s first Dutch-style roundabout appeared in Cambridge in 2020, and another recently followed in Ireland. Victoria’s first such roundabout was introduced in East Melbourne in 2020. The design might become the standard in Canberra as the ACT government considers new best-practice intersection design.

The post Ballarat eyes a bike-friendly future appeared first on Bicycle Network.

There are more than 30 road closures and access restrictions around the city centre, Docklands, Southbank and South Yarra during the morning.

Run Melbourne has multiple events taking various routes for the expected 12,000 runners.

The finish line and event centre will be at the Grand Slam Oval at Melbourne Park.

The organisers have provided the following information to help bike riders on the day. 

From the east (6:45 am – 12 pm)

Main Yarra Trail north of the river (at Morell Bridge): head right to Gosch Paddock/Olympic Boulevard then left over Morell Bridge – via pathway. 

Main Yarra Trail south of the river (at Morell Bridge): loop up and head down Anderson Street, Leopold Street and cross the running course at Toorak Road/Park Street crossing with pedestrians continuing along the trail to Boathouse Drive boatsheds, up ramp and cross with TC/security at pedestrian lights. Loop up and round over Morell Bridge (then see above option 1)

From the south (4–8:15 am)

Via St Kilda Road up towards Southbank Boulevard: follow Southbank Boulevard to the river and get off and cross runners’ route in gap at pedestrian crossing to continue on Queens Bridge Street heading north.

From the north (7–8 am)

Capital City Trail (at Docklands Drive): continue south by crossing at Dudley Street intersection to head down south on Harbour Esplanade.

There is more information available here.

The post Run Melbourne closures on city routes appeared first on Bicycle Network.

Anyone who lives near Sydney Road or rides a bike in the area can sign the petition that will be attached to a letter from the Member for Brunswick to Mr Andrews.

The petition says that the people of Brunswick want protected bike lanes on Sydney Road, Moreland Council supports them, and VicRoads considers them the safest design for all road users.

A survey by VicRoads in 2019 showed that people’s preferred option to fix Sydney Road swaps out car parking for protected bike lanes and leaves the centre lanes for trams and cars.

The option was also backed by Moreland Council, however the government has not yet committed to install protected bike lanes on Sydney Road.

Click here to sign Tim Read’s petition.

The post Join Sydney Road bike lane petition appeared first on Bicycle Network.

The battle has been afoot for years, with local traders continuing to resist the changes that will save their livelihood, and keep their customers safe on the street.

Revitalise Sydney Road will join Moreland BUG, Brunswick Police Bike Patrol and hundreds of Morelanders for a community bike ride down Sydney Rd to Princes Park this Sunday.

The organisers—Revitalise Sydney Road, and the Moreland BUG—want hundreds of riders to make the trip this Sunday from Bridges Reserve in Coburg to Princes Park in Parkville.

The family-friendly event will be at a leisurely pace and cargo bikes, kids, trailers, all others bikes welcome.

Victoria Police are providing an escort with Brunswick Bike Patrol and traffic management for the ride.

The welcome and safety briefing is at 11:00-11:15 and the ride is from 11:15-11:45.

The post Sydney Road struggle re-ignites appeared first on Bicycle Network.

Under moreland’s Integrated Transport strategy, the council will install 200 bike parking spaces (100 hoops) every year at various places in its jurisdiction.

Usually the hoops are installed at activity centers and buffer zones, however this year the council has decided on installing hoops to encourage children riding to school.

Local state MP Tim Read said that while installing the hoops was a good idea to get more kids riding to school, the hoops could be better installed at busier areas around the council.

Moreland Council has taken a number of positive steps to promote riding in the council such as the backing of Sydney Road bicycle lanes trial.

As a result of the ongoing parking restrictions being implemented by the council, they have decided against installing hoops in car parking bays in the municipality.

While commuter cyclists won’t receive the hoops, school children are set to benefit.

Sam Brooks of Bicycle Network’s Ride2School program said it was great to see councils funding bike hoops for schools, as the cost to installing new hoops was often a barrier for schools.

This sentiment was shared by Coburg High School, which already has a bike shed reaching capacity.

The council is voting on if the plan is to go ahead tonight, and if it is approved schools that participate in the Ride2School Program will be prioritised.

Mr Read suggested that locals contact the council to let them know where they think bike hoops should be installed.

Ultimately more bike hoops will provide more people the chance to ride. While there are areas in the council where bicycle parking is needed, installing the hoops at schools where there is a demand will lead to more people riding bicycles in the future – a good thing.

The post Moreland Council plan for more bike hoops at schools appeared first on Bicycle Network.

During the Christmas and holiday season we think it would be great for people who ride in Melbourne to make a trip to Sydney Road and show Brunswick and Coburg traders that it’s not all about the car.

The campaign to revitalise Sydney Road with protected bike lanes continues to be stifled by those who thing a reduction in on-street parking will be bad for business.

However, information from bike-friendly streets shows the opposite is true, that people who ride spend money. Some research shows that bike riders spend 40 per cent more than drivers.

Some people argue that if there is less car parking then fewer people will be able to come to their shop, however local research also suggests that some retailers overestimate how many people drive to their shop.

A survey of visitors to Sydney Road found that 39 per cent of people travelled by car, despite traders estimating that more than 60 per cent of customers drove.

It’s now time for us to back up this research and show retailers that their customers do indeed travel on two wheels.

When you visit Brunswick by bike consider mentioning to shopkeepers that you rode your bike in and that you might do it more often if Sydney Road had better bike lanes. You could also go for a more subtle approach and take your bike helmet in with you.

Our vision for Sydney Road is to see protected bike lanes built on both sides of the road as well as plenty of bike parking. By showing people that bikes can be good for business we can get more people to support this idea.

How much would Sydney Road benefit from very good bike lanes?! pic.twitter.com/ftXTTxDowu

— Bicycle Network (@bicycle_network) December 12, 2019

As well as showing your support for protected bike lanes to Sydney Road retailers you can also let the government know by contacting Roads Minister Jaala Pulford.

Read more Sydney Road

Sydney Road revitalisation revisited

VicRoads has re-started its project to reconfigure car-choked Sydney Road, with concepts opened for public feedback until Sunday 14 July.

Council considers Sydney Road bike lane trial

Moreland City will weigh up supporting major changes to struggling Sydney Road following a report to the council recommending a trial of separated bike lanes...

The post Supporting Sydney Road appeared first on Bicycle Network.

They have repeatedly blocked moves for better, safer streets, insisting—against overwhelming evidence to the contrary—that most of their customers came by car.

When study after study showed this was untrue, why did retailers keep their blindfolds over their eyes?

Well, the ugly truth is out: they overwhelmingly travel by car themselves.

The car parking they say is needed for their customers is actually for their own convenience.

The con is exposed in data revealed in a new study by Victoria Walks, Walking and Transport in Melbourne Suburbs.

“International research consistently finds that retailers under-estimate the number of people walking to their centre and over-estimate the number of people driving,” the report says.

“Two Melbourne studies looked at these perceptions, with the same outcome. For example, surveys on Sydney Road in Brunswick and Coburg found traders over-estimated the number of people arriving by car at 61%, compared to the actual value of 39%.

“Traders under-estimated walking at 14%, less than half of the actual value of 31%.

“This may be influenced in part by high driving rates of traders – about two in three drive so they assume their customers do the same.”

Perceptions of how people get to centres are reflected in the value people place on car parking.

“In Northcote half of traders (47%) were not prepared to lose any parking for improved amenities at the centre, whereas only 28% of shoppers felt the same.

“Surveys of over 17,000 people across mostly eastern Australia found walking, cycling and public transport options are more important in town centres than car accessibility and parking. Shoppers tend to value other factors like vegetation and cleanliness most highly of all.

“The evidence in this report shows that people want public spaces which are designed for people, with car accessibility and parking a lesser priority.

“Councils should not be afraid of street space reallocation in activity centres to improve the pedestrian environment, even if it faces opposition from traders.”

Other recommendations include a review of planning provisions relating to private vehicle access around activity centres, including arterial road design and car parking requirements for retail, commercial and residential uses, with a view to reducing car parking requirements and vehicle dominance to create more pedestrian-friendly environments that encourage people to walk.

The report also suggests state and federal governments should not create substantial new, free car parking at suburban train stations, except where rigorous cost benefit analysis comparing alternatives, including improved bus services and use of land for transit-oriented development, finds that it meets broad policy objectives.

The post Car keys not the key to retail success appeared first on Bicycle Network.

MP for Brunswick, Tim Read, recently put a question in parliament to Minister for Roads Jaala Pulford about when work might begin on Sydney Road.

“DoT (Department of Transport) has no intention to consider any of the options for Sydney Road while LXRP projects are being planned, constructed and finalised” was Ms Pulford’s response.

The nearby Bell to Moreland project will remove four level crossings and make some improvements to the Upfield path, but it is not due to finish until 2021.

This means people who ride, tram users and traders will be forced to endure up to two more years of an unsatisfactory Sydney Road.

Shops are struggling, trams run at a snails pace and space to ride has not changed since Alberto Paulon was killed while riding his bike on Sydney Road four years ago.

The community thought progress had been made earlier this year when VicRoads released a number of draft changes to Sydney Road, including an option with full-time bike lanes.

This option that would replace on-street car parking with separated bike lanes is supported by Bicycle Network, our members and Moreland council.

It’s not good enough that the state government continues to knock progress on the head and put off fixing Sydney Road.

Mr Read and his office is hosting a community meeting on Tuesday 19 November to discuss getting a fix on Sydney Road.

Click here for more information and to RSVP.

To learn more about our ongoing Sydney Road campaign click here.

The post Sydney Road upgrades delayed appeared first on Bicycle Network.

He has published a 25 page booklet “Bike Safety in Brunswick: The case for protected bike lanes on Sydney Road” which outlines the arguments for change.

Read says: “Imagine a cleaner, quiet Sydney Road, but with more people in it. Cities around the world have achieved this by devoting more road space to bikes and walking, and less to cars. This is what we need for Sydney Road.

“Protected bike lanes on Sydney Road will let kids get to school more safely and will increase the number and diversity of those who choose to ride.

“More riding means less driving, traffic congestion and emissions, as well as healthier commuters and shoppers.

Already many of our growing apartment population use bikes instead of cars and soon level crossing replacement works will close the Upfield shared path.”

The report is available on Tim Read’s website.

Dr Read’s push comes as the Department of Transport evaluates community feedback to options for the reconfiguration of the street.

One of those options, long a policy of Bicycle Network, was for the moving of car parking away from Sydney Road to make room for bike infrastructure.

This option, known as Option 3, has already been assessed against official Safe Systems criteria by the DoT earlier this year and found to be the preferred outcome.

This evaluation, not officially released, is however in circulation and you can read it here: Safe System Assessment Sydney Road.

The City of Moreland recently called for a trial of this option on a block towards the south of Sydney Road, Brunswick.

While momentum has been building for a rejuvenation of Sydney Road, the MP for the northern end of the street in Coburg, Lizzie Blandthorn, this week indicated to Parliament that she supported keeping the street as it was.

Note that this is a street with one of the worst crash records in the state, where trams travel at snails pace, and retail struggles to attract customers.

The post MP doubles down on Sydney Road bike safety appeared first on Bicycle Network.

At its meeting last night councillors voted to ask the Department of Transport for six-month trial of a proposal that would remove car parking, increase pedestrian space, install separated bike lanes and upgrade the trams stops.

VicRoads has previously proposed a number of options for the street following a long review of the factors that had led to an unsafe bike riding environment, a slow tram service, poor pedestrian amenity and sluggish commercial performance.

Option 3, the recommended choice in the council report—also supported by Bicycle Network—requires on-street car parking to be moved.

The decision was narrowly passed with the casting vote of the mayor, Natalie Abboud.

Traders have a long history of opposition to change in Sydney Road, and they fiercely resisted this latest proposal.

They have written the script for their own extinction and they are sticking king to it.

They agree that merchants in the street are struggling, and their solution is to insist that nobody changes anything.

A series of investigations of Sydney Road have found that traders have greatly overestimated the value of business they get from shoppers who arrive by car.

And in any case, there is plenty of parking within close walking distance for those who must use a car.

Option 3: VicRoads' most bike-friendly design for Sydney Road.

The council decision is to support a trial of the concept before any permanent decisions are made. Yet the traders don’t even want to find out if the changes would work, or not work.

The recommended location for a trial is between Brunswick Road and Glenlyon Road, Brunswick, and would reduce parking by about 100 spaces during the trial period.

The report says that if a trial was supported and implemented by the Department of Transport, Moreland would support local businesses through:

• relocation of loading and passenger drop-off zones
• increasing nearby disabled parking
• opportunities for footpath dining and trading
• placemaking elements to improve the place quality of the street
• promotional campaigns to encourage people to visit and shop in the area

The Sydney Road precinct is expected to grow significantly over the next decade or two, becoming more dense with a new generation of families and workers who want to be close to the CBD, the universities and the Parkville biomedical research cluster.

However car-based transport can’t be expanded any further to meet these demands. The only new mobility capacity can come from bikes, walking and public transport. Car-parking, therefore, must yield if Brunswick and Coburg are to prosper.

The council paper says that the proposed changes to the street are in alignment with various council and state government policies.

See the council report here
See the report from the council’s recent street survey
See our previous report on the VicRoads options

Related: Super Tuesday shows rider numbers skyrocket on separated routes

The post Sydney Road bike lane trial wins council backing appeared first on Bicycle Network.