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Bikes on Bunbury Street

Bunbury Street is a popular bike and pedestrian link connecting directly to Footscray Station and is notable for sitting directly above the freight line tunnel into West Melbourne.

It serves the residential and arts precinct between the Metro rail corridor and the Maribyrnong River, and connects to key bike routes such as the Maribyrnong River Trail, the Bay Trail West, and the Footscray Road and Dyson Road trails.

The City of Maribyrnong is exploring options for improving this generally low-traffic route, especially now that it is the main route between central Footscray and the massively upgraded former wharf Precinct along the riverfront.

You can learn more about these plans and have your say about potential improvements to the bike facilities.

There is an information session this Saturday 3 December 2022 10.00 am to 12.00 pm at the Jack Kennedy room in Footscray Community Arts (45 Moreland Street Footscray).

You will also be able access full information and provide feedback until 11 December 2022 via the Your City Your Voice website here.

The City is seeking your views and comments on draft options for three key elements:

  • Improving access – traffic calming measures, pedestrian and riding your bicycle improvements.
  • Landscape – there is a need to create a new management and planting plan for the avenue of trees while respecting its heritage and maintaining healthy and sound trees.
  • Place and Wayfinding – gathering your ideas on expressing the rich heritage of the place (indigenous and colonial) and strengthening the connection between Central Footscray, the arts precinct, and riverside recreation area.

Although Bunbury Street is broad, and did have a grand avenue of trees, because of the rail tunnel underneath the root systems are compromised and the trees have become unsafe.

The new plans being explored include:

  • increasing greenery, water-sensitive urban design, climate-appropriate planting, healthy and stable soils • meaningful improvement to walking and bike riding along the Street with minimal loss in car parking

One option includes separated bikeways.

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