The State Government’s project to install 100km of new and improved bike routes continues to snake around inner Melbourne, now knocking at the door of the City of Maribyrnong, offering gifts that should entice more residents and workers on to bikes.
A raft of improvement projects are on offer for 20km of streets in Footscray, Seddon, Yarraville and beyond.
The $15.9M program across Melbourne comprises a wide range of bike and pedestrian-friendly initiatives, from the barely noticeable to the prominent, from safety to reduced delays to more efficient road space utilisation.
The Department of Transport says they will link existing bike lanes and off-road routes using a mix of local and main roads.
"The pop-up links will provide better local connections in and around central Footscray and make it easier for bike riders to get to and from Melbourne’s CBD.
"The bike routes provide an east-west connection between the Sunshine Rail Trail and Footscray and Dynon Road shared use paths to the CBD. We’re also improving a number of local north-south connections including Hyde Street."
The improved connections will be created with updated line marking, on-road symbols, coloured surface treatments and audible edge lines, as well as bollard-separated lanes in busy and complex environments.
"We will also use speed cushions and mini-roundabouts and other traffic calming treatments some locations,” DoT says.
Highlights will include:
- Improved east / west access from the Sunshine rail trail to central Footscray, including a mini roundabout at Victoria and Raleigh Street
- Improved north / south access through Footscray CBD along Albert St, with section so bollard separated bike lanes
- Improved rider safety in key educational precinct around Victoria University, Footscray High School Pilgrim Campus, Footscray City Primary School with pedestrian improvements, and a mini roundabout at Bristow, Pilgrim and Nicholson Streets.
- Improved rider safety on Hyde Street from Parker to Princess Streets with kerbside parking-separated bike lanes (where the kerbside parking is ‘floated’ away from the kerb)
DoT says the project will provide guidance through traffic and wayfinding signage.
As with all the pop-up projects, they will be evaluated after a period and can be modified where required.
DoT is seeking feedback from the community about the initiatives to assist with future assessment.
You can view the proposals here and submit your impressions via the pin-drop map.
These changes will come in the wake of extensive speed reductions across Maribyrnong that have already made local streets more attractive to people on bikes.
