Sam Hibbins to ask the Minister for Roads and Road Safety —
(26) My constituency question is for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety, and I ask: what is the latest information on pop-up bike lanes in the Prahran electorate? There have been three deaths of cyclists on Victorian roads in the past fortnight, showing just how important safe separated bike infrastructure is for people who want to ride a bike. Deaths and serious injuries of vulnerable road users like pedestrians and people who ride a bike are increasing. The proposed pop-up bike lanes in Prahran, particularly along Chapel Street north and Orrong Road, have not been built. They have not even progressed to having the designs put out for consultation. This is despite the pop-up bike lanes program being announced in 2020. So I urge the government to progress the pop-up bike lanes in the Prahran electorate to improve the safety of bike riders and make it easier for people to choose active climate-friendly transport to get around our community, and I also urge the government to significantly increase its investment in safe climate-friendly transport infrastructure like separated bike lanes well above the current 1 per cent of transport infrastructure spending and towards the 20 per cent UN-recommended funding levels.
Response from the Minister for Roads and Road Safety-
The Andrews Labor Government is investing $21.8 million over two years for walking and bike riding initiatives aligned with the Victorian Cycling Strategy 2018-2028 (the Strategy).
The Strategy guides planning and investment to get more people to ride bikes for transport – to work, school, public transport, and shops – in inner Melbourne and the regions. It aims to deliver a safer, easier, better-connected network, prioritising Strategic Cycling Corridors (SCCs) and building a more inclusive cycling culture.
The Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) is considering options to improve bike riding infrastructure on Chapel Street to encourage more people to ride bikes. Progression of any options depends on complex factors, such as available funding, technical assessments, feasibility study outcomes, and stakeholder engagement and support.
A permanent upgrade is likely to be investigated on the section of Chapel Street, between Alexandra Avenue and Toorak Road, or in its direct vicinity, as this road forms an important component of the Strategic Cycling Corridor, supplying bike riders with safe and reliable transport options.
DTP will continue to work with Stonnington City Council and transport partners to monitor the network and identify improvement opportunities for investment within the municipality.
