Councillors voted in favour of a motion that requests the Department of Transport (DoT) to modify some of the new Pop-Up Bike Lanes and to undertake a safety audit of all the new bike lanes. Council was responding to a massive community backlash on social media that raised concerns about the safety of some of the bike lane infrastructure and visual impact. Residents have questioned if the program enhances the on-road safety for cyclists because pedestrians, motorists, and cyclists are confused by the treatment of roads, random placement of concrete blocks, bollards and speed humps, and the distraction of excessive and contradictory road markings.
The infrastructure is semi-permanent as the trial will be conducted over 12-18 months and residents are concerned the infrastructure will be not modified or removed despite overwhelming opposition.
The final Council motion was not as strong as Cr Andrew Bond’s original motion that called for an immediate halt to the project and immediate removal all speed humps, concrete blocks and bollards installed as a part of the DoT project. Cr Heather Cunsolo and Cr Bond agreed to a compromise position that most Councillors supported, to ensure Council officers can commence discussions with DoT with a clear position of Council.
The Council meeting was attended by 80-100 people and 25 residents raised concerns over the safety of the Pop-up bike infrastructure and the desecration of heritage streets. Nina Taylor MP (Southern Metropolitan Region) said DoT had consulted extensively prior to the installation of the infrastructure and three people supported the DoT project, including the CEO of Bicycles Victoria, a Member of Port Phillip Bicycle Users Group, and a resident.
Robyn Taylor from Albert Park said, ‘The pop-up bikes program was supposed to be ‘light touch’ but it has created a significant ugliness to our once beautiful streets and villages of Middle Park, Albert Park, South Melbourne and Port Melbourne’.
Cameron Smith from South Melbourne said he ‘supports of the use of public space by pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, scooters, motorists and was not anti-cycling per se. However, the new bike infrastructure impacted safety in a negative way and are therefore poorly designed. They are not necessarily located in appropriate streets and have left many residents scratching their heads about the actual need for these bike lanes over and above existing bike lanes’.
Other speakers said they were blind-sided by the new bike lanes because DoT did not adequately consult residents. Only a few residents received the DoT postcards and noticed the public notices fixed to poles and there was a paucity of information on the DoT website when residents clicked on the QR code in the DoT materials. DoT have recently updated their website to include more details of the road infrastructure.
The Council supported motion states that the CEO
1. Writes to the Department of Transport and requests that they re-instate the left hand turn into Williamstown Road from Bridge St in Port Melbourne.
2. Writes to the Department of Transport and requests that the Bridge St Port Melbourne central bike lane be removed, and the original conditions be reinstated.
3. Writes to the Department of Transport and requests that DOT come back to Council with options for alternative proposals to the Westbury St, St Kilda East central bike lane.
4. Writes to the Department of Transport and requests that where swerving around speed humps is observed; where speed humps are located on a 40kmh local road; where speed humps are immediately preceding or following a raised pedestrian crossing, and for all concrete blocks, bollards, and yellow lines, that DOT shows Council a justification for their requirements on safety or other grounds, or facilitate their removal, or proposes an alternative treatment.
5. Council officers to brief Councillors on Department of Transport response to the Council letter as soon as possible and no later than August 2022.
6. Writes to the Department of Transport and requests that they conduct a safety audit that reviews safety concerns raised by the community.
7. Request that DOT works with the City of Port Phillip to review the Pop-Up Bike Lane programs prior to any revisions and future installation of infrastructure in the City of Port Phillip as part of the DOT Pop Up Bike Lane program following the upcoming practical completion.
8. Request that DOT conducts thorough consultation with the residents of the City of Port Phillip prior to any revisions and future installation of infrastructure in the City of Port Phillip as part of the DOT Pop-Up Bike Lane program following the upcoming practical completion.
