South: Bay Trail (Port Melbourne to Frankston)
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- 2. Trails & Paths in Melbourne
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- Frankston, Kingston, Bayside, Port Phillip
This section of the Bay Trail starts at Fishermens Bend at Westgate Park and carries all the way through to Frankston.
Council on the right path
26 February 2009. After much deliberation Bayside Council has resolved to push ahead with designing Bicycle Victoria's preferred alignment.
There will be a sealed path behind the existing Beach Rd curb, making the path consistent with the majority of the Bay Trail in Bayside.
This alignment will provide good sight lines and minimise conflict with walkers, joggers, etc, with the option of the existing 'cliff top' path.
It also preserves the Beach Road width, which carries over 20,000 road riders on weekends
Bayside Council to vote on missing southern link in Bay Trail
16 February 2009 Bayside City Council will vote to complete their section of the Bay Trail on Tuesday 17 February. The detailed proposal is available here.
We are, however, concerned that the proposal is to use a granitic surface. The Council staff recommendation appears to be in direct conflict with Council documents, which state "The shared path is heavily used in Bayside by pedestrians and cyclists as well as people with prams and rollerbladers. The shared path also makes many areas of the Bayside foreshore accessible to those who may have a physical disability as the shared path surface allows for ease of access for wheelchairs and other walking aids as compared to the unmade surfaces of the coastal pedestrian pathways.".
A number of options were looked at when arriving at the proposed 'cliff top' solution. Bicycle Victoria believes a back-of-curb design behind the existing curb is the optimal solution .
Federal Funds go to the Bay Trail
15 January 2009. Bayside City Council has announced the lion's share of their recent funding received from the Federal government -- the $300m Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program (RLCIP) -- is to go to the Bay Trail upgrade between Head and Bay Streets (refer below for details announced in June 08).
The Council is to be commended not only for the project development but for having the foresight to see cycling infrastructure as a perfect fit for federal funding. $250m of this program was distributed to Local Councils across the country in November.
The remaining $50m of the RLCIP is still to be allocated and is aimed at 'larger-scale community infrastructure to help deliver an additional injection of investment in communities; This will be competitive, application-based, accountable and open to only those projects seeking a minimum Commonwealth contribution of $2 million.'
There is a wide range of bike projects ready to go across the country and we are encouraging Local Government to sieze this opportunity to raise cycling infrastructure as a responsible and worthwhile use of federal funds.
You can write to your local council and ask them to think bikes when considering their RLCIP application.
Bay Trail in Frankston gets funding
01 Dec 2008 Environment and Climate Change Minister Gavin Jennings announced funding for Construction of the Bay Trail between Wells Street and Beach Street, under the Parks Victoria ‘Trails for a Liveable City’ initiative. This constitutes $250,000 as well as $45,000 construct trail between the Landmark Bridge and Dune Boardwalk.
This is good news for riders in a challenging part of the network. With the arrival of the EastLink path and potentially the Frankston Bypass also getting a bike path, the Bay Trail in Frankston takes on new significance in the network and will place further pressure on the City of Frankston and the State Government to mee the needs of increasing rider numbers to and through the area.
Bayside Council looking to upgrade Bay Trail
Jun 08. Designs have been drawn up to upgrade the Bay Trail between Head Street, Elwood, and Bay Street, Brighton.
Bayside Council officers have been thorough in their review of the path and intend the upgrade to reflect the high use of the path by riders and pedestrians.
This will make this section of path a more realistic commuter route for riders in the area and also help to address potential conflict on the path among users.
The proposal consists of realigning and widening the path whilst offering an attractive alternative for pedestrians closer to the water.
You can see the plans here.
Many sight line, pinch points and substandard elements of the path will be upgraded to meet today's expectations.
The City of Bayside is to be commended for their initiative. We encourage you to write and show your support.
Update on the Kilda foreshore redevelopment on the Bay Trail.
The Council is following an established, if somewhat leading edge approach, with this redevelopment. The concept behind this approach is most commonly associated with Hans Mondermann a Dutch traffic engineer who designs transport spaces without lanes, signs and signals. He aims to increase ambiguity so that drivers and others come out of ‘autopilot’ and have to work out what is going on. His aim is to increase cooperation through thoughtfulness. It appears
Bicycle Victoria has consistently said to the Mayor and staff at Port Phillip over a number of years that we have a number of concerns about this project.
We believe the undefined space may cause conflict between users.
We anticipate that the space will work at some times, for example early on a weekday morning. At those times there won’t be many walkers and riders should be able to find a sensible pathway through the area. However when the site is congested at midday on weekends for example it will be hard to know ‘where you are supposed to be’. This of course is the idea behind the design.
We have asked repeatedly for two things.
Subtle but effective indications about where people should be. This can be done for riders by paint, colour or edge tiling. Pedestrian areas can be made less attractive to riders through occasional areas of texture such as boardwalks to indicate the preferred areas for walkers. This is of course contrary to the design concept the Council wishes to follow.
An offroad alternative out the back of foreshore on
There will be a lane on Jacka Boulevard but this will not suit the southbound rider wanting to detour around the new section nor will it help riders on the Bay Trail who do not want to ride on the road.
Although we have made these points repeatedly the Council has chosen to take another approach. This is reasonable as they are the land manager.
We will see how it turns out and advocate for the best possible result for all users – including riders.
Two steps forward and one step backwards for the City of Kingston
Oct 07 The City of Kingston has approved the 'foreshore' route for Stage 1 of the bay Trail project in Parkdale. Council is to be congratulated for choosing the best option for all trail users (see below for details of this route).
Unfortunately though, Council has chosen a compacted gravel surface instead of the recommended textured concrete surface. This is very disappointing. If constructed from gravel many users such as young children, roller bladers and wheelchairs will not be able to use the trail. It will also be far more expensive to maintain and will inevitably erode and form an unsafe riding surface.
We are seeking a briefing from Council to get more detail on the reasons for the decision and will then consider what should happen next. Keep up to date by registering for email me updates above.
City of Kingston seeks public comment
Sep 07 Well done to all those riders who attended the City of Kingston public information session on Wednesday 12 September.
Council will be voting on the trail alignment and the type of trail surface at a meeting on Wednesday 24 September at 1230 Nepean Hwy, Cheltenham. The meeting starts at 7.00pm. Your support attending on the night will help make sure a concrete 'foreshore' trail is constructed.
Council are proposing a high quality concrete for Stage 1a and 1b (see below for diagram) of the Bay Trail project in Parkdale/Mordialloc. The trail will cater for bike riders, walkers and skaters and will be located on the existing sandy 'goat track' between roadside vegetation and the beach. Bicycle Victoria strongly supports the proposed trail alignment because it:
- Provides a high quality trail that will get more people cycling more often.
- Avoids conflicts between trail users and cars entering and leaving foreshore car parks.
- Minimises vegetation removal, especially when compared to options for a roadside trail.
- Has no effect on high intensity training cyclists on Beach Road.
- Has no effect on roadside parking and traffic flow on Beach Road.
We would also like to see a minimum width of 3 metres and the trail surface to be concrete. A granitic sand trail will not be as safe for riders and walkers, will require expensive ongoing maintenance, and will attract less users.
Bicycle Victoria strongly opposes the alternative proposed by a small but vocal group for the trail to be built directly adjacent to Beach Road in the Section 1 area. We oppose this because:
- A parking or traffic lane would have to be removed to accommodate the bike path. This will impact on beach users, motor vehicle traffic and the thousands of road riders who use Beach Road every weekend
- This section of Beach Road is four lanes wide, very straight and carries significant heavy vehicle traffic making a roadside trail unsafe and unappealing for riders.
- Many trees would have to be removed to accommodate this option.
- A trail along the roadside would not promote an active and healthy community in Kingston as it would not be suitable for the very people an off-road trail is constructed to attract - families and inexperienced riders.
- Bike riders would have to cross a number of off street car parks that do not have any controlled entry or exit points - this is extremely unsafe for bike riders.
Kingston Council working to close the Bay Trail Gap
May 07 Council have committed to closing the gap in the Bay Trail at Parkdale but are facing some opposition from a small number of noisy local residents. If you are a bike rider who would like to see a safe and appealing trail built, now is a good time to show your support for Council's proposal (details below).
The local media is the best place to show your support at the moment. A more balanced representation in the local media could give council the courage it needs to go ahead with its proposal. Send your thoughts to moorabbin@leadernewspapers.com.au (www.moorabbinkingstonleader.com.au) and fcnvic_chelseaedit@fairfax.com.au and remember to keep it positive.
Another good way to show support for the council proposal is to call or email the local member, Janice Munt, who has at times opposed the proposal. Her number is 9584 4013 or email janice.munt@parliament.vic.gov.au
Project Details
Stage 1 of the Bay Trail from Beamauris through Parkdale to Mordialloc (~4.5km) is now being considered by council. You can download the plans for stage 1 (PDF 1.12MB) or the whole section (PDF 938 KB).
Bicycle Victoria strongly supports the council’s proposal for Stage 1 of the project because:
- it will provide a safe and enjoyable riding experience, which is currently unavailable for families and inexperienced riders
- there will be no negative impact on the foreshore environment, no trees will be removed
- it will be constructed on an existing informal trail that traverses wide areas of open parkland
- the existing informal trail is sandy and unsafe for riders, narrow and causing erosion
- the proposed trail will be wide enough to greatly improve sharing of the trail between bike riders and walkers.
Charman Rd to Mordialloc Creek Gap
May 05 Kingston City Council approved a concept plan to complete the long-awaited missing link in the Bay Trail in Kingston from Charman Rd to Mordialloc Creek at their April meeting.
This reflects the overwhelming community support for a quality off-road path which will cater for families and novice bike riders.
One hundred and eight people made submissions in support of the trail, with only four opposing the trail.
Bicycle Victoria's Cycling Development team walked the length of the proposed trail in December 2004. We support the alignment utilising existing 'goat tracks' along the foreshore and locating the trail along Beach Rd in front of the Mentone Hotel.
We have also discussed the plans with Kingston Bicycle Users Group.
Bicycle Victoria's submission to Kingston Council
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the plans. We think this is an exciting concept which will complete one of the last missing sections in the trail between Port Melbourne and Carrum and offer a high quality experience for recreational bike riders, including families and retirees.
The Bay Trail is part of Melbourne’s Metropolitan Trail Network and the proposal will provide a good quality, safe, accessible and continuous shared-use pathway between Mentone and Mordialloc. Not only will it benefit residents of Kingston, but also attract visitors to the area.
We have walked the length of the proposed trail and support the concept plan which shows the trail alignment utilising existing informal paths for most of the length. The advantages of the proposed trail alignment are:
- offers greater separation from noise and traffic on Beach Rd, especially for children and family groups;
- avoids most of the car park and driveway crossings, of which there are over a dozen;
- best suits major user type (families, recreational riders). Speedy training cyclists will continue to use Beach Rd.
- allows existing parking on verge to be maintained
- voids potential conflict with numerous bus stops and utility poles
- acknowledges ‘desire line’ of movement along the foreshore. Providing a good quality pathway allows for other existing informal ‘goat tracks’ to be revegetated.
Specific comments on the concept plans
Naples Rd to Mentone Pde – We are happy for the trail to go along Beach Rd at this location (Option A) to avoid sensitive vegetation area, provided there is adequate separation from road traffic. The path should be maintained as ‘shared use’.
Bridges over the top of beach access ramps at Genoa St and Mundy St are an attractive feature that also address topography issues.
Parkdale Kiosk – Potential conflict with kiosk patrons could be reduced if the trail is realigned to the Beach Rd side at this location (with connections to the kiosk for those who want to stop)
We look forward to discussing in greater detail once council has determined a final alignment in response to the public consultation.
Bayside Council continues reassessment of Bay Trail
Jun 07 Council have committed to solve the many conflict points currently on the path near North Rd and adjacent to the North Point Cafe and carpark.
With up to 3,500 riders per day this is Melbourne's busiest recreational path. Growing numbers of riders and pedestrians raised the potential for conflict and so Bayside Council resolved to reassess this issue.
By utilising the ample road space and reconfiguring the alignment and crossing points the design team was able to find a viable solution to suit all users. With high numbers of pedestrian movements not only along the path but also to and from the carpark, playground and cafe it was a complex scenario for Council to navigate. We congratulate Bayside Council for their innovation.
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St Kilda Foreshore redevelopment begins
Apr 07 The redevelopment of the St Kilda foreshore around the St Kilda baths has begun and will cause some inconvenience for riders on the Bay Trail. The City of Port Phillip is asking riders to be very careful when riding through the area as space will be restricted. At certain times riders will be asked to dismount.
The redevelopment will result in a promenade between the baths and the beach that is wider than the current separate walking and bike paths.
Port Phillip Council to build foreshore trail at Elwood.
Mar 07 The City of Port Phillip has notified all those people who wrote in support of a foreshore trail at Elwood that it will be constructed as planned (link at right).
This is great news for riders as there will now be a safe and direct trail to replace the current route, which is indirect and has dangerous blind corners.
In the end council, with the support of the Department of Sustainability and Environment, became aware that it did not need a planning permit for the project. Council has therefore decided to follow the recommendations of the Concept Plan and construct a foreshore path.
Thank you to the many people who wrote to council showing support for the new trail route. You may also like to send an email to the mayor congratulating council on their decision.
Bay Trail - FINA World Swimming Championships
Mar 07 Bicycle Victoria were advised of the following disruption to the Bay Trail in St Kilda.
“Please be advised that from the 10th of March 2007 to the 30th of March, 2007, there will be disruptions to the bike path adjacent to Jacka Blv, St Kilda (within the vicinity of the Beachcombers Café) for the duration of the Open Water Swimming event as part of the 12th FINA World Swimming Championships. Please look out for pedestrians crossing over the bicycle path as they enter and exit the various compounds during these dates. Thanking you for your understanding. The World Swimming Championships Corporation”.
A good trail realignment at Elwood is being challenged
Feb 07 The City of
The design of the upgrade is shown in the document link at the right of this page.
A small number of objections to the proposal have been lodged, mainly by users of the foreshore buildings, and the council is now seeking comment from the wider community. Letters supporting the council’s position now far outweigh objections and council will be considering feedback in coming weeks.
Bicycle
- The current trail has many dangerous blind corners and is very indirect;
- Any potential conflict with the relatively infrequent and low number of users of the boat sheds and bike riders is well managed by the current design; and
- The Bay Trail is Melbourne's most popular trail regularly carrying over 4000 rider per day and is in desperate need of upgrading through Elwood; and
- Any trail alignment that is behind the boat sheds cannot provide a safe, direct or continuous trail.
Bayside City Council gives bikes priority
Mar 07 In great news for bike riders and pedestrians the Bayside City Council has given shared path users priority over motor vehicles entering and exiting foreshore car parks and streets that cross the Bay Trail Shared Path.
The new rules require motorists to give right of way to pedestrians, cyclists and other users on the path, whereas previously the path users had to give way.
See the council flyer (PDF 1016KB) and our January 2007 update (below) for more information.
Bayside re-evaluating priority
Jan 07 Bayside City Council are currently reviewing the Bay Trail and will implement a consistent approach to the many crossings along the trail.
There are a large number of scenarios where the trail has a clear priority over entries to car parks and other areas on the beach side. Delineated with continuous colour pavement and line-marking with ‘Give Way’ signage to motorists reinforced by speedhumps, these crossings serve all users of the space well.
However there are many other instances where this is not the case, often causing confusion to drivers and riders alike.
The Bay Trail has grown in popularity and will see almost 5,000 riders over a weekend and so Bayside Council have recognised the need to reassess the quality of the path to help ensure a better user experience for all.
Bicycle Victoria strongly supports Bayside in giving bikes priority over vehicles along the Bay Trail and will be looking for other councils to follow suit.
Premier Announces Bay Trail Link into Frankston
Jul 06 Premier Bracks announced that the state government will contribute over $1 million to build a shared-use trail into Frankston. This construction will close a critical missing link in the Bay Trail and will be well used by recreational and commuter riders.
Sandridge Beach - Bay Trail
May 06 The City of Port Phillip has finished a 500 metre section of the bike path along Sandridge Beach, which connects the existing Bay Trail to the bike path just finished in front of the Beacon Cove Development.
Mayor and local Sandridge Ward councillor, Janet Bolitho, said at the opening of the new trail "This means that the bike path now runs pretty much uninterrupted from the Yarra in Fishermens Bend along the bay to Mentone. This bike path is already the most heavily used in Australia so the completion of two missing links is likely to attract even more cyclists. It’s great news for residents and even better news for the cycling world"
Bay Trail (Brighton Baths)
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May 05 As can be seen from this aerial shot, construction on the missing link in the Bay trail at Middle Brighton baths is well under way. Construction is due to be completed in the second half of this year. Bicycle Victoria is happy to see construction begin after a 6-year long campaign and believes that, once complete, this facility will be enjoyed by many people for many years to come. Congratulations to all those people who helped us in our campaign. The completion of this gap means that cyclists will be able to ride continuously, off-road from Beaumaris to Port Melbourne (except for a small gap in the trail in St Kilda). This will provide a safe and enjoyable riding environment for cyclists of levels. Cyclists in the west can easily try out this latest section of the Bay Trail by taking the Westgate Punt across the Yarra River from outside Science Works museum in Spotswood to Fishermens Bend. On the other hand, cyclists from the east can cross the Yarra River to explore the bay trail from Spotswood to Altona and stop in one of the many cafes and restaurants in Williamstown. |
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Top Left: Aerial view of construction from Bay St to Middle Brighton Baths Left: Construction (Feb 05) Below: Construction from Bay St (Feb 05) |
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