Bicycle Network Victoria: Better Transport

It is hard to give this last minute anti bike option a reasonable assessement. The option wasn't raised during the consultation period and has been jammed in at the last minute.

Swanston Street has developed and changed over the last 17 years. Now it is Australia's busiest on road bicycle route. The route north past Flinders Street Station, narrow as it is, carries more people than either of the motor vehicle lanes next to it.

The option fails to consider the many years of public investment that have gone into developing the routes to the north and south of this important link including the first kerbside bikes lanes at the northern end of Swanston.

So far no one has presented any evidence or rationale for a no-bike option or explain why a no-bike option has been included.

The alternatives they mention are ridiculous. William is in another part of the City. Flinders Street doesn't have a bridge at the southern end. LaTrobe runs perpendicular to Swanston.

Exhibition is currently an under developed bike route. It is fed well from the north by Rathdowne Street but it is not car free. There is no space through the CBD. The Flinders to Collins Block is considerably steeper than Swanston. The Exhibition Street extension has wide kerbside lanes but no mid block lanes. CItyLink has so far refused to designate the path on the west side as a shared footway so technically you are not supposed to ride on it. The southern end links to the path to Docklands through Birrarung Marr and east along the Yarra however it does not connect to St Kilda Road unless you count the downstream connection up the Anderson Street Hill and through Fawkner Park.

Exhibition Street has a role to play in the bike network and can be improved but it is no replacement for Swanston.

Have your say via an online consultation form