Bicycle Network Victoria: Metro Routes

Station revamp opportunity

16 November 2011. The design competition for the revival of the Flinders Street Station precinct has unlocked the railway viaduct as a prospect for the long-awaited east-west bike path along the Yarra North Bank.

The competition, with a one million dollar prize, is looking for the world’s best ideas to restore and reinvigorate the Flinders Street Station precinct, including the station concourse, platforms and historic administration building and through to the Banana Alley Vaults and Queensbridge.

This area between the Yarra and Flinders Street is supposed to host the critically needed east west bike route, previously conceived as a floating bike path on the River. Cost and engineering considerations stymied the concept.

But the idea idea of affixing a bikeway on the railway viaduct, westward towards Southern Cross Station, has recently emerged as a strong possibility. (See story below)

The B1 Veloway, initiated by a Melbourne consortium, will now gather traction as it will likely come under scrutiny as a component of any response to the design competition.

One of the aims of the competition is to improve the transport function of the station, catering for future growth and better integrating the station with its surrounding precincts.

“This station and its surrounds should be better integrated with adjacent areas including Federation Square, Flinders Street and the north bank of the Yarra River,” the Premier, Mr Baillieu said.

“We see a rejuvenated Flinders Street Station as a partner to Federation Square, forming a new gateway public space for Melbourne and embracing potential major improvements to the Yarra’s northern bank and the CBD-river pedestrian routes.

“We also acknowledge the enormous challenges attached to this project, including the conservation of the station façade and heritage values and delivering this project while Flinders Street continues to operate and expand as Melbourne’s busiest railway station.”

Flinders Street Station was completed in 1910. The administration building is four storeys high, more than 250 metres long and 10 metres wide. It is partly occupied by Metro Trains Melbourne (MTM) with the remaining sections of the building largely unoccupied since the 1970s.

The competition will run in two stages: design concepts will be called for in mid-2012 followed by a review and short listing period. Short-listed entrants will then submit detailed proposals in 2013.

Stage 1 of the competition will open in mid-2012 following the preparation of a detailed project brief.

Northbank 'B1' concept launched by consortium

March 2010 The Consortium of Melbourne Life Form Development, LAB Architecture and Strategic Outcomes have proposed a High quality, direct Veloway to link the Northbank to Docklands.

This would involve using 'dead' space between the Princes and Queensbridge Bridge and then constructing an elevated structure along the river side of the Rail Viaduct.

This would have many benefits including:

• directness and connectivity between the Main Yarra Trail and Docklands
• Separates high bike and pedestrian flows
• Circumnavigates the CBD along a vehicle-free route and avoids up to 6 traffic signals

 The image shown (right) is a concept drawing and includes a potential bikehub style development under the Viaduct

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