Labor will invest $27 million to make St Kilda Road safer through the creation of new bike lanes to separate drivers and cyclists, if it is re-elected to government.
The Victorian Government has been removing dangerous and congested level crossings, upgrading roads, and building new bike lanes and pedestrian crossings with the $100 million Safer Cyclists and Pedestrians Fund.
More than 300,000 people travel on St Kilda Road each day, making it Melbourne’s busiest tram and cycle route, as well as one of the most dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians.
There were 196 crashes involving a pedestrian or cyclist on St Kilda Road between 2000 and 2015. The road also has the highest number of car-doorings reported anywhere in the state.
Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan, said, “St Kilda Road is one of our busiest roads but also one of the most dangerous. With this investment, we’ll make it safer for everyone to use.”
The proposed lanes will be a combination of Copenhagen-style bike lanes that run along the kerb with a physical barrier separating cyclists from both parked cars and the road, and a central safety zone that provides a separated lane for cyclists in the middle of the road, while the outer lanes are reserved for vehicles.
Copenhagen-style bike lanes will be built south of St Kilda Junction from Carlisle Street, and the central safety zone will be built north of the Junction to Linlithgow Avenue.
The central safety zone will have clearways in place during peak periods, which will allow three lanes of traffic in the outer lanes. This should have minimal impact on drivers travelling from Carlisle Street to Linlithgow Avenue.
Member for Albert Park, Martin Foley, said, “This is a welcome announcement for bike riders, pedestrians public transport users and motorists alike—ensuring this busy road is safer for everyone, all the way from St Kilda Town Hall to the NGV.”
This project will be completed by the time the Domain precinct reopens, after Metro Tunnel works are completed in 2025.
