Good news for cycling in the August budget from City of Port Phillip

Good news for cycling for a change! At Council meeting on Wednesday 19th August, it was resolved:   "The 20/21 Budget also recognises the pandemic has influenced how we travel with extra bike riding initiatives including:

  • Installing a temporary protected bike lane on Park Street, between, Moray Street and Kings Way, to extend to St Kilda Road ($150,000)

  • Contributing to the development of temporary central safety improvements for riders along St Kilda Road, from St Kilda Junction, to the CBD, subject to the Victorian Government funding the balance ($280,000)

  • Contributing to developing temporary safety improvements for bike riders along Jacka Boulevard and Beaconsfield Parade, subject to the Victorian Government funding the balance ($250,000)

  • Approximately $150,000 to develop shimmy bike routes (informal bike riding routes connecting to local shopping strips). This involves selecting quiet street bike riding connections, marked with bike symbols, signage and safety treatments at key locations. The symbols and signage provide ‘breadcrumb trails’ for people to follow across the City

  • About $100,000 to improve accessibility issues at the St Kilda Junction."

The shimmy routes are St Kilda to Prahran via Dickens and Westbury; Elwood to St Kilda via Beach St, Broadway and Mitford; and St Kilda to South Melbourne, along Richardson St.  These line up with bike routes promised in the Integrated Cycling Strategy (Routes 7-8, 9, and 12 respectively).   Thanks particularly to Councillors Katherine Copsey, Dick Gross, Louise Crawford, and to Mayor Bernadene Voss for all their hard work on this.     It's worth listening to Cr Gross's impassioned speech in favour (here, starting at 2:08).   Support also came from Crs Baxter, Simic, and Brand.   (It was disappointing that Councillor Bond opposed this,  given that he's said that he supports safe cycling lanes on St Kilda Rd.) 

The routes on St Kilda Rd and Beaconsfield Parade require funding from State Government.      Please email Minister Ben Carroll  ben.carroll@parliament.vic.gov.au and ask him to come on board with this.

This follows some years of work from the BUG:  we've been advocating for bike lanes, participating in the budget processes,  proposing the temporary bike lane along Park St, making contact with our Councillors.  And we couldn't do it without all of you--- thanks for

  • writing to Councillors

  • coming along on our Councillors' rides in the past couple of years

  • participating in consultations

  • and most of all getting out there and riding.

Hooray!