Update: Kerferd Rd bike lane August 2023

The Shrine to Sea project is starting consultation on their (much downgraded) masterplan, with the bike lane removed.  

Also, this Wednesday, the Port Phillip Council is deciding on what their position will be.   They have identified 3 options:  1. advocating for no bike lane, 2. advocating for the protected bike lane, or 3. advocating for a bike path in the median strip.  The report before council  clearly lays out that Option 1 does not address the significant safety issues already existing on the corridor, and Option 3 will lead to more substantial traffic disruptions.    On the other hand, Option 2 is consistent with achieving a more sustainable city, with liveable streets for everyone to enjoy. 

Despite the clear path forward here, I expect some Councillors to continue to amplify the scare campaign run by a small number of residents.   

Please come to Council this Wednesday 16th August (either in person or online) to make a short statement about how the bike lane would be good for you.   To do this, fill in the Request to Speak form by 4pm Wednesday, for agenda item 10.1.  If you don't feel comfortable speaking, your presence in support would be wonderful.   The meeting is at St Kilda Town Hall, 6.30pm.  Public comment is at the beginning, so you should be finished by 7.30pm.    

And if not, you can write to your local councillors--- email addresses are here. 

Separate to Council, the Vic Government is consulting on their draft masterplan (the one that had the bike lanes removed). To ask for their reinstatement— please fill in the survey at https://engage.vic.gov.au/shrinetosea.

Update: the outcome of the August council meeting was that the Council decided not to support the protected bike lane on Kerferd Rd. Voting for this were Cunsolo, Clarke, Sirakoff, Bond, Pearl. Supporting the protected bike lane were Baxter, Nyaguy, Martin, Crawford.

Update on Shrine to Sea project, July 2023

In May, the Shrine to Sea project announced that they were separating the protected bike lane from the project:

In reviewing the draft masterplan, the Victorian Government considered a number of issues, including the Department of Transport and Planning’s decision to remove temporary Pop-Up Bike Lanes from the City of Port Phillip, and decided that further targeted engagement is required for a safer active transport solution along Kerferd Road. For this reason, the protected bike lane is being separated from the Shrine to Sea masterplan to be considered at a future time.

Recall that the community consultation panel recommended the separated bike lane, and the objectives of this project were to:

• Enhance the green boulevard

• Create safer and clearer links and connections for walking and cycling

• Celebrate local stories

• Improve usable open space

In June, the Port Phillip Bicycle Users Group met with the project team to find out more about this decision and the way forward.    These are our questions and the answers.

What happens next?

The draft plan will be released for public comment as soon as possible.  It will not include the separated bike lane. 

How can the separated bike path be built?

There will be a targeted "robust engagement process" around the bike lane at a future time and the State government is currently discussing the pathway forward.  The design proposals included in the draft plan have been carefully considered to make sure they don’t restrict future options that could be included in the engagement process. The $13M budget was never intended to cover all the masterplan costs.  It will help deliver many elements in the plan but there will be a need for additional funds.  This is also partly due to the increase in costs since the start of the project.   

Usability of footpaths and use of the footpaths by scooters/bikes are key concerns of pedestrians, particularly disabled users (per Vision Australia) and older people (per Victoria Walks).  Pedestrians currently have difficulty crossing Kerferd Rd.  How are these concerns being addressed under the revised plans?

The masterplan can’t address use of existing street footpaths as these are matters for the Council or relevant land managers. Nonetheless accessibility and safety principles are key to the designs in the draft. The proposed protected bike lane design did include improved accessibility solutions and safer crossings on Kerferd Road, and this will now be dealt with in the future engagement process.  

Kerferd Rd, looking towards the sea

What happens to the design work undertaken on the 5 options for the bike lane that S2S has done, including the Healthy Streets assessment, the Shrine to Sea metric criteria assessment,  community feedback, and traffic modelling--- will this be released?

Reports and assessments completed for the 5 options, including all the renders, plans etc will be passed on to the next state government project team that gets the responsibility for progressing this. DEECA had intended to release the reports with the draft masterplan when it included the protected bike lane, but these will now form part of the next engagement process.  The state government wants to make sure there is an engagement process in place for this as some of this material is technical and requires support in explaining or interpreting the information.

Current plans are to re-open the Herbert St crossover when the S2S plan is complete.   This is one of the identified high crash locations.   Will this stay closed or re-open?   

The proposed design solution for the Herbert Road crossover will be in the draft plan so everyone will be able to provide feedback at that time. DEECA has worked with Council closely on the design proposal.

What will the "robust engagement" process be?  

There will be a targeted engagement process, with opportunity for some mythbusting and shared information.  More info about car parking, bins, traffic flows. The precise nature of the engagement is not yet known.

Critical Mass June 2023: text of the speech by Dr. Paula Hanasz

June’s Critical Mass started at Fed Square. Image credit: Faith Hunter.

I'm not here because I'm a cyclist.

I'm here because I'm a citizen.

Because I'm a taxpayer.

Because I'm a parent.

And because I'm outraged that our state and local governments continue to endanger me and my family by refusing to invest in separated bike lanes and accessible public transport. 

I'm outraged by the hypocrisy of government rhetoric about active transport and no meaningful expansion of people-centric infrastructure.

A video showing bikes from behind with blinking red lights. In the centre of the shot is a woman on a trike. Credit: Faith Hunter.

My family and i are doing our bit for this city by deliberately not having a car,

by living in and contributing to a 20-minute neighbourhood.

But the state and local governments do not make this easy for us.

They do not make it affordable. 

And they do not make it safe.

For all the money being pumped into roadworks and the level crossing removal projects, the narrative is still around improving safety and convenience for cars.

But my bike IS my car.

I use my bike - this bike - to take the kids to and from school and daycare every day.

I ride this bike to and from work.

I ride this bike to and from the shops.

I ride this bike to and from parks and picnics and parties.

I ride this bike for exercise.

I ride this bike to clear my head.

And i ride this bike as a statement of my commitment to being the change that i want to see in the world.

I'm riding for my kids, for my girlfriend who's too scared to ride, for the climate, for fun, for exercise, for transport, to save money, 'cos I want to live without a car.
So many reasons to ride #criticalmassmelb goes #shrinetosea pic.twitter.com/Rtoaj3aLm3

— Port Phillip BUG (@PortPhillipBUG) June 30, 2023

But i ride scared.

I ride scared of being hit by a car on Melbourne's major thoroughfares that do not have separated bike lanes.

I ride scared of being doored on smaller, residential streets that i need to ride on to get to the major thoroughfares.

I ride scared of hitting a pedestrian on the shared bike and pedestrian paths.

I ride scared of getting pulled up for riding on a busy footpath because i have no safe alternatives.

But this isn't about me.

This is about us all Melbournians, whether we are here tonight or not.

Separated bike lanes protect everyone. 

Nobody wants to be the cyclist hit by a car.

But also nobody wants to be the driver who hits a bike.

Even if you yourself have no interest in riding, chances are you order food or groceries that are delivered on a bike or scooter. Don't you want them to get to your door safely?

Traditional bike lift down at Kerferd Rd Pier! Image credit: Freya Clough.

More separated bike lanes means fewer bikes and scooters weaving in and out of traffic, endangering us all.

And there are going to be more and more bikes and scooters on our roads.

There already are!

View fullsize

Janet Bolitho addresses Critical Mass at Kerferd Rd Pier.

The increase in bikes and scooters in our city is not just because of greenies like me wanting to reduce their carbon footprint.

It's because of everyone who can no longer afford to have a car.

It's because of the boom in businesses using bikes and scooters for deliveries.

It's because of the expansion of ebike and escooter rental schemes. 

It's because having wide-spread, accessible, and safe active transport options makes sense for a dense, modern, and flat city like Melbourne.

This shouldn't be a problem.

This should be an opportunity.

It should be an opportunity for our state government and local councils to put our money where their mouth is; 

to prioritise active transport;

to listen to us citizens, us voters, us taxpayers, us drivers, when we say we need an extensive fit-for-purpose network of separated bike lanes across all of Melbourne.

Paula giving her speech at Kerferd Rd Pier. Photo credit: Danielle RG.

And we need it now!

Thank you.

Community support for separated bike paths on Kerferd Rd

Press release here.

A diverse range of community and not-for-profit groups are calling on State Government to construct a safe bike lane on Kerferd Rd.   This would have many benefits for the whole community.

A separated bike lane would

• Encourage scooter users off the footpath, ensuring that footpaths remain usable for pedestrians, particularly older people and people with a disability 

• By making it possible for more people to ride, play an important role in improving cardiovascular health

• By making it possible for more people to ride, reduce transport emissions that contribute to climate change

• Enable kids and young people to make safer independent journeys to school and around town

A separated bike path along the length of Kerferd Rd-Albert Rd corridor was a key recommendation of the community panel for the Shrine to Sea project.  The panel made their recommendations after a year-long deliberative process.

A separated bike path on this corridor is supported by:

• The Heart Foundation

• Victoria Walks

• Port Phillip Emergency Climate Action Network (PECAN) 

• Bicycle Network 

• Port Phillip Bicycle Users Group

• Disability Resource Centre

• Better Streets Australia

• Port Phillip Ecocentre and Port Phillip Baykeeper

Supporters of a protected bike lane gather on Kerferd Rd.

QUOTES:

“Kerferd Rd is an extraordinarily wide corridor, with ample room for people walking, on bikes, driving and parking.  A separated bike lane would be a wonderful community asset that gives people more options for sustainable travel.  It would connect Anzac station and the new St Kilda Rd bike lanes, Albert Park, and the beach.”   

Port Phillip Bicycle Users Group president, Julie Clutterbuck.  

“The Heart Foundation supports the construction of protected bike lanes on Kerferd and Albert Roads. Active transport plays an important role in improving cardiovascular health. However, many are put-off cycling on busy roads with high levels of traffic where there is a greater risk of collision between cyclists and vehicles. Installing a separated cycle lane on Kerford and Albert Roads would help reduce potential collisions and provide cyclists with a safe and convenient way to travel by bike, making cycling a more attractive option for everybody.”

Peter Thomas, Heart Foundation National Manager,  Public and Local Affairs

“Victoria Walks supports the construction of protected bike lanes on Kerferd and Albert Roads. Research has demonstrated that people walking, especially older people and those living with disability, are often intimidated sharing paths with bikes. When we surveyed seniors on walking – generally, not specific to shared paths or cycling – and asked what measures might improve feelings of safety, the top rating suggestions were:
1. Better cyclist behaviour on shared paths
2. Reduce cycling speed on shared paths

The reasons for providing separated paths are further explained in Victoria Walks’ position statements on shared paths and footpath cycling and associated background research.

The increasing popularity of e-scooters, e-bikes and other emerging devices means that attractive, separated bike lanes will only become more essential to support those transport options and ensure that footpaths remain usable for pedestrians, particularly older people and people with disability.”

Dr Ben Rossitor, Executive Officer, Victoria Walks 

“The Port Phillip Emergency Climate Action Network (PECAN) supports the construction of protected bike lanes on Kerferd and Albert Roads. This very wide corridor has ample space to share for people walking, cycling and driving safely.  We know that well-designed and networked bike lanes will increase cycling, giving Melbournians more options for sustainable active transport.   

With the recent boom in e-scooters, attractive, separated bike lanes are also essential for ensuring that footpaths remain usable for pedestrians, particularly for older people and people with disabilities.”

Rhonda Small, for PECAN Co-ordinating Group    pecan.org.au@gmail.com

“Kerferd Road is a broad boulevard through the beach-side suburb that has plenty of road space for high quality bike infrastructure.   And just as critically, the route is also mapped as a Strategic Cycling Corridor (SCC) in the government’s plan for Melbourne’s arterial bike facility network.  It runs from the Albert Park Beach to the future new Metro underground station, which is just a few years from being operational.

Bike transport is no longer discretionary.  The Kerford and Albert Road corridor has been years in the planning and is part of multiple strategies which have been subject to much review and consultation.  It is incumbent on the government to proceed swiftly, efficiently and with singular purpose.”

Bicycle Network, www.bicyclenetwork.com.au

"The BetterStreets for Victoria and Australia coalition supports the construction of protected bike lanes on Kerford and Abbott Roads. These bike lanes would support our coalition members vision for safe, healthy, people-friendly, climate-friendly streets that are accessible to all of us, to give people more options to move around safely and enjoyably. When would be a good time to make streets safe for our children? If not NOW, when? The time to choose better is now. The benefits to the community go beyond just local children, teenager, and elderly independence - these corridors would elevate tourism, access to key destinations in Melbourne and Port Phillip generating significant economic activity to local businesses."

Dr. Megan Sharkey, Board, BetterStreets for Victoria and Australia

Port Phillip Ecocentre and Port Phillip Baykeeper

“Port Phillip EcoCentre wholeheartedly supports the construction of protected bike lanes on Kerferd and Albert Roads. Availability of well-designed and networked lanes for bikes and scooters will increase choice of these modes of transport, reducing our collective carbon footprint. 

Well defined lanes clearly separating transport modes will increase safety: reducing conflict between cyclists/scooters and cars on roads, and with pedestrians on footpaths; resulting in less stress for all concerned. Provision of sustainable active transport options to the beach, will also promote personal wellbeing through more time spent enjoying our beautiful Port Phillip Bay.”

Neil Blake, Port Phillip Baykeeper.

Background on the Kerferd Rd bike lane at the Port Phillip Bicycle Users Group blog.

Kerferd Rd bike lane (update April 2023)

TAKE action:

Write to your representatives! contact details are here.

The history

2018: The City of Port Phillip’s integrated transport strategy Move Live Connect designates Albert/Kerferd Roads as a priority bike route. CoPP prepares a Kerferd Rd safety trial, including a protected bike lane, supported by extensive traffic modelling.

However in the 2018/19 budget, the State Government committed $13m to the Shrine to Sea project, upgrading the Albert Rd/ Kerferd Rd boulevard including active transport links.

In the face of this, the Council decided not to proceed with their own trial.

The Shrine to Sea project has proceeded glacially, with extensive community consultation.

Over 2020-2021, a community panel met, considered evidence from subject matter experts, and together developed a vision for the boulevard. Among a suite of thoughtful recommendations: “Bike lanes to be interconnected for the entire length of the boulevard; Use landscaping to define a separate bike pathway on Kerferd Road to isolate bikes from cars.

Kerferd Rd bike lane, 2020

Pop-up lanes project

In 2022, VicRoads announced that as part of their pop-up bike lanes project, “40km of new and protected bike lanes” would be installed in the City of Port Phillip. Most of this was so-called “light touch” measures: renewing paint on existing on-road lanes, wayfaring signs, and speed humps.

The single substantive measure was a trial of a parking-protected bike lane on Kerferd Rd, between Richardson St and Canterbury Rd. This would include a bollard protected bike lane under the light rail near the Albert Rd/Canterbury Rd intersection. Protection from cars is essential on this stretch of road, as can be seen in the photo below.

In April 2022 VicRoads announced that following “community consultation” the trial would not go ahead.

Google streetview of lightrail underpass, showing a vehicle veering dangerously into the bike lane

Current situation:

The Shrine to Sea team is supposed to be releasing a draft plan in “early 2023”. They have been evaluating “5 different bike lane and road configurations”. As this is a Council road, council’s support is required for the project to go ahead. While some councillors have made their support for a protected bike lane clear, others are opposed to any changes. The support of Mayor Heather Cunsolo, who “talks the talk” on cycling, will be crucial.

Planning context

Kerferd Rd is an extraordinarily wide boulevard. At about 60m wide, it is similar to St Kilda Road, but has no tram lines or high density buildings. Few inner city streets offer such ample space for introducing simple safety improvements. There are two vehicle lanes in each direction, a very wide grassy median and a mix of angle parking and parallel parking against the curb. There are almost no driveways. After Canterbury Rd the boulevard is called Albert Rd, and runs alongside Albert Park, with service roads for much of the length. At the south-west end is the sea, at the north east end is the Shrine of Remembrance and the Domain. There are extensive sporting facilities in Albert Park, and nearby schools include Middle Park Primary, Albert Park Primary, South Melbourne Park Primary, and MacRob Girls High School.

Kerferd Rd is not a VicRoads declared road although Albert Road is. The Albert Rd/Kerferd Rd route is a State Strategic Cycling corridor, which are “the most important routes for cycling for transport”.

Strategic cycling corridors, December 2020

Albert Rd/Kerferd Rd is route 2 on the City of Port Phillip’s bicycle network, and has been identified as a high priority by Council for many years.

The need

Council’s original plan for Kerferd Rd identified the need for improvement here:

Kerferd Road has a very high number of crashes compared to other Council-managed roads in Port Phillip. Between 2016 and 2020, there were 24 recorded crashes along Kerferd Road. Of these, 11 involved cyclists; three received serious injuries. This site has the second highest number of crashes in the City of Port Phillip. This crash data has been provided by the Road Crash Information System (RCIS). This system is maintained and operated by the Department of Transport and Victoria Police.

Kerferd Road is a key link for bike riders and connects the Bay Trail bike path to the off-road paths in Albert Park Reserve, the new Anzac Station and to the proposed upgraded bike facilities on St Kilda Road and Moray Street.

Heat map from Strava shows existing heavy bike use of Kerferd Rd, similar to St Kilda Rd or Beaconsfield Parade

What the experts say

Separated bike lanes are essential for better mental and physical health: the Heart Foundation says that Victoria should be investing in separated bike lanes improve health, as well as support local businesses, save households money, and provide independence and freedom, especially for children, teenagers, the elderly and people with a disability. They estimate that $13 would be returned in value for every $1 spent.

Separated bike lanes make financial sense: Infrastructure Victoria says “if we provide alternatives that get more cars off the road, everyone benefits. For drivers, it means less time in traffic and travelling to the city becomes a better experience. For everyone else, the environmental and productivity benefits are huge.” An increase of 55% of people choosing to cycle is achievable and could save every inner Melbourne car driver around 18 minutes in traffic per week.

People with disabilities need bike lanes to get scooters off the footpath: Vision Australia advocacy manager Chris Edwards said vision-impaired Victorians were concerned about being hit by riders or tripping over parked hire scooters. “[In] our view there’s not the infrastructure that supports [scooters] – bike lanes, appropriate places where you can park the scooters so they’re not a hazard – still hasn’t caught up. Without [that]... they’ll be an ongoing issue.” Age article, Jan 2023.

Community views

Broad-based surveys of Port Phillip residents consistently reflect support for protected bike lanes (the pop-up painted bike lanes by the DoT in 2022, on the other hand, were controversial). For example, the most popular element of Council’s Integrated Transport Strategy was “Deliver a network of dedicated and continuous priority bike lanes to create safer routes for all ages and abilities”. Surveys completed in 2018 by the City of Melbourne found that 83% of respondents living in Melbourne and adjacent municipalities (including City of Port Phillip) would aim to ride if a protected bike lane was provided compared to 22% who say they would be confident to ride on conventional painted bike lanes (without buffers).

More community views (from Heart Foundation, Victoria Walks, PECAN, and others) in a joint statement here.

The concerns raised by the anti-bike lane lobby include: “Safety - a bike track between the walking path, nature strips and the road, puts the residents at risk of tripping over the concrete bollards. Many residents along this road are elderly and transition from car, pathway and then into their property and they would be at more risk if this plan goes ahead.  Duplication - There is already a bike path for our 'much loved' bike riders. Even bike riders will not benefit from these changes. Parking - Albert Park residents pay a fee to the City of Port Phillip council to park out the front of their own homes. Yet, this plan will reduce current parking for Kerferd Rd residents.  Traffic chaos- Kerferd Road currently does not have any traffic issues. One lane WILL cause traffic to bank up at the lights at Beaconsfield Parade. Expenses - it is believed that finance (in excess of $12-16m) has already been earmarked for this project with the Victorian State Government. “

These claims are either entirely without evidence, can be mitigated by good design, or are just the cost side of the ledger, without considering the benefit side. For example: while some car parks may be lost over a rather long stretch, car parking has been prioritised under most suggested plans, and almost all of it will be retained. For example: Kerferd Rd does have traffic issues, not only the safety issues mentioned above but also hooning. Traffic modelling specific to Kerferd Rd indicates that reducing the road to one lane will not induce “traffic chaos”. For example: the expense of cycle lanes is off-set by improved public health, reduced traffic congestion, improved air quality, and reduced greenhouse emissions.

We need a protected bike lane trial on Kerferd Rd

Sign our petition to reinstate the bike lane trial on Kerferd Rd

The history

2018: The City of Port Phillip’s integrated transport strategy Move Live Connect designates Albert/Kerferd Roads as a priority bike route. CoPP prepares a Kerferd Rd safety trial, including a protected bike lane, supported by extensive traffic modelling.

However in the 2018/19 budget, the State Government committed $13m to the Shrine to Sea project, upgrading the Albert Rd/ Kerferd Rd boulevard including active transport links.

In the face of this, the Council decided not to proceed with their own trial.

The Shrine to Sea project has proceeded glacially, with extensive community consultation, and a draft design expected to go out for consultation in 2022.

Kerferd Rd bike lane current condition

Pop-up lanes project

In 2022, VicRoads announced that as part of their pop-up bike lanes project, “40km of new and protected bike lanes” would be installed in the City of Port Phillip. Most of this was so-called “light touch” measures: renewing paint on existing on-road lanes, wayfaring signs, and speed humps.

The single substantive measure was a trial of a parking-protected bike lane on Kerferd Rd, between Richardson St and Canterbury Rd. This would include a bollard protected bike lane under the light rail near the Albert Rd/Canterbury Rd intersection. Protection from cars is essential on this stretch of road, as can be seen in the photo below.

In April 2022 VicRoads announced that following “community consultation” the trial would not go ahead.

Google streetview of lightrail underpass, showing a vehicle veering dangerously into the bike lane

Planning context

Kerferd Rd is an extraordinarily wide boulevard. Few inner city streets offer such ample space for introducing simple safety improvements. There are two vehicle lanes in each direction, a very wide grassy median and a mix of angle parking and parallel parking against the curb. There are almost no driveways. After Canterbury Rd it becomes Albert Rd, and runs alongside Albert Park, with service roads for much of the length. At the south-west end is the sea, at the north east end is the Shrine of Remembrance and the Domain. There are extensive sporting facilities in Albert Park, and nearby schools include Middle Park Primary, Albert Park Primary, South Melbourne Park Primary, and MacRob Girls High School.

Kerferd Rd is not a VicRoads declared road although Albert Road is. The Albert Rd/Kerferd Rd route is a State Strategic Cycling corridor, which are “the most important routes for cycling for transport”.

Strategic cycling corridors, December 2020

Albert Rd/Kerferd Rd is route 2 on the City of Port Phillip’s bicycle network, and has been identified as a high priority by Council for many years.

The need

Council’s original plan for Kerferd Rd identified the need for improvement here:

Kerferd Road has a very high number of crashes compared to other Council-managed roads in Port Phillip. In the five-year period ending in June 2017, there were 25 recorded crashes on Kerferd Road that resulted in injury to bike riders, drivers and pedestrians.

• 15 crashes resulted in injury to bike riders

• 1 crash resulted in injury to a pedestrian

• 10 crashes caused serious injuries

Kerferd Road is a key link for bike riders and connects the Bay Trail bike path to the off-road paths in Albert Park Reserve, the new Anzac Station and to the proposed upgraded bike facilities on St Kilda Road and Moray Street.

Heat map from Strava shows existing heavy bike use of Kerferd Rd, similar to St Kilda Rd or Beaconsfield Parade

What the experts say

Separated bike lanes are essential for better mental and physical health: the Heart Foundation says that Victoria should be investing in separated bike lanes improve health, as well as support local businesses, save households money, and provide independence and freedom, especially for children, teenagers, the elderly and people with a disability. They estimate that $13 would be returned in value for every $1 spent.

Separated bike lanes make financial sense: Infrastructure Victoria says “if we provide alternatives that get more cars off the road, everyone benefits. For drivers, it means less time in traffic and travelling to the city becomes a better experience. For everyone else, the environmental and productivity benefits are huge.”

Community concerns

Many community concerns were raised about the trial, include a scaremongering petition that was circulated claiming that the trial would “mean a loss of parking spots, a bike lane (where one already exists) and using ugly concrete bollards between the nature strip and the parked cars”.

Screenshot from the anti-bike lane trial petition

Rather than respond to these concerns with either modifying the design or by correcting misinformation, or even by pointing out that a trial would give everyone the chance to identify issues and correct them, VicRoads abandoned the project.

Sign ouR Petition to Local Member of Parliament, Minister Martin Foley, and Roads Minister, Ben Carroll.

In our petition, we ask for the re-instatement of the trial. This will allow any issues to be addressed ahead of the planned installation of permanent, separated bike lanes in the Shrine to Sea project.