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                    Completed major bike route upgrades

                    Cyclists using the physically separated bike lane on La Trobe Street
                    The City of Melbourne has invested in new and upgraded bike paths, lanes and routes to improve connections and safety for all cyclists.

                    See photos and details below of some of the major bike route upgrades we have completed.

                    Albert Street

                    A new section of the city-bound bike lane has been installed between Hoddle and Powlett streets. This now completes the cycling facilities along Albert Street and provides a continuous cycling corridor from Footscray Road to Harbour Esplanade, La Trobe Street and Albert Street.

                    The bike lanes on Albert Street incorporate a small barrier between cars and the bike lane, and feature striped line-markings and ‘rumble strips’ that vibrate when car drivers stray into the bike lane.

                    The lanes are a permanent feature of Albert Street, but the use of the lanes for cars changes during the course of the day. During peak traffic periods clearways operate as follows:

                    • on the inbound or southern side of Albert Street (6.30am to 9.30am)
                    • on the outbound or northern side of Albert Street (4pm to 6pm).

                    At each of these peak times, there are two lanes of moving traffic and the dedicated bike lane on the clearway side of the road.

                    Outside peak periods one lane of traffic may park between the bike lane and the traffic.

                    Tips for parking in Albert Street

                    • Park in the allocated parking lane, never in the bike lane.
                    • When leaving your car, be careful to watch and listen for bikes as you cross the bike lane to the footpath.
                    • Always obey the parking signs in Albert Street, especially the clearway restrictions.

                    Anderson Street

                    In Anderson Street, South Yarra, new 1.6 m wide bike lanes have been installed for travelling uphill. The new lanes will significantly improve safety and comfort for the high volumes of cyclists who ride in Anderson Street.

                    Canning Street

                    In Canning Street, North Melbourne, new bike signals will be installed so cyclists can connect between Canning Street and Macaulay Road in both directions. A physically separated eastbound bike lane will provide access for cyclists entering Canning Street in the opposite direction of the existing westbound bus-only lane. A shared footpath will separate westbound buses and cyclists exiting Canning Street.

                    Cardigan Street

                    The existing mid-block bike lane in Cardigan Street, Carlton, between Victoria and Elgin streets has been upgraded by providing painted separation areas either side of the bike lane in both directions to separate cyclists from moving traffic and possible car door openings.

                    Clarendon Street

                    Upgraded bike lanes on Clarendon Street between Victoria Parade and Wellington Parade in East Melbourne. The new lanes connect the Albert Street bike route and off-road paths around the MCG and the Yarra Trail.

                    The lanes provide cyclists with a safer distance from both moving and parked cars. This has been measured to be very effective in encouraging cyclists to ride outside the car-dooring zone.

                    Percentage of cyclists riding outside the car-dooring zone
                    (75 cm from parked cars)


                    NorthboundSouthbound
                    Before separated lanes23%71%
                    After separated lanes80%96%

                    Commercial Road

                    The bike lanes in Commercial Road have been extended all the way to the intersections with Punt Road and St Kilda Road. The existing mid-block bike lane arrangements have also been upgraded to separate cyclists from moving traffic and possible car door openings.

                    Elizabeth Street

                    Elizabeth Street is an important gateway to the central city. The section of Elizabeth Street between the Haymarket roundabout and Queensberry Street is a particularly popular route for cyclists travelling to and from Royal Parade and Flemington Road.

                    Two-metre wide physically-separated lanes have been constructed on both sides of Elizabeth Street between the Haymarket roundabout and Queensberry Street. The design of the bike lanes improves safety by separating cyclists from parked cars and moving traffic.

                    The bike lanes have been designed to have no impact on the traffic capacity of Elizabeth Street. Angled parking was converted to parallel parking to construct the lanes.

                    In 2016, the bike lanes were extended to Victoria Street (from Queensberry Street) in order to further improve cycling safety and connectivity with the city centre.

                    Exhibition Street

                    A peak period bike lane in Exhibition Street helps cyclists ride to and from work in the central city. People riding bikes are supported with green paint delineating bike lanes.

                    The lanes operate as follows:

                    During the morning peak, 7.30am to 9am

                    • Entering the city from the south: the bike lanes between Flinders and Bourke streets.
                    • Entering the city from the north: the bike lanes between La Trobe and Little Bourke streets.

                    During the afternoon peak, 4.30pm to 6.30pm

                    • Leaving the city to the south: no bike lanes
                    • Leaving the city to the north: the lanes between Little Bourke and La Trobe streets.

                    No stopping restrictions will apply to the lanes during these periods. Businesses should seek alternative times or locations to receive deliveries.

                    Jim Stynes Bridge

                    The Jim Stynes Bridge is an iconic pedestrian and cyclist bridge which links Docklands to the city centre along the Yarra River, forming part of the popular Capital City Trail (PDF 354 KB).

                    The bridge celebrates different aspects of Jim Stynes’ life. It hovers above the Yarra River, goes under the Charles Grimes Bridge, and enables people to walk and cycle along the length of Northbank.

                    The project was a partnership between the Victorian Government and the City of Melbourne.

                    Kensington local routes

                    A refuge island, painted median and pedestrian access ramps have been constructed at the intersection of Macaulay Road / Rankins Road / Eastwood Street. The works aim to improve the connection for bikes or pedestrians crossing Macaulay Road and wishing to continue along Eastwood Street or travelling to or from Kensington train station.

                    La Trobe Street

                    La Trobe Street is a critical east-west bicycle route through the central city that connects with existing bicycle paths and lanes on Harbour Esplanade, Swanston Street (north) and Rathdowne Street.

                    The new dedicated bike lanes on La Trobe Street include physical separation from traffic and parked cars, providing a safer travel experience for all road users including pedestrians, public transport users, drivers and cyclists.

                    Manningham Bridge

                    The Manningham Bridge allows cyclists and pedestrians to walk and ride safely across Manningham Street, avoiding the traffic below. The bridge links the east and west sides of the Capital City Trail.

                    Princes Bridge

                    Princes Bridge is an iconic gateway to the city and Melbourne’s busiest transport hub with a high volume of pedestrian, cyclist, tram and motor vehicle traffic.

                    We have installed a 2.2 metre wide green bicycle lane on the western side of Princes Bridge for cyclists travelling north into the city. This moves cyclists from the often-crowded footpath into their own larger dedicated lane and allows for the footpath on the western side of the bridge for sole pedestrian use, making it easier to walk in both directions.

                    A single lane for motorists spans the bridge, while maintaining three lanes for traffic turning onto Flinders Street – two right turning lanes and one left turning lane.

                    Northbound trams also have an easier passage across the bridge as the risk of vehicles moving into the tram zone will be reduced through the installation of roll-over kerbs.

                    St Kilda Road

                    A physically-separated bike lane has been built for cyclists travelling out of the city southbound on St Kilda Road. The lane extends between Alexandra Gardens and the Linlithgow Avenue and Southbank Boulevard intersection.

                    St Kilda Road has the highest incidence of car door crashes in Victoria. The bike lane improves the safety and movement of bicycles on one of the busiest cycling routes in Melbourne by separating cyclists from moving traffic and car doors.

                    William Street

                    William Street is one of the city’s most popular north-south bike routes, connecting with La Trobe Street, Peel Street, and Royal Parade to the north of the city, and along the Yarra River to the south of the city.

                    The William Street bike lanes have been widened to 1.5 metres with chevron line markings separating the lane from moving traffic and parked cars. The lanes operate at all times along the majority of William Street between Victoria and Flinders Streets.

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