Problem

Inner Melbourne has the highest bicycle mode share in Victoria. However, there is substantial latent demand for cycling, with people choosing not to cycle because of safety concerns due to routes that are not connected and/or have poor separation from traffic. 

Provision of dedicated cycling infrastructure for key cycling corridors in Inner Melbourne would encourage more people to cycle, helping to alleviate road network and public transport congestion and reduce the risk of conflict between road users.

An increasing number of people are choosing to use public transport rather than drive. Cycling can also help reduce congestion on the road network. However, recent research has revealed that most Victorians own and ride bicycles, but they don’t cycle for transport, or into the Melbourne CBD for employment, because the bicycle network is not currently meeting community needs and expectations of a safer, lower-stress and better-connected network.

Proposed initiative

The initiative involves the provision of dedicated cycling infrastructure for key routes in Inner Melbourne to reduce congestion and improve safety and health outcomes.

Next steps

Proponent to identify initiatives and develop options (Stage 2 of Infrastructure Australia’s Assessment Framework).