Transcript

As an avid cyclist I often use Heidelberg Road as a means to travel from my residence to the
Melbourne Cricket Ground, or to meet friends in Richmond. Heidelberg Road has an
average annual daily traffic volume of approximately 24000 vehicles (VicRoads, n.d.), and
approximately 800 cyclists per day (VicRoads, n.d.). When riding Heidelberg Road, I
observed many instances of near misses between cyclists and vehicles due to the narrow
road reserve, and no dedicated on-road bicycle paths, as such vehicles and cyclists shared
the road, with motorists taking priority. Throughout Melbourne there is an initiative to install
temporary pop-up bike lanes to offer cyclists protection from vehicles, and provide a safe,
direct, and convenient travel path to major destination hubs at no cost to users (VicHealth,
n.d.). this led me to base my project on infrastructure which would provide safe travel on
Heidelberg Road for cyclists.
During the empathising stage I undertook a spot survey on Heidelberg Road using
survey123 to determine the issues cyclist faced, and if they would feel safer riding along
Heidelberg Road if they had a protected bike lane outside of the motorists travel lane.
Almost 70% of people indicated that the existing infrastructure was poor, and 48% did not
feel safe. Asked if a Pop-up bike lane was installed, 83% of people indicated they would use
them, a rise from 67% who road at least once a week previously. Furthermore, studies in the
City of Port Phillip indicate a 22% rise in cyclist volumes between 2022 and 2023 post
installation of a Pop-up bike lane (VicHealth, n.d.), highlighting the need for protective
infrastructure to promote active travel along busy road corridors.
During the ideation stage I brainstormed ideas which would help solve the issue to provide
safe travel paths for cyclists along busy road corridors. Several options were considered
including shared user paths, which was negated due to the high costs such as detailed road
design, land acquisition, road widening and issues such as drainage, corrugation and
maintenance. Obtaining funding was also considered, however given my lack of expertise in
this area and the loopholes to gain such funding this was not looked at further. Advocating to
government bodies was also considered, however existing bicycle groups such as Banyule
Bicycle User Group have already undertaken this avenue.
My final solution was to organise and undertake a community event named Riding for Better
Infrastructure Upgrades on June 12, 2023. The ride would navigate from the Austin Hospital
to Yarra Bend to gain awareness of the insufficient bicycle infrastructure along major routes
in Melbourne. Positives of the initiative include large media coverage through letter box
drops, flyers and advertisement on Council and VicHealth websites and within Banyule
Council’s newspaper. Anyone can join in to promote safer roads with backing to be sought
from local cyclist groups and government agencies. Negatives include it may rain which
would hamper attendance to the event. Cost involved in infrastructure design and
implementation may also be considerable as planning, design and construction are all
required for the improvements to occur. This project may also not be backed by the
Department of Transport and Planning as it may increase congestion on state roads if
vehicle lanes are required to be removed for installation. This project can be improved by
additional planning and consolation with a wider variety of people to determine what other
needs are required.
To determine if this project would be a success, rider attendance would be monitored with
future event attendance compared to the first. Additionally bicycle surveys can be
undertaken prior to the vent occurring and surveys conducted after the event to determine if
a change in rider volumes occurred. Furthermore, surveys can be undertaken post
installation of the Pop-up bike lane to determine if the new infrastructure had an impact on
cyclist volumes. Crash history on Heidelberg Road can also be assessed prior and after the
infrastructure upgrades to determine if a reduction in cyclist accidents occurred.
Thanks for listening and I hope to see you at the Riding for Better Infrastructure Upgrades
cycling event.