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A woman rides in a painted bike bike lane on a road between parked cars and moving traffic.
Victoria St upgrade brings bike benefits

Planning is underway for a redesign of Victoria Street, Brunswick that includes new bike lane alignments with greater separation from traffic.

Victoria Street is a major east–west route through the Merri-bek municipality providing important access to shopping, parklands and residential neighbourhoods but the existing bike infrastructure is awkward and unattractive to riders.

As part of a new Streets for People program, the City of Merri-bek is planning new treatments for the street that are safer for pedestrians, improve bus stop facilities and increase vegetation, and provide bike lanes that should attract more riders.

Two concept designs are now out for exhibition that show potential options for upgrades between Sydney Road and Pearson Street.

Your feedback is being sought on your experiences in using Victoria Street and your reaction to both concepts. All the concepts and relevant information are here: https://conversations.merri-bek.vic.gov.au/victoria-streets-for-people

Concept 1 has kerb-separated 1.7m-wide bike lanes on both sides of the street, while option 2 has a two-way kerb-separated bike lane on the south side of Victoria Street.

Illustrations showing where new bike lanes would be placed on Victoria Street in Brunswick.

Both designs include upgrades to pedestrian crossings and an additional zebra crossing, improved safety at side street intersections, wider footpaths near Sydney Road, and bus stops that will be accessible for people with a disability.

While the bike lanes are 1.7m wide, the absolute minimum for a kerb-separated lane, this does not include the wide gutters In Victoria Street that will help with manoeuvrability in tight situations.

Two-way on-road bike lanes are generally not preferred in Melbourne because of their elevated crash record.

Another challenge will be the change in car parking availability immediately in front of some businesses. 

Previous parking studies in Brunswick have shown there is ample customer car parking within a five minute walk of most destinations.