The problem
Sydney Road is a failure – it doesn’t work for anyone
Sydney Road is one of the most congested corridors in Melbourne, with the slowest average off-peak speed (9km/h) of any arterial road in the city. It’s stuffed full of traffic and no-one’s getting anywhere.
- Route 19 tram is the fifth busiest route in the whole network, carrying more than one million people every month. But as Brunswick get busier, trams get slower.
- People are giving up on driving. Data from 2019 shows that only 20% of visitors to Sydney Road (Brunswick) and 35% of visitors to Sydney Road (Coburg) get there by car, with the vast majority arriving on foot, bike or by public transport.
- Sydney Road recorded 279 cyclist crashes between 2012 and 2025 and is in the top five worst stretches for car dooring in the state. In 2015, dooring took the life of 25-year-old rider Alberto Paulon. Since this tragic incident, nothing has changed.
- The Upfield Path is narrow and full. It has reached its capacity and its upgrade is not set to be complete until 2030, during which time it will need to close for substantial periods to allow future level crossing works. It is not an alternative to Sydney Road.
- Sydney Road is no fun for pedestrians either, with footpaths the narrowest of any shopping district in Melbourne. A lack of trees and open space, and noise and air pollution make it an unattractive place.
Everyone agrees that Sydney Road needs fixing.
The solution
An upgrade to the Route 19 tram stops means that there’s a tremendous opportunity to transform Sydney Road into a vibrant shopping strip and place for people.
The vision of an accessible, enjoyable main street for Merri-bek is the promise of a healthy, connected future.
In 2019, Revitalise Sydney Road summarised the solution for Sydney Road in this blueprint for a transformation that caters for trams and interconnection with trains, for bike riders, for pedestrians and for cars.
In 2019, VicRoads also released five design options for bike paths along Sydney Road, including one that would remove on-street parking entirely and create fully protected bike lanes and wider footpaths between Park Street and Bell Street.
The upcoming removal of eight level crossings on the Upfield Line will close the Upfield Trail for a significant period from late 2028 to 2030.
This is the perfect time to trial a fully separated bike lane along Sydney Road.
Latest news
Ballarat eyes a bike-friendly future
Ballarat's vision of becoming a bike-friendly city with a well-connected network of paths is edging closer to reality, as Council presses ahead on a number...
Run Melbourne closures on city routes
The mass participant running event, Run Melbourne’s will affect inner city bike routes next weekend, Sunday 24 July.
Join Sydney Road bike lane petition
Greens MP Tim Read has set up a petition asking Premier Daniel Andrews to build protected bike lanes on Sydney Road.
Sydney Road struggle re-ignites
The long-running campaign to revitalise the Sydney Road continues to roll along, with a community bike ride planned along the street this weekend.
Here’s three easy ways you can help fix Sydney Road today:
Share on socials
Share the petition, the campaign or your wish for urgent action.