Bicycles: an integral part of our transport landscape

When cars first came to the streets of Melbourne to replace horse-drawn carriages, there was outrage.

For years ‘haste wagons’ were met with anxiety and downright hostility. Newspapers and the public bemoaned the loss of road space for their traditional transport methods.??

Today we find ourselves in a similar position. Users of protected bike lanes love them, whereas critics are feeling threatened.?

We are committed to rolling out this infrastructure because the evidence shows it will future-proof our city. Just like the proponents of the motor car in the early 1900s, we can see the benefits of making space for alternate transport methods.??

We are seeing the leap in bike sales translate into greater cycling numbers in the city. Use of the protected bike lanes on Exhibition Street is increasing by 15 per cent week-on-week; Peel Street by 13 per cent, Rathdowne Street by 14 per cent and Queensbridge Street by 8 per cent.??

The Herald Sun’s own count noted one in four vehicles on the CBD streets during peak hour was a bicycle. Our data shows that’s an increase from one in five pre-COVID and one in 20 in 2007.?

Cycling is an essential part of our transport system. And less than 1 per cent of road space is dedicated to protected bike lanes.?

Based on current trends, by 2030 one-third of vehicles on city roads will be bicycles.?

Every person who comes into the CBD adds value. We know workers spend an average of $30 every time they come into the city, supporting a further five jobs.??

There’s a breadth of workers who cycle to work – CEOs, doctors, baristas, construction workers, retail assistants, even the Lord Mayor of Melbourne.??

Companies acknowledge their employees are embracing cycling. They’re integrating end-of-trip facilities into their office buildings.??

It may seem counterintuitive for car users, but experts agree that bicycle lanes reduce car congestion. Each bike you see on the road is one less car in gridlock.??

Congestion already costs Greater Melbourne $4.6 billion annually, forecast to grow to $10 billion over the next decade. Alongside public transport, cycling is a remedy.?

The shared e-scooter trial, led by the State Government, is outstripping expectations, forecast to hit 500,000 trips next week. Their popularity peaked during Round 1 of the AFL – proving the need to find safe accommodation for them on our streets. Bicycle lanes may need to be called mobility lanes to cover the variety of new transport modes that will use them into the future.??

We owe it to our city now and into the future to build the infrastructure that will support and nurture a robust economy.??

Just as early anger at the motor car gave way to an understanding of its benefits, we must look at bicycles as an integral part of our transport landscape.???