THE BIKE LANE THAT SEPARATED COUNCIL

Last September, Merri-Bek Council, in a 4-5 split, voted to remove the trial separated bike lanes on Kent Rd, Pascoe Vale. These lanes were trialled for 2 years, with some variations to the design along the way.

In October, however, this resolution was rescinded after another vote, conducted on the basis that there were too many councillor absences at the September meeting. Just when it looked as if the bike lanes were there to stay, in the very next meeting in November, this resolution was again put on the agenda, and rescinded in a 5-6 split.

The controversy of this issue – a mere 320m of bike lanes in Pascoe Vale- to the point where it has been voted on 3 times by Council, seems curious in the scheme of things. Local opposition campaigns and other complicating factors such as a state government backflip on a commitment to connecting the lanes to a greater bike route, leaving Kent Rd an isolated stretch, are partly responsible.

Councillors who spoke out against the lanes cited reasons to do with the specifics of Kent Rd, including traffic congestion, cyclists safety upon reaching the end of the lanes, and the inappropriateness of the chosen route. Cr Davidson argued that no voters were not ideologically opposed to bike lanes in general, but rather that the location was a poor choice.

Surprisingly, Socialist-affiliated Cr Harte joined the no vote, stating that she was not convinced of the appropriateness and safety of the bike lanes.
Whilst Councillors against Kent Rd are adamant that there is no hostility per se to bike lanes, and that their decisions are strictly about the poor location choice, the no-voters proceeded to use Kent Rd as a reason to also rescind a previous commitment from Council to keep separate bike lanes along a previously non-controversial road — De Carle Street, Coburg. This was overturned and De Carle was back before you even knew it was gone (yes, we know this is confusing).

De Carle’s swift return was a big relief for locals in the area who have been voicing concern for children and cyclists making their way to the Merr-bek primary school for years.

In support of De Carle, Maria Giordano, the principal of Merri-bek Primary School, said that the streets ‘are congested with lots of traffic and pose a serious risk regarding the safety of our children’. In her opinion, separated bike lanes would encourage healthy and environmentally friendly bike riding, discourage anti-social driving, and improve safety.

Merri-bek’s own website mirrors these sentiments, stating that narrowing roads for cars increases safety and decreases traffic volume, speeding and ‘rat-running’.

Local climate advocate, John Englart, has said that removal of the Kent Rd bike lanes because of poor driver behaviour ‘would seem to reward that poor behaviour’, as well as incur a reputational loss to Merri-bek’s climate credentials and slow down our transition to sustainable transport in this crucial time.

An ideological opposition to prioritising bikes from some councillors is a disappointing reality for Merri-bek which, to date, only has 3 protected bike lanes across the city.

By Valdo P