Bicycle Network: Better Transport

Greens show us the money

17 November 2010. The Greens would increase the bike share of Victoria's road budget by one per cent a year—an immediate doubling of expenditure—according to their Bicycle Action Plan released this week for the Victorian election.

Currently bike expenditure in the state sits at a little over one per cent of the roads budget, according to the Greens. A one per cent increase would give an immediate injection in the first year, and then result in incremental expansion, allowing for the development of planning capacity and expertise.

The Greens action plan has six main thrusts, including the funding commitment.

They also commit to providing more space on the road for bikes in order to reduce congestion and improve safety.

"In a given amount of road space, more people can be moved by bicycle than by car meaning bicycle infrastructure is very efficient at low capital cost," the action plan says.

"For example, Princes Bridge crosses the Yarra into the CBD and already moves more people by bicycle than by car during peak hour, even though cars are allocated far more road space on the bridge. Along St Kilda Road, the narrow bike lane moves as many people as a much wider car lane.

"Safer, segregated bike lanes in St Kilda Road are proposed by the City of Melbourne but have been prevented by the Brumby Government for over two years, on the incorrect grounds that space is better allocated to cars.

"The Greens will reverse this false logic," the action plan says.

Another significant policy in the document is the plan to introduce a 30km speed limit, making 30km/h the default speed limit for residential streets, shopping strips and the CBD.

"In places where pedestrians and cyclists are sharing space with or are in close proximity to motor vehicles, vehicle speeds must be reduced to 30km/h to ensure safety," the Greens say.

"Slowing cars is a very cost effective safety measure. As reducing speed limits makes for an inherently safer cycling environment, little or no bicycle infrastructure is needed in 30km/h areas.

"At higher speeds more separation is required. This will free up funds for bicycle infrastructure where it is needed on major roads where faster speeds are allowed, such as busy areas like St Kilda Rd where segregated lanes are required."

To read the action plan in full, click here.