Notorious Black Forest Drive in Macedon has tragically claimed another victim with a rider fatally injured after being struck by a car on the weekend.
It's the second time this year that riders on the four-lane former highway have been struck from behind by vehicles.
According to police, a person riding a bike, (whose name had not been released at the time of writing) was struck from behind about 9:25am on Sunday near Blackwood Road.
The driver of the black Hyundai, a 23 year-old woman from Gisborne, was arrested at the scene.
The tragedy of this incident was that it was foreseeable.
Black Forest Drive near Macedon has a frightening safety record—so bad that the TAC and VicRoads were determined to fix the problem back in 2010.
The former four-lane highway was reduced to two lanes and a wide bike facility.
With four lanes, the road had capacity for 40,000 vehicles a day, but after the new freeway to Bendigo opened, it was only carrying 2,000 cars a day.
It was dangerous for all road users, but particularly for bike riders mixing with drivers who were attracted to the now low-traffic road.
But unfortunately, locals mounted a highly political and ultimately successful campaign to have the decision reversed.
The road returned to four lanes and the bike facility was rubbed out.
And inevitably, people have died and been seriously injured as a result.
Back in 2010, Bicycle Network and local riders sought to have the safety measures retained. Because of the low traffic volumes, abandoned highways can make attractive bike routes, if they are modified by appropriate safety and traffic slowing treatments.
It is standard practice world-wide for decommissioned highways to be reduced to two lanes so that they are acceptably safe for road users.
But the previous Liberal Government in Victoria thought they'd defy the evidence and win a marginal seat in the process.
And now as we and the community grieve at our loss, we are once again faced with the same question, could this have been avoided?
With multiple crashes involving bikes on the same stretch of road within a year, we're keen to hear what the State Government plans to do to urgently reduce the risk for people who ride.