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The biggest sticking points for riders

Bike riders in Melbourne's inner-north were shocked last week when they noticed some fresh additions to the pavement alongside College Crescent in Parkville.

Circumnavigating the edge of Melbourne Uni, College Crescent is the continuation of Swanston Street, one of Melbourne's busiest bike thoroughfares.

While you'd expect to see a continuous lane, sadly the bike lane gradually peters out, spitting riders onto a blue-stone gutter next to cars travelling at 60km/h. It's further complicated by a multi-lane roundabout. 

Students and commuters on bikes typically use the adjacent path to avoid the dangerous, narrow stretch of College Crescent that has no space to ride.

Instead of a speedy solution that would reduce the risk and give people space to ride, the City of Melbourne has chosen to slap big anti-bike stickers on the pavement to tell riders they are not welcome.

Not that the stickers are discouraging riders, however. A short observation by Bicycle Network at College Crescent earlier in the week saw all riders use the pavement with none choosing to face the risk and ride on the road.

Unsurprisingly, there was no conflict or crashes with pedestrians and everyone got back on the road when they felt comfortable.

Bicycle Network has contacted City of Melbourne to find out the reasoning behind the new stickers and to discuss a better solution, but we also know College Crescent is not the only place where this is a problem.

There are other places in Melbourne where otherwise decent bike routes have dead-spots that you can't ride and stickers on the pavement that outlaw using the footpath as a connection.

We want to know where else you have seen this – what are the sticking points in your ride?

Contact us with information about a place you should be able to ride, but stickers on the pavement say you're not welcome.

It will help Bicycle Network get a fix to not only College Crescent, but all places where people need to ride.

You can send us a message here, find us on Facebook of mention us on Twitter and Instagram using @Bicycle_Network.

Parkville

College Crescent

The unrideable section of College Crescent.
The path next to College Crescent.

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