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Spectacular $3.25M upgrade to Albert Street route

Work will start soon on a major transformation of one of Melbourne’s busiest bike routes that will see Victoria’s first protected intersection land at the corner of Albert and Landsdowne Streets in East Melbourne.

The intersection—a contemporary design aimed at boosting safety—is becoming common in cities where bikes and walking are popular.

It places turning vehicles and other road users in positions where they can more clearly see the other, considerable reducing the incidents of bikes being hooked by careless left-turning drivers.

The bike lanes are protected on the way into and from the intersection.

Traffic signals will provide bike and pedestrian priority with a head-start on vehicles.

The design also improves marked bike lanes through the intersection and enables right turns by hook-turning from those lanes.

Banana shaped kerb islands on each corner of the intersection provide protection for riders from passing vehicles as they wait to turn right.

The project is at a major intersection where riders feed in from both the east (Albert Street) and north (Napier Street).

The intersection will be closely evaluated by the Department of Transport as there are other risky intersections on high volume bike routes that could benefit from similar treatment.

Other planned safety upgrades on the route include a protected bicycle lane at the Albert and Gisborne streets intersection; a separated cycling lane on Albert Street between Gisborne and Lansdowne streets; and a separated cycling lane on Lansdowne Street between Victoria Parade and Albert Street.

There will also be wider footpaths and signal improvements at the Lansdowne Street and Victoria Parade intersection and a raised platform at the St Andrews Place and Macarthur Street intersection.

Works are expected to be completed by the middle of 2020.

The Minister for Roads, Road Safety and the TAC Jaala Pulford said: “cyclists have told us that competing with cars and trucks can be dangerous and stressful and that’s why we’re investing in these important safety upgrades.”

“Boosting safety at one of our busiest intersections will encourage more people to get on a bike more often and keep active.”

Bicycle Network has been providing input to the design upgrades over the past two years. The City of Melbourne also contributed.

Bicycle Network CEO Craig Richards said that rider numbers into the CBD continued to climb and with these improvements the Albert and Napier Street routes would become even more popular.

“Intersections are an area of risk for bike riders and that concern means some people choose not to ride. Addressing this concern through building a better place to ride will mean more people ride to where they need to get to,” he said

Pop-up information stall

VicRoads and the Safer Roads Program are holding a community information session to answer any questions you might have about the intersection and give further information on 16 November.

You can meet the team and chat about how and why this design for the intersection was chosen.

When: 16 November 2019, 10am-2pm
Where: East Melbourne Library, 122 George Street, East Melbourne

Click here for more information.

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