The Victorian Government has allocated $27 million to make St Kilda road safer for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.
It plans to build new bike lanes that will seperate cyclists from trams and traffic.
“St Kilda Road is Melbourne’s busiest tram route and one of Melbourne’s busiest bike routes – that’s why these safety upgrades are so vital to separate cyclists from other traffic,” Minister for Roads and Road Safety Jaala Pulford said.
The central safety zone bike lanes will be built alongside Copenhagen-style kerbside bike lanes, which is hoped to increase the number of cyclists along the road.
The central safety zone will provide a separated lane for cyclists in the middle of St Kilda road while the outer lanes will be reserved for vehicles and parking during off peak times.
The outer bike lanes will be closer to the kerb with a physical barrier to separate cyclists from both parked cars and the road.
“We’ve carefully planned this new upgrade with all road users in mind – safely separating bikes and traffic for good while having the least impact on travel times for drivers,” Minister Pulford said.
The government will also allocate $50.3 million to rebuild St Kilda Pier to help boost tourism and add more green space to preserve the landmark.
The design will protect the St Kilda penguin colony and was selected after community consultation with construction set to commence in 2020.
“We’re protecting the pier for visitors and locals and doing the work to deliver better bike lanes on St Kilda Road for a safer journey to and from the city,” Member for Albert Park Martin Foley said.
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