Constituency Questions: Prahran Pop-Up Bike Lanes
Mr HIBBINS (Prahran): My question is for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety, and I ask: will any of the recently announced $13 million for pop-up bike lanes be spent in the Prahran electorate? People who ride their bikes in the Prahran electorate are frustrated with the lack of safe bike infrastructure. A recent survey undertaken showed that two-thirds of people who ride their bikes in Prahran feel unsafe and 70 per cent more would ride their bikes if there were separated bike lanes. Respondents called for the St Kilda Road separated bike lanes to be fast-tracked, as well as improvements to Chapel Street, where, quote, ‘there needs to be serious work done to make Chapel Street safe’. Since the pandemic more and more people are choosing to ride. Around the world governments are investing more to create space for cyclists, so we welcome that funding and urge that some of it is spent in the Prahran electorate. I also want to welcome the government’s adoption of the A Metre Matters minimum passing distance, something advocates, the Amy Gillett Foundation and the Greens have been pushing for for a long time.
Mr. Ben Carroll (Minister for Public Transport): The Andrews Labor Government recognises that cycling plays a key role in moving people safely across the network and provides more transport options for more people, particularly in response to COVID‐19. Fast tracking pop‐up cycling lanes will enable the Department of Transport (DoT) to monitor and assess the relative benefit of the new protected lanes and other upgrades to the bike network.
With regards to the Prahran community, I am advised that local and connecting routes in Prahran are being investigated as part of this initiative. More detail will be available shortly as DoT develops these plans further and works closely with local governments on final designs.