Smart Bus 8/3/2011

VicRoads pushing bikes off the road.

See the map for details. 

Improvements to the bus lanes at the expense of cyclists.

Here we can see the implementation of VicRoads new idea of prioritising roads for specific modes.  Which amounts to creating no-go zones for bikes.   

Some specific points:

On the map we are told to use alternative routes, marked as bike routes.  What if you have to get somewhere on Hoddle St?  What if the alternatives are twice the distance? Just travel from Hoddle to Wellington, do a block down Wellington, then travel back to Hoddle.

The Albert St lanes are shown as going from Hoddle St to Nicholson St.  In fact there are no bike lanes for the first 3 blocks heading into the City - from Hoddle St to Clarendon St.   At the other end, there are no bike lanes in the last block, between Gisbourne St and Nicholson St.  Ironically the latter is because it's a bus route.  The missing block would connect with bike lanes in Spring St and then Bourke St, and in future could connect via Spring St to Latrobe St, which is to get permanent bike lanes under the State Government's Cycling Strategy.

Six trees in Hoddle St are to be removed of which a couple are to be replaced to make room for the motor vehicles.  When some trees would have been affected (but not removed) by high quality bike lanes in Albert St the outrage forced the City of Melbourne to scale back the bike lanes to something less satisfactory.  Possibly trees are more valuable when they grow in proximity to East Melbourne. 

The map shows bike routes in Smith St and Wellington St but fails to show the better bike route in Napier St.  How does a cyclist get from Smith or Wellington to the Albert St lanes? Via Victoria Pde of course, but this will be made illegal and dangerous by the Smart Bus proposal.  In the same street, car parking along the central median is to be retained.  No space for bikes though.

Thanks to @cfsmtb for the following:

Have Your Say - Bus lanes on Victoria Parade and Hoddle Street
http://survey.peoplelogic.com.au/survey.php?sid=2533&name=bus-lanes-on-victoria-parade-and-hoddle-street

Feedback form:
http://www.transport.vic.gov.au/DOI/DOIElect.nsf/$UNIDS+for+Web+Display/102F43158C2B85A2CA25783900273BA7/$FILE/5353%20DART%20HODDLE%20ST%20Feedback%20Form%202pp.pdf

Additional information from City of Yarra, including councils views on the proposed changes
http://www.yarracity.vic.gov.au/Hot-Topics/?itemID=121