The City of Melbourne is considering an ambitious 10-year transport plan to address the city’s significant population growth.
According to lord mayor Sally Capp, The Transport Strategy 2030 is expected to improve Melbourne’s liveability, provide a boost to local businesses and reduce congestion.
“We need all modes to work together for a liveable city, from building separated bike lanes for those riding, widening footpaths for pedestrians, introducing on-street parking bays for our motorcyclists and creating speed consistency for our motorists," she says.
Key projects to be delivered in the first four years include introducing protected bike lanes on Exhibition Street, Latrobe Street Bridge and Rathdowne Street, 300 new on-street motorcycle parking spaces and working with the Victorian Government to deliver consistent 40 km/h vehicle speed limits across the municipality.
The strategy also flags trials of lower speed limits for some 'Little Streets' to continue the creation of pedestrian-priority zones at peak times. The move will boost economic activity through increased footfall in retail and hospitality precincts and improve safety for people walking in the city centre.
Council will continue to advocate for a tram extension to Fishermans Bend as a critical catalyst for development of the area, and for the Melbourne Metro 2 rail link as a priority infrastructure rail link for Melbourne's west and north.
By 2030, the plan to be considered by councillors aims to:
- Repurpose the equivalent of more than 6 MCGs worth of public road space and parking spaces to create more space for pedestrians, cyclists, greening, trading and other important uses
- Reduce through traffic in the busiest parts of the central city
- Convert central city 'Little Streets' into pedestrian priority shared zones with lower speed limits for cars to better support our thriving retail economy and café culture
- Work with the Victorian Government to deliver world-class, welcoming and safe public spaces around our central city stations
- Transform Melbourne into Australia's leading bicycle city by creating more than 50km of protected on-road bicycle lanes on key bicycle routes in the heart of the city, and work with the Victorian Government to enable a further 40km of protected bicycle lanes
- Deliver 300 additional motorcycle parking bays on streets as alternatives to parking on footpaths.
- Maintain access for essential car trips, especially for people with a disability, trade, service and emergency vehicles.
- Work with the Victorian Government to deliver consistency for motorists by introducing 40 km/h speed limits throughout inner Melbourne by reducing speed limits in Parkville Gardens, North and West Melbourne and Yarra's Edge.
