Several Council Officer reports and motions, and a number of Councillor Notices of Motion dealt with traffic management, vehicle speed, shared mobility and bike lane infrastructure.

A number of projects were also deferred for the next financial year.

Improving active transport is an important way to make our city more liveable, healthy and reduce transport emissions. Building infrastructure to encourage more people to walk, cycle or use e-cooters and other micro-mobility, is fundamental to encouraging behiour change.

It’s more important than ever for urban mobility
to emphasize the fundamentals. Cities that
offer affordable and efficient mobility with
simple essentials — like cycling lanes or
efficient trains — can buffer against risks like
record‑breaking heatwaves or high living costs
that threaten how and why people travel.
– Urban Mobility Readiness Index 2023 REPORT

We are seeing this change in many European cities such as Paris (also watch this Youtube video), and north American cities, like Alberta provincial capital Edmonton (Youtube video) (the province with all the tar sands). But it takes political will by municipal and region leaders to bring this about. At the state level targets have been set for active transport as part of a climate transport pledge, but we are yet to see the funding to match this climate pledge.

Here in Merri-bek we see targets set, but all too often at the project level we see Councillors in retreat and not willing to lead. The Community spoke clearly about the need for more active transport projects during Draft Budget hearing in 2023

So the June 2024 Council meeting it was good to see all the transport and place related motions passed to continue to improve active transport in our municipality. here is the list:

7.2  Shared Mobility (E-Scooters) Update

Importance: mico-mobility to reduce transport emissions. development of an inter-council shared mobility procurement process, shared mobility trial, a designated parking approach that restricts parking to specific locations so that shared mobility devices do not impact pedestrian accessibility.

Alternate motion, fleshes out process. 

Division: Cr Pavlidis abstaining. Carried

7.3  O’hea Street Bike Lane Extension

Importance: cycling, reducing transport emissions, Coburg to Glenroy Cycling route. Starts extension of O’Hea st bike path to a bi-directional bike lane on north side of O’hea st. Vital link to encourage kids cycling to school, and link in the Glenroy to Coburg route.

Cr Bolton moving Extra point 4 on number of crashes at Main st/O’hea street intersection, to fix this intersection.

Carried

7.4  Glenroy To Coburg Bike Route Survey Outcome

Importance: active transport, transport emissions. Coburg to Glenroy cycling route

• Kent Road will still be the principal cycling route.
• Lighting along path through KW Joyce Reserve, 
• Kent Road will be resurfaced, Rasied pedestrian crossing built near the Pascoe Vale Medical centre.
• Writes to Department of Transport and Planning in response to community feedback to request safe cycling infrastructure along Pascoe Street and Boundary Road to support east west bike movements along the state’s Strategic Cycling Corridor.
• Upgrades way-finding signage and linemarking to support the Pascoe Vale Shimmy Route
  monitor speed of vehicles and compliance with the new 40 km/h limit
• Report on a comprehensive plan for a safe, direct and comfortable bike network between Glenroy and Coburg as part of the Streets for People Plan being prepared in the 2024/25 Financial Year.

Moved by Cr Harte, seconded Cr Riley

Carried

7.5  Victoria Street – Streets For People Project

Importance: active transport, transport emissions. Protected cycling infrastructure along Victoria St from Pearson st to Sydney Road. Endorses Concept 1 (one-way protected bike lanes) as the preferred design option to be progressed for detailed design and construction. the section of the project between Pearson Street and the Upfield Shared User Path to be delivered first.

Moved Cr Riley/Cr Tapinos. 

Carried. 

7.12 Financial Management Report For The Period Ended 30 April 2024

Importance: a number of shared zone, bike path, and shared use path and bridge projects in capital works moved to 24/25 financial year. This includes several important for active transport, and some flood mitigation work:

• Shared Zones – Victoria Street and Albert Street, Brunswick East – $460,000
• Dawson Street bike lane – make permanent – $220,000
• Merri Creek Trail Access and Safety Upgrades – Various – $191,900
• Merri Trial – Sumner Park to Capital City Trail Flood Mitigation – Bridge across Merri Creek into Darebin, Brunswick East – $170,000
• De Carle Street Protected Bike Lanes – The Avenue to Moreland Rd, Coburg – $165,679
• Parks and Reserve flooding rectification – $100,000

Carried

8.4  Speed Surveys And Accessible Tram Stops For Nicholson Street, Coburg

Importance: Proposed by Cr Conlan. Follows up pedestrian safety and amenity on Nicholson St. Conducts a speed survey along Nicholson Street between Moreland Road and Bell Street, at the same location as the 2022 speed surveys.

 Writes to the Minister for Public and Active Transport, Gabrielle Williams and the Minister for Roads and Road Safety, Melissa Horne, seeking an update on when accessible tram stops will be delivered for Nicholson Street, Coburg.

Carried unanimously

8.6  Union Square Shopping Centre/Grantham Street

Importance: Propoed by Cr Tapinos. A worthwhile report to start a community engagement program that develops a community vision for the Grantham Street/Union Street Neighbourhood Centre in Brunswick West. Improve community resilience, active transport and traffic movements. 

Carried Unanimously

8.7  Traffic Management In The Brunswick Southwest

Importance: Proposed by Cr Tapinos. Worthwhile considering the objections by some Crs to a road closure at Pearson st as it investigates treatments and seeks traffic data, which might allow revisiting Pearson St closure in future to address rat-running and traffic and improve active transport safety.

Carried unanimously

8.8  More Bike Parking Near Louisa Street Carpark Coburg

Importance: Improving active transport facilities in Coburg. Proposed by Cr Conlan. Coburg has probably seen an uptake of cycling trips to Coburg shops and supermarkets and in central Coburg due to the Upfield Bike Path under skyrail and other cycling improvements. This seeks to improve bicycle parking in Central Coburg. 

Carried unanimously

Melbournes Urban Mobility Readiness Score

In 2023 Melbourne was included for the first time in an index of 65 global cities looking at Urban mobility readiness, sustainable mobility and public transit. Melbourne is well behind on many KPIs of other cities, including our sister city to the north, Sydney.

Here is what the Oliver Wyman Forum with academics from University of California, Berkerley said about Melbourne’s urban mobility.

What Melbourne Does Well in Urban Mobility

Melbourne is home to well-maintained and interconnected roadways, with relatively few fatalities. In 2023, the State of Victoria began a US$127 million road infrastructure program to improve road safety

The city’s public transit system is known for its efficiency, affordability, and diverse transportation modes. Melbourne’s roads and mass transportation are going to be made stronger with “Victoria’s Big Build,”a, US$57 billion road and rail expansion project to bolster public transit with more stations,airport and suburb connections, and a new metro tunnel

Challenges and Opportunities for Melbourne’s Transportation System

Melbourne has limited government investment in electric vehicle (EV) incentivization, charging station development, and connected and automated vehicle (CAV) technologies.

The city’s lack of active mobility infrastructure, like bike lanes or dedicated car-free zones, pushes residents to prefer cars instead. However, Melbourne has built more than 19 kilometers (11 miles) of cycling lanes since 2020 as part of its 2030 strategy to have more than 50 kilometers (31 miles) of cycleways.

How Melbourne Can Improve Its Public Transportation and Sustainable Mobility

While other states are increasing their electric (EV) subsidy offering, Victoria recently ended its 2021 subsidy and is now falling well behind its peer Sydney in EV incentivization. The state, or Melbourne itself, can reinstitute the subsidy for EVs to ensure it stays on target for zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) sales composing 50% of the market share by 2030. The city also could increase the size of available grants for EV charging stations, such as reintroducing the Destination Charging Across Victoria program, which provided US$3 million for public stations — a promising start but not enough to offer a charging network comparable to its peers. To become a regional leader in charging networks, Melbourne would need to accelerate deployment to double its current station density.

Many of Melbourne’s residents have lengthy walks to metro stations and bus stops. The city is undergoing a large-scale public transit project, the previously mentioned “Victoria’s Big Build,” to improve station density and encourage ridership of its metro system. In the interim, the city should add routes and stops for buses and trams to help connect residents with metro stations and other destinations — a cost-effective improvement that would help lower walking distances and overall commute times.

References:

Cutting Victoria’s emissions 2021–2025 Transport sector emissions reduction pledge, May 2021. https://www.climatechange.vic.gov.au/victorian-government-action-on-climate-change/Transport-sector-pledge-accessible.pdf

Institute for Transport Policy and Development, 2 April 2024, 2023 STA Winner Paris, France Presents a Bold Vision for its Historic Streets https://itdp.org/2024/04/02/2023-sta-paris-france-presents-a-bold-vision-for-historic-streets/

Shifter on Youtube, 12 Oct 2023, This northern city is spending $100M to improve cycling. Can your city too? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBvBw8kk7bw

Shifter on Youtube, March 2024, How Paris rapidly transformed to cycling and active transport. How to find space for bike lanes in clogged cities https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2xAzyQQDHk

Oliver Wyman Forum, Urban Mobility Readiness Index 2023 REPORT. Melbourne is included in the 65 cities reported upon in the fifth edition of this report https://www.oliverwymanforum.com/mobility/urban-mobility-readiness-index.html