A Big Chunk of St Kilda Road Could Soon Be Turned Into Bike Lanes

If a drive down St Kilda Road is part of your daily commute, you could soon be pushed to opt for pedal power instead, as the Labor Government announces plans to ban cars from the two centre lanes of the perpetually busy, inner-city strip.

If re-elected in November, the Andrews Labor Government has its sights set on boosting cyclist safety along the notoriously dangerous road, with plans to install two different bike lanes.

One would see St Kilda Road's existing middle lanes, next to the tram, transformed into a cyclist 'safety zone', running from St Kilda Junction up to Linlithgow Avenue, across from the NGV. The second kind, riffing on the bike lanes used in Copenhagen, would run kerbside from the Junction to Carlisle Street, with a physical barrier protecting cyclists from cars.

The proposed $27 million project seems like a big win for the pedalling population, given 196 crashes involving a pedestrian or cyclist occurred on St Kilda Road between 2000 and 2015, and that the stretch has purportedly played host to more reported doorings than anywhere else in the state.

Labor is also promising minimal impact on those who prefer to stick to four wheels, confirming that clearways, in place during peak time, would allow for three lanes of car traffic.

If the project goes ahead, it's slated for completion by 2025, coinciding with the opening of Melbourne's new metro tunnels.