Melbourne’s five main inner city councils comprising the Inner Melbourne Action Plan (IMAP) have welcomed the State Government’s announcement of $13 million in funding for key cycling routes across Melbourne.
IMAP Councils are delighted the State shares IMAP’s vision for an integrated bike network across the Cities of Melbourne, Port Phillip, Maribyrnong, Yarra and Stonnington.
During COVID-19, all Councils have been seeing significant uptake in bike riding as an active transport alternative, meaning that improving bike infrastructure is becoming increasingly important.
The pandemic has in fact presented us with a golden opportunity to re-imagine transport across greater Melbourne, review our bike riding commitments in the inner suburbs and make changes to encourage bike riding, bringing with it widely recognised health, economic and environmental benefits.
IMAP has been advocating for an integrated cycling network for several years and recently developed a proposal for a staged bike riding network, based on innovative modelling.
IMAP’s model increases the connectivity of bike paths across our councils, improves bike rider safety, reduces traffic congestion and takes pressure off the public transport system.
The project will also have an economic benefit in creating short-term jobs, and improving connectivity to the Melbourne CBD as people resume their work commute.
Importantly, delivery of the project components can be integrated into any short- and longer-term infrastructure changes to our streetscapes that are being undertaken as part of the response to the pandemic.
We look forward to further detail on the funding and working with the State to progress these and many more projects to get Melbourne moving again.
