We’re installing new bicycle lanes on De Carle Street in Coburg, between Moreland Road and Rennie Street. This will see us reconstruct the northern section, and retrofit the southern.

This project will improve safety for all road users in this area by reducing traffic speeds and volumes and providing a high-quality route for bike riders of all confidence levels.

We're planning to install separated bicycle lanes on this stretch of road. We will do so using bolt-down barriers.

This will reduces the traffic lane (in both directions) to approximately 3.1 or 3.3 metres depending on location.

In order to accommodate the lanes, there will be a reduction of 8 parking spaces on the east side of De Carle Street between Rennie Street and The Grove.

Traffic volume on De Carle Street currently exceeds the preferred maximums for a local road of 3000 cars per day.

Speed humps are not effective ways of reducing volume, so additional forms of traffic calming are required.

By installing separated bicycle lanes, we are addressing this issue and improving safety in 2 key ways.

1. Separated bicycle lanes improve safety for people who ride bicycles. A separated bicycle lane is where there is a physical barrier between cyclists and traffic. The separation these lanes creates between cyclists and traffic are proven to encourage more people to ride, including those with lower levels of confidence, and under-represented groups such as women, children and the elderly.

2. Narrow road space for cars are proven to help reduce traffic volumes, and positively contributes to safety and residential amenity through discouraging rat-running and reducing traffic speeds.

We conducted an initial consultation on this project in January 2020, reaching out to owners and residents of all adjoining properties, including Moreland Primary School.

The majority of the feedback received was in favour of this project.

Some residents identified worries about the reduction in parking spaces and narrowing of road. However, investigation and a parking survey found that impacts from the parking space reduction will be minimal due to low occupancy of on-street parking, and presence of off-street parking at all properties.

The section of road between The Grove and The Avenue is built over the roots of several significant trees. The removal of these trees would be at detriment to the area, the separated bicycle lanes will be built with porous paving.

This means that a protective layer is created over the roots, and water can seep through the paving, providing water to the trees.