Making our streets safer

We're working to make it easier and safer for our Merri-bek community to walk and cycle around their local neighbourhood.

As part of this project, over a 12-month period, we trialled 2 bicycle lanes in Brunswick. This trials allowed us to gather community feedback, research effectiveness, and optimise our long-term plans for improving road and cycling safety in Merri-bek.

Bike lanes here to stay

Following a 12 month trial, in which we engaged with you, our community, and traffic survey counts, Council resolved to permanently install these 2 trial bike lanes on Dawson Street and Albion Street. The permanent designs will be modified based on feedback and data gathered during the trial period.

This page will be updated with more information about the installation of these bicycle lanes as the project progresses.

Separated bicycle lane - Dawson Street, Brunswick

The new trial separated bicycle lane in Dawson Street connects 2 existing cycling routes: the Upfield shared path and the West Brunswick Shimmy. This separated bicycle lane makes it easier for people to ride a bike to key locations, such as students to Brunswick Secondary College.

The West Brunswick Shimmy is a “low stress” cycling route that is suitable for less confident cyclists, and runs from Royal Park up through backstreets, up to Coburg through Gilpin Park.

The trial separated bicycle lanes in Dawson Street, Brunswick are installed between the Upfield Railway Line and Barry Street (approximately 540 metres).

Bicycle lane - Albion Street, Brunswick

New bike lanes were trialled on Albion Street, Brunswick between the Upfield Train line and Sydney Road. Yellow lane markers were added to the path to highlight the existing bike lane.

Due to limited space and large vehicles such as buses using the street every day, separated lanes are not possible on Albion Street. However, this bike lane still creates a safer and easier to navigate route for bike riders.

Opportunities to have your say

These projects were delivered as trials, using materials that can be modified or removed depending on the outcomes of the trials.

Throughout the trial, we invite you to share your feedback and experiences of walking and cycling in Merri-bek using our new separated bike lanes and shared zones.

The feedback and ideas gathered helped us to monitor these trials and adjust plans for permanent infrastructure, along with technical investigations, and research and data analysis.

How we've responded to community feedback so far

• Bollards have been installed in front of RMIT University as ongoing utilities works require them to be removed intermittently. This was not part of the initial design however it has been informative to trial a different barrier option. Once the utility works are complete we will consider if the treatment needs to be changed (to match the other section of Dawson Street).
• The island in front of the Dawson Street Children's Co-operative has been relocated 30cm closer to the footpath. This creates a wider parking bay (2.4m) to provide additional space for people getting children in and out of the childcare. The bicycle lane has been reduced to 1.5m at this location and linemarking has been installed.