Heidelberg Road Bicycle Provision, for the Cities of Darebin and Yarra

BICYCLE LANE STRENGTHENING „

V2

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16 October 2008

Heidelberg Road Bicycle Provision, for the Cities of Darebin and Yarra BICYCLE LANE STRENTHENING „

V2

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16 October 2008

Sinclair Knight Merz ABN 37 001 024 095 590 Orrong Road, Armadale 3143 PO Box 2500 Malvern VIC 3144 Australia Tel: +61 3 9248 3100 Fax: +61 3 9248 3460 Web: www.skmconsulting.com COPYRIGHT: The concepts and information contained in this document are the property of Sinclair Knight Merz Pty Ltd. Use or copying of this document in whole or in part without the written permission of Sinclair Knight Merz constitutes an infringement of copyright. LIMITATION: This report has been prepared on behalf of and for the exclusive use of Sinclair Knight Merz Pty Ltd’s Client, and is subject to and issued in connection with the provisions of the agreement between Sinclair Knight Merz and its Client. Sinclair Knight Merz accepts no liability or responsibility whatsoever for or in respect of any use of or reliance upon this report by any third party.

The SKM logo trade mark is a registered trade mark of Sinclair Knight Merz Pty Ltd.

Bicycle Lane Strengthening

Executive summary Stage 1 – Detailed recommendations for a specific section of Heidelberg Road SKM have provided recommendations to City of Yarra and City of Darebin for strengthening the bicycle facilities along Heidelberg Road in Clifton Hill. This is a dangerous route for cyclists, with 11 casualty accidents involving cyclists in a 1.7km stretch within the past five years, including one fatality. Detailed, short term recommendations for the section between Queens Parade and Yarra Bend Road have been included as part of Stage 1. The recommendations are generally low intervention, simple (but innovative), relatively low cost and unlikely to create a lot of opposition. They include the use of raised, rubber separators and Vibraline to divide motorised traffic from cyclists. We also nominate sections that could be treated with green surfacing to increase driver awareness of cyclists. The reconfiguration of Queens Parade/Heidelberg Road intersection has also been suggested. The cost of recommendations in Stage 1 is in the order of $400,000. Stage 2 – Design ideas for later stages Long term recommendations for this Stage 1 section include relocating the kerb to provide extra width for a cycle lane where none currently exist and removing a traffic lane in each direction between Hoddle Street bridge and Merri Creek bridge. We have also provided ideas for improving the adjacent sections of Heidelberg Road both closer to the city and further from the city. These again include the use of raised separators and Vibraline. Options to remove parking and create full time bicycle lanes or use ‘Copenhagen’ bicycle lanes have been raised. There is the possibility to create an off road shared path along the rail line east of Station Street to provide cyclists with an alternative to Heidelberg Road. Workshop We distributed a draft of this report is to participants at the workshop on 13th October 2008 held at the Fitzroy Town Hall. This workshop discussed the proposals set out in this report. Following the workshop we revised the report. After this study is completed Once a concept design has been agreed, detailed negotiation, design and costing could begin. The implementation of the Stage 1 works could be the first permanent installation of bicycle lane dividers in Melbourne. We recommend that monitoring be undertaken to ascertain the performance of the separators and to inform potential future treatments along other sections of Heidelberg Road. SINCLAIR KNIGHT MERZ

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Contents 1. 

2. 

3. 

Introduction

1 

1.1.  1.2. 

1  3 

Existing conditions

5 

2.1.  2.2.  2.3.  2.4. 

5  5  7  8 

Cycle numbers Cycle provision Site observations Cyclist safety

Stage 1: Proposed design between Queens Parade and Yarra Bend Road 3.1.  3.2.  3.3. 

4. 

Background and area Purpose

Use of raised separators Identified issues and options for improvement Recommendations

Stage 2: Ideas for the longer term

9  9  10  13 

20 

Appendix A  Proposed on road bicycle lanes between Wellington St and Smith St

 

Appendix B  Stage 1: Aerial photos with short term proposals

 

Appendix C  Cross-sections

 

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Document history and status Revision

Date issued

Reviewed by

Approved by

Date approved

Revision type

V1

03/10/08

J Neal

M Daff

03/10/08

Draft report

V2

16/10/08

J Neal

M Daff

16/10/08

Final report incorporating comments from meeting 13/10/08

Distribution of copies Revision

Copy no

Quantity

Issued to

V1

electronic

electronic

Mark Kulyk, City of Yarra Katie Dickson, City of Darebin

V2

electronic

electronic

Mark Kulyk, City of Yarra Katie Dickson, City of Darebin

Printed:

16 October 2008

Last saved:

16 October 2008 01:18 PM

File name:

I:\SBIF\Projects\SB18555\Deliverables\Heidelberg Road Bicycle Provision report.docx

Author:

Josephine Neal

Project manager:

Josephine Neal

Name of organisation:

SKM

Name of project:

Heidelberg Road, Darebin and Yarra

Name of document:

Bicycle Lane Strengthening

Document version:

V2

Project number:

SB18555

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1.

Introduction

1.1.

Background and area

Heidelberg Road is a main road crossing the border between Yarra and Darebin City Councils. Heidelberg Road is the only east-west road crossing Merri Creek east of High Street and a much more direct link for cyclists than the nearby off road Capital City Trail. As a declared arterial road, it is managed by VicRoads and their approval is required for any development of the existing road. Heidelberg Road is a vital link in the cycling network of Melbourne’s northern suburbs, as shown in Figure 1. The current bicycle provision varies between: „

a full time cycle lane marked with a solid white line;

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a part time cycle lane when clearways are in effect, with kerbside parking and no bicycle lane at other times; and

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a shared path for pedestrians and cyclists at the bridge over Merri Creek.

The importance of this section of Heidelberg Road for motorists is well known. What is less well known is its importance to cyclists. It is the only crossing of the Merri Creek for some distance and is a radial route towards the City and inner suburbs. It is heavily used by both utilitarian cyclists and those on training rides. One important driver for the changes proposed in this report is the need to increase cycling levels by providing better on-road infrastructure. There is mounting evidence to suggest that less stressful on-road cycling conditions are critical in attracting more diffident cyclists to everyday cycling, particularly females. This is the same strategy as is being adopted in many major cities. Our strategy has therefore been to provide for improved infrastructure sufficient to encourage inexperienced cyclists while continuing to facilitate on-road use by more experienced cyclists.

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Figure 1 Principal Bicycle Network in the vicinity of Heidelberg Road

Source: VicRoads website

Current conditions faced by cyclists include faded line markings, contending with service road entries and exits, bus stops, parked cars, and turning and high speed merging traffic. The introduction of a raised separator in at least some sections is likely to improve the actual and

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perceived safety for cyclists1. The implementation of recommendations in this project would constitute the first permanent installation of raised bicycle lane separators in Australia. 1.2.

Purpose

The purpose of the work that has been completed is to provide an achievable concept design for the bicycle lanes on Heidelberg Road which the councils can use as a basis of negotiation with VicRoads and the Department of Transport to provide support and funding. The aim of this design is to encourage more cyclists to use the route as well as improving both actual and perceived cyclist safety. There are two stages that have been completed as part of this work: „

Stage 1. This includes detailed recommendations for the section of Heidelberg Road between Turnbull Street and Yarra Bend Road, highlighted in Figure 2. We believe the most progress can be made by concentrating on this part of Heidelberg Road where we are confident that improvements to riding conditions could be made reasonably simply. Importantly it is part of the route where cycling conditions are worse than the adjacent sections. This distance is about 1.5km. A more detailed design will have to be carried out for construction purposes.

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Stage 2. This provides less detailed advice and ideas to assist the Councils and VicRoads to improve cycling conditions on the adjoining parts of the route.

The proposed recommendations involve minimal changes to existing road layout and kerbs to reduce opposition to the project and capital cost. It should be noted that VicRoads are proposing on road bike lanes along Queens Parade between Smith Street and Delbridge Street, south west of the study area for Stage 1 (see Appendix A). This has been taken into account in the second stage of this work.

1

Previous work conducted by SKM for VicRoads found that the introduction of a raised separator reduced the number of vehicle intrusions into the bicycle lane by over 50% and resulted in improved cyclist perception of the safety of the lane. SINCLAIR KNIGHT MERZ I:\SBIF\Projects\SB18555\Deliverables\Heidelberg Road Bicycle Provision report_final.docx

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Figure 2 Section of Heidelberg Road that is the focus of Stage 1

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2.

Existing conditions

2.1.

Cycle numbers

The following Super Tuesday cyclist counts were provided by Bicycle Victoria. These numbers represent the 7-9am period on a Tuesday in early March 2008, which is the busiest riding day of the week and time of year respectively. This shows the number of riders using Heidelberg Road already is quite significant – between two and three hundred. „

Figure 3 Super Tuesday cyclist counts on Heidelberg Road between Queens Parade and Westgarth Street

Source: Bicycle Victoria

2.2.

Cycle provision

Figure 4 shows the existing cycle provision and parking restrictions on Heidelberg Road.

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Figure 4 Existing cycle provision along Heidelberg Road

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2.3.

Site observations

We visited the site on four occasions. The two most recent being: „

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Saturday 13th September between 1 and 2pm. This was a sunny day with a temperature of approximately 24 degrees2 at the time of the visit. Wednesday 17th September between 8:30 and 9:30am. This was a sunny day with a temperature of approximately 10 degrees3 at the time of the visit.

Observations made on site are shown in Table 1. „

Table 1 Observations of Heidelberg Road Category

Weekend afternoon

Weekday AM

Cyclist type

There was a mix of lycra clad, training type riders and groups of cyclists (including families with young children) out for a leisurely ride.

Again, a mix of cyclists was observed. The majority were not wearing lycra.

On road/off road

The majority of riders were using the off road paths and not the road. Some cyclists were observed using the footpath or service road instead of the provided on road bicycle lane.

The majority of riders were using Heidelberg Road rather than the nearby off road paths. Most of these used the shared path to cross Merri Creek.

On road parking utilisation

Only parking spaces on the west bound carriageway between Fairfield Park Drive and Panther Place were heavily utilised, with approximately 25 vehicles parked here. People observed parking in this section appeared to be park users. There were also four vehicles parked in the indented bays on the north side of Heidelberg Road outside the storage facility (near Westfield Street).

There were some parked vehicles outside the factories on the south side of Heidelberg Road east of Yarra Bend Road. No vehicles were parked on either side of the main carriageway between the Esplanade and Yarra Bend Road.

Merri Creek bridge

The bridge over Merri Creek provides a vital connection in the on road and off road cycle network. Several users were observed approaching the bridge from the Capital City Trail (off road path) and then continuing on an off road path. This means whatever solution is recommended must cater for off road cyclists, especially those travelling on the path in the opposite direction to the traffic flow, as they couldn’t be directed onto an on road facility.

We observed one cyclist who had to wait for a cyclist in the opposite direction to finish crossing the bridge before he could cross.

Other

The west bound bicycle lane on the bridge over Hoddle Street was being resurfaced and the left hand lane was closed. No provision was made for cyclists riding west over the bridge during works.

2 3

From Bureau of Meteorology website www.bom.gov.au/ From Bureau of Meteorology website www.bom.gov.au/

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2.4.

Cyclist safety

According to the VicRoads CrashStats database, there were eleven casualty accidents involving cyclists in the five years to 31/12/2007 in the section of Heidelberg Road between Queens Parade and Yarra Bend Road inclusive. Points to note: „

One of these was fatal. All of them involved attention by a qualified medial practitioner. Minor accidents are not represented in these figures.

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Ten involved a collision with a vehicle. This implies better cyclist separation from vehicles and making cyclists visible to drivers will improve cyclist safety.

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All accidents occurred on weekdays, with ten of the eleven occurring in the morning (6 – 9am) or evening (5 - 8pm) peak. These were likely commuter cyclists.

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This frequency represents a major cyclist accident problem. Although there are no recognised cyclist accident rate figures for arterial roads (i.e. cycle accidents per cycle km) this frequency would seem very high by any standard.

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Three quarters of all accidents occurred at an intersection.

Figure 5 shows the number of cyclist casualty accidents by midblock or intersection location. The data is the same data set as above, although the CrashStats map function lists 12 accidents whereas the analysis data lists only 11. „

Figure 5 Cyclist casualty accidents in the last 5 years

1

1 1

1

1

1

3

1

2

1

Number of midblock accidents

2

Number of intersection accidents

Source: CrashStats website (VicRoads)

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3.

Stage 1: Proposed design between Queens Parade and Yarra Bend Road

3.1.

Use of raised separators

Raised separators (also referred to as vertical lane separators) are recommended for ‘strengthening’ the bicycle lane along Heidelberg Road. Raised separators are currently used in Melbourne for separating the tram lane from traffic lanes. They are made from rubber, are yellow in colour and can be mounted by both vehicles and bicycles should the need arise. VicRoads is currently investigating the best geometry for use along bicycle lanes, as the tram separators are 350mm wide, which is significantly more than the line width and so reduce the effective width of the bicycle and/or traffic lane. The current version also have a 10mm high lip along the edge which, when tested by SKM for VicRoads, could lead to loss of control if struck by a bicycle at an acute angle. Figure 6 shows the current tram lane separator in use along a bicycle lane. This was the test site in Burnley Street used as part of the May/June 2008 VicRoads trials. In all our recommendations we have respected the recent publicity campaign message of ‘Don’t cross the yellow’. In other words, we have proposed that the separator should be used only in locations where there would be no need for motor vehicles to cross the separator. In this way the message as part of the Think Tram program would be maintained. Our previous study for VicRoads found that the separator was effective in areas of merging or turning traffic and in a low speed environment. Under such conditions, the number of vehicles encroaching into the bicycle lane was more than halved and cyclists reported feeling safer as a result of the separator. We recommend adoption of some variation of these separators for selected sections along Heidelberg Road to improve cyclist actual and perceived safety. Whatever treatment is adopted needs to be approved for use on road. At the time of writing, guidelines for raised separation have not been issued by VicRoads. However a draft guideline has been prepared. The application of a raised separator conforms to the draft guideline.

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„

3.2.

Figure 6 Picture and dimensions of the current tram lane separator

Identified issues and options for improvement

Issues identified on site with possible solutions are shown in Table 2.

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Table 2 Issues identified and options for improvement

Identified Issue

Options for improvement

Very faded parking signs. Some parking signs are not legible from a vehicle and some could not even be read whilst standing beneath them.

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As part of our recommendations, some parking restrictions would be changed. This offers the opportunity to install new (and different) parking signs along the route.

Ambiguous parking signs. Some sections are signed as both a clearway and no standing zone. Often the ends of these zones are not clearly marked.

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Discuss with VicRoads whether the clearway signs are necessary if the section is no standing any time. (Clearways have a higher associated fine than no standing zones. Also could be issues around removing clearways.) Install new signs to clearly mark the end of these sections.

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Approach to Merri Creek. On road cyclists are encouraged to divert off the road onto the shared path to cross the creek, as the road narrows at this point and the on road bicycle lane ends. There is minimal information for cyclists telling them to move onto the footpath, old line marking and the ‘End of bicycle lane’ sign appears well after cyclists who would want to move off road should have moved onto the path, as shown.

Old line marking

Bridge over Merri Creek. This bridge is the only crossing of Merri Creek for both on road and off road cyclists, making the bridge a critical point. The current shared path across the bridge is 1.5m wide (fence to fence) with a fence on both sides. This is enough room for a single cyclist or two pedestrians at a squeeze. There is not enough width for a cyclist to overtake a

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Provide better signage for cyclists in the lead up to the off road path ramp. Scrape off unused line markings.

Four options were considered for cyclists over Merri Creek: „ Create on road bicycle lane. There is not sufficient road width to do this. The current traffic lanes across the bridge are narrow, varying between 2.4 and 3.0m (as measured from aerial photos) with no median. It could only be achieved by removing traffic lanes. „ Remove shared path and create an on road bicycle lane. Due to the limited width, some of the current shared path space could be reallocated for on road bicycle

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Identified Issue pedestrian. The path surface is also uneven and there are pit covers embedded in the path.

Options for improvement lanes. The current shared paths are 1.5m in width, which is not enough width to create both a footpath and on road cycle lane. It would also be expensive because it would include relocating the kerb. This option is also not preferable as users from the Capital City Trail could be forced to cross the road to cross Merri Creek. It is not suitable for young children and families as they will ride on the footpath anyway. „ Improve off road path. This is the best short term option. It includes relocating two electricity poles and improving the surface of the current path. „ Widen the bridge. This could be a feasible option for the long term to create both on road bicycle lanes and a shared path, but would be expensive. There are three options for the existing fence over the bridge. „ Leave existing fence. As the length of the bridge and narrowed section is relatively short (about 60m), a pedestrian waiting for a cyclist to cross is only delayed for a short time. The fence might encourage users to wait for others to get across the bridge before they start crossing, as it makes it appear narrow. „ Reduce height of fence. This would allow cyclists’ handlebars to ‘stick over’ the top of the fence, slightly increasing the effective width. However their bicycle pedals would stick out anyway, and so there is only a marginal benefit in this. „ Remove the existing fence. This would increase the effective width of the path to approximately 1.8m. This is sufficient width for two cyclists or a cyclist and a pedestrian to squeeze past each other, although not comfortably. Removal of the fence is is a tradeoff between the risk of someone stepping or falling off the edge of the path onto the road in a squeezy situation and a reduced delay to path users. Also the more fencing the greater the chance of cyclists hitting it in single bike accidents.

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Identified Issue

Options for improvement

Shared path. The narrowing of the path at some points creates conflicts between users.

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Riding surface. The current on road lane has some uneven surfaces, with drain and utility pit covers in the cycle lane. Similar surface irregularities occur on the shared path section.

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Drain cover

Obstructions. On the shared path over Merri Creek, there is a utility pole in the centre of the path. This is a hazard for cyclists and pedestrians. There is also a fence along the Merri Creek bridge, which poses a risk to cyclists and reduces the effective width available for cyclists. Note the surface wear by cyclists and pedestrians on each side of the pole.

3.3.

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Consideration should be given to marking the centreline of the path to encourage users to stay to one side for the entire shared section. Previous results from Darebin showed user behaviour improved as a result of linemarking. Centerline marking works best in situations of high cyclist and pedestrian volumes, as the path becomes self enforcing (people stay to the left as others are constantly passing). However in situations where there is no-one else around, users might prefer to use the side of the path furthest from the traffic. This could result in people using the ‘wrong’ side of the path. Where possible, pit covers should be relocated. Any new pit covers or drains should be installed outside of the bicycle lane. Although grate drains (as pictured) are designed to be driven over by vehicles, observations show cyclists tend to avoid riding over them. Relocating the drain or using a side entry pit or similar should be considered. There are two electricity poles located on the shared path. Consideration should be given to relocating these to the side of the path to remove the danger to cyclists. The fences along the Merri Creek bridge should be removed. Cyclists (and pedestrians) using this section face the exact same circumstances as the sections immediately adjacent to the bridge. The only thing the fence does is reduce the effective width of the bridge.

Recommendations

For the short term (Stage 1) we have tried to recommend treatments that are: „

Low intervention

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Simple (but innovative)

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Relatively low cost

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Unlikely to create a lot of opposition.

We recognise that different forms of physical separator treatment may be most applicable in different locations. For this reason, our proposed treatments include a combination of: „

Raised lane separators. As discussed previously, this treatment is currently being investigated by VicRoads and the best cross-section has not yet been identified; and

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Vibraline. This is a thermoplastic ‘rumble strip’ that is used in Victoria along the edge of M, A, B and C class roads. It has also been installed as a bicycle lane separator on Rathdowne Street in Melbourne City. This installation is on a full time bicycle lane alongside parallel parking.

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Green lane colouring. Green paint is used to identify bicycle lanes and aims to increase driver awareness of the presence of a bicycle lane, and so cyclists.

Previous work found that there is an optimum cycle lane width defined by a separator at which cyclists felt comfortable. This width is between 1.5 and 2.0m when cyclists do not want to overtake each other. When there is higher cyclist volume, this should be increased as appropriate. The proposed treatments and locations are shown in Figure 7. More details are shown in the aerial photos in Appendix B.

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Figure 7 Recommended treatments for the short term (Stage 1)

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The approximate cross-sections at three important points are shown in Appendix C. The values were measured from aerial photos and are accurate to within ±0.3m. One of the recommendations is to reduce the traffic lane widths to 3.0m (or 2.9m in one section) to create sufficient width for a bicycle lane and separator. Depending on VicRoads view of the proposed lane widths, it might be reasonable to consider reducing the current speed limit of 70kph to 60 kph. This reduced speed would improve cyclist and pedestrian safety. We note that there are many locations in Melbourne where arterial roads have lane widths below those considered ‘desirable minimum’ or ‘absolute minimum’ according to guidelines - including the lane widths on the Merri Creek Bridge here. These lanes often function with no significant problems. Given the importance of even small increases in width for cyclists we consider that the best overall allocation of road space would be to significantly increase the space available to cyclists. Table 4 discusses recommendations for Stage 1 (short term) bicycle improvements. We have included cost estimates for work to inform the Councils of the likely level of funding that will be required to apply the recommendations. These costs are for information purposes and further detailed costing should be completed prior to any work4. The total cost of Stage 1 is likely to be of the order of $400,000 (including 20% contingency), although this could be reduced by up to $110,000 if council were to install the separators themselves (i.e. no installation cost). The estimated total for each section is listed in Table 4, with additional costs of removing and painting new line marking (included in the total of $400,000). „

Table 3 Stage 1 recommendations with cost estimates Direction

Location

Eastbound Approach to Queens Pde intersection

Approach to Hoddle Street bridge

Stage 1: Short term recommendations (See Figure 7) „

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Move vehicle stop line forward and create advanced bicycle box. This would require the current signal mast to be relocated. Moving the stop line forward would reduce the ‘cyclist clearance time’ through this intersection. For a slow cyclist, say 10km/hr, this time would reduce from around 25 seconds to around 15 seconds, improving cyclist safety. Approx cost: $50,000 Install raised separator at start of solid line for left turn lane. Remove left turn arrows so cyclists can legally use this lane to get into the cycle lane over the Hoddle St Bridge. Alternatively, shorten the exclusive left turn lane and introduce a bicycle lane between Queens Parade and Hoddle Street Bridge. The cycling lane could continue along the kerb to near the point at which the left turners exit. Approx cost: $4,000

4

Costs have been estimated using the following unit rates (including purchase and installation): Raised separator: $85/m – note that this is made up of $35/m for purchase and $50/m for installation. „ Vibraline: $3/m „ Green pavement treatment: $100/m2 „

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Direction

Location Hoddle St bridge

Stage 1: Short term recommendations (See Figure 7) „

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End of Hoddle St bridge

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Fenwick St to The Esplanade

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Approach to Merri Creek bridge

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Merri Creek bridge

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Merri Creek bridge to Station St

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Reduce the width of traffic lanes. Widen the bicycle lane and install a raised separator, with Vibraline across the merge. Colour the bicycle lane green across the merge. Install a ‘give way’ sign and associated road markings for merging traffic. Install ‘No Standing’ signs (not considered necessary) Approx cost: $35,500 Realign traffic and bicycle lanes to provide a smoother transition to three traffic lanes. This also reduces the risk of cyclists coming off the bridge and hitting the separator. Approx cost: $100 Install raised separator to the end of the bicycle lane (near the pedestrian crossing). Leave gaps in the separator across bus stops and driveways, where Vibraline should be installed and the bicycle lane should be coloured green. It is possible that the Route 546 bus could run along the kerb in this section. The current lane alignment allows for a bus lane along the kerb and a bicycle lane with the separator between the bicycle lane and general traffic lanes. This would reduce the required length of Vibraline at the two bus stops in this section, however cyclists would have to ride between vehicles and buses. A discussion with the bus operators should be initiated to determine their preference. Approx cost: $32,000 Use on road cycle markings to reinforce cyclists’ right to ride on the road. There are two options: Bicycle symbols currently approved (and used) in Victoria in wide kerbside lanes. These encourage cyclists to use road and tell drivers of cyclist presence/right to use road. However they may also encourage cyclists to ride to the side of the lane and imply that there is sufficient room for a vehicle to pass a cyclist in the lane, which there isn’t. There is an ongoing debate between whether on road marking should be used to warn drivers of cyclists’ presence or to suggest that the cycle facility is good. Sharrows are common practice in Northern America. They encourage cyclists to ride in the centre of the lane and “claim their lane”. These are not currently used in Victoria. Install new signage alerting cyclists to the presence of the shared path. Create a new kerb ramp just prior to the bridge to allow cyclists late entry onto the shared path. Approx cost: $2,000 Remove all fences along the shared path. Use on road cycle markings. Install ‘No Standing’ signs (not considered necessary). Approx cost: $6,000 East of Yarra Bend Rd, install no parking signs to create a full time bicycle lane. Motorists wanting to park can do so in the service lane (no vehicles were observed parking in this section during any of our four site visits). Reduce traffic lane widths, widen bicycle lane and install a raised separator. Leave gaps in the separator across bus stops and driveways, where Vibraline should be installed and the bicycle lane should be coloured green. Approx cost: $27,500

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Direction

Location

Westbound Westgarth St to Yarra Bend Rd

Stage 1: Short term recommendations (See Figure 7) „

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Departure from Yarra Bend Road

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Yarra Bend Rd to Merri Creek bridge

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Merri Creek bridge approach

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Merri Creek bridge

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The Esplanade to Fenwick St

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Hoddle St bridge approach

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Hoddle St bridge

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Remove parking and make section no standing. Although this section is utilised during the weekend, there are other parking locations available nearby (off street). Discussions with the business on the SE corner of Heidelberg Rd and Yarra Bend Rd should be held to determine the need for on street parking during the weekday. Can these vehicles be accommodated elsewhere? Create full time bicycle lane and install raised separator. Approx cost: $43,500 Use separators and painted chevrons to create a (temporary) bus bay. Alternatively, extend the kerb out to the traffic lane and run the bicycle lane along the kerb. This would be the preferred option for bus operators and reduces the number of conflict points for cyclists (instead of buses crossing the bicycle lane twice, they just stop in it). In this instance, cyclists could be directed onto a path around the back of the bus stop to avoid having to ride into the traffic lane to overtake a stopped bus. However they could then be in conflict with pedestrians. Otherwise they would just have to wait behind the bus like other traffic in the lane. Paint the cycle lane green. Approx cost: $7,000 (for separators option) Reduce traffic lane widths, widen bicycle lane and install a raised separator. Relocate the pole that is currently on the ramp to the shared path. Install new signage alerting cyclists to the presence of the shared path. Approx cost: $6,500 Relocate the pole that is currently in the middle of the shared path. Create a new kerb ramp just prior to the bridge to allow cyclists late entry onto the shared path. Approx cost: $20,500 Remove all fences along the shared path. Use on road cycle markings. Install ‘No Standing’ signs (not considered necessary) Approx cost: $6,000 Widen the bicycle lane by reducing traffic lane widths and install Vibraline along the outside of the bicycle lane. If there are high traffic volumes and long queues during the peak, “reduce” the bicycle lane width by hatching the space where car doors open to discourage driving in the bicycle lane. Alternatively if car running in the newly widened cycling lane becomes a problem then the kerb could be extended into the bike lane at selected points. Install an advanced bicycle box at the intersection. Approx cost: $16,000 Install Vibraline on the outside of the bicycle lane where it is currently a broken line and colour the lane green. Alternatively, Vibraline could be installed on both sides of the bicycle lane in the lead up to the bridge to encourage drivers using the service lane to stay out of the bicycle lane. From the point where the line becomes solid, install a raised separator. Approx cost: $3,000 Reduce the width of traffic lanes. Widen the bicycle lane and install a raised separator.

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Bicycle Lane Strengthening

Direction

Location

Stage 1: Short term recommendations (See Figure 7) „

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Hoddle St to Turnbull St

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Reduce the distance for vehicles to enter the left turn slip lane, install Vibraline across here and colour the bicycle lane green. Install ‘No Standing’ signs (not considered necessary) Approx cost: $43,000 No simple solution. Could remove the third lane, create a full time bicycle lane and install a raised separator.

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Bicycle Lane Strengthening

4.

Stage 2: Ideas for the longer term

Table 4 lists ideas that could be considered for the longer term and are intended to stimulate discussion. They include options for both the section of Heidelberg Road subject to the Stage 1 recommendations and the adjacent sections of this route from Alexandra Parade, Fitzroy to the crossing of the Darebin Creek in Ivanhoe. In every case more investigative work would be required before the ideas could be recommended. Figure 8 shows a diagrammatic of some of these ideas. „

Table 4 Recommendations with cost estimate for Stage 1 work. Direction

Location

Stage 2: Long term options for discussion (See Figure 8)

Eastbound Approach to Queens Parade from the south (via Napier St, Brunswick St)

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Napier St to Smith St

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Smith St to Wellington St

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Cyclists cross at the pedestrian lights and travel up either George St (on road, no bicycle lane) or through the extension of Napier St north of Alexandra Parade. Both routes have on-street parking, but Napier Street has less traffic, as vehicles cannot use it as a through road. Install raised separator along bike lane, with Vibraline across median breaks. Install a pram crossing and path for cyclists in the service lane to cross Grant Street. VicRoads have plans to relocate the kerb and create an on road bicycle lane in this section. See Appendix A for details. Once a bike lane is created, install raised separator along bike lane, with Vibraline across median breaks. Install an advanced bike box at Wellington St intersection. Move the stop line at Delbridge Street forward so cyclists in the service lane do not have to divert to cross Delbridge Street. Consider install bicycle lanterns to assist these cyclists in crossing. Possibly install bicycle signals and give cyclists advanced green.

Approach to Queens Parade intersection

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Approach to Hoddle Street bridge

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Reconfigure traffic lanes and median to create a bicycle lane from Queens Parade intersection. Install a raised separator.

Hoddle Street bridge

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End of Hoddle St bridge

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Fenwick St to The Esplande

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Possibly install red/amber signals for the merging traffic. Loop detectors could determine the presence of a cyclist and give these left turning vehicles a red signal while providing a green bike signal to cyclists. When there is no cyclist, the signals would be blank. Continue traffic in only two lanes. A permanent divider (i.e. kerb) could be installed to keep motorists separate from cyclists. Reduce to two traffic lanes. Traffic modelling at the Fenwick Street intersection would have to be carried out to determine if three lanes are required through this intersection. If so, an extra lane could be provided just at the intersection, where there is sufficient width for a full time bicycle lane. A permanent divider (i.e. kerb) could be installed to keep motorists separate from cyclists. Reduce to two traffic lanes and convert the third to a full time bicycle lane. Install a lane divider (possibly raised separator or kerb). Reduce to two traffic lanes. This would allow for a full time cycle

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Approach to Merri Creek bridge

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Merri Creek bridge

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Bicycle Lane Strengthening

Direction

Location „

Merri Creek bridge to Station St

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Station St to Harker St

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Harker St to Yarralea St (strip shopping)

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„ „

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Yarralea St to Darebin Creek bridge

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Westbound Darebin Creek bridge to Yarralea St

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Yarralea St to Park Ave (strip shopping)

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Stage 2: Long term options for discussion (See Figure 8) lane (possibly grade separated) across the Merri Creek bridge. Widen the bridge. This would be costly. The bicycle lane could be grade separated from the traffic lanes by relocating the kerb. Create a full time bicycle lane by reducing traffic lane widths or by relocating the kerb. Install a raised separator. Create an off road bicycle/pedestrian path parallel to the train line. Use on road cycle markings (See section - Approach to Merri Creek bridge). Remove parking and make section no standing (contentious). Create a full time bicycle lane by reducing traffic lane widths or relocating the kerb. Install a raised separator. Create an off road bicycle/pedestrian path parallel to the train line. Use on road cycle markings (See section - Approach to Merri Creek bridge). Create a full time bicycle lane by reducing traffic lane widths or relocating the kerb. Install a raised separator or create Copenhagen lane. Create an off road bicycle/pedestrian path parallel to the train line. Change the current footpath into a shared path. Raise it to footpath level across side streets to raise awareness of cyclists and pedestrians crossing. Remove right turn lane into Old Heidelberg Road to create more road space for cyclists. As for eastbound direction. As for eastbound direction.

Create a full time bicycle lane by reducing the traffic lane widths and install a raised separator. „ Create an off road bicycle/pedestrian path parallel to the train line. „ Widen the kerbside (third) lane to accommodate cyclists and Austin St to parked vehicles. This can be done by reducing traffic lane widths Westgarth St or relocating the kerb. Install Vibraline. „ Remove parking and make section no standing (contentious). „ Widen the road and create a ‘Copenhagen’ lane. The bicycle lane could be grade separated from the traffic lanes by Westgarth St to Yarra „ relocating the kerb. Alternatively, a concrete barrier could be Bend Rd installed (similar to a ‘Copenhagen’ lane with no parking). Departure from Yarra If the kerb has not previously been extended to the road as part of Stage Bend Road 1, remove separators to left of the cycle lane and either: „ Extend the kerb to the cycle lane to create a wide kerbside bus stop (preferred option). In this instance, cyclists could be directed onto a shared path around the back of the bus stop to avoid having to ride into the traffic lane to overtake a stopped bus. „ Replace the separators with an extended kerb to create a bus bay. This option is not likely to be supported by bus operators. „ Reduce to two traffic lanes and convert the third to a full time Yarra Bend Rd to bicycle lane. Merri Creek bridge „ Install a lane divider (possibly raised separator or kerb). „ Reduce to two traffic lanes and convert the third to a full time Merri Creek bridge bicycle lane. approach „ Install a lane divider (possibly raised separator or kerb). Park Ave to Austin St

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Bicycle Lane Strengthening

Direction

Location Merri Creek bridge

Stage 2: Long term options for discussion (See Figure 8) „

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The Esplanade to Fenwick St

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Hoddle St bridge approach

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Hoddle St to Turnbull St

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Queens Pde to Gold St

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Gold St to Wellington St

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Wellington St to Smith St

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Smith St to George St

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George St

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Reduce to two traffic lanes. This would allow for a full time cycle lane (possibly grade separated) across the Merri Creek bridge. Widen the bridge. This would be costly. The cycle lane could be swapped with the parking lane to create a ‘Copenhagen style’ lane. Reduce to two traffic lanes. Traffic modelling at the Fenwick Street intersection would have to be carried out to determine if three lanes are required through this intersection. If so, an extra lane could be provided just at the intersection, where there is sufficient width for a full time bicycle lane. The signals could be remodelled to include a bicycle lantern to give cyclists a head start. Continue traffic in only two lanes. Remove third lane that is introduced at the base of the bridge. Turn it into a full time bicycle lane and install raised separator. Extend the break in the median immediately at the base of the bridge to allow cyclists to enter the service lane without reducing speed dramatically. Alternatively, create a new path across the median for cyclists to enter the service lane. Convert angle parking to parallel parking and use the extra width to create a bicycle lane with raised separator or to grade separate the bicycle lane. Convert angle parking to parallel parking and use the extra width to create a bicycle lane with raised separator or to grade separate the bicycle lane. Remove parking on the main carriageway and make section no standing. There is other parking available in the service road on both sides of the road. Reduce service road median width and create a full time bicycle lane with a raised separator. At Wellington St, install a pram kerb and path to provide cyclists from the service lane access to the Wellington Road crossing. Could install cycle lanterns and widen the crossing. VicRoads have plans to relocate the kerb and create an on road bicycle lane in this section. See Appendix A for details. This extension of the bicycle lane should extend all the way back to the Wellington Street intersection. It would need to be dashed across the service road entrance, turning into a solid line past this point. Once a bike lane is created, install raised separator along bike lane, with Vibraline and green surface treatment across median breaks. Install raised separator along bike lane, with Vibraline across median breaks. Remove the third traffic lane or realign median and traffic lanes to create a full time cycle lane with raised separator.

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Bicycle Lane Strengthening

SINCLAIR KNIGHT MERZ „

Figure 8 Possible options for the Road longer (Stage 2) I:\SBIF\Projects\SB18555\Deliverables\Heidelberg Bicycleterm Provision report_final.docx

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