Have your say on Route 86 Tram Corridor Planning
Important announcement! The Victorian government has opened up consultation for the building of new accessible tram stops along the 86 tram corridor, on High St in Northcote and Thornbury.
Route 86 Tram Corridor Planning: feedback closes 15 October 2023
Make sure to complete the survey and show your support for the project, while also urging the Department of Transport and Planning to take all street users into account by including safe crossings and protected bike lanes in the upgrades
Critical Mass North
Riding in Melbourne North shouldn’t be spooky but here we are
Critical Mass North: On the day!
Protest for safe bike lanes - Ride, scoot, skate
Critical Mass North: Spooky Edition: it's time to dress spooky, riding in Melbourne's north shouldn't be scary but here we are! We plan to ride from State Library to All Nations Park, Northcote.
Start: 5.30pm: State Library, Friday 27th October 2023
Pick up point: about 6pm (ish), Park Street Reserve, Fitzroy North
Riding from the southern suburbs? Ride with Port Phillip BUG, 5pm from St Kilda Town Hall
End: All Nations Park, Northcote
Co-hosted by Streets Alive Darebin, Streets Alive Yarra, and Yarra Bicycle Users Group
Download poster (pdf)
Keep Critical Mass fun + Advocacy Starter Kit (two leaflets per A4, double-sided pdf)
Critical Mass North: Spotify playlist bring your on-bike sound system!
Yarra Bicycle Users Group Radio on 3CR: Chris talks to Sally and Ruth from Streets Alive Darebin about Critical Mass North: Spooky Edition that calls upon Darebin Council and the Victorian Government to invest in safe separate bike lanes along High Street and re-instate the Streets for People investment program.
What is Critical Mass?
Critical Mass bike protests are organised rides that aim to raise awareness about cycling as a viable form of transportation and to advocate for better infrastructure and safety measures for cyclists and other mobility users.
We ride as a group, to form a "critical mass", making the ride safe, family friendly, and inclusive to all.
Take Action
Everyone can help make our streets safer, being an advocate is something everyone can do, read below for actions you can take today:
Streets Alive Yarra: Become a champion in your area
Build kerbside protected bike lanes on Johnston St from Kew to Carlton!
Yarra Council: Building a safer Wellington Street
Yarra Council: Testing improvements to Yarra’s cycling network
Yarra Council: Transport Action Plan
Our call - Support the Streets for People Report
We are calling upon Darebin Council and the Victorian Government to invest in safe separate bike lanes along High Street and re-instate the Streets for People investment program (Streets for People Report done by the Hansen Partnership and Martyn Group 2018 can be downloaded here) to deliver safe cycling across Darebin.
The Streets for People report lists the top 8 cycling routing and steps to improve safety and connectivity in Darebin. Below is draft email for you to send to Councillors – modify it to suit your experience.
Dear Darebin Councillors
It is now Council’s opportunity to make real improvements along High Streets and to lobby for the capital funding of the new accessible tram stops.
Council can leverage action by the Victorian Government to deliver in partnership the following improvements along High Street:
Accessible tram stops
Enable easy access to trams for users of all ages and abilities, including those using mobility aids as well as pushers & prams. Trams shelters design for shade and rain protection.
Separation - for safety
Separate bike lanes can be incorporated into the tram stop design. Separated bike lanes provide a safety buffer between parked cars and bicycle lane users, preventing cyclist deaths from dangerous 'dooring' crashes.
Wider footpaths along High Street
Provides an opportunity for re-planting this important economic and social corridor. Street trees provide shade, increase biodiversity and reduce on-street temperatures on hot days.
Pedestrian friendly design
Traffic reduction and reallocation of on-street parking provides a more pedestrian-friendly streetscape. Ensure that pedestrian can across at key points along High Street – there are a number of stops with no crossing and the new Tram stops provide council with the opportunity to ensure these are added in.
Intersection safety
Intersections along High Street urgently need safety upgrades to prevent crashes and pedestrian deaths. Council can work with DTP to improve pedestrian safety – particular at intersections and crossing point near schools and shops.
There have been 3 pedestrian deaths at Separation/High St in the last 10 years*.
*Source: https://www.tac.vic.gov.au/road-safety/statistics/online-crash-database/
Darebin councillors’ emails:
Cr Susan Rennie – South Central Ward: Susan.Rennie@darebin.vic.gov.au
Cr Lina Messina – Central Ward: Lina.Messina@darebin.vic.gov.au
Cr Trent McCarthy – South West Ward: Trent.McCarthy@darebin.vic.gov.au
Cr Tim Laurence – North East Ward: Tim.Laurence@darebin.vic.gov.au
Cr Tom Hannan – South Ward: Tom.Hannan@darebin.vic.gov.au
Cr Gaetano Greco - North West Ward: Gaetano.Greco@darebin.vic.gov.au
Cr Emily Dimitriadis – South East Ward: Emily.Dimitriadis@darebin.vic.gov.au
Cr Susanne Newton (Deputy Mayor) – West Ward: Susanne.Newton@darebin.vic.gov.au
Cr Julie Williams (Mayor) – North Central Ward: Julie.Williams@darebin.vic.gov.au
New Tram Stops in Thornbury
The Victorian Department of Transport and Planning are preparing for public consultation on the new accessible tram stop designs for Thornbury later this year. High Street is one of the biggest local issues that Streets Alive Darebin hears from people about. It is a source of constant complaints about near misses and crashes with drivers.
High Street is surrounded by people, especially families, who use bicycles as part of their everyday trips. Local schools have very high active travel rates and yet it is rare to see these people, families especially, shopping or visiting High Street by bike.
Shopping strips like High Street rely overwhelmingly on locals for business, and this is reflected in how people currently get to High Street. High Street has parking behind the shops in Northcote, and opposite The Croxton Hotel and across from Psarakos as well as in and around the shops aside from on High Street itself. Safe separate bike lanes are needed along High Street Northcote through to Preston.
At the moment there are Victorian Government clearways during the morning and afternoon peak along High Street that make it a thoroughfare and dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians. The new tram stops provide the opportunity for these clearways to be removed and separated bike lanes to be installed.
Given the decline of in-store shopping there is an opportunity to futureproof High Street and ensure cyclists’ safety.
This Heart Foundation discussion paper 'Good for Busine$$, The benefits of making streets more walking and cycling friendly' provides case studies in making streets more walking and cycling friendly. These examples of street redesign have shown that safer and friendlier street environments create benefits for our community. One of the case studies in the report looks at Darebin High Street.
In 2008, Darebin City Council was considering installing accessible tram stops at several locations on High Street and conducted a survey. The aim of the survey was to gain an understanding of travel and shopping behaviours of visitors to the Northcote Shopping Precinct to assist in assessing the potential impact of a reduction in on-street parking resulting from the introduction of the tram stops.
The key findings of this research are that:
High Street visitors tend to walk or catch public transport, while visitors to Northcote Central and Plaza tend to drive to those centres,
High Street visitors are more willing to lose car parking spaces to accommodate streetscape improvements than visitors to Northcote Central or Plaza,
Visitors to Northcote Shopping Precinct place a higher level of importance on cleanliness and maintenance, pedestrian access and safety than business respondents who thought car parking was most important,
Business respondents tended to overestimate car-based travel and underestimate walking and public transport use amongst visitors to Northcote Shopping Precinct.
This study reaffirms in an Australian context the overemphasis placed on car travel and parking by business respondents compared to shoppers.
Streets Alive Darebin: Budget Submission 2023 at a glance
High Street Streetscape
Download Streets Alive: Darebin Budget Submission - Information sheet (pdf)
Accessible tram stops
Enable easy access to trams for users of all ages and abilities, including those using mobility aids as well as pushers & prams.
Separation - for safety
Separated bike lanes provide a safety buffer between parked cars and bicycle lane users, preventing cyclist deaths from dangerous 'dooring' crashes.
Wider footpaths
Provides an opportunity for re-planting this important economic and social corridor. Street trees provide shade, increase biodiversity and reduce on-street temperatures on hot days.
Pedestrian friendly design
Traffic reduction and reallocation of on-street parking provides a more pedestrian-friendly streetscape.
Intersection safety
Intersections along High Street urgently need safety upgrades to prevent crashes and pedestrian deaths.
There have been 3 pedestrian deaths at Separation/High St in the last 10 years*.
*Source: https://www.tac.vic.gov.au/road-safety/statistics/online-crash-database/
Modal filters in Darebin?
They are a form of traffic calming which acts as a block for through-traffic, while allowing bikes and pedestrians to pass through.
Modal filters, like the one pictured here at the corner of Beavers Rd and Herbert St, can make navigating intersections safer and easier on bike and foot by also acting as a median crossing refuge.
Lowered speed limits in conjunction with modal filters can be an effective way to create safe, low traffic-stress cycling corridors with very minimal infrastructure.
While there are few modal filters in Darebin, we’d love to see many more of them appear across our council in the years to come!
Darebin’s accessible tram stops
We love Darebin’s accessible tram stops! Unfortunately, of the 55 tram stops in Darebin, only 24 feature accessible, level access boarding.
Level access platforms are accessible to wheelchair users, people with mobility impairments and injuries, and those with prams or trolleys- as well as being much safer for everyone.
We’d love to see all of Darebin’s tram stops meet accessibility standards, creating a more equitable and safe transport system.
3CR interview: Introducing Streets Alive Darebin
Streets Alive Darebin spokesperson, Marc Wion, was interviewed by Yarra Bicycle Users Group Radio on Monday 16 January 2023
On this weeks show, Chris chats to Marc Wion about creating Streets Alive Darebin, a new community group trying to bring awareness to the challenges and opportunities to making Darebin a more vibrant, safe and liveable community and looking back at the progress, however small or big it may be along the way. Follow Streets Alive Darebin on twitter, instagram and subscribe to their newsletter
Cycling themed news includes subscribing to Bike Europe newsletter for latest cycling technology and bicycle industry news, Bike Rave Melbourne celebrating ten years with next months Monster Parade on 18 February 2023 and Momentum mag article 'Three more cities embrace the transformative power of the bicycle' detailing Boston, Denver and Detroit's progress and challenges with implementing active transport
Program music
Your Street Your Say Project
Your Street Your Say Project
Darebin Council is consulting on the Your Street Your Say Project. It’s an opportunity to improve walking and cycling for Northcote East, Fairfield, Alphington, Thornbury East, Bundoora and Macleod.
See: https://yoursay.darebin.vic.gov.au/ysysgroupb
Survey closes 15 January 2023.
Does Darebin Council actually support pro-sustainable transport?
Is Darebin Council
Pop-up bike lanes ripped up, stalled despite cycling upswing (The Age, 9 May 2021) Darebin resident Ruth Jelley is advocating for a cycling lane on High Street, Thornbury. Credit: Chris Hopkins
Do we need to debunk the assumption that Darebin Council is pro-sustainable transport?
Since 2020, the current Darebin Council has been less than forthcoming about ongoing commitment and funding to active transport initiatives such as Streets For People, Octopus Schools program and separated cycling infrastructure.
Ever wonder what a vision for cycling looks like for Darebin?
Ever wonder what a vision for cycling looks like for Darebin?
The Streets for People Report done by the Hansen Partnership and Martyn Group 2018 can be downloaded here
It lists the top 8 cycling routing and steps to improve safety and connectivity
Introduction
Cities are always evolving. The many components that make up cities, including suburbs, neighbourhoods, streets and the buildings that line them are part of a dynamic urban ecosystem shaped by many difference social, economic and environmental forces.
In the City of Darebin, notable shifts in demographic and cultural profile over the decades has changed the public perception of urban living and convenience with widespread recognition of the role that urban planning and design can play in community health and well-being.
One important part of this evolving system is transport, and Darebin (and metropolitan Melbourne more broadly) has seen transformative change in relation to transport services and user behavior – in particular with shifts away from private vehicle use towards public transport (rail, tram, bus, taxi), cycling and pedestrian focused activity (or a combination of some or all).
Darebin’s streets (within the confines of the road reserve) are more than ever before under pressure to support private vehicle movements, alongside other more environmentally sustainable modes of movement, in particular for cyclists and pedestrians – where conflicts can be serious.
Given the well acknowledged sustainability and health and well-being benefits of these ‘people powered’ modes of movement, we need to do more to accommodate them within the road reservation.
This Streets for People – Feasibility Study represents an important early step adjusting the profile and performance of designated streets in Darebin to support improved local pedestrian and cycle accessibility and better connectivity to and through Darebin to surrounding Municipalities.
This Study explores alternative street configurations (and cross sections) that help to strikes an appropriate balance between the demand for local private vehicle movement and other more sustainable modes of movement in the context of Darebin’s particularly diverse neighbourhood character and image.
PART A
This Study focuses on 8 designated sustainable transport corridors previously identified by the City that traverse the municipality and its grid network (2 north-south aligned corridors and 6 aligned east-west corridors).
The Study defines a ‘Kit of Parts’ applied variously to each corridor (in sections) grounded in the now Nationally recognized ‘Movement and Place’ ideology.
This recognizes that there is a nexus between the ‘Movement’ function of a street and its ‘Place’ value, which can inform opportunities for bespoke corridor design treatments that (where appropriate) balance pedestrian and cycling functions in a street with those of private vehicle users.
The Study identifies a suite of 15 different typical treatments that can be progressively applied to the corridors, underpinned by a strategic Corridor Framework Concept that looks at influences beyond the road reservation itself.
This project does not seek to disenfranchise conventional private car users, rather it seeks to adopt careful urban design and spatial demarcations within the road reserve to ensure that practical, safe, convenient and attractive options are available for all cyclists and pedestrians.
This is pertinent in the sometimes challenging negotiation of local street spaces and with respect to connectivity beyond Darebin’s designated network to surrounding municipalities. To this end, this Study represents a paradigm shift in thinking about streets (and road reservations) as spaces for all users.
The economic feasibility of the proposal treatments is not evaluated in detail in this Study, however it does indicate opportunities for important early infrastructure works (civil and urban design) which serve as a local and regional catalyst for behavior change. We all accept that significant shifts in road use and behavior does not occur overnight. As such, this project highlights critical priorities for implementation and management in support of progressive harmonization of Darebin’s valued street assets.