Businesses call for late switch in final cycle plan

BELMONT traders remain hopeful Geelong council will reconsider a divisive plan to remove High Street parking to build bike lanes along the shopping precinct.

Local businesses want to move the planned cycling lanes away from the main street and avoid parking loss, which they fear would have dire impacts for their trade.

City of Greater Geelong councillors have delayed a decision on a $2.7-million construction contract for the Building Better Bike Connections project from the Barwon River to Waurn Ponds.

Council officers have repeated their preference for the current split-lane option, similar to a recent build at Moorabool Street, but have also received a quote for a lower-impact project preferred by local businesses.

Traders have proposed alternatives including shifting the bike infrastructure to nearby roads such as Francis Street and shared use zones for bikes and cars instead of dedicated lanes.

Geelong Travel’s Stuart Coffield implored the council to reconsider its current designs, as he feared the build would be a “death knell” for the Belmont shopping strip.

“There’s other options for the bike streets, like the next street over,” he said.
“Just don’t take it up the hub of a shopping precinct.”

An earlier option presented during consultation for the project, option 1, maintained most street parking and minimised trading impacts in the view of the business community.

The previous council sided with the current option 2 in 2019 after it was narrowly preferred during engagement.

A council report tabled at last month’s meeting indicated option 1 has a $2.47-million price tag – but a recommendation to councillors sought support for a $2.67-million contract for option 2.

Nicola Dore, president of Belmont Traders Association, said at the meeting she still preferred the previous choice and asked for consideration during construction.

“Belmont Traders fully support the long overdue improvement for High Street, in particular option 1, however we would appreciate councillors consider the impact of such works during peak trading period coming off the back of two years of interrupted trade,” Ms Dore said.

In a response, COGG indicated its planned works would not impact Christmas trade this year or a planned summer events calendar for the precinct from November through to January this year.

Days after the deferral, outgoing council chief Martin Cutter spoke at a developer’s forum where he spruiked the need to further invest in active transport options for the city’s future.

“Geelong is so hooked on cars, it can’t see past them. The future is not the car,” he said.
Councillors are due to make a final decision at this month’s meeting on August 23.