Residents urge backpedal on Geelong bike lane plans

A GEELONG resident is petitioning the City of Greater Geelong (COGG) to review plans for major cycling routes across the city and release a safety audit on the project.

South Geelong’s Anne Preston has launched the appeal which has gained support from more than 200 community members.

Ms Preston has requested that the council:

• Immediately cease any current or future plans on bike lanes
• Immediately commence an independent safety audit on all the current and future bike lane network streets and roads
• Results of the safety audit to be made public by April 15, and
• All recommendations to be brought back to council for councillors to vote on the adoption of the recommendations of that audit.

The petition raises safety concerns around visibility issues with road layouts and traffic congestion caused by new bike lanes.

“It is of great concern to residents and ratepayers that if the proposed roll out continues without assessing the impact of works already done then even further roads will become more congested and dangerous,” Ms Preston’s petition said.

The city received a $6.3 million grant from a Transport Accident Commission (TAC) road safety fund for two new cycling connections from central Geelong to outer suburbs; including Waurn Ponds via High Street, Belmont and Herne Hill via Geelong West.

The project’s website said its approval process had already included “a robust approval with Regional Roads Victoria (RRV) and an independent Road Safety Audit”.

COGG has completed its western Herne Hill link and stage one of the southern route, from central Geelong to the Barwon River, via Gheringhap and Moorabool streets.

The council said a community-led 30-year plan had identified a need for fast, reliable and connected transport network, with a goal for half of all commuter journeys to be by public transport, walking or cycling.

Currently, 87 per cent of trips into central Geelong are by car.

The petition is set to go before councillors at this month’s meeting on March 22.