In line with City of Melbourne’s Transport Strategy 2030, we’re delivering new bike lanes across the municipality – giving people the confidence to start riding and ride more often.

With Grattan Street now reopened to traffic and Metro Tunnel’s new Parkville Station almost complete, we’re proposing to reinstate Queensberry Street to one traffic lane in each direction and deliver greener and better-connected riding lanes.

We shared the draft design plan with the community, which shows the proposed changes on Queensberry Street from Peel Street to Rathdowne Street. We asked if it meets the objectives of the project and how they felt about the design.

Community consultation took place from Thursday 27 June to Thursday 8 August 2024.

The draft design plan and project information was available on Participate Melbourne, and feedback was collected via an online survey and three pop ups at Carlton Gardens, Argyle Square and Leicester Street.

We sought feedback from residents, workers, visitors, students, business owners and the broader community. The engagement reach includes:

• 742 survey responses
• 102 conversations conducted during pop-up sessions
• 10 business door knocking discussions
• one written submission from a residents group
• 1800 letters delivered to properties on and near Queensberry Street
• 24,544 views on social media.

Most responses were supportive of the new bike lane design.

• 76 per cent supported the proposal.
• 23 per cent did not support the proposal.
• 1 per cent felt impartial to the project.

There were some common themes that emerged from this round of consultation.

Many shared support for the project in relation to:

• Safety: Many participants agreed that installing protected riding lanes will help improve safety for all users, including bike riders, pedestrians and drivers and encourage new people to cycle.
• Calmer and more liveable streets: Respondents were supportive of reducing traffic lanes from two to one in both directions to create a calmer, quieter and more liveable street.
• Improved greening: Many participants agreed with planting more trees, and highlighted that greening will improve public health, wellbeing and encourage physical activity.
• Additional amenities: Participants also liked pedestrian improvements, such as new crossings and footpath build outs.

Some concerns that came out of the consultation are:

• Congestion: That removing traffic lanes would lead to more congestion.
• Parking: Removing on-street parking would negatively affect residents, their visitors and nearby businesses.
• Cyclist safety: That the proposal would not solve the conflict between through cyclists and left turning vehicles.
• Vehicle access: That the new hook turns and turn bans would restrict vehicle access.

We also heard from the community that they would like:

• Improved amenity along the street with additional landscaping, seats, water fountains and seating
• Additional gardens and landscape plantings
• Improved public transport in the area.

• ‘Cycling needs to become much more mainstream in Melbourne and this is one significant step in promoting that idea!’
• ‘There are currently not many safe ways to cross the CBD from east to west - this project will give cyclists the best option while still keeping the road available for cars.’
• ‘As a rider who ferries around our children on Queensberry Street, I would love to see a calmer and safer street.’
• ‘Removing a lane will significantly increase car congestion meaning longer peak hour, more fumes and a higher impact on the environment.’
• ‘As a motorist and sometimes cyclist I think it strikes the right balance.’
• ‘Reducing traffic seems appropriate given the high density and student accommodation in the area.’
• ‘Current bike lanes are already underutilised whilst parking spots are always full and under supplied.’
• ’Hook turning should be encouraged as it's safer and more consistent with the road treatment.’
• ‘A greener calmer street is a better street’
• ‘The inner city cannot be designed around car use, reducing traffic lanes will encourage more walking, cycling and public transport’

The feedback collected in this first phase of community engagement will be reviewed and used to determine whether the project proceeds to the next design stage.

A decision on whether the project will proceed to the next stage will be made in early 2025, once the community engagement findings have been reviewed.

We will update the community via Participate Melbourne as plans progress.