At the 18 October Council Meeting, a motion to rescind (overturn) the earlier 13 September Council resolution to end the Kent Road separated bike lane trial was passed. The 13 September resolution is no longer in effect.
Instead, at the 18 October Council meeting, a new resolution has been adopted, to keep the separated bike lane infrastructure on Kent Road, Pascoe Vale South as a permanent fixture to support Merri-bek's bicycle network.
The Kent Road infrastructure will now be permanently installed with works expected to commence in the coming months. This will include the replacement of trial rubber separation products with permanent barrier devices as well the installation a pedestrian zebra crossing with flashing lights in front of the medical centre and a tidying up of the road asphalt surface.
The resolution of 18 October is:
That Council,
- Declares the trial of the Kent Road separated bike lanes complete.
- Approves making permanent the Kent Road separated bike lane infrastructure along the north (eastbound) side of Kent Road between Cornwall Road and Cumberland Road, and along the south (westbound) side of Kent Road between Cumberland Road and Cornwall Road.
- Investigates and implements modifications to the Cornwall Road and Kent Road intersection so that the bike and pedestrian crossing points are clarified.
- To install a zebra crossing outside the Pascoe Vale Health Medical Centre, noting this involves the removal of 5 parking bays.
- Acknowledges and thanks the community for their time and effort over the extended two-year trial in both identifying issues and working on solutions, which has provided valuable insight into the application of on-road physically separated bike lanes in the local context.
Along with the permanent Kent Road infrastructure, Council remains committed to installing more protected bike lanes through our 10-year Active Travel Capital Plan, in appropriate places.
Council thanks the community for their feedback during the trial of the separated bike lanes along Kent Road in Pascoe Vale. We also continue to thank the community for their patience as the Kent Road permanent infrastructure is installed.
