Tuesday, 21 February 2023

 Sam HIBBINS (Prahran) (14:32): (26) My constituency question is for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety, and I ask: what is the latest information on pop-up bike lanes in the Prahran electorate? There have been three deaths of cyclists on Victorian roads in the past fortnight, showing just how important safe, separated bike infrastructure is for people who want to ride a bike. Deaths and serious injuries of vulnerable road users like pedestrians and people who ride a bike are increasing. The proposed pop-up bike lanes in Prahran, particularly along Chapel Street north and Orrong Road, have not been built. They have not even progressed to having the designs put out for consultation. This is despite the pop-up bike lanes program being announced in 2020. So I urge the government to progress the pop-up bike lanes in the Prahran electorate to improve the safety of bike riders and make it easier for people to choose active, climate-friendly transport to get around our community, and I also urge the government to significantly increase its investment in safe, climate-friendly transport infrastructure like separated bike lanes well above the current 1 per cent of transport infrastructure spending and towards the 20 per cent UN-recommended funding levels.