Council backpedals from controversial bike path in marathon meeting

An inner-city council has knocked back a divisive plan to create a “bicycle street” along a 1.1-kilometre stretch of one of the area’s key roads, following a marathon five-hour meeting.

Yarra City Council has been grappling with whether to transform a section of Wellington Street stretching from Clifton Hill to Collingwood into a more cyclist-friendly route by blocking access to most cars, a topic which has triggered fierce community debate.

At Tuesday night’s meeting councillors were ultimately voting to endorse a less ambitious proposal, after the original recommendations were recently revised.

Before the meeting, those opposed to the plan held up bright yellow placards in protest, while a number of those in support carried signs.

About 90 members of the public – ranging from primary school students to elderly residents – spoke at Richmond Town Hall for over two and a half hours in total on Tuesday evening, which was then followed by a councillor discussion.

Collingwood resident Tom spoke in support of a road closure, citing the high number of dangerous traffic-related incidents in the area, including among cyclists and cars.

“I don’t want to see another friend harmed or taken from me while riding. And I won’t accept another incident or death on our doorstep. And neither should anyone,” he said.

Meanwhile, Danny, a local firefighter who has lived in the area for almost five decades, said the plans could impede upon emergency service access.

“I drive firetrucks. I’m in the fire brigade … I worry about what will happen with all of these interventions you’re going to do to the roads … I must support the no to this because of the safety of my family,” he said.

The council has been considering two options since last year, both which would redesign the section of the street between Johnston Street in Collingwood and Queens Parade in Clifton Hill to prioritise cycling and pedestrians.

The stretch currently has painted bike lanes and two-way vehicle traffic, but the now-shelved plans included the introduction of physical barriers like garden beds and curbs, which would block vehicles from driving along the full length of the street.

Seven of the nine councillors ultimately endorsed a watered-down proposal to provide minor improvements to existing bike lanes and investigate the introduction of a 30km/h speed limit – backpedalling on previous plans that would have seen the street completely transformed.

The future of Wellington Street has grown into a source of community division, with two prominent groups forming that consist of residents who either strongly support or oppose the major changes.

Alexandra Lamb, organiser of the “Say Yes to a New Wellington St” campaign which supports the traffic diversions, criticised the majority of councillors who backed away from the cyclist-centric plan on Tuesday night.

“What’s the point of commissioning expensive research and consulting with the community if they’re just going to ignore us anyway?” Lamb said.

Sebastian Guiney, leader of the “Oppose Wellington St Closure” campaign, said that he and his group were pleased with the decision.

“The community said they didn’t want what had been proposed, and Wellington Street needs to remain open to traffic, and the council listened,” he said.

Mayor Stephen Jolly has repeatedly said during council meetings that he has never encountered an issue which has evoked so much passion within the local community as this debate.

“This is a matter that almost everybody in Collingwood and Clifton Hill has got an opinion on … there’s no good guys and there’s no bad guys,” Jolly said on Tuesday night.

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