Prior MSG vision of what North Richmond Master Plan + Elizabeth Street bike lanes could look like – please note new Department of Families, Fairness and Housing masterplan consultation is due to start in July 2025.
UPDATE 23 April: So what happened at Yarra Councils Extraordinary Meeting on 22 April 2025?

The second meeting for 22 April 2025: Item 4.1 Elizabeth Street began at 7.19pm after the budget was passed.

Cr McKenzie made a proposed amendment 1: conduct a parking review; as parking is the primary issue. Considerations: parking for the disabled, elderly and drop-offs. A practical and inclusive approach. Sensible approach: Vote 3:6 rejected.

Cr Wade made proposed amendment: 2. let’s consult the community – a significant change that impacts them. Sensible approach: Vote 3:6 rejected.

In summary:

  • The bike lanes will be narrowed.
  • The buffers will be narrowed.
  • The buffers will stay as plastic sticks at intervals, and not be upgraded to safer concrete barriers as recommended by officers.
  • There will be no review of parking conditions or community consultation.
  • There will be no tree planting, seating added, or beautification works.

What’s next? In short, the City of Yarra needs the Victorian State Government to approve. The Department of Transport and Planning will be asked to sign off on a ‘non-compliant’ less safe bike lane on a Strategic Cycling Corridor, followed by the Minister for Public and Active Transport.

Bicycle Network: Yarra City Council has doubled down on its disturbing decision two weeks ago to reconfigure the Elizabeth Street bike lanes so they do not conform to accepted standards. In an Extraordinary Meeting held on Tuesday 22 April to straighten out the muddled drafting of the key resolution on 8 April, the council repeating its original decision, this time with greater clarity.

Mayor’s unexpected amendment on 8 April 2025

Mayor Jolly’s unexpected amendment to narrow the Elizabeth Street bike lanes in Richmond was a surprise to most members of the public who attended the Yarra Council meeting in good faith on Tuesday 8 April 2025. As you will read, this amendment did not follow the correct council process and has serious repercussions for residents’ confidence in local democracy.

The motion passed was most similar to “Option 3” in the council officer’s report (an option that included lanes narrower than contemporary guidelines, and which officers recommended against), but was missing a number of crucial elements. 

The CEO (who was not present at the 8 April meeting) has subsequently requested that an Extraordinary Council Meeting be held on 22 April 2025 so councillors can vote on Elizabeth Street for a second time due to Mayor Jolly not following correct council process:

This report recommends Council resolve additional items for clarity to be read together with the Council resolution on 8 April 2025. The recommendation below seeks to reflect the understood intent of the previous Council resolution particularly in relation to process, materiality and parking for implementation purposes.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, 4.1. Elizabeth Street Bike Lane Trial Update (clarification on 8 April resolution)

Community members have been given less than three business days’ notice of the Extraordinary Meeting, with the meeting scheduled to occur just after the Easter long weekend. Notification of the meeting appeared on the meeting page of the council website on 16 April 2025, without people who had made submissions on 8 April being individually notified.

Even if this new motion is passed on 22 April 2025, we think it is lacking some important elements.

See below for a summary of the changes to the bike lanes

As laid out in the officer’s original Option 3 versus version passed on Tuesday versus, the new version proposed below. Note that none of these are recommended by officers (officers recommend Option 1, the current layout of Elizabeth St).

Option 1 in agenda for 8 April 2025 (recommended by officers)Option 3 in agenda for 8 April 2025Version as passed 8 April 2025New version with officer clarifications (for 22 April 2025 meeting)
Existing buffer widths retained.Narrower buffers (0.6 metres wide) between the bike lane and the parking lane along the whole street.Even narrower buffers (0.5 metres wide) between the bike lane and the parking lane in the western portion of the street.Same as version passed on 8 April 2025.
Parking review of existing parking conditions.Includes additional parking spaces but does not specifically address community concerns about lack of loading/drop-off zones or need for further disability accessible parking spaces.No review of parking restrictions in the area or opportunities to include disability accessible bays.Same as version passed on 8 April 2025.
Traffic lane widths retained.Traffic lane widths reduced.Traffic lane widths reduced.Same as version passed on 8 April 2025.
Report highlighted bicycle crash incidence at Shelley St (where current layout consists of unprotected bike lanes and poor sightlines due to 4 existing trees). Submitters also raised this issue. Could be addressed as part of permanent design.Does not address Shelley Street safety issues and will not improve current sightlines at Shelley Street.Does not address Shelley Street safety issues and will not improve current sightlines at Shelley Street. Highlights that safety improvements at Shelley Street are excluded from scope, but does not propose that this should be addressed in the permanent design.
Stormwater grate can be retained.The stormwater pit opposite Lewis Court would need to be replaced as narrowing the bike lanes will mean that cyclists can no longer travel around the metal grates on the road surface which are slippery when wet and are on a slight angle tilting towards the gutter.Does not mention replacing the stormwater grate.Same as version passed on 8 April.
Tree planting in buffers, allowing for large canopy trees.Option 3 does not include room for tree planting as buffers are too narrow (Option 1 included tree planting in permanent design).Does not mention tree planting.Highlights that no tree planting is included in the project
Permanent design with concrete buffers to improve current aesthetics and robustness.
Some community members raised aesthetics as an issue for the existing layout.		Permanent design with concrete buffers to improve current aesthetics and robustness.
No details as to how new bike lanes would be constructed. Unclear whether proposed changes are temporary or permanent.		Highlights that ‘permanent’ bike lanes will be constructed from plastic bollards (similar to current temporary treatment) due to lower cost.
Highlights that 25/26 draft budget has an allowance for bollards but not road resheeting.
Most likely option to receive state funding.Highlights that the state government would be less likely to approve Option 3 and requests an alternative direction should be provided in case approval is not obtained.Does not mention the need for state government approval.Highlights that approval from the state government Department of Transport and Planning will be required before the proposed changes to the bike lanes can be made.
Community engagement in accordance with council policyCommunity engagement in accordance with council policyNo further community engagement or consultation on permanent design, even though it wasn’t presented in advance of submissions on 8 April, and therefore submitters couldn’t address the issues in it.No further community engagement or consultation on permanent design.
No opportunity for community members to speak at the meeting.
Previous submitters not notified (as of 16 April 2025) about the extraordinary meeting or the CEO’s recommendation.
4.1. Elizabeth Street Bike Lane Trial Update (clarification on 8 April resolution)
Additional background to our Yarra for Safe Streets Campaign