Our petition “Don’t risk our safety in 2025 – tell Yarra Council not to remove safe cycling lanes” has received over 1000 responses!

We asked people to answer to add their connection to Yarra (e.g: do you live, work, study, shop, go out, and/or commute in or through the Yarra area).

This is what people from nearby Melbourne CBD, Parkville, Brunswick + Brunswick East said.

  1. I leave in the CBD and move by bicycle a lot
  2. Go out often to ride my bike p
  3. Commute
  4. Shop and go out
  5. I work, shop, go out, and commute through Yarra
  6. Shop, commute, attend sport on my bike!
  7. I frequently travel to and through Yarra and want to feel safe riding and walking.
  8. Frequent visitor
  9. I work and shop in Yarra and commute in and through the area.
  10. Shop and socialise in Yarra. Will be moving to Yarra soon
  11. I ride through her daily
  12. Shop, go out, eat in Yarra
  13. Live and work here
  14. I regularly shop and commute in the yarra area
  15. I work, live, shop, exercise in this area and have been involved in car crashes on the street – the last thing I’d want is to be involved with a crash with my son on the back of my bike
  16. I use the Elizabeth St bike lanes on an almost daily basis to transport me safely to shop at the abbotsford stores and eat at the Vic St restaurants. I also use them to get to recreational areas across the Yarra at Walmer St and along the river paths. Connectivity is KEY. Rip these lanes out and I’ll be likely to take my business elsewhere. And in any case, just as space and millions of dollars are allocated to vehicular traffic, there should also be commensurate resources provided for active transport. And also, I may drive rather than cycle, given my saftey concerns – which will just add one more car to the already packed roads. Are a few parking spots really worth this?
  17. Commuter
  18. I like to ride in the area on weekends to do errands and have fun. Much better than having to drive and pay for parking etc.
  19. Work
  20. I work, go out, and commute through the Yarra area and having cycling lanes is really helpful.
  21. Work and training.
  22. I commute by bike through Richmond
  23. My family and I formerly lived in Richmond. We had to move to Docklands for my partner’s work, however my son still attends Yarra Primary School, and my daughter still attends childcare in Richmond.
  24. We cycle across from Docklands every day along the safe (separated) La Trobe Street, Albert Street and Elizabeth Street bike lanes.
  25. There are no other safe protected East-West routes through Richmond.
  26. In particular, Swan Street, Bridge Road and Victoria Street are all incredibly unsafe to cycle on (even as a solo adult, let alone with children). Highett Street is only fractionally better than the previous two – though the painted bike lanes are routinely ignored by motorists & the angle parking spaces are inherently dangerous.
  27. Elizabeth Street therefore serves as the only safe East-West bike route across Richmond (and provides useful connections in all directions). Furthermore it provides a safe connection to Richmond West and Yarra Primary Schools for students & their families who opt to use bicycles to get there.
  28. Degrading or removing the Elizabeth Street bike lanes is a retrograde step and would show the council to be contemptuous of bicycle users’ welfare and safety whilst travelling through Richmond.
  29. Furthermore, it will only serve to incentivise (by making cycling unsafe for families) more car journeys to school, thus worsening congestion.
  30. I urge Council to abandon this proposal and go back to the plan to make the Elizabeth Street bike lanes permenant. The only credible alternative would be to install protected bike lanes on Bridge Road – for some reason I don’t see that ever happening.
  31. I commute regularly through Yarra to and from the city to access local businesses in the area and the shops at Victoria Gardens. The Elizabeth St bike lanes is THE ONLY route to and from the cbd that is highly safe. Without this route, there would be no way for me to visit Yarra, spend my money and enjoy the neighbourhood. The only feasible alternative is that I will be forced onto Victoria St risking my life with cars, trams and pedestrians.
  1. I commute through the area. The bike lane helps everyone to be safe. It should be extended and upgraded. Melbourne is still very behind the times when it comes to cycling infrastructure and car preferences are getting larger and more dangerous. Cyclists need to be protected, and offering protected bike infrastructure will allow more people to become feel comfortable using that infrastructure.
  2. Commute through
  3. Bike through regularly
  4. Commute through Yarra area
  5. I work, go out and commute through and around the Yarra area and have done so for the past few years. The removal of dedicated bicycle lanes at Coppin and Elizabeth Street in Richmond will set a precedent to remove more bicycle lanes in the near future! This is not a good example to set as the former most livable city in the world. Think about the children living and playing the City of Yarra who want to cycle around safely but will be met with big cars speeding down without thinking about who might be at their blind corner!
  6. I regularly ride through Yarra via Elizabeth St (to get from Parkville to my office in Hawthorn) and depend on bike lanes to keep me safe in peak hour traffic.
  7. I work at St Vincents Hospital Fitzroy and have a membership at Urban Climb in Collingwood. I get around to these places primarily by bicycle. I have near misses near daily and strongly urge councillors to expand she cycling infrastructure.
  8. Work there. Shop there. Go out there.
  9. Family live in Yarra and use the bike lanes. Shop and go out there.
  10. I visit yarra many times throughout the week.
  11. I shop and go out in the Yarra area
  12. I’m a regular explorer of the area and like to cycle with my child in my bike carrier. We need to keep the area bike friendly and safe. Cyclists need designated bike lanes without having to worry about vehicles.
  13. I commute by bike through the Yarra area
  14. I shop in, go out in, and commute through the yarra area.
  15. Work, study, shop, go out and commute! Would love to add living to the list as well but would reconsider if bike lanes get removed!!
  16. My son goes to the Carlton North Yarra Council kinder and we commute there by bicycle.
  17. Commute through Yarra, and have many friends who live in Yarra (who also ride bikes regularly) that we ride to see and go out together.
  18. I shop, commute through, and regularly socialise in the Yarra area
  1. I commute through and conduct business in city of Yarra.
  2. Live and study
  3. I work in Burnley and cycle from Brunswick West each day. The recent addition of bike lanes on Coppin street has made a great improvement to the experience and feeling of safety coming through that intersection.
  4. I know that these bike lanes are appreciated by children and parents of school aged kids who use them to commute to school in the area.
  5. I can honestly say that it is still far from the best examples as far as safety is concerned, as I still have car doors opening, and cars pulling out from driveways into the bike lanes, but these things are more about education, empathy and understanding of other road users than they are about infrastructure.
  6. I believe these bike lanes meet a minimum standard for safety and help to develop awareness of cyclists as valid road users.
  7. When the day comes that motorists willingly share the road with cyclists and have the consideration to indicate early and head-check when turning or opening a door then maybe we wouldn’t need such divided lanes, but until then it’s crucial that people who choose to commute by bike have the protections in place provided by council to feel safe on the road.
  8. I frequently ride this area to get to restaurants, cafes and for leisure.
  9. I go out and visit friends in Yarra. My bike is my main means of transport.
  10. Often head down to Yarra (Brunswick St, Smith St, Johnston St mainly) for shopping and drinking / eating, via cargo bike, and travel through that area to get on to the Yarra trails. Less frequently (~1 / qtr) I travel down to the MCG and south to Richmond for work meetings or to visit specialty shops in the area.
  11. I work in Yarra and I ride to work.
  12. Although I own a car, I find riding a bike or using public transport the best way to get around the City of Yarra. I wouldn’t think of driving there. Bike lines are essential as our population increases
  13. Commute and work
  14. Shop, go out, eat, cycle
  15. Shop, go out, and communte regularly through the Yarra area
  16. I should and eat out in the Yarra area and mostly get there by bike.
  17. Work shop
  18. Live
  19. I go to work along Smith St on bike
  20. Commute through
  21. Commuter through, go out, visit friends
  22. I work in Yarra and transit via the bike lanes daily.
  23. Please do not remove the bike lanes, they are future proofing a more safe and sustainable future.
  24. I work in Yarra and cycle to work everyday, the bike lanes are essential for this.
  25. Sometimes shop
  26. Commute, shop and eat
  27. Shop and go out after hours or weekends.
  28. I work and go out in Yarra
  29. I work in Yarra, commuting by bike
  30. I shop, visit medical practices, go out and travel through Yarra on a bicycle. I ride along Elizabeth and Coppin streets.
  31. I commute in and through Yarra Council for shopping and going out. The pop-up bike paths have significantly increased my safety when cycling to Fitzy for socialising, or Collingwood for footy.
  32. Safe, alternative modes of transport are sorely needed in the inner city. Removing them will just result in more people relying on personal vehicles, which in turns leads to an increase in serious crashes and congestion.
  33. Please don’t go backwards.
  34. Son goes to school in Yarra, shop, visit friends, and commute through
  35. I grew up in Richmond, and continue to have family in the area. Additionally I work, shop, and attend gigs throughout Yarra.
  36. I have been cycling in Yarra throughout my life, and it has been amazing to see the infrastructure changes improving the safety and joy for cyclists and pedestrians, as well as how those changes have improved the attitudes and behaviours of drivers towards their fellow commuters.
  37. Please don’t take Yarra backwards to ease the moaning of a vocal minority.
  38. Involved with 2 neighbourhood houses in Yarra
  39. Shop in Yarra
  40. Travel through Yarra
  41. Attend events in Yarra
  42. I work and visit family in Richmond and cycling is my primary mode of transport.
  43. I ride through Yarra City frequently and value safe bike routes.
  44. Commute through Yarra area
  45. I have used the Elizabeth Street bike lane when visiting friends, as well as bars and restaurants in the area. It is much safer than the busier alternatives and gives me the incentive to visit the suburb. I hope it is retained at a minimum and even better, upgraded with better infrastructure!
  46. I shop and go out in Richmond and being able to cycle safely through Richmond has been life changing for me. Do not remove these lanes! It allows me to leave my car at home and reduces congestion in the area.
  47. Shop, go out, commute & visit friends
  48. Frequent bars, cafes and visit friends.
  49. I volunteer and work in Yarra each week and have done so for over ten years.