Invest in better cycling and

walking connections

Better for traffic congestion

Better for our health and wellbeing

Better for the environment

• Victorian Government investment to build safe, off road cycle paths

• Connecting the missing links between key cycle routes within Brimbank

• More bicycle parking at railway stations and town centres

1

Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2011, Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA 2011) cat. no. 2033.0.55.001.

2

Public Health Information Development Unit (PHIDU). The Brimbank Atlas of Health and Education. Adelaide: PHIDU,

The University of Adelaide, 2014.

3

Source: Victorian Cycling Strategy 2018-28

The need

Congestion

Brimbank’s population is forecast to reach more than

230,000 by 2041. This increase in population will place

even greater pressure on already congested roads.

Across Melbourne, more than half of all trips are less

than 5km. There is great potential to convert many of

these trips to active transport – if supported by the

required infrastructure.

Health and wellbeing

As the second most socio-economically disadvantaged

municipality in the Greater Melbourne area and the

third most disadvantaged in Victoria

1

, Brimbank’s

population faces particular health and wellbeing

challenges.

Brimbank residents participate in less activity than

the Melbourne average, and suffer from high levels

of obesity

2

. Type 2 Diabetes is twice as prevalent

in Brimbank as in Melbourne and Australia

2

.

Better cycling infrastructure

Despite the health, financial and environmental benefits of cycling, there are significant barriers

that mean many people choose other forms of transport.

Cycling (for transport) has been decreasing for the past 10 years. Yet about 60 per cent of people report

they are interested in cycling but concerned about safety and put off by the need to ride close to traffic.

3

The

says that cyclists’ greatest concern is the stress of cycling with

traffic. The strategy says that internationally, cities that have invested heavily in connected and fully

protected cycling corridors have recorded the biggest safety improvements and boosts to cycling

participation.

Types of cyclists

Interested but concerned

No way no how

Enthused and condent

Strong and fearless

60%

7%

<1%

33%

Interested but concerned

No way no how

Enthused and condent

Strong and fearless

60%

7%

<1%

33%

Source: Roger Geller, Four types of

cyclists, Portland, Victorian Cycling

Strategy 2018-28

120 - 0418

The ask

Brimbank Council is improving pedestrian

and cycling access to town centres to

encourage walking and cycling. Yet

significantly more investment is

needed to entice more people

to cycle as an alternative to driving.

• Victorian Government investment to

build safe, welcoming and well-lit off

road cycle paths

• Connecting the missing links between

key cycle routes within Brimbank

• More bicycle parking at railway

stations and town centres

Council is calling for investment in best-practice,

gold-standard cycling infrastructure, such as Sydney’s

Bourke Street and George Street cycleways.

Top priorities are:

• North-south connection from Watergardens

to Deer Park, via Kings Road and Station Road

• Completion of the east-west link, from

Sunshine through to Derrimut, following the

Ballarat train line

•

Completion of a cycleway the full length of

St Albans Road, from Sunshine through to

Watergardens

•

An east-west link from St Albans through

to Caroline Springs.

Pre-exisiting bike paths

121 - 0418

9249 4000

info@brimbank.vic.gov.au

PO Box 70, Sunshine, VIC 3020

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133 677

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•

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