Melbournhagen

There's been a lot of talk about the Copenhagen-style bike lanes in Melbourne, most of it negative.  People tend to find them too narrow and positioned on roads that have a lot of driveways.  Other concerns include having to merge with turning traffic and car occupants coming and going from cars.

All these are legitimate concerns however I think if there were more of these bike lanes around everyone would become more comfortable with them.  I think one of the biggest things to realise with these lanes is that you can't ride quickly.  They are Copenhagen-style after all; in Copenhagen, people ride slowly...they cruise.

I know that my less confident cycling friends feel much safer on these lanes.  That said, if you're a cyclist that likes to ride quickly, then you should probably consider going another way.

Here's a little video (and my first foray into investigative journalism) from Albert St. in East Melbourne.  The city-bound lane, shown in this video, is really good.  The outbound lane less so as there are numerous driveways and it is downhill, so cyclists can easily accumulate speed.




With more thought and planning I think these bike lanes could help Melbourne on its quest to Copenhagenize.