Quotes attributed to Mayor Stephanie Asher:
It's important to clear up some misconceptions regarding the council's decision to modify part of the Malop Street Green Spine.
Contrary to reports, this is not a council 'backflip'. The current council had no part in approving the detailed design of the Green Spine's first stage – which was done by government appointed administrators. As such, the designs were not signed off with input from elected grassroots community representatives.
In the time since the first stage was built, it has become clear that elements of the design – notably the concrete kerbing separating the bike lanes from the road – whilst well intentioned, were too obtrusive. This has created problems for accessibility and pedestrian safety, and slowed traffic more than was necessary.
This council is supportive of the long-term aim of reducing Geelong's reliance on cars. However, the timing of changes must be carefully planned and clearly communicated, and in this case that hasn't happened.We need to be aiming for an orderly transition from cars to other means of transport.
Building the first stage of the Green Spine without a frequent and reliable public transport system in place has made it harder for drivers to move into and through our CBD without giving them a realistic alternative to car travel. This has created short-term pain that could have been avoided. With no state government commitment in sight to invest in and improve public transport in our region, it was important the council acted to do what was in our control to decrease congestion.
Further to this, the bike lanes on the completed stage of the Green Spine sit in isolation – not connected at either end. The slow progress of funding for the remainder of the Green Spine has made this an extremely difficult situation for residents to accept, and the City's efforts in communicating the full vision have not reached the entire community.
The bike lane on the south side of the street will remain in place, and we now need to work on finding a design that will work for all users – including cyclists, but also pedestrians, vehicle users and importantly, people with limited mobility such as wheelchair users.
Having met with the Department of Transport today, I am now more optimistic about the state government's newly integrated approach to transport planning. The Department of Transport, Public Transport Victoria and Regional Roads Victoria are now all working closely together, where previously they were fragmented. I'm hopeful this will result in a more holistic approach to planning and funding transport solutions for our region.
While opponents of the decision have been publicly vocal, councillors have also received supportive feedback since Tuesday night. We stand by the decision and remain firmly of the belief that it was in the best interests of the community we are elected to represent.
