Why 78% Of People In Melbourne Are Afraid Of These Bike Lanes

Simple bike lanes constitute the gross majority of bicycle "infrastructure" in Melbourne. Yet they are unsafe and unsatisfactory for anyone on a bike. I rally hope that these lanes are smited off the face of the earth personally, what about you?
Let me know the most recent time you feared for your life on the roads of Melbourne. Mine was while filming this video.
----------------------------
Sources
[1] Bike Lane Design Guidelines - City of Melbourne
You can download a copy for yourself at the bottom of this page: www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/park...
[2] How much space do drivers provide when passing cyclists? Understanding the impact of motor vehicle and infrastructure characteristics on passing distance - Beck et. al, 2019
www.sciencedirect.com/science...
[3] Understanding the fear of bicycle riding in Australia - Fishman, Washington & Haworth, 2012
www.semanticscholar.org/paper...
[4] Gender differences in recreational and transport cycling: a cross-sectional mixed-methods comparison of cycling patterns, motivators, and constraints - Heesch, Sahlqvist & Garrard, 2012
ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/arti...
[5] Dutch Cycling - Bicycle Dutch
• Dutch Cycling - facts ...
I live for Bicycle Dutch

[@dk-gl]

How can a bike lane this narrow even be legal? Love the video!

[@leroyjamison5700]

You all prolly dont give a damn but does anyone know of a method to log back into an instagram account? I was stupid lost the login password. I love any help you can give me

[@alexzanderboston4571]

@Leroy Jamison instablaster ;)

[@mentorrrr]

And people say Melbourne is a bike friendly city. There’s so many opportunities for Melbourne to be a great walkable, bikeable and liveable city.

[@Magooch86]

lol I just watched a video of a Singaporean man praising our bike lanes. Usually we venerate Singapore for their infrastructure. I guess none of us will ever be happy.

[@idromano]

*Unprotected bike lanes are like a highlighter pen: they help citizens note the cyclists that already cycle there.* But won't really attract anyone until you have some level of protection.

[@naxxtor]

These lanes are really stupid. They seem to be a lazy answer to "we should do more for cyclists!". I don't like them as a cyclist OR a driver - I don't feel safe cycling in them, and I don't feel like I'm being safe driving next to them. Also, they make drivers think that cyclists *must* be in them at all times, and they get angry at cyclists when they are not. #paintisnotinfrastructure

[@derekjolly3680]

One thing I have noticed is that nothing is as bad as it seems at first glance when you are totally not used to it. Locals just pick up on the tricks with the cycling situation, and a good rider adapts rapidly. It is debatable as to whether having these kinds of minimal bike lanes are an improvement or not. It all just depends on individual locales.

[@mosardilla]

Great video, I can relate to everything you mention

[@thatsweetgoldenclimb]

Great video! 🚴

[@MaxMautner]

I just visited Melbourne, but didn't step onto a bike. Thanks for the video footage, I hope more protected bike lanes get built.

[@LauraSeabrook]

Having watched several NOT JUST BIKES videos I can tell what the problem is just by the preview! I rode bicycles for many years I know that car drivers do NOT watch out for bike riders in bicycle lanes. Painted ditches are no solution.

[@kramasmusic8731]

I personally love to ride in Melbourne on these lanes . I think it makes riding interesting and fun but I can see why people might not feel safe as well.

[@Sleetstream]

Cyclist is also a road user.

[@Dark__Thoughts]

What the fuck are those little curb scratcher lanes?! That looks like maybe 60cm of space, which is smaller than my handlebars.

[@jakeysnakey1880]

I used to ride to work almost every day in Melbourne. It worked wonders for my health and fitness, and was nearly 3x faster than public transport. But the number of near-misses I've had with doors, close passbys, being right-hooked etc just isn't sustainable. I've had to stop because it's just too dangerous, and I'm going to get myself killed sooner or later if I keep it up.

[@berniasd012]

just moved to melbs, and im a bit confused like sometimes there is no way to take a right at an intersection, you have to go to hte car lane which goes to the right, kinda unefficient and not sofa, but maybe i just need more to time to get the hang of it. But needless to say it is nowhere to amsterdam for example, althou adam is not a metroploice

[@0KiteEatingTree0]

Its only slightly better in parts of the UK. As a Londoner I never felt comfortable to ride. I'm now in the 'New Town' of Telford.(51 years old) All bike marked bike lanes are 'shared use' or unmarked. Some are within a foot of a dual carrigeway (50mph speed) with barely a division just a few inches of kerb. And yet the town authority is proud of its 'excellent cycling of walking' in the area. The Dutch use a method of planning which translates as 'Disentanglement'. Basically the seperation of cars, bikes AND pedestrians. But even the Dutch had to campaign for this at least a decade ago, and made the right decision.

[@SomeYouTubeGuy]

If you coloured the pavement red instead of green you could leave the lane there and it would highlight perfectly the dangerous door zone from parked cars.

[@SomeYouTubeGuy]

Another way to look at it is to image a mum walking down it with a baby in a pram. Would she walk down the door zone path and feel safe or the segregated path? Only one of them makes sense.

[@HelloOki]

I just got a scooter. I got hit and knocked off today by a car who ran a stop sign. I've only had my scooter for 6 days. If there were car in the lane beside me, I would have been double hit and likely dead. I know I am going to die on my scooter because of obnoxious, irresponsible cars. To save lives, the car parking spaces must be on the right of the bike lane.

[@smitajky]

I have had a few near misses from cars parked on the right of the bike lane on the St Kilda to Port Melbourne stretch. A car driver gets out of the car but then swings open the passenger door across the bike path and pulls out a pusher for her child. Placing it across the remainder of the path and requiring a panic brake. She apologised of course. It is IMPOSSIBLE to make streets safe if you permit parking. Sooner or later that will have to be addressed. Without ANY parked cars the problem goes away. Public property with a very expensive heavy surface is too expensive to waste in this way. Off road parks MUST be both provided AND compulsorily used by everyone.

[@_Only_Zuul]

i stopped riding my bike years ago out of fear of getting killed by a car, and rightly so.

[@sg7392]

A lot of places in Melb their is a 60cm wide cycle lane next to a 3-4 M wide footpath. Put the cycle lane on 1m of footpath. Cyclists and cars have never been a good mix in Melb and never will. I think separation is the only safe way.

[@wosamosman9814]

Designed by people who never rode bikes ever 😂😂😂

[@gbrowne890]

I use the bike lane just like cars do: when it's convenient

[@MrTripleXXX]

Annnd this is why when riding my bike I usually stick to the footpaths. I don't care if it's "illegal". Some of these bike lanes are fucking dangerous.

[@nanadrastina180]

Nice Information, the way i like Melbourne. But in my Country sometimes the car are Stopped in bicycle's line way. 😣

[@beaudjangles]

I actually feel safer cycling in my hometown of Morwell (regional vic) because I just take the lane whereas in melbourne I had to use the bike lane and risk getting car doored. However, getting between towns out here is absolutetly horrific, I would only wish it on Putin.

[@Flix-f6q]

Voice is too monotonous. Unwatchable. The club sound music does not help.

[@Bazrad68]

I don’t ride in bike lanes in Melbourne. I only ride on bike trails and do not commute using a bike.

[@petergibson7287]

The part at the end referencing the obesity epidemic is somewhat of a reach and is plain wrong. A genuinely obese person is probably very lazy by nature and is never going to ride a bike anywhere ever. Improving cycling infrastructure won't matter to them, and it won't help them.

[@TeamOrbitRL]

it prevents more people from becoming obese and teaches the next generation to stay active and healthy.