More people riding bikes is one of the keys to a sustainable future. An effective way to encouraging cycling is to provide safe and well-connected infrastructure. In many parts of metropolitan Melbourne, riding a bike is simply far too dangerous, or there are major missing links in the network that make riding a bike slow and inconvenient.

The Victorian Government recently installed pop-up bike lanes along Heidelberg Road, providing a vital, safe link for cyclists in the area. The lanes provide direct access across Merri Creek, meaning that the bike ride between Fairfield and Clifton Hill is now safe and direct. The route is growing in popularity. Importantly, the elderly can be seen riding bikes along this route, as can parents with children. These are key indicators that the lanes are achieving their goals - providing safe cycling access for all.

The Heidelberg Road bike lane is under threat, though. Some residents and businesses are unhappy about the removal of parking and a traffic lane and are petitioning to have the bike lane removed. The aim of this petition is to gather a show of support for these bike lanes - and to indicate that there is a great appetite for more safe cycling infrastructure across all of Melbourne and Victoria.

We ask the Ben Carroll, the Minister for Roads and Road Safety, to:

• Continue the Heidelberg Road bike lane trial to completion,
• Fast-track the other 100km of safe and connected pop-up bike lanes across metropolitan Melbourne