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Mark Hinchliffe·
Motorbike news
··11 Comments·1 min read

Motorcycles should use bike lanes

Bike lanes lane filtering ride to work tax congestion

Motorcycles should be allowed to share bike lanes under certain conditions, according to national rider groups.

They are calling for the bike-lane plan to be included in the lane-filtering laws being introduced in Victoria from September 1.

VicRoads Director of Vehicle and Road Use Policy spokesman James Holgate has confirmed they are considering the proposal after it was recommended in a 2014 online cycling survey.

READ ABOUT THE SURVEYCyclists in bike lanes

“VicRoads is considering the (lane-filtering) law in other states but also recognises that Victoria has some unique situations, eg trams, that will need to be accommodated,” says. “The pros and cons of filtering in bicycle lanes or other special purpose lanes has been raised by various stakeholders and are being considered. No decision has yet been made.”

Long-term motorcycle advocate Rodney Brown has made an application to State Member for Macedon Mary-Anne Thomas for the use of bike lanes.

Rodney Brown bike lanes
Rodney Brown

“This recommendation is not for motorcycles and scooters to travel in bicycle lanes for the whole of their journey, only for the short parts of the journey where traffic is congested and a bicycle lane is available,” his submission says.

“This would have a number of benefits, including easing of traffic congestion, improving rider safety through reduced motorcycle and scooter crashes, better use of road space and an environmental win as a result of reduced emissions.”

His proposal is backed several rider advocacy groups, including the Victorian Scooter Riders Association and the popular motorcycle riders’ rights group, Freedom Riders Australia, who would like the plan introduced nationwide.

(We’d also like to see specially built bike pathways used by motorcycles at low speeds during peak hours when these expensive taxpayer-funded paths are almost empty.)Bike lanes

Rodney also suggests riders share bus and emergency lanes, and bicycle boxes at intersections, and have access to early getaway traffic signals with buses, trams and bicycles at major intersections.

And, in a bid to make legal footpath parking even more attractive for motorcyclists, Rodney has asked the government to construct semi-mountable kerbing in motorcycle precincts to allow safe, easy mounting and reversing back on to the road.

Do you agree with these suggestions?

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11 Comments

  1. Best idea, I thought of this a LONG time ago, at least now I can agree with those who have put it forward. A LOT of people are already for this, glad the people in power are hearing it.

  2. Dumb idea !! Next they will propose using nature strips or the footpath !!
    Lane filtering is enough. Let’s not get greedy .

  3. Seriously? Mixing with the slowest, least trained and most unpredictable road users. Recipe for disaster.

  4. The idea of using bicycle lanes is great. As long as they are free of cycles and used at a slow pace. ( around 20-30 kph).
    The cycle boxes at intersections is also a good idea.
    I don’t like the idea of using paths though.
    Pedestrian traffic may be light at those hours but I really believe that this will be abused and that the inevitable outcome of pedestrian injury or death will occur.

  5. There are no motorcycle/bicycle fatal accidents every year… and I can’t recall any injuries either?

    Bicycles and motorcyclists already share most of the road without problems… except with cars… which knock both of us over on a regular basis.

    A bit more sharing is unlikely to be a problem?

    🙂

  6. The idea of using bicycle lanes is great. As long as they are free of bicycles and used at a slow pace ( around 20-30 kph). But there would have to be strictly limited areas where this could be done.
    Use of cycle boxes at intersections is also a good idea.
    But, while practical, cyclist mums and dads would be VERY concerned to see a motorcycle of any size approaching their cycling children on the same strip of narrow pathway. And there’ll always be the idiots who will speed and blow the whole thing out of the water.
    Lets just start with uniform lane filtering laws first (and maybe use of the green cycle areas).

  7. RIding a motorcycle on cycle path whilst in principle is a great idea but in reality i have trouble riding a pushbike safely on them not due to my personal ability but because of people who either don’t know or are just plain idiots make it dangerous

  8. allowing motorcycles to use bike lanes will make it safer for cyclists also.
    Motorists tend to forget that the lanes are there and they lack respect for cyclists so they will encroach on the lanes or cross them without looking for cyclists but motorcycles are another thing, they have lights horns and breaks that are far superior to that of a push bike and they have an engine so they can chase down a poorly behaved driver and have words with them.
    This makes drivers fear and respect motorcyclists far more than cyclists so knowing that a motorcycle may be traveling in a cycle lane will keep cars out of them and make most drivers look twice before crossing them.

  9. Just for the record – no. The point of on-road bike lanes is to separate cyclists from faster, heavier motor vehicles – which includes motorbikes. And the idea that motor vehicles – which is what motorbikes are – should be on footpaths and bike paths is ridiculous. What next – trucks on footpaths?

  10. A bit late to the cause, I know, but Australia is far behind in this area and hasn’t learned a thing from past mistakes of being stingy and cheap ( narrow train lines, lack of space for streets in cities”brisbane”, NBN) Our policy makers never prepare and only “react” to issues when they get so bad they can no longer be ignored and the whole thing becomes a whole lot more expensive and requires a larger investment at one time.

    Australia must be more pro-active and look at the densest cities and countries in the world for it’s answers to these inevitable problems we are beginning to face.
    Cyclists (powered or not) are reducing congestion and reducing, even eliminating wear on the roads. So why do we punish scooters/motorcycles with absurd registration costs and neglect the value of their lives by throwing them into the same lanes as heavy vehicles. Taiwan is one country I have first hand experience with that has well developed transport system regarding all motor vehicles uses.
    Australia could just about copy and paste. Translation is about 200 bucks, and change right-side to left.

    Hopefully Australia isn’t just holding out for Autonomous vehicles to solve their problems for them.

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