No action on motorcycle parking

Motorcycles parked on CBD footpaths will remain legal following investigation by the City of Melbourne.

Councillors in May asked officers to investigate whether motorcycles in narrow streets were impeding pedestrians.

Acting engineers services manager Michael Norton reported to the October 13 Future Melbourne Committee meeting that surveys were conducted in July, August and September but no real problem was found.

“Given that no inappropriate motorcycle parking was observed on the narrow footpaths in the little east-west streets, it is considered unnecessary to install signage prohibiting the parking of motorcycles on the narrow footpaths,” Mr Norton’s report reads.

“It is possible that motorcycles may sometimes be parked on the narrow footpaths, however there were no recorded observations of this during any of the survey periods,” Mr Norton said.

Mr Norton’s report said: “Motorcycles are a space saving, convenient and lower cost alternative to private cars, and are well suited to the city‘s inner urban areas."

"As such, motorcycling can play an important role in supporting the city’s liveability by taking pressure off the road network and reducing congestion.”

Transport chair Cr Cathy Oke appeared unconvinced and proposed a unanimously-successful motion which sends officers back to have another look at the narrow streets every six months.

The council will, by December, convert 20 car parking spaces into free motorcycle spaces at an estimated annual lost of parking revenue of $108,000.