The Victorian Greens will spend more than $2b building bike “superhighways” if elected in November.
The Greens are also promising public servants additional leave to have abortions and sex changes.
The party’s “Big Bike Build” plan, reported in the Herald-Sun and due to be announced this week, involves creating hundreds of kilometres of bike lanes across Melbourne and regional cities at a cost of $2.5b.
Victorian Greens transport spokesman Sam Hibbins said Victoria needed to increase expenditure on bike riding as a proportion of the total transport infrastructure budget from around one per cent to 20 per cent.
Hibbins said the Greens’ bicycle superhighway project would “no doubt” cause major disruptions to the layout of existing roads.
But it was needed so that Melbourne could become like international destinations such as London, Paris and Milan.
“There is a lot of people who want to ride, who have bought a bike and would like to ride a bike but just don’t feel safe to,” he said.
“A big bike build and increased funding for footpaths, pedestrian crossings and walkable neighbourhoods will cut emissions, improve safety and make it easier for people to get around.”
Victorian Greens leader Samantha Ratnam said providing leave for women having abortions would help to keep them in the workforce.
Victorian Greens leader Samantha Ratnam described the idea as “groundbreaking”.
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Author James Macpherson
