CYCLISTS want bike lanes created on roads around Hepburn Shire, so they no longer feel as though they are putting their lives at risk when they venture out for a ride.
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Blampied resident Mara Ripani, like a growing number of others, made the move from Melbourne to regional Victoria some time ago.
She has been cycling for 20 years and amazingly, only bought her first car at the age of 32.
Ms Ripani loves the 'pure joy' and freedom of riding her bike, along with all the other benefits of using one as a primary mode of transport - a bike is a much less costly mode of transport than a car (no registration, insurance, petrol or mechanical costs to pay), it is much less damaging to the environment but significantly benefits her mental and physical health.
But when she moved to Hepburn Shire a few years ago, she stopped riding as much as she did in Melbourne - where there are lower speed limits and more cycling infrastructure - as she feels there is not enough room for cyclists on country roads.
She feels this most keenly when she rides her bike from her home in Blampied along the Midland Highway into Daylesford - a route with steep hills, sharp bends and a significant portion of the route through the forest - describing it like putting her life at risk every time she does.
While the ride into town is only 10 minutes by car, it requires a lot of physical exertion on a bike so she recently had hers retrofitted with an electric motor, to make it easier to get into town to shop and be a part of the community.
But even as a seasoned cyclist, she is afraid of riding on that stretch of road - with cyclists forced to share it with cars and trucks travelling at more than 80-kilometres an hour.
"What tiny teeny room does exist [for cyclists] is made up potholes, gravel and varied surfaces," she said.
Expressing her frustration on social media last week, Ms Ripani has since been contacted by almost 50 other cyclists in Hepburn who have all expressed a similar desire to feel safer on the roads so they can ride more often.
Their call is strengthened by the fact that two people have died while cycling on roads in the Hepburn region during the past two years - Mark Spenceley as he rode on Creswick road at Clunes in March 2019 and a cyclist in his 50s as he rode along the Midland Highway at Eganstown in August this year.
"Everyone has said the same thing - they feel that they're really putting themselves in harm's way when they do go for a ride and yet they love cycling."
Everyone has said the same thing - they feel that they're really putting themselves in harm's way when they do go for a ride and yet they love cycling.
- Mara Ripani
The cyclists believe they would feel safer with the creation of bike lanes, so they have the option of travelling across the Hepburn region without feeling so threatened by the cars and trucks speeding past.
They believe there is adequate space for this - it simply needs to be paved.
Aside from the safety argument, Ms Ripani, who was an environmental educator for more than 20 years, said making Hepburn Shire more cycle-friendly was in line with the community's Z-NET emissions plan - a 10-year plan which is pushing the community towards reaching zero-net emissions by 2029.
She said country living did not mean people should need to rely on cars as a primary mode of transport.
With a large part of the shire's emissions private transport use, transitioning to cycling or walking for shorter trips, ride-sharing and more energy-efficient or electric vehicles forms a significant portion of the plan.
While the Midland Highway is a state government-managed road, Hepburn Shire chief executive officer, Evan King, said council would be supportive of initiatives to make the shire more bike-friendly.
"Providing more opportunities for people to ride their bikes safely promotes better health, it's good for the environment and encourages connections in the community," he said.
Birch Ward councillor, Jen Bray, said she would also be supportive of plans for a more bike-friendly shire.
Responding to questions from The Courier about creating more bike lanes in Hepburn Shire, a spokesperson said the Victorian Government was "focused on improving safety for all road users, which is why we're introducing mandatory minimum passing distances next year".
This change means drivers must give cyclists at least one-metre clearance when overtaking on roads with speed limits up to 60km/h and 1.5 metres on roads with speed limits above 60km/h.
"This will improve cyclist safety and give motorists more certainty by making it mandatory for motorists to give cyclists space on the roads and ensure passing distance rules are clear for all road users," they said.
RRV is planning shoulder sealing works for the Midland Highway in the Dry Diggings area, which the spokesperson would improve safety for cyclists and motorists.
They added that Regional Roads Victoria (RRV) was continuing to look at ways to improve active transport in the Hepburn Shire area.
