Life can flash before cyclists’ eyes on busy Footscray Road. A new 2.5km veloway will change that

3 hours ago 3

Even Cadel Evans – one of Australia’s most decorated cyclists – has had plenty of those heart-in-mouth moments where a truck has veered far too close to his bike while on a ride.

But a new cyclist-only path rising far above Footscray Road will stop that horrible feeling, which has been a daily occurrence for commuter cyclists in Melbourne’s west.

Former Tour de France winner Cadel Evans and Holly Reynolds, 7, of Footscray, on the newly opened Dixon Veloway.

The Dixon Veloway, a 2.5-kilometre “green snake” which opened on Sunday, extends from Shepherd Bridge in Footscray to the Moonee Ponds Creek in West Melbourne, saving cyclists from traversing truck-laden streets near the city’s port.

The section of Footscray Road that can now be bypassed has previously proved fatal. Cyclist Angus Collins, 22, died in February 2023 after he was hit by a turning truck at the intersection of Dock Link Road.

Former Tour de France winner and four-time Olympian Evans said travelling on roads with heavy traffic was “discouraging” for cyclists, and the new veloway would provide a safer alternative.

“Riding through Footscray Road was a bit messy, partly because of not having shoulders on the road,” he said.

“I think people who haven’t ridden don’t understand that when a car or truck passes nearby, you see your life flash by in front of you, and it stays with you for a long time. It’s intimidating, and we don’t want people to be discouraged from doing exercise.”

By taking the Dixon Veloway, which stretches 16 metres above the ground at its highest point, riders will avoid six intersections along Footscray Road.

Footscray local Nick Reynolds and his daughter Holly, 7, trialled the veloway on Sunday and said the cycling path might entice families in the area to give cycling a go.

“With a young family, it’s always really important we keep the kids active, so this is another opportunity to encourage them to get on the bike rather than sitting in front of the TV,” he said.

“It’s wonderful, just gives us another thing we can do with the kids.”

The path is named after Australian Cycling Hall of Famer Iris Dixon, who was a trailblazer for women in the sport post-World War II and won 16 road and track titles.

Her daughter, Denise Gillis, said the veloway, for kids and commuters alike, was a fitting tribute to a woman whose enduring love of the sport meant she cycled well into her 80s, before passing away in 2022 at the age of 91.

“From the age of four, my grandfather made [Dixon] a bike and she rode. She could never be beaten,” Gillis said.

“She had an accident in her 50s and broke two vertebrae, but it didn’t slow her down on the bike … she still got on the rollers almost every day.”

The veloway is fitted with 20 CCTV cameras, two emergency exits and netting in some sections to protect riders from West Gate Tunnel road debris.

Transport Infrastructure Minister Gabrielle Williams said those living nearby had been “chomping at the bit” to ride along the bike path.

“It is an incredibly important piece of active transport infrastructure dedicated for cyclists, and really aimed to improve the safety of cycling in Melbourne’s inner-west,” she said.

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