A promise to reduce the high number of bicycle crashes on one of Melbourne's busiest inner-city streets is in limbo after a local council rejected a radical bike lane design proposed by government authority VicRoads.

The design, for Chapel Street in Prahran - a busy cycling route that is also one of Melbourne's premier strips for shopping and street life - proposed a narrow, brightly painted bike lane alongside the tram corridor, in a bid to cut the risk of cyclists riding into opened car doors.

A cyclist navigates Chapel Street, one of Melbourne's worst spots for so-called doorings. Credit:Wayne Taylor

Chapel Street is one of the city's worst places for so-called doorings. More than a third of 86 reported bike crashes on the street between 2007 and 2011 were from doorings, according to VicRoads. The street is narrow and congested, with heavy car traffic, on-street parking and Melbourne's slowest trams.

The Napthine government last year committed $275,000 for new bike lanes for Chapel Street, but the project has stalled due to conflict over the bike lane's design, with Stonnington City Council this week rejecting VicRoads' proposal and calling for more consultation. VicRoads had originally hoped to have completed the project by early this year.