Jonathan Nolan, of Revitalise Sydney Road, said the congested street needed separated bike lanes, for safety and to reduce congestion. Cyclists ride along Sydney Road in a tribute to Alberto Paulon who was killed in a dooring incident one year ago on the road. Credit:Justin McManus "We want to see walking, riding and trams prioritised," Mr Nolan said. "As population grows, that's the best way to ensure most people enjoy Sydney Road." Mr Paulon's death, when he was knocked into the path of a passing truck by a woman who opened her car door, was one of 223 recorded crashes along Sydney Road between 2006 and 2015.

The Andrews government has since spent $1.6 million on new safety measures for cyclists on Sydney Road, including a permanent 40 km/h speed limit, green bike lanes and warning stamps on the road. Credit:Josh Robenstone But those measures were dismissed as little more than window dressing by organisers of Friday's protest ride, and by one of Melbourne's foremost cycling crash researchers, Cameron Munro, who collated 10 years of crash data to reveal Melbourne's worst crash black spots, as well as the most common crash types. Five of the top 10 streets for crashes are in the City of Melbourne - St Kilda Road, Elizabeth Street, La Trobe Street, Collins Street and Swanston Street. Others in the top 10, including Chapel Street and Brunswick Street, mostly share the common trait of cyclists riding on busy streets beside parking spaces that have a high turnover of cars.

"Critically, there is just that movement of motorists across where the bike riders are going," Mr Munro said. "This is creating all the conflict." Melbourne City councillor Cathy Oke, who chairs the transport portfolio, said the city had invested heavily in building safer cycling corridors, on Swanston Street, William Street and La Trobe Street. Cr Oke lamented the new tram super stops on Elizabeth Street had been built without adequate consideration for cyclist safety, but said this was not a council project. The number of crashes on Melbourne's roads is gradually increasing, suggesting cycling safety is not keeping pace with the growth in cycling as a transport mode, Mr Munro said.

VicRoads data shows the number of cyclists on Melbourne roads and trails has risen 32 per cent in 10 years. Mr Munro said the reduced speed limit on Sydney Road was welcome but did not address car doorings, the biggest cause of crashes on the street "The fundamental issue is you've got bikes riding along in close proximity to cars drivers flinging open their doors and that has not changed," Mr Munro said. "There has been nothing changed that would reduce the likelihood of a fatality like [Alberto Paulon] happening again today." But VicRoads chief executive John Merritt said the roads authority had not finished with plans to improve safety and amenity on Sydney Road. In March the authority will meet with council, traders, cyclist groups and Public Transport Victoria "to set a vision for how Sydney Road can operate at its best for everyone over the long term", Mr Merritt said.

"Thousands of people access Sydney Road every day and we need to ensure that people can use the area and move through it as easily as possible," he said.