The election of Sally Capp as lord mayor marks a new era for the City of Melbourne. Her decision to sign off on a breakthrough cycling transport discussion paper could revolutionise how Melburnians get around. If Capp can deliver on her election promise to build more protected bicycle lanes, she will be rewarded by the voters in 2020.

Lord mayor Sally Capp and transport portfolio chair Nic Frances-Gilley launching the council's cycling strategy. Simon Schluter

When such economic powerhouses as Google are deciding where to place their head office in Australia, infrastructure that allows employees to stay active is key. Employers in Melbourne have voted with their dollars in support of cycling, investing heavily in end-of-trip cycling facilities to attract the best talent.

While the private sector surged ahead, the Doyle years were tough for active transport at Town Hall. The old guard of Melbourne misunderstood cycling, seeing it as a fringe issue rather than essential infrastructure needed to maintain Melbourne’s status as the world’s most liveable city.

Doyle oversaw a stagnant bicycle budget and briefly advocated for such retrograde ideas as returning cars to Swanston Street. There were a few notable exceptions, such as Latrobe Street, but for the most part the City of Melbourne has been building painted bicycle lanes that do little to encourage people to get on their bikes.

The 2016 census delivered an emphatic verdict on Doyle’s painted bike lanes. The percentage of people who live in the inner suburbs and use active transport to get to work in the city has flatlined. You might see more bikes on the road but these numbers are not keeping up with Melbourne’s astronomic population growth.

While Melbourne stood still such cities as New York, Paris, and London leapt ahead, ditching paint and building extensive networks of protected bicycle lanes. These cities have learnt that active transport infrastructure is essential to remain globally competitive.

The council’s new discussion paper on cycling is aimed at turning Melbourne around. Its survey of inner Melbourne commuters revealed why Doyle’s paint wasn't working. It found that only 22 per cent feel confident enough to ride on a painted bicycle lane. If we provide protected infrastructure, 83 per cent would give cycling a go. With so few able to access their work on comfortable routes, it's no wonder Melbourne is falling behind.

The paper suggests fully protected cycle ways radiating out in all directions from the city. Protected lanes would extend all the way to the intersection, rather than disappearing where they are needed most. Young and old could cycle around our great city without fear from traffic.

Work commuting is not the only trip for cycling, and the council recognises that we need to build a network for all road users. The average trip to work in Melbourne is 15 kilometres, longer than many bike-loving Europeans would ever attempt. It’s smart to focus on getting people on bikes for shorter trips – to school, the shops and the local train station.

Capp has first-hand experience of how successful cities build active transport infrastructure. She was Victoria’s agent-general in London when Boris Johnson was mayor. Rather than building one or two lanes slowly, Johnson now advocates going “straight in with a massive program of segregated cycle superhighways”. Building a complete network in one go is the best way to get people on their bikes.

To show that the dark days of Doyle are over, the council should act immediately to implement four actions:

Follow Sydney’s lead and create a dedicated active transport unit within City of Melbourne, reporting directly to the director of city design.

Trial the removal of through traffic on Flinders Lane and allow bicycles to travel in both directions for local trips.

Install protected lanes on Exhibition Street.

Demand Melbourne Metro build protected bicycle lanes as part of the new Domain, CBD North, Parkville and Arden train stations.

These actions will help build momentum towards a full roll-out of protected bicycle lanes early in Capp’s second term.

Change is never easy. The council will need to build a broad coalition to reallocate road space. Successful mayors have rallied business support to build large networks early in their term, reaping the benefits of new infrastructure well before the next election rolls around.

With her close links to the business community, Capp has the right skills to get the job done.

Jonathan Nolan is an emergency department doctor in Melbourne and spokesman for the Melbourne Bicycle Users Group.