The Greens have called for greater investment in bike lanes and signage in Melbourne's inner west after the death of a female cyclist who was hit by a truck in Yarraville on Friday night.

The woman was riding along Whitehall Street in Yarraville when the collision happened at the Somerville Road intersection shortly before 6:00pm.

Onlookers tried to help the woman but she died at the scene.

Detective Sergeant Darryl Out said it appeared the cyclist went through a green light, but a truck travelling from the same direction has turned left and struck her.

Police on the scene in Yarraville. ( ABC News )

"We would obviously stress for people to be careful when they are on the roads and to pay attention in particular to cyclists and pedestrians coming up to intersections so that we can avoid any more of these tragedies occurring," he said.

State Greens MP for the Western Metropolitan Region described the woman's death as an "unbelievable tragedy" but said cycling infrastructure in the area meant collisions were inevitable.

"My heart goes out to this young woman's family - but this was always going to happen. This is a really dangerous corner," she said.

She said truck traffic in the inner western suburbs had increased dramatically in the past 15 years.

"Living here, it can be just a nightmare," she said.

"They need signage. They need separation between trucks and cars and bikes. They need better bike lanes, and we need designated routes for cyclists so they don't have to actually compete with trucks."

The Government said the proposed Western Distributor would help take trucks off suburban streets.

But Ms Hartland said the Government "should be doing the work now".

"The Government needs to really step up to the mark and stop saying all of this will be fixed with the Western Distributor, this is the work that should have been done in the past decade."

Cyclists call for improved bike lanes

Williamstown resident Donald Garner said he rode along the same path everyday and was at the intersection where the woman was killed a few minutes after the collision.

"I saw her lying on the road so I knew it was pretty serious," he said.

Cyclists use the bike lane where a woman was killed after being hit by a truck last night. ( ABC News: Karen Percy )

On Saturday morning, he placed a bunch of flowers at the scene as a mark of respect for the victim.

He said he wanted to see an improvement in the way vehicles and cyclists interacted including dedicated bike paths and separated lanes.

"When you ride regularly you know where the dangerous places are," he said.

"You know where the cars are going to jump the lights and you take more care."

Mr Garner said he had experienced motorists trying to "run him off the road" while riding along the route.

Detective Sergeant Out said the truck driver was assisting police with the investigation.