GET on your bike — that’s the call from the Melbourne City Council’s urban design guru who wants us to become a world-class cycling metropolis.

More dedicated bike lanes and less space for motor vehicles are on the cards with the council aiming for a 50 per cent jump in cycling trips to and from the inner city by 2016.

City design director Professor Rob Adams said Melbourne was set to become one of the world’s great cycling cities.

“Its typography, the nature of its streets lends itself to getting a bike system running through here that will be safe,” he said.

“It will be protected from the motor car by being dedicated. You don’t have to be a fitness fanatic, we’ll get out of Lycra and we’ll be riding in normal clothes.”

Prof Adams said that cycling was attractive because it was far more immediate than sitting in a car or using public transport.

“To me that’s exciting because that talks about the health of the city, people engaging, all those sorts of things,” he said.

media_camera Melbourne’s blue bikes for hire around the city.

Dedicated bike lanes have already been created in several major roads such as Swanston St, St Kilda Rd, Princes Bridge and Latrobe St.

Bicycle Network Victoria spokesman Gary Brennan said that cycling was a remarkable success story, with huge annual growth and many women riding to work compared with other Australian cities.

“But the popularity is outstripping the pace of infrastructure development by the State Government and councils,” he said.

media_camera Bicycle commuters make their way into the city of Melbourne. Pic. Nicole Garmston

RACV spokesman Dave Jones said that more bike lanes were needed, but they should be provided from on-street car parking spaces in certain areas, not vehicle lanes.

“In the inner city many roads are down to one or two lanes at intersections and we don’t think there’s much room to remove them even further,” he said.

“It’s important that people can access the city by walking, public transport and cycling, and many people still need to drive, with businesses relying on deliveries.”

Bicycle Network Victoria estimates that more than 10,000 cyclists enter the CBD daily.

john.masanauskas@news.com.au