By Luke Voogt
Belmont traders have threatened legal action if bike lanes go ahead on High Street, following a council survey for the controversial plans.
Traders including baker Sean Clark told the Indy they would seek compensation if construction impacted their businesses.
“Any major construction works need to be done at night,” said Mr Clark, who is also Geelong Cycling Club’s track director.
“If they’re going to work during the day we’re not going to have any business.”
The warning came after council on Wednesday released the results of its 2611-person survey, in which 63 per cent voted for bike paths of some type.
No bike paths and minor treatments for cyclists to share the road was most popular of the survey’s four options, at 35 per cent.
But options 2A and 2B combined, both of which would see the street lose 30 carparks for separated bike paths, received 39 per cent of votes.
“Council can say whatever they like but option 2 is still two options,” Mr Clark said.
Cafe owner Kevin Dizdarevic also vowed to seek compensation if construction affected his business.
“We’ve just bought the business 13 months ago,“ he said.
“We’ve got staff and bills to pay.“
Mr Dizdarevic said 80 per cent of his customers were elderly and many were “computer illiterate”.
“I asked all the local residents if they’ve done (the survey) and they said no they didn’t.”
Clothing shop owner Vince Albanese also said the survey disadvantaged the elderly.
But cycling advocate and former Bikesafe president Barton van Laar said plenty of cyclists in their 60s and 70s did not use the internet either.
Mr van Laar welcomed the survey’s results, which he said showed “overwhelming” community support for bike lanes.
“It doesn’t surprise me,” he said.
“People want to see change in High Street and people don’t want it to continue to be a throughway.”
Mr van Laar said combining options 2A and 2B was fair given their similarity.
“It wouldn’t matter what the conclusion of the survey were, there would still be critics,” he said.
“There comes a point where council has to make a choice, they’ve made a concerted effort to get public consultation.”
Geelong Mayor Bruce Harwood and council chief executive officer Martin Cutter were yet to commit to an option.
But Mr Cutter said the survey showed support for “higher“ levels of change while Cr Harwood said the data would form “part of our decision-making”.
Acting director city services Vicki Shelton said the survey results reflected Geelong’s demographics.
