Opinion: Driving like a cyclist is the ultimate traffic hack

As main roads become more and more congested, I find myself taking to the back roads almost daily – even following suggested bike routes. 

I don’t know many people who like sitting in traffic. Actually, scrap that, I don’t think I know anyone. 

But I do know people who will put up with traffic in order to take a simple route, usually on main roads and freeways, even if it means crawling along, sitting at lights or even spending chunks of the trip at a standstill. 

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Of course, sometimes this is unavoidable. But when there’s another way – well, that’s the way I’m going. 

Take the trip from my house to my daughter’s daycare, for example. There are two simple routes, both of which involve main roads that are always chock-a-block.

But I’ve found a better way. Instead of doing what the GPS suggests, I worked out I can take back streets all the way – even through a section that seems like a dead-end at first glance – simply by following the suggested bike route.

You know those bike symbols painted on the road, usually near a blue sign telling cyclists the most effective back streets from one activity centre to another? Turns out, in some cases at least, cars can follow them too.

Now, I’m not talking about dedicated bike lanes; those are for bikes alone, and you can be fined for driving across them unnecessarily. Nor am I suggesting you pull your car up onto a bike path – I hope I don’t have to explain why that would be bad.

What I’m referring to is suburban streets that are shared zones for bikes and cars, often marked with what is called a ‘sharrow’ – that bike symbol painted on the road – and sometimes accompanied by a blue directional sign.

Some councils – particularly in Melbourne – call them ‘Shimmy Routes’. They point bike riders to relatively quiet streets, allowing them to avoid main roads and busy thoroughfares without dedicated bike lanes.

The one I follow to daycare shaves a few minutes off my trip, but also keeps me moving, which in turn keeps me – and my daughter – sane.

And yes, I know, these routes are mapped out for cyclists’ safety, but drivers are allowed to use them so long as they are following road rules and keeping a safe distance from any cyclist they see. You know, the rules of driving on any road.

I also figure that by going a less popular way for cars, I’m slightly easing congestion on those main roads I’d otherwise be taking.

I’ve lived in the same area for about 20 years, and have seen the traffic on both the roads in question get worse and worse in that time. 

The data tells the same story – back in 2006, there were 2.9 million motor vehicles registered in Victoria, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

That data is now captured by the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics (BITRE), and the latest numbers show there were almost 5.7 million vehicles in Victoria as of 2025. That’s an increase of more than 96 per cent in fewer than 20 years.

Australia-wide, the number of vehicles has ballooned from 14.3 million to 22.3 million in the same period – by about 56 per cent.

Yes, there have been upgrades to roads and new ones built, but in many cities, there’s only so much that can be done to change existing infrastructure to cope with more road users.

In the case of the two main roads connecting my home and daycare, there’s no way to widen them; both are lined with homes and businesses. I’ve not seen either get a major upgrade in the past two decades and, according to the Victorian Government’s planned projects map, none are forthcoming.

So, I’ll keep using my little back-street bike route for this particular trip. For the record, I’ve never seen a cyclist using it anyway.

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