Category: Bike Advocacy

Advocating for bike riding

Categories
Anniversary Trail Ashwood electorate Bike Advocacy Boroondara Hawthorn electorate Kew electorate

BBUG asks for 2022 Victorian State Election

Anniversary Trail Toorak Rd bridge

BBUG is asking all candidates in the 2022 Victorian state election to commit to the following opportunities for improving cycling and increasing the number of bike trips for people of all ages.

Kew

  1. North East Bicycle Corridor / North East Link (including the Roseneath St Bridge)
  2. New shared path bridge at Chandler Highway for Anniversary Trail
  3. Walmer Street Bridge
  4. Popup bike lanes
  5. Active Travel to Schools

Hawthorn

  1. Hawthorn to Box Hill Trail
  2. Walmer Street Bridge
  3. Popup bike lanes
  4. Toorak Road Bridge on Anniversary Trail
  5. Active Travel to Schools

Ashwood

  1. Gardiners Creek Trail Toorak Road underpass flooding
  2. Toorak Road Bridge on Anniversary Trail
  3. Active Travel to Schools

State-wide issues

BBUG requests that:

  • 15% of the total Victorian transport budget be allocated to active transport, including the design and construction of safe cycling infrastructure to provide amenity for the use of bicycles across Victoria for healthy and low carbon emissions transport.
  • The State Government provide a minimum of $5 million funding for cycling infrastructure per electorate.

There are lots of potential projects that could be funded – either implemented by major projects, Council or the new Active Transport Team within Department of Transport.

Categories
Bicycle strategy Bike Advocacy Bike Path Boroondara Shared user path

Do you qualify for a footpath riding exemption?

One of BBUG’s members recently obtained an exemption and this is what they learned…

The road rules say:

Rule 250(1A)(b) amended by S.R. No. 96/2019 rule 11(5).

(b) the rider of the bicycle is 13 years old or older and—

(i) has a certificate signed by a registered medical practitioner; and

(ii) the certificate states that the rider has a disability or medical condition which makes it undesirable, impracticable or inexpedient for the rider to ride on the road; and

(iii) the rider is complying with the conditions (if any) stated on the certificate; and

(iv) if the disability or medical condition is of a temporary nature, the certificate contains an expiry date and has not expired; and

(v) the rider is carrying the certificate; and

(vi) the rider produces the certificate when requested to do so by a police officer or authorised person;

http://classic.austlii.edu.au/…/rsrr2017208/s250.html

Road Rule 250 1A(b) provides for a medical exemption for footpath riding issued by a registered medical practitioner on the basis of Disability or Medical Condition and worded as set out in the rules.

Continue reading “Do you qualify for a footpath riding exemption?”
Categories
Bicycle strategy Bike Advocacy Bike Path

Congratulations City of Yarra!

Congratulations to the City of Yarra for showing commitment to deliver safe walking and cycling infrastructure including a commitment to deliver more safe speed 30kmh zones.

Yarra’s transport strategy gets thumbs up
Categories
Bicycle strategy Bike Advocacy Bike Path Boroondara

A woman who rides to Hawthorn

Listen to Ruth Jelley as she describes her ride on her ebike from Northcote to Swinburne University, Hawthorn. She presented this slide deck to the Boroondara Council when they voted on the Boroondara Bike Strategy. Thanks for sharing Ruth!

Categories
Bicycle strategy Bike Advocacy Boroondara Submission

Boroondara Council approves 2022-2032 Bike Strategy

The Boroondara Services Delegated Committee met on 11 July 2022 to discuss and vote on the 2022-2032 Bike Strategy.

You can view consideration of the draft Bike Strategy in the video below.

Boroondara Special Service meeting 11 July 2022 – Bike Strategy starts at 22:09

There were several presentations from members of the public. The BBUG presentation to the meeting begins at 1:01:40.

In summary, BBUG opposed the Council Officer’s recommendation to remove the Glass Creek / Jacka Trail from the strategy because it prevents the construction of a safe cycling route for students to get to schools including Balwyn North Primary, Greythorn Primary, Balwyn High & Kew High.

It is unfortunate that misinformation has been spread about this route being “unsafe” and a “busy commuter route” when it would provide students the opportunity to ride safely to school and for people to access several local recreation reserves by bike. The trail would also suit pedestrians of all ages and dog walkers.

BBUG also submitted that its vital that Boroondara Councillors approve a bike strategy without further delays.

The BBUG submission to the meeting is here

Council then voted unanimously to approve the revised strategy.

Motion to approve Boroondara Bicycle Strategy – passed
Continue reading “Boroondara Council approves 2022-2032 Bike Strategy”
Categories
Bike Advocacy Boroondara

BBUG response to Council Officer’s report on Bicycle Strategy – it’s gone backwards

The Boroondara Services Delegated Committee is meeting on 11 July 2022 to consider the Council Officer’s Report on the Boroondara Bicycle Strategy.

Boroondara Bicycle Users Group (BBUG) is concerned that suggested amendments to the draft strategy and implementation plan (p24) will prevent the construction of a safe cycling route for students to get to schools including Balwyn North Primary, Greythorn Primary, Balwyn High & Kew High.

This route was included in the previous drafts of the bike strategy and implementation plan.

It is unfortunate that misinformation has been spread about this route being “unsafe” and a “busy commuter route” when it will provide students the opportunity to ride safely to school and for people to access several local recreation reserves by bike. The trail would also suit pedestrians of all ages and dog walkers.

We are surprised that several of the key findings of the Community and Stakeholder Engagement Report (p33) are negative towards cycling when there are many examples of shared paths such as the Anniversary Trail, Koonung Trail, Main Yarra Trail and Darebin Creek Trail providing good amenity to both bike riders and walkers.

Riding a bike is healthy, emissions free and convenient for both local and longer trips.

More trips by bike will also reduce congestion on busy roads.

However, the lack of safe cycling infrastructure and a well-integrated network of bike routes in Boroondara is a major disincentive for riding a bike for many Boroondara residents.

Over 321 people have now signed our petition asking Boroondara Councillors to approve the original draft Bicycle Strategy and Implementation Plan. BBUG considers that these versions should be adopted.

BBUG recommends that Boroondara Council provide bike infrastructure that is commensurate with the Vision in the strategy (p65) and on par with or better than bike infrastructure in the neighbouring local government areas of Yarra, Melbourne, Stonnington, Darebin, Monash and Whitehorse.

Our submission to the Boroondara Services Delegated Committee meeting is here.

We think it’s vital that Boroondara Councillors approve the new bike strategy without further delays.

What can you do?

Contact all Boroondara Councillors via phone or email and let them know you want them to approve the previous draft of the bike strategy.

Let them know why cycling is important to you.

Categories
Bike Advocacy Bike Path City of Melbourne

City of Melbourne pauses bike lanes

Boroondara BUG members attended the City of Melbourne Future Melbourne Committee meeting on 7 June 2022, along with over a hundred local bicycle advocates and residents from across Melbourne.

FutureMelbourne meeting attendees
Future Melbourne Meeting

Boroondara BUG’s submission to the meeting is here.

There were two hours of incredibly powerful speeches from Melbourne’s cycling community, including Boroondara BUG, asking the Council to continue their timely rollout of new bike lanes.

The council received 1,028 submissions in favour of continuing the bike rollout, and just 10 against.

Speakers included doctors, scientists, climate groups, transport groups, bicycle user groups, urban planners, theatre operators, residents and the wider community.

After 33 presentations in favour of continuing the rollout of the City of Melbourne bike network and none against, the amended motion passed by Councillors STILL deferred building bike lanes in the Hoddle grid.

This was a very disappointing outcome. We don’t think this was a “balanced decision”.

We think this unnecessary pause in rolling out safe separated bike lanes could cost more lives.

Links

Categories
Bike Advocacy Submission

Submission to City of Melbourne on the roll-out of the cycling network

The Boroondara Bicycle Users Group (BBUG) has a long history of advocacy for better bicycle infrastructure in Boroondara and beyond.  Many of our members and supporters cycle to and through the City of Melbourne and benefit from recent and ongoing improvements in safe cycling infrastructure.

Bike trips include commuting to work in Melbourne’s CBD, going shopping and recreational bike rides to and through central Melbourne.

We have been very pleased to see continued implementation of improvements for safe cycling across the city. We consider this to be of the utmost importance given the changes in transport that have occurred and that will occur as a result of the recent pandemic.

Traffic congestion has already returned to levels higher than before the pandemic and looks likely to stay this way for the foreseeable future.

Without significant and targeted investment in infrastructure and programs to make riding a bike safe, convenient and a competitive alternative to driving a car, motor vehicle use will continue to spiral upwards.  Every trip on a bike is one less car on the road.

We are concerned about a recent report that the City of Melbourne is considering scaling back plans to provide safe, separated bicycle lanes across the city in response to recent vocal criticism from business interests, AWU and some residents.

We support the City of Melbourne’s efforts to ensure our streets can be accessed by those that want to walk or ride as well as drive. People make the city, not cars or trucks.

No matter where we live, it’s important for everyone in our community to access and enjoy our streets. That means joining up the missing links in our walking and cycling networks with more footpaths and safe bike lanes and paths.

43% of cars in the City of Melbourne are simply travelling through, the city is not their destination

Before COVID, 7% of all people travelling into the CBD came by bike. Melbourne can attract many people back into the city who ride a bike by providing more safe routes both into and within the CBD. Bike parking space generates twice as much economic activity for local businesses as car parking space.

The more bikes are separated from cars the more space for drivers who do not have the option to ride a bike.  Improving safety for people riding and walking improves safety for all road users.

In addition, the economic activity generated by the Australian cycling sector is significant with a $3.4 billion in direct value add to our GDP, 34,295 direct (FTE) jobs, and Cycle tourism has a direct industry output of $1.2 billion annually.

We would welcome the opportunity to present our submission in person on behalf of the Boroondara Bicycle Users Group and its members.

See also

Categories
Bike Advocacy Boroondara

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Dr Monique Ryan (Kooyong) and Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah – Labor for Higgins on their election as MP’s for Kooyong and Higgins.

We look forward to them representing our community in federal parliament, and collaborating with the City of Boroondara to address climate change, particularly carbon emissions from transport via delivery of safe and connected cycling infrastructure.

Categories
Bike Advocacy Bike Path Boroondara

Dr Ryan has committed to securing funding for the Box Hill to Hawthorn

Boroondara BUG, Whitehorse Active Transport Advocacy Group, Metro East BUG and Rides Electric commend Dr Monique Ryan for her call on the Morrison government to commit to fund the Box Hill to Hawthorn cycling and walking path.

Dr Ryan has committed to securing funding for the Box Hill to Hawthorn shared path as one of her priorities if she is elected, and to work with Boroondara Council, the Victorian government and the Kooyong community to get it built.