YarraBUG

Val and Faith catch up in the studio and share their bike moments, a green wave for Val on the way to the studio this morning and another milestone celebrating almost Mothers Day and almost 100 women in the Wheel Sisters program in Merri-bek for Faith. We take a look at some news including; updates from Queenslands' attempts to work out a way forward with e-bikes, and the Yarra Council meeting on Tuesday where the proposals for Wellington Street will be considered. Read about what has changed and how you can get involved at Say Yes to a New Wellington Street. We also take a moment to ponder the State Budget 2026-2030 released last week and what is in it for active trasnport? As that proves to be a very short conversation we dissect the gender lens Victoria has used to provide an analysis of the budget and its impact on women, or is it more a case of rose coloured glasses?

On this weeks program we're doing a hour long program as a treat with two interviews.First up: Chris catches up with Erin and Liam from the Nicer Wellington Street crew about advocating for a leafier, quieter, and safer Wellington Street for everyone in the week before a crucial vote at the next Yarra Council Meeting on 12 May 2026.Erin and Liam discuss supporting Option 1 for both Wellington Street - South and Wellington Street - North, building community support in Clifton Hill and Collingwood, with over 900 names in support, improving canopy cover, road design, improving resident amenity, parking issues, writing to councillors, Yarra receiving $3m per year from Congestion Levy for active transport projects, and challenging confusion and misinformation, including cross street traffic fears and that the north section of Wellington Street could be closed to local traffic.Second chat: Cr Eleanor Freeman from City of Adelaide talks about a recent feasibility assessment to create pop up bike lanes due to Australia's ongoing fuel crises.Eleanor discusses creating safe conditions for new and intending riders, keeping the city open, working on network gaps, new cycling strategy as part of City of Adelaide Integrated Climate Strategy 2030 and working towards a more strategic approach with South Australia state government (Party leader backs pop-up bikeways in Adelaide CBD, Pop-up bike lanes mooted for Adelaide streets)News includes Alphington Link to be completed due to state government implementing the Transport Integration Act so that 120m of shared trail can finally be constructed after a insane 37 year wait, Ride & Stride e-bike subsidies for Merri-bek families, a fabulous BikeRave Melbourne ride on the weekend just gone, Critical Mass on 29 May 2026, Maribynong Council investigating a pop up bike lane program and Sydney Road issues due to looming Level Crossing works. (The 9km corridor that’s recorded 279 cyclist crashes but still doesn’t have a protected bike lane)Program musicScratching, Malvern StarStreets of your town, The Go-betweensSource, Tycho

Faith and Val are joined in the studio by Dr Afshin Jafar, Research Fellow at RMIT University. We all share our bike moments and wax lyrical about Friday evening's Critical Mass ride along Sydney Road to protest the diabolical detours proposed by the LXRP while the Upfield Path is closed for construction. Dr Jafar reminds us that in addition to the well known benefits of bike riding and the community it builds, like Critical Mass, we also need quantifiable benefits to support business cases for infrastructure that allows people to move around safely by bike. Finding a way to model these benefits to specific contaxts has remained a challenge which is why RMIT has been working on a tool for bicycle infrastructure investment analysis. With greater nuance in its modelling of the diversity of riders the tool combines spatial, infrastructure and safety data integration, demand forecasting and econometric scenario projections to understand how to best achieve successful rollouts that maximise the benefits of cycling as a transport mode. A recent case study in Bendigo provides some insight into how the tool might work. While we ran out of time to mention it on the program don't forget that Melbourne Bike Rave is coming up this coming weekend!

On this weeks program we're having a musical interlude including a new release from locals Scratching. Back in a fortnight!Program musicSia, Riding on my bikeSleepy Dreamers, Bike songScratching, Malvern StarEvalyn Parry, Two wheeled words, to wield wordsEels, 3 speedHey Ocean!, BicycleKing Curly, Riding in the darkHymner feat. Alessandra, BicycleMaika Loubte, Ride My Bike

On this weeks show, Chris catches up with Kathryn Good from the Story Bridge Active Transport Alliance about last weeks E-mobility Critical Mass protest ride in Brisbane against proposed amendments to Queensland e-bike legislation.Speakers from SNAP ACTION: Defend Legal E-Bikes - Critical Mass Ride included Andrea Herklots, EveryBody Electric Bikes and Matthew Burke, Bicycle Queensland.If you're in Queensland (or Queensland adjunct) please make a submission before 10 April 2026.See E-Mobility Inquiry Committee, Transport and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026, news articles: ‘If they want us on the roads, we’re getting on the roads’: Riders plot peak-hour protest and Backlash over pending Queensland e-bike licence laws.Local news includes a fabulous April 1st media release from the Department of Pedalling and Perspiration about their new Ride to Save scheme, ongoing energy and transport issues, see Why affordable alternatives to the car have never mattered more,  Wellington Street in the news: Wellington Street wars: The plan dividing Collingwood and Clifton Hill,  April Fool: Why paying cyclists isn’t such a joke and have a look at Modal filters in the inner north, North Richmond Bike Bus: Sunday Ride on 19 April, Critical Mass possibly heads north on Friday 24 April. Elizabeth Street update: if you haven't seen the dinky little red bollards yet and narrowed conditions for people parking their cars and trying to ride past, general advice is to monitor, document, report and repeat.Program musicHONNE, BIKE

Faith and Val are joined in the studio by Curtis Hatton of Bike Rave Melbourne. We all share a bike moment before taking a look at some recent news including the Victorian government's announcement of free public transport for one month from April 1st. With limited public transport accessibility in many parts of Melbourne shouldn't some pop-up style bike lanes be part of the solution? Talk turns to Bike Rave Melbourne, another enduring grassroots bike event that will be celebrating it's 13th year in 2026. With a line up of four DJs, the promise of epic playslists and a theme of Deluxe Disco this year's event on May 2nd promises to be epic. Melburn Roobaix may have left a hole in this year's bike calendar in Melbourne but maybe this is a way to fill it? You can find all the details and FREE registration for updates at @bikeravemelbourne or Bike Rave Melbourne on FB

On this weeks program Chris talks to numerous guests about the Elizabeth Street protected lanes protests, media coverage and ongoing issues (apologies for audio quality), including reels from Gabrielle and Sophie, College Street Cycleway history and critique and timeline of last weeks events leading to the protected lanes demolition.Local news includes, Ride to School Day, Australia's looming energy crisis, Victoria’s Active Transport Plan announcement and Critical Mass rides west this Friday 27 March to support BikeWests call for improved infrastructure.Ongoing Elizabeth Street works: Bicycle Networks 25 March article includes more useful detail than Yarra Councils Roadworks update.In March 2026 with a looming national petrol crisis and crunch time for many household travel budgets, it is an indictment on the Victorian Government that neither Minister stepped up to stop demolition of Elizabeth Street protected lanes exactly when people need safe, economical transport options.Action you can take nowEmail 1: Contact Ministers: Why doesn’t the Victoria Government support it’s own Active Transport Plan?Email 2: Contact Yarra Council: Immediate action required: Fix Elizabeth Street, Richmond Safety issuesMedia CoverageThe Age: Bobcat and protesters take to Richmond bike corridor being narrowed for car spaces Media Release – Yarra Council Rips Up Bike Lanes – “Road Safety” Minister Lets It Happen ‘Used to be the most progressive’: Yarra Council begins narrowing bike lanes to make room for car spaces Inner City News: Cyclists protest Yarra’s Elizabeth St bike lane downgrade in Richmond Drive.com.au – ‘Back to the people’: Cyclists outraged after introduction of new car parksProgram musicKing Stingray, Camp dogBonobo, Linked

Val and Faith kick off the show with their bike moments and collectively appreciate the recent shift to autumn. We chat about the recent death of two teenagers in Queensland on an 'e-bike', although its hard to know much about the circumstances at this point. We also remind listeners that the Elizabeth Street protected bike lanes are being ripped up this morning ahead of the re-sheeting of the road and the rebuilding of the lanes in a narrower, less safe configuration. When will the State Government take responsibility for Strategic Cycling Corridors? Not only are they langusihing from a lack of funding but with no one willing to take responsibility for the quality they are built to poor outcomes like that we're seeing on Elizabeth Street undermine local and state aspirations to active transport. Read about what you can do here.Val shares another favourite podcast episode about the history of 15 minute cities and we'll share the link here shortly!https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/15-minute-cities-how-urban-design-entered-the-culture-war/id1624704966?i=1000751221625

On this weeks show, Chris talks to Aaron Moon about the Parkville Gardens Bike Bus that rides every Friday morning during Term 1, a fun, active way for kids to get to Flemington Primary School together. The bike bus is a collab with several groups including Flemington Primary School, Moonee Valley Bicycle Users Group, Active Transport Moonee Valley, Dr Crankys, Ellen Sandell and City of Melbourne.Learn more: Bike Bus World, Bike Bus Toolkit (WA), Zero Carbon Merri-bek: Ride to school on a Bike Bus! (Vic), North Richmond Bike Bus (Vic) and Bayswater Bike Bus (WA).News includes another futile global fossil fuel conflict, now with even less oversight than the previous two Gulf Wars and more incomprehensibly stupid, refer to MUA: Australia's fuel insecurity exposed by global conflict & Climate Council: Fuel shock: why clean energy is our best defence, Bicycle Network Super Tuesday Bike Counts and a water main collapse on St George's Road South opposite Brunswick Oval. Program musicKing Stingray, Camp DogMGMT, Kids (Instrumental)HONNE, BIKE

On this weeks program Chris talks to two guests, first up Alex Lamb from Say YES to a new Wellington Street, a group of residents who support 'Option 1: shared street' for Wellington Street. Alex discusses Option 1 benefits, challenges, history, critiques the anti-Welllington Street campaign and how can people get involved, add their names to an open letter and get a corflute to show support for safer Wellington Street.Second guest is Aidan Barac-Dunn from Safer Streets for Richmond who currently have petition for Adopt safe 30km/h streets in Richmond. Aidan talks about simple steps to make local streets safer, including Speed Zoning Policy and signaling to the community what's possible.Local news includes Bike Fest: an epic all things Bikes, FREE fun day out Saturday 21st March, located outside Bike Hubs shop at 608 Barkly Street, West Footscray.Program music: H O N N E, BIKEFour Tet - Into Dust (Still Falling)Bonobo, Flashlight