YarraBUG

On this weeks show: Chris chat to David Blom from Whitehorse Cyclists about utilising existing service roads across Melbourne and Victoria for cycling infrastructure. Local news includes good news from Parks Victoria about Gipps Street Steps, hopefully soon to be Gipps Street Ramp and looming accessibility issues in Walmer Street, Abbotsford for Main Yarra Trail users, where a developer has proposed Walmer Plaza, radically changing the existing cul-de-sac and potentially impinging on access and public land along the Yarra.

Val and Faith kick off a stunning autumn morning sharing their bike moments. We move on to news items, including the last days for feedback on the City of Yarra's Rushall Reserve designs, the Giro d'Italia, and the start of the Victorian Cyclocross season. We turn to the subject of lights on winter evenings (and mornings), blinking lights vs still lights, what works best, what doesn't work, safety, and also take a look at how other countries have regulated the use of lights. Are blinking lights as safe as many of us think they are? We finish off the show with some upcoming events including a ride on the Bendigo Rail Trail, Fields of Joy Cyclocross, a Pushy Women Excursion in Yarra  and Melburn Roobaix.

On this weeks show: Chris talks to Zoe Metherell about her and Madeline Farrugia creating the new “Share Rushall Reserve- Build The Path” facebook group and City of Yarra plans to finally connect Merri Creek Trail at Rushall Station and Rushall Reserve.The public survey for Rushall Reserve - Draft Design for Possible Shared Path is open for feedback until 20 May. We discuss last weekends community consultation in the reserve, a rich local history, trail design and existing trail issues for local walkers, parents, school children and bicycle riders.Local news includes CBAA petition against funding cuts to digital community radio and a meeting for Trees, parks and greenery: Open space in Brunswick on Tuesday 10th May, organised by Brunswick Residents Network.

Its a stunning autumnal Melbourne morning as Val and Faith are joined in the studio by Tina Thorburn of Melburn Hurt. We kick off the programme sharing our bike moments before taking a look at local news including; Melburn Hurt's first Alley Cat on the weekend, the Rushall Reserve - Build the Path submissions, interesting one-metre passing law submissions and recent news on Sydney Road accidents. Tina fills us in on Melburn Hurt and the community they have built around getting women onto track bikes and velodromes around Melbourne over the past six months including their plans for events in the near future and we finish up with some events coming up over the coming weekend and into the winter including a Projector Bike Ride and Pushy Women Training in Richmond.

On todays show, Chris replays a two-part interview from 2013 with Alan Parker OAM. Alan passed away on Easter Monday 2016. He was one of Victoria's first cycling advocates who worked alongside Keith Dunstan and Brian Dixon to establish the Bicycle Institute of Victoria in the early 1970s. Alans achievements included being founding member of the Bicycle Institute of Victoria, President, for 2 years, Research Officer, for 12 years, Vice-President, Bicycle Federation of Australia, member, State Government Bicycle Planning Committee, for many years, planning work, including the Geelong Bike Plan and other bike paths in Melbourne. He was also Acting President, Town and Country Planning Association, for 2 years, Vice-President; Committee Member, long time member of the Public Transport Users Association, as well as a 3CR presenter.Alan Parker PEST (People for Ecologically Sustainable Transport) was created by a small group of transport activists in 1996 to promote the need for an ecologically sustainable transport system. A transport system that greatly reduces road congestion, oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and increases the level of incidental exercise in travelling from A to B.Online Opinion: Bicycles: sustainable transport needs city infrastructure (30 May 2012)For 30 years I was an advocate for bicycle Infrastructure. For 10 years I was an advocate for electric bicycles. I did this for aged people like me, who are falling to bits, have dodgy hearts and hips and find it painful to walk. I got my OAM ‘gong’ due to referees who knew what I had achieved. As two of them told me, I was ‘gong worthy’ because I was a rat bag who made things happen. Now, with an OAM after my name, it makes advocacy easier.

Val and Faith welcome studio guest Rod Charles to the programme on a stunning autumn day! WE all share bike moments before touching on some local news including the last weeks of the Bike Spot project and the Amstel Gold Race. Talk soon turns to Rod and the second volume of his books documenting the history of cycling in Geelong. A Whirr of Many Wheels Vol 2 chronicles Geelong cycling history from 1914-1945 and includes the magnificent Drome Carnivals. the lengthy gaps between very succesful women's racing, the growth of touring and Bike Hikes. Ww quickly run through a couple of upcoming events. including a Fawkner Cemetery Discovery Tour,  Pushy Women Training for women and this month's Full Moon Ride, before once again, running out of time.

On this weeks show, after being sleep-deprived due to last nights very exciting Paris-Roubaix result, Chris talks to Aidan Kempster about cycle touring and fundraising for Riding For The Great Forest and how you can support the Great Forest National Park for Victoria. Local news includes the passing of Alan Parker OAM, more women getting into road cycling, how you can support getting the Anniversary Trail completed and latest news about Wellington Street seperated lanes from Yarra Council.

Its a glorious Melbourne autumn morning as Val and Faith kick off the Yarra BUG Radio show this morning sharing their bike moments together with studio guest Colin Bell of Sunbury Cycling Club. We cover some news inclusing the death of local bike advocacy legend Allan Parker, the Ronde van Vlanderen yesterday in Belgium, and an update on the BikeSpot Project.Our studio guest Colin Bell shares news about the first criterium held at the new closed road circuit at Essendon Fields and Sunbury Cycling Club's plans for the venue. We also touch on the new cyclocross venue there, how it will fit in with the Fields of Joy Cyclocross season and the upcoming dates and plans for winter 2016.We finish up the show with some events coming up including Pushy Women Training in City of Yarra, the Pushy Women Show at the MICF and the Abbotsford Swap Meet, all coming up this weekend!

On this weeks show Chris and Steve tackle what's wrong with bicycle advocacy in Australia and come to a basic conclusion that more critical thinking & first principles are required to pull us out of the current negative environment. We interview Em Baker, director of Spoke the Movie about riding over 3000kms across the United States, where crash victims, urban planners, activists and law enforcement were interviewed to investigate what makes the U.S the most dangerous developed country for cyclists.  Spoke the Movie will be screening alongside a Q and A session with Fairfax journalist David Escourt on 10 April at Testing Grounds with Projector Bike, tickets are selling fast, so make sure you order yours here.We finish up with a quick reminder about submissions for Road Safety Road Rules 2009 (Overtaking Bicycles) Bill 2015 that close on Friday 1st April.

Val and Jeremy Haughty chat on bicycle news and events and the wonderful world of British bikes from the last century .