YarraBUG

On this weeks program Chris interviews Anna from Big Ride for Palestine. News and events includes looking back to anti F19 protests blocking Alexandra Parade in 1976, reminiscing about damage done by cycling 'advocate' John Forrester including his interference with Geelong Bike Plan in the 1970s, see How One Cycling-Obsessed Weirdo's Pro-Bike Crusade Actually Made Riding Bikes Worse For Everyone Else and Not Just Bikes latest deep dive on the subject: This is Why Cycling is Dangerous in America. Infrastructure Victoria announces new ideas for 12 cycling corridors across the Melbourne area which would be absolutely fabulous, if implemented. (BN: New infrastructure strategy boosts bike corridors).Anna chats about Big Ride for Palestine, the rides history, community building, how people can get involved with walking, running or cycling to raise needed funds to support two of Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA’s long-term partner organisations, ‘MA’AN Development Centre’ in Palestine and ‘Palestinian Women’s Humanitarian Organisation (PWHO)’ in Lebanon. Funds raised will support the vital work of these organisations, including MA’AN’s lifesaving humanitarian efforts in Gaza. Register for the Merri Creek event on Saturday 22 November 2025Read more The Big Ride for Palestine eventsEvents include St Kilda Bike Kitchen: Fix-A-Flat Workshop @ St Kilda LibraryGipps Street Ramp Works: upcoming closures between 9am to 4pm, Monday 17 November and Wednesday 19 November 2025Critical Mass 30: Critical Mass celebrates 30 years of riding home together, so get your party plans organised, meet 5.30pm, State Library, Swanston Street, Friday 28 November 2025.Program musicB I K E, H O N N E

Faith and Val are joined in the studio by James Laing, an active transport specialist with Stantec and twenty years experience in the UK and with the City of London. We share our bike moments which include a reminder that November is Lung Cancer Awareness month and the Lung Foundation is raising funds towards research that allows the increasing number of people, and in particular young women who are being disgnosed with lung cancer. Modern treatments mean not only that people like Faith's friend survive but also that they are able to enjoy some of their usual activities, like bike rides, to some extent but more research is always needed! You can make a donation here if you'd like to.James Laing fills us in on the background to the Healthy Streets framework, how it was developed and why in the UK and how it has made its way to Australia. We discuss the benefits of the framework in providing more rounded perspectives of the impacts changes on our streets can have for everyone, who is using it in Australia and who still isn't. You can find out more about Healthy Streets here.  Local examples:Merri-bek Council use healthy Streets assesments as part of their Streets For People Plan

This weeks program includes two powerful post ride speeches from Pierre Vairo, Bike West and Tim Richter, father of Will Richter, made at a Critical Mass memorial ride for Will on Friday 31 October 2025.On 22 September 2025, Will Richter was riding his bike to the University of Melbourne via Macaulay Road, Kensington, when he was struck and killed by the driver of a truck. It was his 19th birthday.October's Critical Mass memorial ride paused for a moment of reflection and bell ringing on Rankins Road, the site of Will’s tragic death then completed his journey to Melbourne Uni."Sanguis Ante Actum" - Blood before action (fb link)From Aly, a family friend 'My thoughts today, 24 October 2025, as posted on my personal page' (fb link)Media release: Family and friends of Will Richter, in conjunction with Critical Mass, to host a memorial ride in honour of WillLetter from Melissa Horne in response to Bike Wests questions. (fb link)Petition: Demand Labor approve safe bike lanes on Macaulay RoadThank you to Liz, Sophie, Cory and Ali for audio and content.Local news includes ABC Life Matters: The battle for the streets: How can we make our roads safer?, FYXO Pop Up sale and Swap Meet at Genovese Coffee in Coburg 8am-noon on Saturday 8 November, call for witnesses and dashcam after a hit run incident on Canning Street on Thursday 30 October 2025, Transport Victoria works for pop-up bike routes in Darebin, Yarra, Moonee Valley, Maribyrnong and Port Phillip making these key routes permanent.Eastern Freeway Upgrade designs from Hoddle Street to Burke Road on exhibition, here's your opportunity to mention the Main Yarra Trail connection stops short of Yarra, especially upgrading existing Roseneath Street Bridge. This is where you can add specific feedback mentioning this, and any other comments to Engage Victoria until Sunday 16 November 2025.Further news includes Gipps Street Ramps (almost there!) You can read Parks Victoria's Gipps Street Elevated Path Community Update for October 2025 with two planned closures and Yarra Council: Road Safety Studies, provide your feedback on Rowena Parade, Richmond, Rose Street, Fitzroy and Little Turner Street, Abbotsford, consultation closes at 9am, Monday 10 November 2025.Program MusicJon Brenner, Tour de VeloDan Abrahams, Our Streets

Val and Faith face a chilly morning in the studio while their planned guest waits in vain for a train on the Chelsea train station platform. We share our bike moments before taking a look at some recent news. In November changes come into effect that mandate reversing technologies for all new vehicles, including trucks, starting November 1, 2025, with a full mandate for all new models by November 1, 2027. Together with new rules from 2023, that allow more camera and mirror systems to be fitted to heavy vehicles, these could mean an improvement in safety for vulnerable road users. But will they, if it isn't mandated for Australia's older truck fleets?We take a look at what happened in the Netherlands when retro fitting of blind spot mirrors to trucks saw deaths of people on bikes after crashes with trucks drop significantly. It is one of a suite of measures that include separating vulnerable road users and education campaigns. Is this something Australia should be considering?  We finish with a reminder that the Critcal Mass Will Richter Memorial Ride is on this coming Friday, leaving from the State Library at 5:30pm and that the Bike Film Night is coming up on Tuesday.

On this weeks program Chris talks to Kia Matley from Melburn Durt about upcoming Bike Film Night on 28 October 2025 which is a collaboration with Melburn Durt, Little Projector Company, Fifty Fifty and Bite-Sized Rides.The details: BYO camp chair, some food and non-alcoholic refreshments and join us at 7:45pm on Tuesday 28 October, at Balam Balam Place for a night of outdoor (but undercover!) cinema.We also chat about adventures, film selections, snacks and plans including Melburn Durt's upcoming 10th anniversary, the Radical Adventure Riders bike packing gear library at Off Course Off Course Bike Shop and Kia speaking at Cycling Wild Ikara Expedition Recap – A guide to the Flinders Ranges and beyond at 6:30pm - 9pm, Wednesday 22 October at Inner North Brewing Company.Local news includes a recap of last weeks Ride2Work Day and get ready for next weeks Critical Mass ride on 31 October 2025!Program musicB I K E, H O N N ETour de Velo, Jon Brenner

Faith and Val are joined in the studio today by our guest Robbie Webb. We all share our bike moments before taking a brief look at some news. We discussed the proposed e-bike ban in a previous episode and sadly there is no good news on this front. Bicycle Network are calling on people to contact their local MPs and keep up the campaign to make sure the efforst to keep train travellers safe don't compromise transport accessibility. You can read what you can do here. Robbie tells us about their epic trip around the world, why they set off on a bike to circumnavigate the globe and how they came to establish the record as the "First openly transgender person to circumnavigate the globe by bicycle" (pending).We talk about the politics that loomed and has since made many parts of this trip difficult if not impossible for transgender people,  and the contrast with the experience on the road with the people they met along the way as well as the realities of just keeping pedalling day after day.

On this weeks program Chris speaks with Karen Hovenga and Ellen Sandall, Greens State MP for Melbourne about  Wellington Street and Macaulay Road active transport infrastructure issues.Local news includes Bicycle Network Member Night - 50 Year Celebration, 6pm, Wednesday, 8 October, next Richmond Repair Corner, Sunday 26 October, National Ride2Work Day, Wednesday 15 October and keep an eye on local Biketober events across Victoria this October.During a glorious Saturday morning in Darling Gardens, Clifton Hill, Chris and Karen chat about Lets make Wellington Street safer: we strongly suggest Option 1 Bicycle Street for both stage 3 and 4 as it reduces traffic and improves local walkability as well as cyclability, and has more trees, similar to the existing Canning Street route in Carlton, one of Melbourne’s best known cycling corridors that’s safe, peaceful, enjoyable and effective.Survey is open to Monday 13 October 2025Read about existing modal filters, the “Bicycle Street” option for Wellington Street is basically what has existed in Collingwood, Fitzroy, Richmond and Abbotsford streets for several decades.Ellen Sandall talks about heartbreaking aftermath of the death of Will Ritcher at Macaulay Road / Rankin Road intersection on 22 September 2025, the slow wait for instalment of protected bike lanes in Melbourne’s inner west (Teen’s death sparks calls for long-awaited bike lanes in Melbourne’s west, The Age 4 October 2025), her petition: Demand Labor approve safe bike lanes on Macaulay Road and making your voice heard by contacting your local member.Will Richter was riding to uni on Macaulay Road when he was killed by poor road design - it was his 19th birthday - a devastating tragedy. Everyone deserves to be safe on our roads, Bike West on x, Saturday 4 October 2025Between 2014 and 2021, of the 67 cyclists killed or seriously injured in accidents involving trucks in Melbourne, 28 per cent were in the City of Melbourne, according to a Road Safety Victoria study.Program musicTour de Velo, Jon BrennerWe’re Going to Be Friends, The White Stripes

Faith and Val are joined in the studio on a stunning spring morning by Alsion McCormack, CEO of Bicycle Network. We spend far too long sharing our bike moments before moving on to the current consultation on the Wellington Street improvements. Open until Monday October 13th the project looks at ways to improve the street and make it safer for vulnerable road users. Make sure you check it out, particulalry if you need to ride soth from Darebin or Merri-bek or the northern parts of Yarra. Discussion turns to Bicycle Network and its 50th year celebrations in 2025. Alison takes us through its inception as the Bicycle Institute of Victoria in 1975 to the presnet day, some of the changes the organisation has made along the way and the direction they are taking in looking to the future and the next fifty years. One of the recent campaigns BN has run has been about the proposed bans on people travelling with e-bikes on trains. Alison reminds us about the E-Bike Expo this coming weekend in Brunswick where vistors will be able to try e-bikes from retailers all over Melbourne. Want to join the 50 year anniversary celebrations? You'll find all the details here.

On this weeks program Chris interviews Sally from Streets Alive Darebin about ongoing issues with risky St George's Road intersections, crossovers and connections.We discuss historial changes, including 2009 change from a roundabout at  Northcote to signalised intersection, working on building a direct connection to Merri Creek Path, Northern Pipe Trail connections to the north, safety issues with crossovers to central median path as it's a major tram route and the premier cycling route in the north of Melbourne with over half a million cycle journeys a year.Streets Alive Darebin are calling on Kat Theophanous: Member for Northcote and Gabrielle Williams: Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Minister for Public and Active Transport and VicRoads to fix the southern intersection at Charles and Merri Parade to improve safety for cyclists, and all road users, connecting to the shared median path heading north.Join Us for Critical Mass St George's Road: meet State Library, 5.30pm Thursday 25 September 2025 (Grand Final Eve) and ride to St George's Road intersection & post ride drinks and chat at Terminus Hotel.Local news: it's World Car Free Day, with today's diminished traffic today it felt like Melburnians had taken that to heart but no, it's the start of Victorian school holidays.After a long wait, Wellington Street north consultation is finally open - Option 1 for a Bicycle Street is the best! Survey is open to Monday 13 October 2025.Circulating back to last fortnights 3CR program, Victoria's new Speed Zoning Policy + Making Moreland Road safer, Victorian Police have made an arrest for the Moreland Road hit-run fatality on 24 August 2025. Please add your name to the Victorian Government Legislative Council petition: Pedestrian and cyclist safety on Moreland Road.Changes to e-bikes: instead of a blanket ban on NSW trains: Commuters taking converted e-bikes on NSW trains, metro to face finesCan you help 3CR by becoming a Regular Donor during September? A Regular Donor is someone who loves 3CR so much that they set up an automatic donation on the same day every month. By becoming a Regular Donor, you can help us stay resilient and radical. Together, we can keep independent voices on air!Program musicTour de Velo, Jon BrennerNew Prophets, Bonobo

Andrew from Neighbourly Ride joins Val on the tandem to chat on the power of the humble bicycle  to bring people togeather, enhance our physical and mental health and bring moments of unexpected joy into our lives. "You have to try very hard not to have fun on a bike."https://neighbourlyride.com/