YarraBUG

On this weeks program Chris speaks to Angelica and Alex about community concerns in Brunswick about increased Moreland Road volume, traffic speeds and requirement for more safe infrastructure, especially after man was killed during a hit run incident, while walking a bicycle in the bike lane, on Sunday 24 August 2025. This is the second fatality within six months on Moreland Road.Brunswick Voice: Moreland Road hit-and-run driver remains at largeDetectives from the Major Collision Investigation Unit who are investigating the incident believe the car involved was a white 2016 Audi Q5 SUV. It is likely to have visible damage to both its front and passenger side.Angelica mentions the new Safe Moreland Road group and a related Victorian Government Legislative Council petition: Pedestrian and cyclist safety on Moreland RoadAlex speaks about his snap-action protest in respect for the rider, support of getting better infrastructure and safer speeds in the Moreland Road area.Local news includes Victoria's new Speed Zoning Policy enables local councils to create 30km/h zones and for those of us with good memories, you'd remember the local trials starting back in 2018 and next Critical Mass on Thursday 25 September 2025.Program MusicB I K E, H O N N E

Faith and Val are joined in the studio today by Dr Afshin Jafari Research Fellow at RMIT's Centre for Urban Research. We all share our bike moments before taking a look at two local pieces of news.First a reminder that the proposed ban on people travelling with e-bikes is open for consultation until today.  You just have time to have your say! Once you have done that make sure you contact your local MP.Secondly the City of Yarra are looking at changes they can make to the intersection of Scotchmer Street and St Georges Road to improve it. Take a look and give them your feedback. Dr Afhsin Jafari takes us through the elements that make for a safe bike lane including all the considerations about width. These are very relavent in Yarra at the moment with discussion around narrowing the Elizabeth Street protected bike lanes. We also take a look at the different standards used around the world and in Australia, their consistencies and otherwise, and local inconsistencies in building to the guidelines. As new people take up using a bike to get around our legacy bike lanes may have to adapt to new styles of bicycles and tolerances for traffic moving at different speeds.

On this weeks show, Chris has a radio edit of the Future of North Richmond - People, Bikes, Cars and Housing forum held Thursday 7 August 2025 with presentations by Karen Hovenga (see Elizabeth Street, North Richmond housing) and Jeremy Lawrence (see Councillor vs. Officer Plans), that also involves Elizabeth Street protected lanes 'narrowing' and adjacent issues.The next Yarra Council meeting on 12 August 2025, please make a submission and attend the meeting if you can. Read Bicycle Network: Yarra to vote – again – on critical bike route (8 August 2025)It was a good discussion, attended by members of the North Richmond Precinct Community Committee and other local residents. 'We learned that the East and West Carparks, on the housing estate, are not fully utilised (about 50% empty) and that all residents who own a car in their own name can be given a car park permit, as well as any regular support workers.  Residents also discussed the difficulty that they have in owning bikes as they don't have secure storage and have to either store them in their homes, or experience having them stolen and needing to be replaced.'Read about Future of North Richmond - Elizabeth St motion sent to Yarra councillors that could help find a solution with a community working group.Local news includes Conduct on Public Transport Regulations: feedback open to 18 August 2025 and previous guests on our show, Leo and Cezary from Two Birders, Two Bikes and One School, making their goal with opening of Builecon primary school near Balibo.Program MusicB I K E, H O N N ERestraint, Tycho

Faith and Val are joined in the studio today by Elliot Fishman of the Institute for Sensible Transport to discuss the Victorian State Government's proposed ban on people travelling with e-bikes on trains. We share our bike moments and our first ever sponsorship by Bicycle Network.We discuss the policy and data vacumn within which this decision is being made, the ensuing lack of impact assesment and the ongoing failure of the State Government when it comes to this important part of the transport system. Despite calls from Coroner Audrey Jamison seven years ago for the better regulation of e-bikes little has been done, even after the Morrison government made the importation of more dangerous non-compliant bikes easier in 2021. While the  ban seeks to address the issue of battery fires on trains, especially in tunnels, the ban is imposed on e-bikes whose batteries have never been associated with these fires. The ban will impact people accessing work, addressing shortfalls in the PT system, dangerous gaps in the cycling network, the elderley, disabled and more. We discuss the likely outcomes of the ban; people on safe e-bikes not being able to access work or recreational opportunities and other services, people buying more powerful e-bikes to make the journey previously done by train, and vulnerable workers and other usesr being exposed to fines and harassment.With no timeframe established for the ban, and even less urgancy once it is in place,  there is little hope it will ever be revoked. You can take part in the survey or make a submission here. Write to The Hon. Gabrielle Williams, Transport Minister using the details here and also write or call your local MP.

On this week's show Chris chats to Rochelle Anderson from Surrey Hills Neighbourhood Centre about the new Boroondara e-bike library trial programme, what's involved, providing locals to try out a top of the range e-bike, the bikes, training, how the Merri-bek e-bike trial went, responsibilities, survey follow up and more.The topic de jour everywhere is e-bikes and safety concerns on public transport, with bit of back history about previous bike bans back in 2008 on V/Line and Connex which stemmed from storage issues and overreach.In short, the e-bike compliance issue sits at Federal government with grey imports, point of sale and dodgy conversions. Concerned about e-bike PT restrictions? Please contact your local state member ASAP and make a submission to Conduct on Public Transport Regulations by 18 August 2025.Remembering John Englart: Family and friends will celebrate John’s life on Monday, July 28, 12 noon – 4pm, at St Mark’s Fawkner, corner of Lee Street and Sydney Road. All who knew John are welcome. Gipps Street news: apparently the ramps + works will be finished by December 2025!Yarra news: with the ongoing Elizabeth Street protected lanes campaign, there are some things we can’t get done on our own at the local council level and that’s where you come in, please contact Melissa Horne MP, Roads Minister and Gabrielle Williams MP, Public and Public and Active Transport Minister.Future of North Richmond – People, Bikes, Cars and Housing: come to a forum of community members to discuss what we want Elizabeth Street and the North Richmond precinct to look like in 10-20 years.6pm – 8pm, Thursday, 7 August 2025Ground Floor Community Room, 106 Elizabeth St, RichmondRegister to attendWe’ll be discussing the likely increase in housing and population, the Elizabeth St bike lanes, and how car parking works in the area now and in the future.Program musicShonen Knife, Cycling is funTycho, DevicesHONNE, B I K E

Faith and Val are joined in the studio by Andrea Bunting, Secretary of Climate Action Merri-bek. We share our bike moments and take a look at some local news including the death of Brian Dixon, co-founder of Bicycle Network, and the recent suggestion that e-bikes should be registered as motorbikes. We remember our friend John Englart who passed away suddenly last week and his incredible legacy as an activist and campaigner for sustainable transport and climate action.John was a member, and often committee member, of Merri-bek BUG since 2007 and Convenor of Climate Action Merri-bek since 2013.  But his history as an activist and campaigner goes back decades; participant and organiser in the Rides against Uranium in the 1970s and '80s, Critical Mass rider since the1990s, writer, publisher, diligent documentor of campaigns and activism, he also found time to be a beloved friend, father and partner. Vale John Englart 1955-2025. A celebration of John's life will be held on Monday July 28th 12-4pm at St Mark's Church Hall in Fawkner. Explore John's work at the following links:John Englart photo archiveClimate Action Merri-bekExtend the Upfield Path to UpfieldTakver's initiatives Climate Citizenmore to come soon ......

Faith and Val are joined in the studio by Mathew Peckham and we all share our bike moments, including the 2025 Melburn Roobaix and installation of a long overdue prioirty crossing on the Inner Circle Trail at Alfred Crescent. We note the improvement to the City of Melbourne bike lane budget since last week. while also noting it still won't deliver the projects in the Transport Strategy. Mathew tells us about a crash he suffered on a protected bike lane in the CBD when a distracted pedestrian stepped in front of his bike. Mathew suffered injuries that prevented him from working for a significant amount of time and have left him with ongoing health issues but was disappointed to discover that despite having paid registration and TAC insurance premiums for decades, his crash wasn't covered becasue there was no motor vehicle involved. We chat about the changes made to TAC over the years to better adapt it to provide no fault support, and the social contracts we have where we pool resources to ensure everyone is looked after. Mathew shares the dissapointing response he has had from Minister Ben Carroll and the attempts by Tim Read MP to raise the matter.

On this weeks program Chris catches up with Cr Sophie Wade from City of Yarra about local walking and cycling initiatives, her recent European trip that illustrate how London, Paris, Rotterdam and many European cities are providing active transport options for their citizens, including micromobility, bike hangars, 30km/h zones, school zones, allocating road space to people and smooth transitions on paths and surfaces, and returning home, talking about that now infamous 8 April meeting at Yarra Council, on to positive stuff such as upgrades to Wellington/Johnston Street intersection, design work and upgrading Wellington, Gipps and Langridge Streets.Local news includes Sundays Melburn Roobaix roll that showed the glorious biodiversity of cycling in this town, Victoria Walks: talking walking and driving and Nick Reeces predictable backflip and weird 'safety' pivot over protected lanes despite a overwhelming public response supporting safe infrastructure.Today is final day of 3CR radiothon - a big THANK YOU to everyone who has donated to Yarra Bicycle Users Group Radio!Program musicCamp dog, King Stingray

Fresh from a brief technical gremlin wrestling session Faith and Val warm up the mikes by sharing their bike moments. We check in on our Radiothon fundrasing target and remind everyone of the different ways they can make a donation to keep 3CR and Yarra BUG Radio on air! If you'd like to make a donation you can do so here: https://www.givenow.com.au/cr/yarrabugradioshow Every litlle bit helps! We recap events at the Future Melbourne Commitee's Draft Budget submiissions hearing last week where 179 people registed to speak to their submissions to the CoM budget, particularly the bike lane budget. With over 1450 submissions calling for the bike lane budget to be increased to the levels of the last term, it was a long night! You can watch the meeting here You can read more about the City of Melbourne bike lane budget (including a detailed analysis of the spin around bike lane funding) here. Bicycle Network are calling on everyone to email Councillors and ask them to increase the funding. We finish up with a reminder that Melburn Roobaix is on this weekend. While ticket sales have finished, there IS a Surly Side Quest on Saturday for which tickets are still available!

On this weeks program Chris talks to Kathryn Good from the Story Bridge Active Transport Alliance about the sudden footpath closure earlier in 2025 apparently due to Cyclone Alfred, difficulties with any answers being given, poor communication from Brisbane City Council, poor detour arrangements, discovering reports about the bridge being being at risk of further damage from the elements and vehicles, who will foot the maintanance or restoration costs, planned court actions, petition to Brisbane City Council, organising bike bus for users safety and where changes to transport planning in cities like Paris and London has lead to fantastic outcomes for active transport. Also see Bike Queensland: Bike Bus scheduled for Story Bridge and Space4Cycling Brisbane.Local news: Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece has an attempt at appealing to Melbourne's cycling community, Bike Melbourne and Bicycle Network local campaign to restore City of Melbourne active transport budget, how to stay warm on the bike tips from Sarah @ Electrify This and a big THANK YOU to everyone who has donated to YarraBUG Radio for 3CR 2025 Radiothon! Program musicCamp dog, King StingrayUnderneath the Story Bridge, Bob Wilson and the GoodwillsB I K E, HONNE