Merri-bek BUG

The construction firm working on the Western Ring Road have advised Council that they will be working on the bridge over the Moonee Ponds Creek in early August. As a result of these works the Moonee Ponds Creek Trail will be closed at the Western Ring Road between 9am and 2pm on Friday 6 August.

During the closure please use the detour via Langton Street as shown on the attached map.

Please direct any queries about the works to the construction contractors using the contact details listed below.

Patricia Chiuariu | Senior Communications Adviser
Tulla Sydney Alliance
Direct Telephone | (03) 9289 4066
Mobile | 0427 626 984
Fax | (03) 9289 4199
Email | pchiuariu@tullasydney.com.au

Regards
Simon Stainsby
Sustainable Transport Officer
Moreland City Council.

Dear Moreland Cyclists,

There will be a temporary road closure in Railway Place, Coburg this week to allow a crane access to the former Union Mills/McNuts site at 37-41 Munro Street Coburg

The closure will occur 7am-4:30pm on Tuesday 27 July and Friday 30 July and will affect cyclists on the Upfield bike path. It was not possible to leave the 2.5m minimum width on Railway Place for bikes to use, however there is a separate detour for bikes (as opposed to cars) which will use the laneway bounding the work site. The detour will only take cyclists 35m away from the path and the detour will be signed for cyclists and have traffic controllers at the North and South end of the closure to assist cyclists in finding the detour. Railway Place will remain open outside of the above mentioned times.

If you wish to discuss this further please contact Gordon Blake, Traffic Engineer City of Moreland, gblake@moreland.vic.gov.au.

Regards
Simon Stainsby
Sustainable Transport Officer
Moreland City Council

The Moreland City Council – Proposed Budget 2010/11 recommends a disappointing $3.49 per head expenditure on bike infrastructure. This is a significant decrease on previous years and much less than the modest $5 per head recommended by Bicycle Victoria.

If you think that the Council should spend more on cycling, now is the time to send a submission to the Council.

Details are available on the council website.

Note that submissions are accepted until Friday 9 July 2010.

It would be a good idea to send a copy of your submission to your local Councillor. Their contact details and profiles are available here.
It might be worth reminding them of their personal commitments to the environment, sustainability, climate change and healthy living and the Council Strategic Focus Areas of “A Sustainable & Just City, a Proud City, a Healthy & Educated Community, and a Responsive Organisation”.

Council will receive and hear all submissions at a Special Council meeting to be held on 12 July 2010 at the Municipal offices, Bell Street, Coburg commencing at 6pm. If you wish to be heard by Council
in support of your written submission, please state this clearly in your submission.

If you need ideas for your submission, you can see the 2009 Moreland
Bicycle Users Group submission.

Radical craft group, Craft Cartel, alarmed by sights of fluoro lycra clad cyclists and equally aghast at the thought of coming a cropper while partaking in our favourite form of transport, present High Viz Vogue.

High Viz Vogue is a DIY bike fashion workshop to keep the cops and the fashion police happy. Bring helmets and any other clothing bits you’d like to make roadway and catwalk friendly, or just start from scratch using our materials. With guidance from ultra-spunky local designer, Miss Viz, this is your chance to create your own bike friendly fashion and win ace prizes.

Led by Sugar Spokes all female bike crew, the event will be followed by a celebratory ride through Moreland to parade our new hip gear. No experience necessary! All materials supplied free!

Saturday 19 June, 11 am – 1pm
Victoria Street Mall (Melway ref: 29 H1)

Dear BUGees

You are invited to an informal launch of the EB Shimmy.

It’s happening next Tuesday, 8 June at 10am.
Location is Amess Street at the Capital City Trail: Melway 29 K10
There will be a short speech from Mayor Stella Kariofyllidis and Carlo Carli MP followed by a photo opportunity for the press.

Hope to see you there
Nicholas

Nicholas Elliot
Transport Projects Officer
Moreland City Council

1: Kingfisher-Harrison-Albion path widening
2: Murray Road Bridge Repairs

The attachment shows the area affected around CERES. The detour route has been chosen to avoid sending cyclists on to busy Nicholson Street. Cyclists have been observed taking this route. Follow detour signs. Hopefully the closure won’t be as long as is shown on the map but the works are weather dependent.

The other closure is under Murray Road. The bluestone balustrade on the bridge above needs to be repaired after a car ploughed into it and knocked out a lot of (big, heavy) bluestone flagstones. Scaffolding will be erected under the bridge but the path will remain open except for intermittent short periods (minutes I’m told) when users will be stopped by a flag person if there is danger of objects falling from above. It was very lucky that no one was under the bridge at the time it was hit!

Any questions, contact me.

Nicholas Elliot
Transport Projects Officer
Moreland City Council
90 Bell Street COBURG Vic 3058
(Locked Bag 10 MORELAND Vic 3058)
Tel: 61 03 9240 1294
Fax: 61 03 9240 1205
nelliot@moreland.vic.gov.au

Dear Moreland BUG members,

More people than ever are riding in Coburg, Brunswick and throughout the inner north of Melbourne. It’s great to see so many cyclists on the road. However, with the days getting shorter it’s time to check your batteries and upgrade your bike lights so you can ‘Be Safe, Be Seen’ cycling this winter.

To legally ride at night, your bike needs a bright front and rear light (visible from 200m) and a rear reflector.

Moreland Council and local bike shops are working together to make it easy for you to upgrade your lights.

Throughout the month of May you can get a massive 20% of a range of bike lights from Commuter Cycles, Lygon Cycles, My Mountain, Rays Bicycle Centre Brunswick and Velo Cycles.

Simply print attached voucher and take it to a participating store to claim you discount. Everyone who takes advantage of this offer also goes into the running to win a $300.00 cycling gift voucher. That’s just the thing for a new spray jacket, a complete bike service or maybe a new set of panniers.

Having trouble deciding which lights you need? Check out the Bicycle Victoria Bike Lights review http://www.bv.com.au/bikes-&-riding/91258/

Be safe and be seen on the road this winter.

Regards
Simon Stainsby
Sustainable Transport Officer
Moreland Council
9240 1168

The Upfield bike path has been registered for Clean Up Australia Day, Sunday 7 March from 10 am – 12 pm!

Tammy, the Environment Education Officer at Moreland Council, is organising a clean-up along the bike path between Albion Street and Reynard Street and she’s hoping some other cyclists who regularly commute along the path may be interested in helping with the clean up. This is a public event, anyone is welcome.

The meeting point on the day is Albion Street just east of Anstey Station. Gloves, bags etc will be provided.

Details of this and other sites are on the Clean Up Australia Day website.

Courtesy of Chris Anderson and Nicholas Elliot, here is the route for the Brunswick East Shimmy, and work that needs to be done to improve the route:

News from Kylie Huard, Strategic Transport Planner, Moreland City Council:

Council has erected a temporary detour in place on the Upfield path near Duckett Street due to an unsafe factory wall abutting the path.

The detour keeps being removed which is endangering all path users. Council has issued a notice to the building owner to install water filled barriers across the path with proper detours in place, however due to the holiday period and the building owner overseas, it has been difficult to get action. We are hoping that the barriers will be installed tomorrow, with a detour in place via Breese and West Streets.

There are also gas works going on in Breese St, however these are south of Duckett St, and should not impact on cyclists using the detour. The traffic management contractors at this site are aware of the detour in place.

We apologise for the disruptions, and hope you understand why we’ve had to block the path. I will provide an update when I know more about the duration of works required to stabilise the wall.

Many thanks for your patience.