Merri-bek BUG

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

Just wanted to let you know that we’ve been successful in our application for a $160,000 grant for the East Brunswick shimmy. This brings our bicycle budget to over $1 million this year! The route links Canning Street to Barrow Street via East Brunswick, and consists of a variety of treatments including refuges across Brunswick Road and Glenlyon Street, contraflow lanes, path widening and surface improvements and wayfinding. I just wanted to thank the BUG for their support with our submission.

Hume City Council is helping to facilitate the establishment of a Hume Community BUG.

The BUG will organise rides and social events, campaign and advocate for cyclists needs, and work to improve the local cycling network and generally promote cycling in the community. It is also a great way to meet other cyclists and make new friendships

The inaugural meeting of the Hume BUG will take place:

7pm, Wednesday 11th November 2009

Hume Global Learning Centre, 1079 Pascoe Vale Road, Broadmeadows (opposite the Broadmeadows train station)

A light dinner and refreshments will be served (please RSVP for catering purposes).

For more info and to RSVP, please email: cycling@hume.vic.gov.au

The City of Yarra has released their Draft Yarra Bicycle Strategy 2010-2015.

The deadline for submissions to the strategy ends this Thursday 22 October 2009. Please forward your comments to Council’s Co-ordinator Transport Mark Kulyk c/o Yarra City Council, PO Box 168, Richmond 3121 or at mark.kulyk@yarracity.vic.gov.au.

Wednesday 14 October 2009 is National Ride to Work Day, a day to celebrate cycling.

Across Australia, work places and community groups will host Ride to Work Day breakfasts to reward people who choose the healthy commute.

Last year Moreland City Council hosted a community breakfast in Victoria Mall which attracted around 100 cyclists. This year is going to be even bigger with community breakfasts in three locations across Moreland.

1. Capital City Trail: Velo Bike Hub – Cnr Nicholson Street and Capital City Trail

If you head down Nicholson Street or the back streets of Brunswick East, be sure to stop at the breakfast by Moreland City Council and Velo Bike Hub on the Capital City Trail, just near the intersection of Nicholson Street.

Stop for a muffin and coffee and chat to Council staff or one of the friendly Velo Bike Hub crew.

Over 700 cyclists pass through the Capital City Trail and Nicholson Street intersection on their way to work each day so this breakfast is bound to be a big one.

2. Commuter Cycles: 14 Prentice Street, Brunswick

If you live in Brunswick and head down the Upfield path to get to work, the closest breakfast site is at Commuter Cycles, on Prentice Street between Victoria and Albert Streets, just behind Brunswick Railway station.

Enjoy breakfast, chat to the staff about upcoming bike events and have your bike looked at by one of their mechanics.

If you need to leave your bike for a full service, ask about one of their courtesy bikes.

3. Victoria Mall, Coburg

If you live in Coburg or head down the Upfield path north of Bell Street, visit the main Council breakfast site in Victoria Mall.

We’ll be serving up a healthy breakfast and expect around 100 cyclists to stop, enjoy a pastry, fruit and a cup of coffee.

Come chat to Council staff about how we can improve cycling in your area. We are particularly interested in what Council can do to help encourage cycling in the northern parts of the municipality and want to include your suggestions as part of the Moreland Bike Plan Review

All sites have Moreland TravelSmart Maps available and information about choosing the right bike.

Some good news:

On 8th July the Moreland Council adopted the 2009/10 budget with the proposed $820,000 spend on cycling intact. BUG is extremely pleased to see an increased expenditure compared to last year’s reported spend of $711,000, particularly given that this increase was approved in a tough economic climate and in a budget where rate increases were reduced significantly.

I think this great outcome is testament to the strength of the ever-growing cycling community in Moreland. The BUG will be working hard to make sure the cycling spend continues to grow over the coming years, to help Moreland realise its full potential as a cycling paradise!

The breakdown of expenditure allocated specifically to cycling in the 2009-10 budget is:

– Bike Strategy $15,000
– Bike paths concrete $690,000
– Bicycle structures $30,000
– Onroads bicycle paths $85,000

Thanks and congratulations to all those who contacted Councillors during this year’s budget campaign; anyone who feels like a celebratory beer or OJ can join the crew at the July BUG meeting next Thursday (23rd July, Edinburgh Castle Hotel, Bruns from 7:30pm)

The Moreland BUG has just recently received the draft document for the options study, survey and design of “On Road Bicycle Path Infrastructure” in Brunswick by Cardno Grogan Richards for the Moreland City Council.

Have a read of the documents and tell us what you think!

The Moreland Bicycle User Group is due to meet this Thursday 25th June 2009.

It’s been brought to my attention that this month’s BUG meeting coincides with the Council Budget submissions hearing, which will be held at Coburg Civic Centre from 6pm, Thurs 25th June.

So the committee has decided that we will not hold a formal BUG meeting this month, but that instead we will encourage as many people as possible to come along to the submissions hearing. Even if you don’t wish to speak, it’s great to have a good strong show of cyclists there – it shows councillors that there is a big and active cycling community in Moreland.

Afterwards, those who are keen can head to a nearby pub or restaurant for an informal meeting/bikechat.

If you do plan on making a verbal submission to Council on the night, make sure you register with Derek Madden of Council beforehand.

Happy winter riding,
Anna

Moreland Council will be holding a special meeting on the evening of Thursday 25th June to accept verbal submissions and comments on their draft 2009/10 budget. Come and support the increase to the budget for cycling facilities in Moreland. Put it in your diaries!

————————–
Moreland Council 2009/10 budget verbal submission:
commencing at 6 pm
on Thursday 25 June 2009
at the Municipal offices, Bell Street Coburg
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For more details of the budget, check the Moreland Council website.

See you there!

The much-looked-forward-to updated TravelSmart maps for Moreland are now available – you can get them from Council civic centres and libraries, local bike shops or by emailing info@moreland.vic.gov.au.

For those who haven’t seen them before, TravelSmart maps are like localised versions of Melway but instead of emphasising major roads they highlight cycling and public transport routes. Very handy to have in your pannier!