Merri-bek BUG

The Main Yarra Trail between Dight’s Falls and the Collingwood Children’s Farm will be closed to pedestrians and cyclists on Wednesday July 30th, between 10am and 4pm.

Sections of the Merri Creek Trail will be closed between early August 2008 and early 2009 for works on the Clifton Hill Rail Project. For details of closures and detours see below:

Merri Creek Trail Temporary Diversions Map – pdf file

Merri Creek Trail Temporary Diversions Map – jpeg file

Here are Questions and Answers about the project + diversions

(Thanks to YarraBUG for this info).

On Monday night, Moreland City Council adopted an amended budget that includes $291,000 for additional cycling infrastructure!

Thanks to everyone who helped in the campaign, including Toby, Rod and Anna who spear-headed the BUG work, the various BUG members who assisted, Bicycle Victoria, councillors and others.

Tomorrow night we’ll be having an extra-short meeting at Caffe Mingo, 600 Sydney Rd Brunswick from 7:30pm; at 8:30 on the dot we’ll be crossing the road to the Edinburgh Castle Hotel for a celebratory drink or two in honour of our budget campaign win! Love to see you there, and please feel free to invite others along to share in the celebratory spirit.

Kylie Huard, Council’s new Strategic Transport Planner, will be joining us for the meeting to say hello and to outline Council’s plans for a TravelSmart/LAAP grant application.

The agenda for tomorrow night’s meeting:

1. Budget campaign
2. Moreland Station Redevelopment
3. Moreland’s TravelSmart/LAAP applications – Guest: Kylie Huard, Strategic Transport Planner at Moreland
4. Clearways/Sydney Rd campaign
5. Where to from here (a Bicycle Advisory Group perhaps?)

The Draft Brunswick Structure Plan is now out for consultation. The plan is the local implementation of Melbourne 2030. It sets out the long term mud map for the future of Brunswick, it details how the activity centre will develop and what needs to happen to make it a reality.

Toby Archer, from Moreland BUG, has been lucky enough to have been involved in the community steering committee. He is strongly encouraging BUG folks to get along to one of the community information sessions and make a submission to council. Its a great chance to have an impact on what our city will look like in the future. There will also be a Public Debate at the East Brunswick Club (280 Lygon St, East Brunswick) on 25 July.

For more info go to:
http://www.moreland.vic.gov.au/services/brunswickstructureplan-fr.htm

The Moreland Leader has an article on Cr Mark O’Brien’s interpretation of council’s bike (and pedestrian) infrastructure spending and Cr Jo Connelan’s response.

The BUG is encouraging local cyclists to send a letter to The Moreland Leader about O’Brien’s take on council spending and his specific targeting of cyclists for a user-pays approach to infrastructure and safety.

PS. Mark – did you realise that Sustrans is partially funded by donations from local government?

Moreland BUG has made a submission (PDF format) to the State Government’s “Keeping Melbourne Moving” plan, which includes the extension of clearway operating hours.

Enormous thanks to Toby Archer for putting the submission together for the BUG.

Courtesy of this month’s Brunswick Cycling Club newsletter…