March 2025
Hi everyone, we've started up a newsletter!
If you want to get in touch you can reply to this email, or come and say hello! We'll be meeting at Borderlands (30A Pickett St, Footscray) this Friday (14th of March).
As usual there are always things bubbling away in the background when it comes to cycling infrastructure, here is what we've been up to...
News
Critical Mass
Another good turnout for the Critical Mass on Feb 28. A shame no politicians or candidates from the ALP or the Liberal Party accepted our invitation yet again.
The next one is Friday March 28 heading to Boroondara, from the State Library
Footscray Roubaix
Footscray Roubaix organised by Elwyn Davies and supported by Westside Cycle Club was a great success. Over 100 people took part in the tour of the cobblestones in the inner west. Big congratulations.
Maribyrnong council presentation
BikeWest gave a presentation to Motonormativity. The presentation can be found on the website.
Maribyrnong Council Integrated Transport Strategy (ITS)
Maribyrnong Council will be asking for community engagement on their draft ITS. Stay tuned, we will provide the link when it comes to hand. As always, as much feedback as possible is required so it’s not another motonormativity strategy.
Infrastructure Victoria
IV have just release their draft 30 year strategic plan. There is lots of great stuff in here in many different areas. For example, 30kmh in urban streets is really good but speed limits won’t make it happen. Street design is key.
https://www.infrastructurevictoria.com.au/resources/draft-30-year-strategy
Charles Marohn from Strong Towns explains why road design is the key, not speed limit signs in these 2 min videos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H76cNOuP22w&list=PL4ZJBLI7Y9Vo-ogDOzMgLk1RrxAphs0Yv&index=3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he2DcgF9jZo&list=PL4ZJBLI7Y9Vo-ogDOzMgLk1RrxAphs0Yv&index=11
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ctt10YJMI5s&list=PL4ZJBLI7Y9Vo-ogDOzMgLk1RrxAphs0Yv&index=18
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGiOCwygjlM&list=PL4ZJBLI7Y9Vo-ogDOzMgLk1RrxAphs0Yv&index=27
Council Plans
All councils are putting their council plans together that should inform the priorities until the next election. It’s very important that they receive as many submissions as possible to support active transport.
Tell them you want a cycling infrastructure for ALL AGES and ABILITIES (AAA) so you can replace those short trips you currently have to take in your car. Trips to SHOPS, SCHOOLS, STATIONS AND SOCIAL VENUES (SSSS).
Here are the links
https://participate.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/
https://yoursay.brimbank.vic.gov.au/council-plan-25-29
https://www.yourcityyourvoice.com.au/communityplan
https://conversations.melton.vic.gov.au/creating-melton-citys-future
https://yoursay.mvcc.vic.gov.au/shaping-our-future
https://theloop.wyndham.vic.gov.au/future-wyndham
Other Council Projects
Maribyrnong
https://www.yourcityyourvoice.com.au/integrated-transport
HBCC
Mainlines Seaholme
These seem to be a good route but the devil is in the detail. If it is just paint, it is a waste of time. Tell them you want protected bike lanes
https://participate.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/mainlines
Brimbank
https://yoursay.brimbank.vic.gov.au/taylors-lakes-easement-shared-user-path
Melton
https://conversations.melton.vic.gov.au/exford-road-upgrades
Media
Bike bridges
Yet again BikeWest has been in the media quite a lot. Special mention for Pierre Vairo, BikeWest VP, who gets a lot of these stories up.
Several bridges associated with the West Gate Tunnel appear finished (Green bridge near Costco in Docklands, the rainbow bridge next to Dynon rd and North Melbourne station and the bridge over Williamstown Rd next to the Westgate freeway) yet the government doesn’t want to open them. We presume this is a political decision and they won’t open them till close to the state election more than 18 months away. Very disappointing.
We also got a very brief discussion about this on ABC Melbourne afternoon radio.
Somerville Rd and Willy Rd
Yet another terrible incident where a person on a bike almost got killed due to unsafe infrastructure. Cheryl O’Connor now has 10 broken bones and is in a wheelchair. She’s very lucky to be alive and hopefully will make a full recover. Could easily have been fatal.
https://maribyrnonghobsonsbay.starweekly.com.au/news/council-support-for-injured-cyclist/
https://maribyrnonghobsonsbay.starweekly.com.au/news/road-set-up-for-failure/
Other news
Active Transport Funding
The federal government is allocating $21 mil for active transport which works about to be $0.90 per person when $714 is spent per person car infrastructure. Three of these projects are in the west of Melbourne, an extension of the path along Kororoit Cr, a shared user path (sigh) and wombat crossings in Caroline Springs. While these are welcome, they don’t begin to scratch the surface of what is needed.
Obviously, the federal government isn’t serious about active transport, neither is the state government and won’t get within a million miles of its target of 25% of all trips to be by active transport by 2030. At present about 1% of trips are by bicycle
https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/c-king/media-release/active-transport-boost-victoria
Kororoit Creek shared user path project
https://maribyrnonghobsonsbay.starweekly.com.au/news/trail-dream-to-be-realised-2/
Driver ramming cyclists Seaford
The very aggressive driving culture in Melbourne leaves a lot to be desired and this terrible incident exemplifies much of what is wrong with driving attitudes in Melbourne. Not for the faint hearted.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=924801333064850
Research
Health benefits
A huge study over 18 years including hundreds of thousands of participants from Scotland shows that those who regularly commute by bike have a 50% reduction in risk of death
https://bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/2/1/e001295
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDhGHPHCgqI&t=142s
Vehicle emissions
Worse than expected. 11,000 deaths due to vehicle emissions
Roots of motonormativity
Another study from the author of motonormativity together with Marco te Brommelstroet to support our repeated request for better and more scientific community consultation such as Place Score. The current web pages are not in the slightest bit representative of community priorities as they are self selecting sub group of “hyper participatory” residents.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959378025000172?via%3Dihub
Discussed yet again in a GCN video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkLrcHbVwIE
Place Score
Coffs Harbour case study, a traditionally conservative area, has cycling infrastructure as its number 1 priority.
https://www.coffsharbour.nsw.gov.au/Building-and-planning/Planning-strategies/Place-Score
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