YarraBUG

Chris, Faith, Val and Steve

4.4 (8)
News
Updated Fortnightly

Yarra Bicycle Users Group promotes urban cycling. Providing support to campaigns to improve cycling conditions and awareness; demystifies cycling technology and helps to reveal the diversity of cyclists, from children to commuters to lobbyists.

5 days ago

An infectious bike ride!

Faith and Val are joined in the studio today by Melanie Brown, a nurse from Adelaide who has taken her passion for vaccination and the history of infectious diseases in Australia on an epic ride from Adelaide to Sydney. We kick off with our bike moments before taking a look at some local news including a great (albeit depressing) long read from the ABC The long road to a bike friendly Australia. Serendipitously, Bicycle Network launched a statewide campaign yesterday (together with about 30 community groups including Yarra BUG) arguing for 5% of the Victorian Transport budget to be dedicated to funding Startegic Cycling Corridors. You can check out the campaign and take a look at the different ways to get involved. Discussion turns to Melanie's ride, exploring cemeteries between Adelaide and Sydney and the stories they hold of the impact of sometimes forgotten infectious diseases on the communities now buried there. In between cemeteries she has been enjoying the scenery and wildlife. You can follow her adventures as she continues her journey on Instagram @itsinfectiousWe finish up with a reminder that the next Critical Mass ride is coming up this Friday evening! Bring your lights, ALL of your lights!
18 May

A nicer Wellington Street on hold + working towards 30km/h for Richmond

On this weeks program Chris catches up with two previous guests, first up Alex Lamb from Nicer Wellington Street, a group of Clifton Hill and Collingwood residents who supported 'Option 1: shared street' for Wellington Street. Alex talks about last Tuesdays massive Yarra Council meeting, where two thirds of public feedback supported to the bold vision make Wellington less traffic choked, and we unpack councillors decision to reject Wellington Street upgrades, road safety audit reports and what it means for the community. We also discussion how misinformation alters public debate for the worse, a comprehensive review of the Wellington Street decision, Congestion levy funds, ongoing fuel crisis, possible North East Link impacts for residents, how current Yarra Council has pattern of behaviour to degrade and stop creation of green spaces in the inner suburbs, an overall lack of vision and future engagement and future plans for a Nicer Wellington Street, including Critical Mass ride on 29 May 2026.Local news includes previous guest Robbie Danger Webb being accepted as official Guinness world records title holder as first openly transgender person to circumnavigate the globe by bicycle and two The Age ig reels on the Alphington Link and the popular Ride Outs events across Melbourne.Second guest is Aidan Barac-Dunn from Safer Streets for Richmond with Adopt safe 30km/h streets in Richmond petition being tabled at council. We discuss about simple steps to make local streets safer with recent Speed Zoning Policy, how Love 30 started in Yarra circa 2018, how more European cities are accepting 30km/h as standard and startling road death statistics in post WWII Richmond, referenced by Janet McCalman in her book, Struggletown Public and Private Life in Richmond 1900–1965, recent speed zone changes in Richmond and planning for future campaigns.Program musicScratching, Malvern StarTycho, Consciousness Felt Four Tet, LushLaibach, Fluid EmancipationTrue Love Always, Bicycle Rider
11 May

The State Transport Budget - Gender lens or rose coloured glasses?

Val and Faith catch up in the studio and share their bike moments, a green wave for Val on the way to the studio this morning and another milestone celebrating almost Mothers Day and almost 100 women in the Wheel Sisters program in Merri-bek for Faith. We take a look at some news including; updates from Queenslands' attempts to work out a way forward with e-bikes, and the Yarra Council meeting on Tuesday where the proposals for Wellington Street will be considered. Read about what has changed and how you can get involved at Say Yes to a New Wellington Street. We also take a moment to ponder the State Budget 2026-2030 released last week and what is in it for active trasnport? As that proves to be a very short conversation we dissect the gender lens Victoria has used to provide an analysis of the budget and its impact on women, or is it more a case of rose coloured glasses?
4 May

Creating a nicer Wellington Street + Adelaide pop-up bike lanes

On this weeks program we're doing a hour long program as a treat with two interviews.First up: Chris catches up with Erin and Liam from the Nicer Wellington Street crew about advocating for a leafier, quieter, and safer Wellington Street for everyone in the week before a crucial vote at the next Yarra Council Meeting on 12 May 2026.Erin and Liam discuss supporting Option 1 for both Wellington Street - South and Wellington Street - North, building community support in Clifton Hill and Collingwood, with over 900 names in support, improving canopy cover, road design, improving resident amenity, parking issues, writing to councillors, Yarra receiving $3m per year from Congestion Levy for active transport projects, and challenging confusion and misinformation, including cross street traffic fears and that the north section of Wellington Street could be closed to local traffic.Second chat: Cr Eleanor Freeman from City of Adelaide talks about a recent feasibility assessment to create pop up bike lanes due to Australia's ongoing fuel crises.Eleanor discusses creating safe conditions for new and intending riders, keeping the city open, working on network gaps, new cycling strategy as part of City of Adelaide Integrated Climate Strategy 2030 and working towards a more strategic approach with South Australia state government (Party leader backs pop-up bikeways in Adelaide CBD, Pop-up bike lanes mooted for Adelaide streets)News includes Alphington Link to be completed due to state government implementing the Transport Integration Act so that 120m of shared trail can finally be constructed after a insane 37 year wait, Ride & Stride e-bike subsidies for Merri-bek families, a fabulous BikeRave Melbourne ride on the weekend just gone, Critical Mass on 29 May 2026, Maribynong Council investigating a pop up bike lane program and Sydney Road issues due to looming Level Crossing works. (The 9km corridor that’s recorded 279 cyclist crashes but still doesn’t have a protected bike lane)Program musicScratching, Malvern StarStreets of your town, The Go-betweensSource, Tycho
27 Apr

Modelling the benefits of bike lanes

Faith and Val are joined in the studio by Dr Afshin Jafar, Research Fellow at RMIT University. We all share our bike moments and wax lyrical about Friday evening's Critical Mass ride along Sydney Road to protest the diabolical detours proposed by the LXRP while the Upfield Path is closed for construction. Dr Jafar reminds us that in addition to the well known benefits of bike riding and the community it builds, like Critical Mass, we also need quantifiable benefits to support business cases for infrastructure that allows people to move around safely by bike. Finding a way to model these benefits to specific contaxts has remained a challenge which is why RMIT has been working on a tool for bicycle infrastructure investment analysis. With greater nuance in its modelling of the diversity of riders the tool combines spatial, infrastructure and safety data integration, demand forecasting and econometric scenario projections to understand how to best achieve successful rollouts that maximise the benefits of cycling as a transport mode. A recent case study in Bendigo provides some insight into how the tool might work. While we ran out of time to mention it on the program don't forget that Melbourne Bike Rave is coming up this coming weekend!
20 Apr

Musical Interlude: Two wheeled words, to wield words

On this weeks program we're having a musical interlude including a new release from locals Scratching. Back in a fortnight!Program musicSia, Riding on my bikeSleepy Dreamers, Bike songScratching, Malvern StarEvalyn Parry, Two wheeled words, to wield wordsEels, 3 speedHey Ocean!, BicycleKing Curly, Riding in the darkHymner feat. Alessandra, BicycleMaika Loubte, Ride My Bike
6 Apr

Kathryn Good: defending legal ebikes in Queensland

On this weeks show, Chris catches up with Kathryn Good from the Story Bridge Active Transport Alliance about last weeks E-mobility Critical Mass protest ride in Brisbane against proposed amendments to Queensland e-bike legislation.Speakers from SNAP ACTION: Defend Legal E-Bikes - Critical Mass Ride included Andrea Herklots, EveryBody Electric Bikes and Matthew Burke, Bicycle Queensland.If you're in Queensland (or Queensland adjunct) please make a submission before 10 April 2026.See E-Mobility Inquiry Committee, Transport and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026, news articles: ‘If they want us on the roads, we’re getting on the roads’: Riders plot peak-hour protest and Backlash over pending Queensland e-bike licence laws.Local news includes a fabulous April 1st media release from the Department of Pedalling and Perspiration about their new Ride to Save scheme, ongoing energy and transport issues, see Why affordable alternatives to the car have never mattered more, Wellington Street in the news: Wellington Street wars: The plan dividing Collingwood and Clifton Hill, April Fool: Why paying cyclists isn’t such a joke and have a look at Modal filters in the inner north, North Richmond Bike Bus: Sunday Ride on 19 April, Critical Mass possibly heads north on Friday 24 April. Elizabeth Street update: if you haven't seen the dinky little red bollards yet and narrowed conditions for people parking their cars and trying to ride past, general advice is to monitor, document, report and repeat.Program musicHONNE, BIKE
29 Mar

Raving about Bike Rave Melbourne!

Faith and Val are joined in the studio by Curtis Hatton of Bike Rave Melbourne. We all share a bike moment before taking a look at some recent news including the Victorian government's announcement of free public transport for one month from April 1st. With limited public transport accessibility in many parts of Melbourne shouldn't some pop-up style bike lanes be part of the solution? Talk turns to Bike Rave Melbourne, another enduring grassroots bike event that will be celebrating it's 13th year in 2026. With a line up of four DJs, the promise of epic playslists and a theme of Deluxe Disco this year's event on May 2nd promises to be epic. Melburn Roobaix may have left a hole in this year's bike calendar in Melbourne but maybe this is a way to fill it? You can find all the details and FREE registration for updates at @bikeravemelbourne or Bike Rave Melbourne on FB

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Yarra Bicycle Users Group promotes urban cycling. Providing support to campaigns to improve cycling conditions and awareness; demystifies cycling technology and helps to reveal the diversity of cyclists, from children to commuters to lobbyists.