Moreland BUG

Please be aware that Melbourne Water will be shutting down the path for a short period. Works will occur this Wednesday 17th February, sometime between 12-2pm.

There will be a temporary sign tomorrow morning advising users of the proposed shutdown and set up the construction signage on the day as per the traffic management plan.

The closure will be staffed at both ends and detour maps are available on-site. Users detour via Parkview, Harrison and Albion.

The works being undertaken are the removal of tree(s?) adjacent to the path, between Albion and Parkview in East Brunswick. The duration of the closure is expected to be less than 1 hour.

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.

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.

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.

I would like to introduce you to the new committee of management for the Moreland BUG, elected at last week’s AGM:

Convenor: Phuong Le, convenor@morelandbug.org
Deputy/co-convenor: Ross Millward, deputy@morelandbug.org
Secretary: Julia Mischke, secretary@morelandbug.org
Treasurer: Stephen Nowicki, treasurer@morelandbug.org
Ordinary members: Katie O’Bryan, Rod Callander, Alisa Bunbury

Firstly, a huge thanks on behalf of the BUG to the outgoing committee members: to Geoff Lewis, for his hard work and dedication as Treasurer over the past couple of years; and to Veena Druskat, who has been a fabulous rides coordinator and ‘ordinary’ member.

I’d also like to congratulate the new committee, and to wish them the very best for the year ahead. I am sure it will be another big and exciting year in which the BUG continues to grow in size and capacity, and the dynamic duo of Ross and Phuong are extremely well equipped to lead us onward and upward!

Happy cycling,
Anna Strempel

PS. From the BUG: a massive thanks to Anna for all of her hard work, enthusiasm and vision as convenor for the last four years!

News from BV for people using the Merri Creek path:

The section of the Merri Creek path linking the Rushall station precinct to Fairfield Park under the railway line and Heidelberg Road has re-opened following redevelopment.

The path has been closed for a year because of the Clifton Hill rail duplication project.

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.

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!