Jun 072012
 

With its Zero Budget for bikes, the Baillieu Government has made it clear that if bike riders don’t get pushy, we’ll get nothing!

On Thursday 21 June from 7.30–8.30 am outside Victorian Parliament, riders will gather to rally for the state government to Bring Back the Bike Budget.

Background: The state government has allocated practically zero to bike infrastructure in its 2012-13 budget. This means serious safety issues will continue, and new riders continue to be discouraged by hostile conditions.

Why taking action might make a difference: There’s always more money if they’re pushed hard enough; it’s happened before. We also need to show them we won’t take this lying down so that bike riders don’t get burned in the next year’s budget too!

HELP BY PUTTING UP OUR CAMPAIGN POSTER: Download our campaign poster here (pictured below at bottom of this post). Print it off, and stick it up at your workplace, on your bike routes, at your school or uni, at cafes, wherever! You can also print off this leaflet to give out.

JOIN US ON A GROUP RIDE!

The Victorian Bicycle User Groups (and friends) are organising cyclists to ride in together in groups from all sides of the city. Meeting places so far are:

South Yarra: 7:00am Main Yarra Trail, Cnr Chapel Street & Alexandra Avenue—near the bus stop, Facebook invite here.

Richmond: 7:00am Elizabeth Street and Church Street—outside the commission flats, organised by Julez.

Brighton: 6:45am Corner of Bay Street and Nepean Highway, travelling along the Nepean Highway and St Kilda Road, organised by Richard Syme.

North Melbourne 7:00am North Melbourne pool, 1 Macaulay Rd. Coordinated by Melbourne Bicycle User Group.

Footscray Leaving at 7:00am, Opposite Footscray Police Station, 66 Hyde Street. Coordinated by Ant.

Coburg: 6:30am Coburg Railway Station. Coordinated by @DannoPants. Facebook event here.

East Brunswick: 7.00am, Outside Cafe L’Amour (next to Gelobar), 76 Lygon St (Cafe L’Amour will be open for coffee) – coordinated by Moreland Bicycle User Group. Facebook invite here.

Carlton: 7.00am Outside Dan O’Connell Hotel, Corner Princes and Canning Streets – coordinated by Yarra Bicycle Users Group. Facebook invite here.

Northcote 7.00am, Jika Jika Community Centre, Corner Plant and Union Streets – coordinated by Darebin Bicycle User Group

If you’re riding in from East or South and can help lead a group, please send us a message via the contact form (or on Facebook or Twitter). All we need is a place and a time and we will help promoting it.

HELP US PROMOTE THE RALLY  – some ideas 

1) Put up posters

Download a printable PDF copy of the poster pictured below here. Print it off and put it EVERYWHERE! Work bike cages, schools, poles on major bike route are a good place to start.

2) Tell your friends

Send around a group email (you can just copy and paste from this post) asking to your friends who care about cyclists’ safety, and ask them to forward it on too! Try and lock in one or two good friends to ride in with you.

On the morning of the rally, send a text message to your friends to remind them it’s on!

3) Tell your workmates, fellow students, etc 

See above!

 

 Posted by at 10:57 am

  6 Responses to “Join forces to Bring Back The Bike Budget!”

  1. Not able to travel from home in Albury tomorrow – wholeheartedly support this ride and would love to be there. Sincerely hope Baillieu reverses his funding (or rather the lack thereof) decision. Traffic congestion CAN be alleviated with appropriate levels of funding for cycling infrastructure which will generate not only tourism $’s but provide a bonus of greater health for those who do avail themselves of the facilities.

    PS: I am a Bicycle NSW member and do enjoy the “Around the Bay” rides.

  2. Hey Rails, and bike peop’s. I’m riding from Richmond, through East Melbourne. Can meet other east siders at corner of Elizabeth Street and Church Street at 7.00am – outside the commission flats!
    Julez

    • Jules, you’re on the list – I’ll get the BUG to start promoting it first thing Monday morning! Yipee!

  3. Happy to lead a group from the South if needed. Meet corner of Bay St and Nepean Hwy departing 6.45am. Richard

Leave a Reply to Richard Cancel reply

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

(required)

(required)