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From Boroondara BUG
Boroondara Bicycle Users' Group
For details on the Boroondara Bicycle Users' Group (BBUG), including meeting times and location, have a look at the about BBUG page. For contact details see the contact us page.
News
While we have your attention. Please report any problems or hazards you know of in Melbourne and Geelong that need fixing. If you have a problem with a VicRoads road (debris, potholes, etc.) report it to the VicRoads Traffic Management Centre: telephone 131 170, available 24 Hrs a day. If it's a council road call the local council. Which is which ? - VicRoads roads are marked using black and red lines in the Melway.
It's only 47 days until the next ride2work day
It's only 51 days until the next Around The Bay in a day (ATB)!
15 July Gardiners Creek Trail Detour: The year long diversion is now in place. Currently it is far from satisfactory.
Heading towards the CBD:
- leave the Gardiners Creek Trail at Great Valley Road and head SW on Great Valley Rd
- head NW along Willis St at the second roundabout
- cross Burke Rd at the pedestrian crossing near Gardiner station - alternatively just cross at the Burke Rd/Willis St intersection with the lights
- head west along Carroll Crescent till you reach Weir St immediately before Tooronga Rd
- and then:
We warn users to be careful at Weir St, just parallel to and east of Tooronga Rd. Weir St leads directly to the entrance of Stonnington's new garbage depot. Large garbage trucks use Weir St, Carroll Cres and Tooronga Rd. The Tate hardware store is also located at Weir St, attracting a lot of small vans, flat bed trucks and the like. Great caution is required here.
The current signage directs cyclists to the pedestrian crossing on Tooronga Rd, which is far from satisfactory. When heading to the CBD, it may make more sense to leave Carroll Cres at Weir St and ride on the foot path, on the north side of Carroll Cres. Continue along the east side of Toroonga Rd across the bridge. Then down and under Toroonga on the north side.
Note also: the East Malvern Station footbridge is to be altered due to the widening work on the M1. The proposed new bridge will be a switchback arrangement with two 90 degree bends plus a hairpin bend. As proposed, we think it will be unsatisfactory.
Note also: opportunities to improve the Gardiners Creek trail, as a result of the M1 widening, on the south side in Stonnington are being ignored.
16th June Council vote in favour of Darebin Creek - Yarra Trail link, five to four.
14 June The Age article about Darebin Bridge story here. Interesting to note at the council meeting on June 2 that the opponents who spoke and Tony Michael quoted in th article above now seem to be dancing between what the reason for their opposition is. First it was dogs, then it was the billabong and now wanting to keep the park as a 'locals-only' asset. It would be dissapointing if the council vote according to this confusing cloud of emotion rather than the facts as presented. There are no viable alternatives as the report has proven so lets start dealing in facts, not confusion
2nd June Important Diary Date!
On Monday 2nd June, at 7.30pm, the Urban Planning Special Committee of Boroondara Council will be meeting to hear public submissions regarding the Planning Permit for the long awaited bridge to link the Darebin Creek Path to the Yarra Trail. They will vote on the issue at the following meeting on Monday 16 June.
It is important for Boroondara residents who support the link to attend the 2nd June meeting and to make submissions. We anticipate that many opponents of the link will be present and making their presence felt, so we need to demonstrate the amount of support that exists as well. For details on how to go about making a submission and other matters related to council meeting procedures see: Meeting Procedures You may like to identify yourself as a cyclist, eg by having a bike helmet under your arm or some such.
The agenda for this meeting can now be found at Agenda Part 1 of the agenda contains the report from Council officers recommending that Council grant the relevant permit and is worth a look prior to the meeting.
Another useful thing Boroondara residents can do if you haven’t already done so is to contact your local ward councillor and let him/her know that you support the link and why. If speaking with councillors, please remind them that Yarra and Banyule Councils are comfortable with the ParksVic application and are letting planning staff sign it off. This effectively rules out the 'Let's find an alternative route' position.
18 May 08 Gardiners Creek Trail Detour: The widening of the M1 will result in numerous rearrangements to the Gardiners Creek Trail at different points till May 2009. The first suggested alternative at Great Valley Rd to Burke Rd: Heading to the CBD:
Go off the path at Great Valley Rd to the right. Immediately left into Haynes Cres. At the end, turn right into Park Rd. Turn left into Howard Dawson Reserve adjacent to Violet St. Head along the path on the south side of the reserve and join back on to the Gardiners Creek path just east of Burke Rd.
7 May 08 Gardiners Creek Trail Detour: Seen today, two illuminated signs set up on the Gardiners Creek trail. One just east of Burke Rd, ie just where the trail does the little S bend and the signs are all hidden in the bushes. And another just west of Great Valley Rd. Signs say: "Bike path temp detour, Mon 2nd June to May 2009". Yes that's right 2009!
6 Apr 08 Lights! it's time for many of us to put the lights back on the bike or simply get some fresh batteries. Here are some tips on how to make yourself more visible on the road. Read more>>. And a message from Vic. Police.
25 Mar 08 Kew Junction Draft Strategy is out for public comment. Despite being a major destination and a popular commuter route there is little mention of Bicycles. Kew Junction Draft Strategy
4 Mar 08 Advertising commenced of Parks Victoria Planning Permit Applications for the last stages of the Darebin Creek - Yarra link. Send your submission to City of Boroondara by 18/3. See the BBUG submission in support of the applications here
1 Mar 08 Turn off your lights for one hour at 8pm March 29, 2008 - for Earth Hour
28 Feb 08 Parks Victoria Darebin Creek Trail Plans are available for viewing. For further details have a look at BBUG's Darebin Creek - Yarra Trail campaign.
7 Jan 08 Bin the bike ban wants your support. 
4 Jan 08 "The (Gardiners Creek sic) trail will be closed between Tooronga Road and Burke Road between 7 January 2008 to 20 January 2008 to allow Melbourne Water to undertake urgent remedial works. Trail users are advised to seek alternatives routes. For more information, please call 9278 4444." Temporary replacement route discussion. and BV's map.
24 Dec 07 "... I wish to advise that with the recent heavy storms and rains, a section of the Gardiners Creek bank approximately 200m east of Tooronga Road (old Brickworks site / Coles Group Building) has collapsed and damaged part of the Gardiners Creek Trail. Part of the path has been barricaded, however access through the area is still possible. ... Jim Hondrakis ... City of Boroondara ..."
Dec 07 Ride round on the trails? - how about giving them a clean up. The next Clean Up Australia Day is Sunday 2 March 2008.
Dec 07 Cr Coral Ross elected Mayor
Dec 07 The Draft Boroondara Bicycle Strategy is available for comment.
The Darebin Trail - Yarra trail bridge debate is hotting up.
Nov 07 The Sustainable Living Festival wants you to ride to the festival in Feb 2008.
Sept 07 vote4cycling wants your vote.
June 07 Cotham Ward by-election Boroondara BUG will once again be polling the candidates to see how bike-friendly they are. With a vote possible in the near future on the Darebin Link issue, BoroondaraBUG would love to see a 'link-friendly' new councillor. Read more>>
June 07 Yarra Bend Trust have permanently removed a section of the Yarra Trail path near the Chandler Bridge. Read more >>
June 07 Solway St Bridge open again. Finally! After 14 months trying to build a new bridge Stonnington CC settled on a repair to the existing bridge. One that is still too steep and does not meet Austroads standards, particularly in regard to width.
May 07 Stonnington still seems unable to build bridges - Solway St Bridge still not open after 14 months.
Mar 07 Cr Philip Healey (Mayor at that time) has written to us but we seek further clarification from him and council. Read more on our Darebin Link page. Read more>>
Newsletter
The BBUG newsletter is published monthly. It is issued a week before the monthly meeting, ie on the first Wednesday of the month, except for January. Members can pay $10 per year to have a hard copy newsletter delivered or posted to their homes.
To receive notification by email each month when the new issue has been put on the website, as well as a reminder about our monthly meeting, send a blank e-mail to BoroondaraBug-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Subscribe now -->
You will also receive a call for contributions each month, about a week before the newsletter goes out. Apart from that you will rarely receive any other messages. The pdfs are also available on the links further below. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed.
The newsletter provides details of our next meeting and minutes of our last meeting. It also contains a variety of material related to cycling in Boroondara and beyond.
A supplementary section contains rides calendars for various clubs and BUGs in the Boroondara area and surrounding suburbs. The supplementary section is not archived on this web site. See the Rides page also.
Newsletter RSS feed
The Newsletter and Rides are available via this Boroondara BUG newsletter RSS feed. You can subscribe to a feed by using the button in your browser, which looks like this: 
Still haven't a clue about RSS feeds then read this and this or read the help information in your browser on the topic.
Latest Newsletter
Hi all. Here is the Newsletter and Rides Supplement:
Rides Supplement
Julia B 18:04, 6 August 2008 (EST))
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