IN THIS MAILOUT:
--------------------

* MBUG Launch Report-- and Our Next Meeting (Monday 14 July)

* Lygon Court Bike Parking Planning Bee (Sunday 6 July)

* Next Full-Moon Ride (Saturday 12 July)

* City of Melbourne Seeks Feedback on Canning St

* Join the MBUG Email Discussion List

* Contributions Welcome for MBUG Newsletter

* Parking Meter Party!

* STOP PRESS!! -- Call for Return of Cars Into Swanston St

====================


MBUG LAUNCH REPORT -- AND OUR NEXT MEETING
(MONDAY 14 JULY)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Hooray for Melbourne BUG's successful launch! 36 cyclists
came along to contribute ideas and enthusiasm to Melbourne's
newest cycling advocacy group. We all went home
newly-inspired with ideas for making Melbourne a better place to
cycle. It was great to meet you all and discover the potential we
have together to become an influential force. We made an
excellent impression on our official guests (Harry Barber from
Bicycle Victoria and Cr David Risstrom from the City of
Melbourne), who have already showered us with suggestions for
campaigning efforts. Stay tuned for a complete wrap-up of the
Inaugural Meeting in the next edition of MBUG's newsletter, "City
Rider".

But MBUG is a grass-roots group working for the benefit of us
local users. We needn't be ashamed of fixing up our own pet
hates, because they probably grate on other cyclists too. We
want all members to know that MBUG is working for their
interests. Feedback from one attendee of our first meeting
captured this exactly, "There was too much telling and not
enough asking." Result: the next meeting will be a round-table
discussion for you to tell us the issues you want MBUG to
address.

What you can do:
* bring your suggestions (with a Melways reference for "trouble
spots" so we know exactly where you mean)
* think about the problem and provide a solution too
* be clear and concise -- we'll have plenty of issues to get
through

NEXT MBUG GENERAL MEETING:
6.30pm, Monday 14 July 2003
3rd floor, Ross House -- 247 Flinders Lane, Melbourne.
Bike parking in the basement.



LYGON COURT BIKE PARKING PLANNING BEE -- SUNDAY 6
JULY
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Parking! Parking! Parking! Let's make a difference everyone can
see and enjoy! Bike parking at Lygon Court, Lygon St, Carlton
(where the Nova Cinemas are) has been disgracefully lacking
for too long. There are only a measly few bike rails provided, yet
verandah rails in front of the entrance to Lygon Court can often
be chock-a-block with 30 or more locked-up bikes. There's plenty
of room for more bike racks to be installed, so MBUG is going to
take the matter into our own hands and put a recommendation to
the Council. All members are invited to meet this Sunday 6 July,
12 noon, at Threshermans Bakery, 221 Faraday St, for a fortifying
lunch before we take the measuring tapes to the footpath
outside Lygon Court/Nova Cinemas and plan a bike parking
paradise. All hands welcome!



NEXT FULL-MOON RIDE -- SATURDAY 12 JULY
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Moon riders! It's time to chase that glowing orb again through the
wilds of Westerfolds Park. The night-time picnic at "halfway hill"
has become a feature, so don't forget a little something sweet or
savoury to share. Only torrential rain will stop us and it's always
nicer outside than you think, just ask our regulars. The wombats
await, so don't be late: Meet at 8 pm in the car park next to
Eltham Station, Saturday 12 July. (If you catch the Hurstbridge
line train from Flinders St at 7.05pm, you will arrive at Eltham just
before 8pm.)



CITY OF MELBOURNE SEEKS FEEDBACK ON CANNING ST
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Canning St in Carlton is one of Melbourne's great bicycling
routes -- it carries almost 400 cyclists during the morning peak
hours alone. A calm street in the midst of the hustle and bustle
of the crowded inner suburbs, it is known to many riders as the
"Bicycle Superhighway". But adjacent to the Dan O'Connell Hotel,
the bike superhighway meets its congested motorised
equivalent, Princes St.

To help cyclists continue their journey along Canning St safely,
pedestrian lights are installed at the crossing on Princes St. If
you're a regular rider of this route, you'll know that recently the
City of Melbourne reconstructed the pedestrian crossing to make
it easier for cyclists to cross -- the "pram ramp" was widened to
allow easier movement of bikes and a larger cut-through was
installed in the median strip. The City of Melbourne's
Engineering Services Dept is seeking feedback from cyclists
about these changes. Do you like what they have done? Could
they do more to assist cyclists at this crossing? Any other
comments you'd like to make about the crossing, or Canning St
in general? Email your comments to info@...
and we'll pass them on to the City Council.

In other Council developments, the bike lanes on Elgin St in
Carlton were being painted last week, and should be finished by
now. One MBUG member even stopped to congratulate the
painting crew as they were doing their work! Also, the footpath on
Princes Bridge has been re-opened for bike access, after it was
closed off while restoration work was being done on the bridge's
facade. New separated footpaths are now marked on both sides
of the bridge, and shortly the roadway will also be marked with a
bike lane.



JOIN THE MBUG EMAIL DISCUSSION LIST
----------------------------------------------------------------------

One of the strengths of MBUG is the wide variety of knowledge
and skills that our members possess. As a group, we can work
very effectively when we share that knowledge and contribute to
each other's ideas. To help MBUG members get in touch with
one another, and to act as a forum for discussion of all
bike-related issues, an MBUG email discussion list has been
created. The list is also a great way to raise issues which you
would like to see MBUG address, and get feedback from other
members. Currently, there are 19 subscribers to the discussion
list, but more subscribers will mean more ideas and livelier
debates. We'd like to build MBUG's virtual meeting place into
vibrant on-line cycling community. To join the discussion list, go
to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/melbournebug/



CONTRIBUTIONS WELCOME FOR MBUG'S NEWSLETTER
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Is there a burning issue which you want to get off your chest? A
letter of praise or a brickbat which you want to write to MBUG? Or
do you have a lyrical story to tell your fellow cyclists about a great
bike riding experience -- something that made you think "bikes
are fun"? MBUG has its own soapbox, and it's open all
members. We're talking about our monthly newsletter, "City
Rider". A new edition will be published soon, but there is still
time to submit articles and letters. The newsletter is one of
MBUG's main promotional activities, and it is sent to 100 MBUG
members and supporters via email. Additionally, 500 printed
copies are distributed at bike shops, community centres and
libraries in the City of Melbourne. So if you ever wanted to see
yourself in print, here's your chance. Send all contributions to
info@... with "City Rider" clearly indicated in the
subject line.



PARKING METER PARTY!
----------------------------------------------------------------------

In the lead-up to World Car Free Day on 22 September, MBUG
are planning a Parking Meter Party in August. The idea behind
these parties is that a group of people pay the meter and occupy
a parking space but have a party there instead of parking a car.
By doing this on a Sunday in a busy place like Lygon St or
Brunswick St we can demonstrate to lots of people that you can
fit many bikes in the space one car takes and you can have a
good time doing it. Party activities could include free bike repairs,
a game of Twister, face painting, creating chalk artwork on the
asphalt, and giving away "free fuel" which is in fact vegemite on
toast (because that's fuel for a human-powered vehicle!)
Extroverts required and all welcome. Good time guaranteed.

This will be the test run for a larger Parking Meter Party in the
CBD on World Car Free Day. For more information about Parking
Meter Parties, check out this website from a sustainable
transport group in Canada:
http://www.hwcn.org/link/tlc/tlcaction.htm



STOP PRESS!! -- CALL FOR RETURN OF CARS INTO
SWANSTON STREET
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Just as this mailout was about to be sent, MBUG heard news of
a fresh call for car traffic to be re-introduced into Swanston Walk.
According to "The Age", Jones Lang LaSalle (one of Australia's
largest real estate firms) has branded Swanston Walk a "brave
but failed experiment". Yesterday Jones Lang LaSalle's regional
director said the street closure had been derailed by politics and
meddling planners. He said the gradual reopening of the street
to traffic at night, and bicycles and other vehicles during the day,
had destroyed the original Swanston Walk concept. Lord Mayor
John So, when asked for a comment, hinted that the issue of
cars would be revisited some time in the future. The Lord Mayor
has tried, but failed, to re-introduce cars in the past.

It is bizarre that people still believe that cars are the answer to
revitalising Swanston Walk. Do they not remember the horrid
smog-choked sewer that the street was before cars were
banned? Do they think that the way to create liveable
communities is by filling our cities with congested, smelly
car-filled streets? And while Swanston Walk is Australia's
busiest cycling street with over 2,400 trips per day, Jones Lang
LaSalle seems to suggest that cyclists are part of the problem
not part of the solution! Unbelievable!

On behalf of all city cyclists, MBUG will fight to keep cars out of
Swanston Walk. We will immediately be making our feelings
known to the City of Melbourne Councillors about this issue.
MBUG members will be kept informed of further developments.


Swanston Walk Resources:
--------------------

Read the the full article on "The Age" website:
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/07/02/1056825457282.h
tml

Download Bicycle Victoria's report on Swanston Walk (PDF file
- 346kb):
http://www.bv.com.au/download/Swanston%20June%202002%2
0and%20beyond.pdf


How You Can Help to Keep Cars Out of Swanston Walk:
--------------------

Write emails to Councillors expressing your opposition to the
reopening of Swanston Walk:

Lord Mayor John So -- lordmayor@...
Deputy Lord Mayor Susan Riley -- susril@...
Cr Anthony Nicholson -- antnic@...
Cr Catherine Ng -- cathng@...
Cr David Risstrom -- davris@...
Cr Kate Redwood -- katred@...
Cr Kevin Chamberlin -- kevcha@...
Cr Kimberley Kitching -- kimkit@...
Cr Irene Goonan -- iregoo@...