Bike path works

The renewal of the bike path through Port Melbourne is nearly complete. The surface is silky smooth and at night the white lines stand out like a runway. Only bike stencils and line marking remain to be done. Green paint highlights entry/exit points for pedestrians.

Young and old, lycra and hi viz, ride through Port Melbourne for MS

A blur of bikes on Todd Rd as the MS Melbourne Cycle passes through Port Melbourne. I joined in just for the Port section.

Ride 2 School Day at Port Melbourne Primary

Port Melbourne Primary was brimming with scooters and bikes this morning for Ride 2 School Day. Harry Barber, CEO of Bicycle Network Victoria, was there. I liked what he said, which was along these lines: 'Riding a bike is fun. Its a small thing to do but its important. Do you brush your teeth everyday? [Wholehearted agreement] Well - riding a bike is like that - small but important.'

Our Super Tuesday

Bicycle Network Victoria has been doing a visual count of cyclists on the first Tuesday in March since 2007. Early indications from this year's count, conducted yesterday, are that the number of female cyclists has increased. This is considered a good indicator of the overall health of cycling. The world's best cycling cities have more women than men riding bikes.

Crossing complete

3.30 and Port Primary children are making their way home across the newly completed raised crossing at Clark St leading into Graham St. The crossing clearly gives priority to pedestrians, and reinforces that drivers are moving from a low speed, residential environment onto a major arterial road. The yellow crossing adds to the flashing 40 signs, the raised crossings at Poolman St, and the 40 km zone around the school to create a slower speed environment round the school. Today I met with local residents and Peter Martin, the school principal, to talk about further safety initiatives in Walter St. Peter pointed out that older children can and do make their way to school independently, but prep children - the largest enrolment - are more likely to be driven.

Walking to School

A raised yellow crossing is being installed at Clark St, as it enters busy Graham St, for the start of the Port Primary School year. This work arose from discussions with the School about safety concerns that discourage walking. We are also getting rid of a u-turn opportunity that contributed to the confusion by removing a crossover outside the main school gate in Clark St. The benefits of walking to school are not only physical, as Ruth Quibell discusses in her article in the Age yesterday.

Highlighting the presence of pedestrians

The Council has asked VicRoads to re-paint the yellow highlight on the crossings at Bay and Rouse St. The colour has faded and reduced its effectiveness in alerting drivers to the presence of pedestrians. Bay St is an arterial road managed by VicRoads.

Bike visitation

Cruikshank Street's Anne Garrow - can you believe she has just ridden to Frankston and back?

Pickles St & Beaconsfield Parade

A constant stream of outward and returning cyclists rode through Port Melbourne for Around the Bay in a Day. It was both an individual and group effort for families, friends, and colleagues in a mass participation cycling event. Congratulations to you all - whatever the distance you rode.

Around the Bay in a Day

Many Port Melbourne people have been in training for the big ride. This year there are a range of distance options for people wanting to ride part of the way. Watch out for cyclists tomorrow especially on Pickles St and Beaconsfield Parade. Cyclists are heading out of Melbourne in both directions. Around the Bay will wrap up a huge week in cycling starting with Ride to Work Day, and followed by the two day Bike Futures Conference.

South Melbourne Market supports Ride to Work Day

The market is offering something nice to Ride to Work cyclists tomorrow morning at the corner of Cecil and York St between 7.30 and 9.30 am. Maybe its more free bananas?

Unchain the bike for Ride to Work Day next Wednesday 12 October

If you work from home - I do, a lot of the time, Melbourne Bike Share are giving the chance to try out the new bike share bikes for free between 6 am and midday on the 12th October. If you are a regular commuter rider, join the Ride2Work Day community breakfast at Federation Square. Ride to Work day is not just about getting to work - its about being part of the growing bike riding community.

Melbourne Bike Share arrives in Port Melbourne

Yesterday 4 new Melbourne Bike Share stations were installed in our area at Ingles St [near interection of Dorcas and Ingles], Foreshore [near intersection of Beach and Stokes St], Bridport St [near the former Post Office] and at Kerferd Rd [near the intersection with Beaconsfield Parade]. For the full list of stations and a map showing where they are, click here or go to http://www.portphillip.vic.gov.au/bike_share.htm I know there are Bike Share doubters out there, but where else could you get unlimited access to convenient travel for $50 a year* which is all it costs to become a member.* go the Bike Share website for full terms and conditions.

Cyclist injured in Bay St

A female cyclist was seriously injured after being struck by a car and then by a truck on Bay St around 11 am. The police are looking for the man believed to have struck the woman initially. He was driving a BMW3 series car. Anyone who can help the Police with information about the incident should contact Crimestoppers 1800 333 000 or www.crimestoppers.com.au

The bike hoops are back, 2 of 2

source: Alison Lee: Bike Parking in Shopping Strips, slide 17

Alison Lee's investigation found that while car drivers tended to spend more, the space efficiency of bicycle parking meant that more was spent by 13m2 unit of car parking space by bike riders than car drivers. This graphic illustrates the point. To read more of her findings, click here.

Re-connecting

The path on the northern side of Swallow St has been re-surfaced and re-opened to foot traffic. A much reduced Melbourne Water/John Holland compound remains near the tennis courts. It has taken me a while to appreciate the diary function of Port Focus which tells me the path was closed in July 2009. The path is an important connection between Garden City, Beacon Cove and Bay St. Did you know that the tennis courts used to be in Garden City Reserve - I believe where the Trugo green is now.

Spotted off Bridge St ... a BAC Bike

BAC Bikes [Born Again Cycles] recycles old bikes and trains people to do so: 'Give us your old bikes, help us to fix them. Get them out there for people who need them.' BAC Bikes is a community programme of South Port Uniting Care. If you are upgrading your bike, you might like to pass on your old one to BAC Bikes at 319 Dorcas St, South Melbourne 9690 1188.

Murphy Reserve - making connections

A path now makes its way around most of Murphy's Reserve. It connects footpath to park, enables maintenance access to the sporting ovals on a made path, and circles the Dig In Community Garden - [who are getting a shed ready for the imminent arrival of chooks]. The path is a high priority action from the Murphy Reserve masterplan to create opportunities for active recreation that are not necessarily sports related, to make the park more accessible to people with disabilities and to better connect the Reserve into the surrounding community. It opens up a whole new place for walking.

Welcome to Bay Street - 99 Bikes

Cadel Evans won the Tour de France and 99 Bikes opened in Bay St. Might we have more bike than nail shops soon?

Bike for sale

Just as I had been thinking that bikes are the new cars when it comes to advertising - I see bikes used to sell real estate, fashion and food - I saw this bike being offered for sale using the time honoured technique for second hand cars. I was tempted by its charm - high handlebars, pale yellow frame and basket, but not enough to part with my reliable companion which you can see in the background.

Light Up! Cyclist visibility

So dark and so cold! When riding after dark or in poor light, it is the law to have a white light on the front and a red light on the back of your bike that are visible for 200m. The fine for non-compliance is $149. A good pair of lights costs $75.
Bicycle Victoria say that flashing lights are more visible than steady lights. They recommend that if you run a steady light, add one or more flashing lights to help others see you. Riders are most effectively seen when they have lights at handlebar height for front and rear lights. For more information about good quality lights that shone in the rigorous BV test, click here.