[YarraBUG-list] [Fwd: Yarra council report on bike riding -]

Tue Nov 13 10:58:35 AEDT 2007

Hi all,

Referring to yesterdays email, here's a extract from the Yarra City 
Council - Planning, Environment and Infrastructure Committee Agenda - 13 
November 2007

The original document is here: Item 4.3, Pages 20-26
http://www.yarracity.vic.gov.au/Council/Meetings/pdf/agendas07/13NovembePlanningAgenda.pdf 

Items include:

- Bicycle Parking
- Car Free Day
- Cyclovia
- Use of Leisure Centres for Changing and Showering
- Supporting Activities
- Critical Mass
- Shared Paths
- Shared Zones

If possible, please attend todays nights council meeting and make your 
opinions known to Yarra Councils Planning, Environment and 
Infrastructure Committee - 8.00 pm on Tuesday 13 November 2007 at the 
Fitzroy Town Hall.

cheers,

Chris

****

4.3 Support for Bicycle Riding

File: 55/60/05/01-02 (I07/1581)

Responsible Officer: Transport Coordinator

Purpose

1. The purpose of this report is to inform Council about a number of 
possible ways for Council to support bicycle riding.

Background

2. On Tuesday 18 September 2007, Council passed the following resolution 
(item 7.2, Support for Bicycle Riding):

1. That a report be prepared for the November cycle of council looking 
at options for:
(a) increasing bicycle parking in the City of Yarra, including through:
(i) converting some car parking spaces to bicycle parking spaces in 
supermarket shopping areas (for example in the proximity of Swan Street 
Richmond Coles and Piedimonte’s in North Fitzroy) and in strip shopping 
areas; and
(ii) introducing a minimum number of bicycle parking hoops per 10 meters 
in activity centres;

(b) implementing a car free day in 2008, possibly in partnership with 
other IMAP councils;

(c) implementing a ‘Cyclovia’ activity in 2008, possibly inpartnership 
with other IMAP councils;

(d) making facilities at the Richmond Leisure Centre (and other City of 
Yarra facilities) available for bike riders who would like to use the 
showers and bike-lock up facilities available (e.g.for a small fee);

(e) supporting activities that encourage hesitant riders to ride more 
often (such as the Absolute Beginner Chicks group, a women-only group 
which supports women to ride more, through riding activities and social 
events); and

(f) invite Critical Mass to extend their activities or conduct an 
activity in the City of Yarra.

2. That the report includes advice on how to control bicycle speed and 
cycling behaviour on shared pedestrian/bike paths under the control of 
Council.

3. The resolution by Council followed a public forum held by the Yarra 
Bicycle Users Group (Yarra BUG) on Sunday 16 September 2007 at which 
Council was called on to consider various initiatives on cycling.

Members of Yarra BUG are also members of Council’s Bicycle Advisory 
Committee. A report from Yarra BUG on the forum was considered at the 
Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting on Wednesday 17 October 2007.

Extract from - Yarra City Council - Planning, Environment and 
Infrastructure Committee Agenda - 13 November 2007

Bicycle Parking

4. Council currently installs up to100 bicycle parking rails each year 
in response to requests from members of the public, business operators 
and staff suggestions. These are funded through council’s $160,000 
annual capital allocation for cycling.

In some cases, banks of parking rails have been installed in high demand 
areas. These include Highett Street, Richmond near Gleadell Street to 
serve the Saturday market. Council’s Sustainable Transport officer also 
works closely with Yarra schools to encourage cycling and assists where 
possible in providing advice on bicycle parking.

5. Council has previously investigated converting car parking spaces to 
bicycle parking, including in the vicinity of Best Street, North 
Fitzroy. A specific proposal for the North Fitzroy location was not 
developed because of several factors. These included cost, the design 
difficulties of converting angled parking bays to bicycle parking and 
lack of support from adjacent businesses for the removal of car parking 
bays.

6. Swan Street in Richmond is not a possible location for installing 
bicycle parking in a car parking bay because the road is subject to 
clearways which would not be able to function if bicycle parking was 
installed there.

7. The introduction of a minimum number of bicycle parking rails per 10 
metres in activity centres may lead to an increase in the amount of 
bicycle parking in Yarra. However, it is not considered that this would 
be an efficient approach for several reasons.

Council’s footpaths are the location of various fixed assets (bins, 
signs, seats, etc.) as well as footpath trading activities. It would not 
be feasible to apply a 10 metre rule rigorously. An alternative approach 
would be to discuss with Yarra BUG and other interest groups about 
specific locations where extra bicycle parking may be needed and 
evaluate whether these are feasible locations. These discussions can 
occur at Council’s Bicycle Advisory Committee.

Car Free Day

8. A Car Free Day developed in association with other IMAP councils will 
provide a more powerful sustainable transport statement than one with 
City of Yarra acting in isolation. The impact will be felt across a 
wider area and there will be cost sharing, as with other IMAP projects, 
with councils working together.

9. In May 2004 a report was presented to Council on the feasibility of 
the City of Yarra supporting a Car Free Day in September 2004. The 2004 
report noted that there are many factors that need to be both considered 
and achieved in order to provide a successful Car Free Day to ensure 
that a positive statement on sustainable transport is achieved. If a 
major statement is made by Council in this regard, then it is considered 
that the closure of a shopping strip is necessary.

10. Key issues to ensure the success of a Car Free Day include:

(a) having businesses in affected streets involved and committed to the 
project;

(b) highlighting the positive side to closing a street i.e. creative use 
of public space and using alternative transport;

Extract from - Yarra City Council - Planning, Environment and 
Infrastructure Committee Agenda - 13 November 2007

(c) promoting the event well in advance allowing, for example, 
businesses to stagger their work start and finish times and alter 
delivery times and commuters to plan alternative routes or modes of 
transport on that day; and

(d) building successful partnerships e.g. with residents’ groups, Yarra 
Trams, MetLink, local businesses, local cycle shops and BUGs.

11. If Council is to have a Car Free Day it must have sufficient 
resources allocated to it. Planning, fundraising and getting businesses 
on board are integral to the success of such an event. All of these 
aspects are labour intensive and would require a worker dedicated to the 
event for a number of months.

Cyclovia

12. An IMAP Cyclovia will provide people with the opportunity to use a 
space normally dominated by cars in a completely different way. People 
will be able to walk, ride, scoot, blade, skip and simply enjoy a space 
without cars. The Cyclovia held by Moreland (May 2006) was a huge 
success and much can be learned from it.

13. The key difference between a cyclovia and a road closure as would be 
used in a street festival type setting is that cars are permitted though 
discouraged. Cars that need to enter the street (such as a delivery van) 
are permitted to access what they need at walking speed whilst the 
cyclovia is on.

14. In many respects Cyclovias are continuations of Car Free Days but 
differ in that they are established to work on a very regular basis and 
not as one off events. The most successful Cyclovias e.g. Bogota, 
operate every Sunday (7am – 2pm) and every public holiday with times to 
midnight at Christmas.

15. The set up for an initial IMAP Cyclovia will involve an extensive 
planning and training stage for route marshals and helpers. The actions 
would include but are not limited to:

(a) forming the IMAP Cyclovia Working Group;
(b) conducting extensive consultation with stakeholders;
(c) designing the IMAP Cyclovia concept for the inner region;
(d) conducting a pre-project evaluation;
(e) preparing the road management, risk management and other plans;
(f) developing the supportive information for example TravelSmart maps;
(g) developing volunteer recruitment and training schemes;
(h) developing sponsorship schemes; and
(i) conducting Cyclovias.

16. Once the initial work is undertaken the Cyclovia in effect runs 
itself as it becomes integral to the area which hosts it. More limited 
training would need to occur as new helpers were recruited as the 
Cyclovia grew.

17. If Council is to proceed with an IMAP Cyclovia it must have 
sufficient resources allocated to it. Planning, fundraising and getting 
businesses on board are integral to the success of such an event. All of 
these aspects are labour intensive and would require a worker dedicated 
to the event for a number of months.

Extract from - Yarra City Council - Planning, Environment and 
Infrastructure Committee Agenda - 13 November 2007

Use of Leisure Centres for Changing and Showering

18. A shower can be paid for as a separate item at all Yarra centres for 
$2.40 and people can bring their bike into the facility to lock up while 
they shower. Currently the centres do not offer a bulk pass for showers 
as it is not common. However, if there was significant demand Council 
could look at introducing a bulk pass for e.g. 10 or 25 visits which 
would give a further discount.

Supporting Activities

19. There are opportunities for Council to run activities that would 
support and encourage more cycling in Yarra. Cycling education for 
members of the community has been supported or facilitated by some local 
governments through the provision of grants, facilities and promotional 
material. Council has provided cycling education for staff wishing to 
use bicycles for work travel. The provision of cycling education or 
other support activities could be considered as part of Council’s 
sustainable transport programs.

Critical Mass

20. Critical mass is a group bicycle ride through Melbourne held on the 
last Friday of each month. Participants in critical mass have various 
aims and objectives. Among them are to raise awareness of the need to 
improve the sustainability of transport in cities, improve conditions 
for cycling and other related issues.

There are no specific organisers for the ride and behaviour on the ride 
is characterised by spontaneity so it would be difficult to coordinate 
any specific activities in advance. The event has some impact on peak 
hour traffic, though participants often try to avoid affecting public 
transport. The event has used City of Yarra roads in the past. Given 
this, it is not proposed to invite Critical Mass to extend its 
activities in the City of Yarra.

Shared Paths

21. Shared paths are able to be used by pedestrians, cyclists and 
skaters. The City of Yarra has several shared paths including the Main 
Yarra Trail, the Merri Creek Trail and the Linear Park Trail. In 
addition to the funding for on-road bicycle works, Council also 
allocates capital funding for the development of shared paths which is 
in excess of $200,000 per year. The use of shared paths has been 
increasing strongly in recent years. Council is aware that interactions 
between some users can cause problems. These include dogs poorly 
controlled, cyclists travelling too fast or close to pedestrians and 
other issues.

22. Path design factors play a role in encouraging path sharing. Council 
has recently upgraded a section of the Main Yarra Trail from 
MacRobertson Bridge to Gardiners Creek in Richmond.

Part of this work included providing a higher speed path closer to the 
Yarra Boulevard which is more attractive to cyclists and walking tracks 
in more scenic sections closer to the river. Council also uses a suite 
of signage designed by VicRoads to encourage appropriate path sharing. 
The signage encourages users to keep dogs under control, to walk on the 
left, to move off the path when stopped and for cyclists to use bells to 
warn when passing and to give way to pedestrians.

White centre line marking has been shown in some cases to encourage 
users to stay left and to assist with path sharing. Council recently 
introduced centre line marking to the full length
of the Main Yarra Trail in City of Yarra.

23. Various marketing materials published by organisations such as Parks 
Victoria or Bicycle Victoria encourage sharing by emphasising a code of 
conduct. It would be expensive and probably ineffective for Council to 
develop its own marketing campaign around these messages or to run a 
program of enforcing trail behaviour through local laws officers.

The issue of sharing paths has been discussed at the City of Yarra 
Bicycle Advisory Committee. This discussion has generally concluded that 
it would not be cost-effective for Council to run significant programs 
without the support of other councils and agencies.

24. One approach to this issue would be to work with other councils and 
agencies such as Bicycle Victoria, Parks Victoria, Department of 
Infrastructure’s cycling and walking branch, the Municipal Association 
of Victoria and others to assess current enforcement and education 
programs and develop an approach to this matter.

Shared zones

25. Council has also recently been working on developing a style of 
street space known as a shared zone. These are zones in which vehicles 
are required to give way to pedestrians and cyclists. They generally 
have speed limits of around 10 kph and are often constructed in a way 
that removes kerbs so that the road and footpath areas are less defined. 
An example is the recently constructed Lennox Square project at the 
intersection of Lennox and Victoria Streets in Richmond.

This approach has been gaining momentum in Europe and in Australia. A 
key characteristic of many of these types of places is the removal (or 
reduction of the amount of) traffic signs, lines, signals and delineations.

This gives drivers the cue that they need to make eye contact with 
others using the space to ensure they can safely move through. The City 
of Greater Bendigo recently won a Planning Institute of Australia award 
for its plan to significantly improve walkability in the city centre. 
Much of the Bendigo plan is based on the above concepts. A group of 
council officers has formed to assess further opportunities for these 
types of projects. Benefits for cyclists from these projects are that 
traffic speeds are significantly reduced improving safety and the 
perception of safety.

Consultations

26. No specific consultation has been conducted in the preparation of 
this report. However, there has been consultation on these issues in the 
past including via the City of Yarra Bicycle Advisory Committee and the 
development of the Encouraging and Increasing Walking Strategy.

Financial Implications

27. There are no specific financial implications of this report. Any 
direct financial implications would be identified as part of specific 
proposals.

Economic Implications

28. There are no specific economic implications of this report. Any 
economic implications would be identified as part of specific proposals.

Extract from - Yarra City Council - Planning, Environment and 
Infrastructure Committee Agenda - 13 November 2007

Environmental Implications

29. There are no specific environmental implications of this report. 
Increasing cycling has positive environmental impacts where this 
replaces travel by more polluting methods such as motor vehicles. Any 
direct environmental implications would be identified as part of 
specific proposals.

Social Implications

30. There are no specific social implications of this report. In general 
increasing cycling is considered to have positive social implications 
due to its beneficial impacts on health, opportunities for social 
interaction, enhancing mobility and reducing the cost of transport. Any 
social implications would be identified as part of specific proposals.

Council Plan, Strategy and Policy Implications
31. The initiatives discussed in this report support several Council 
strategies. Encouraging more cycling supports Council’s Environment 
Strategy, Strategic Transport Statement and the Encouraging and 
Increasing Walking Strategy.

Legal Implications

32. There are no specific legal implications of this report. Any direct 
legal implications would be identified as part of specific proposals.

RECOMMENDATION
33 That Council note the contents of this report.

CONTACT OFFICER: Craig Stevens
TITLE: Manager Infrastructure
TEL: 9205 5716

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Yarra Bicycle Users Group
PO Box 253
Clifton Hill VIC 3068
http://www.yarrabug.org
______________________________________
Abbotsford, Alphington, Burnley, Carlton North,
Clifton Hill, Cremorne, Collingwood, Fairfield,
Fitzroy, Fitzroy North, Princes Hill, Richmond
______________________________________