Critical Mass Yarra on Smith Street
Elizabeth Street protected lanes
Wombat crossings, Brunswick Street

For over two decades Yarra has been one of Melbourne’s best areas to walk and ride. In 2025 a newly elected conservative Yarra council is eyeing up removing infrastructure that makes it safe for everyone to get around like you, your family, friends, neighbours, colleagues, students, gig workers, basically anyone who needs safe options to ride.

So far Elizabeth Street protected lanes and Coppin Street pop up bike treatments are under threat.

Charlotte Street pocket park in Richmond has been cancelled.

January 2025: Critical Mass ride to the City of Yarra in support of cycling infrastructure

Read about: Critical Mass Yarra: Friday 31 January 2025: A group of people came together on Friday 31 January to form a “Critical Mass” of people on bikes who rode to remind people and decision makers that bike lanes and infrastructure in Yarra are important.

1. Take action

Join our campaign to keep our streets safe and support your right to move safely.

  1. Add your name to our petition: Don’t risk our safety in 2025 – tell Yarra Council not to remove safe cycling lanes
  2. You’re invited! Ride scoot skate with Critical Mass Boroondara on Friday 28 March 2025 through Yarra to Boroondara
  3. Download, print and display our A4 poster for the petition with QR code
  4. Send a quick email to Yarra councillors
  5. Download, print & distribute our leaflet: Momentum stalls in Yarra for safe streets
  6. Read about Elizabeth Street Protected Bike Lanes: A history

Please let us know if you are planning any events or actions in support of Yarra’s safe streets, for example – check out Streets Alive Yarra’s fabulous photo op from the 2025 Super Tuesday Bike Count on Elizabeth Street!

2. Yarra Council meetings

Public pressure gets results: returning to Yarra Councils November 2024 ‘omnibus motion’ – Elizabeth and Coppin Street were originally planned to be discussed at February 2025 meeting – it now appears those items have been deferred to possibly April or even later.

You can ask public questions or speak to a motion at these meetings and also contact councillors about your concerns. If you want to attend Yarra Council meetings please plan to allow most of the evening as councillors are known to reallocate agenda items.

For example, you can email, call them and request a meeting to say how important protected infrastructure is for you, how it improves living in Yarra, offer to take them for a local walk or ride around your neighbourhood.

Extract: Yarra Council meeting minutes 26 November 2024 – pages 24 and 25

Yarra Council Ordinary Meeting: 8 April 2025 – more details to come on actions you can take.

Yarra Council Ordinary Meeting: 6.30pm, 11 February 2025, Richmond Town Hall. Minutes now available.

Yarra Council Ordinary Meeting: 17 December 2024: Agenda

Yarra Council Ordinary Meeting: 26 November 2024: Agenda + Minutes

3. What else is under threat?

Given the recent events of November 2024 at Yarra Council, it would pay to be super cautious of any responses like ‘we’re not ripping up bike lanes‘ and/or ‘we like protected bike lanes but not in this street‘ as the truth probably lies in reading upcoming Yarra council agendas for the real intentions of this new councillor group.

The truth will be Elizabeth Street protected lanes, Coppin Street treatments, current bicycle infrastructure and active transport strategies existing beyond the term of this council, which include Yarra’s Transport Action Plan 2024-2034, New Deal for Schools, New Deal for Cycling, New Deal for Walking and other specified programs to meet the ambitious targets in Yarra’s Transport Strategy 2022-32. 

Critical Mass Yarra: State Library to Richmond Town Hall, Friday 31 January 2025

4. Want to know more?

Many thanks to Sam Wallman for adapting his Freedom Machine design for Critical Mass Yarra. Like it? Buy it!

5. Read more: useful articles + related media