Cycling in Melbourne Australia

Connex and V/Line bicycle bans - proposed campaign

Hi all,

I'm contacting you as we need to get organised action happening on these bicycle bans.

Otherwise I envisage a lot of time, energy and potential being lost and the State Government getting away with more PR spin.

Here's a discussion on Melbourne Cyclist with more background, updates, media links etc

A couple of points:

- Should the public campaign remain as is, i.e.: concerned people writing seperately to the State Government, Connex & V/Line

- Or should a timeline/campaign be organised so we can maximise our effectiveness and outcomes?

- Should a proposed campaign keep the focus on bicycle access, or should we broaden the focus to include making note of improving PT access for all?

- Should a proposed campaign also include a call out to other groups who also share similar goals for improving PT provision?

Further action:

- Call a informal meeting so we can meet face to face and discuss our opinions

- For people with restrictions (ie: family, work, study, live metro, rural etc) , possibly a meeting via a conference call or on Skype?

Mailing list:

A public transport discussion list has been created so people can keep in touch. To subscribe, simply follow the 'subscribing to publictransport form'

Ok all the stuff mentioned above is a pretty broad brush, your thoughts please?

cheers,

Chris

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by rougedragon on January 5, 2008 at 11:29am: I think that a group campaign is the way to go. Groups have more strength than individuals, and if a group were created then the individuals would still remain.

I also think that the group should stick to the bike issue because that makes it stronger. While I agree there are plenty of issues in regards to public transport, including them all weakens our campaign and loses credibility for our cause.

informal meeting sounds like the way to go.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by ChrisS on January 5, 2008 at 12:15pm: Ta for the feedback. I've already received plenty of info, heads up and support from individuals and groups. So hopefully by tomorrow I'll post a precis of what people have mentioned.

If you've got suggestions etc, please feel most free to post them here or post links to what else you know about.

A group effort is required, otherwise it's just going to be another round of divide and conquer. Or being mushrooms, kept in the dark & fed bullsh1t.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by ChrisS on January 5, 2008 at 2:49pm: X-posting the following from the publictransport list, please feel free to forward this onto others. ;)

***

Hi all,

A belated welcome to the PT list, a couple of glitches have been sorted out & the list is now live.

Housekeeping stuff:

Thank you all for the feedback! Already plenty of info, heads up and support from individuals and cycling groups has been received.

So hopefully by tomorrow (Sunday) a precis of what people have mentioned will be on MC or this list for people to distribute.

If you've got suggestions etc, please feel most free to post them here or post links to what else you know about.

There are existing discussions with plenty of links on Melbourne Cyclist, this site has public access so you don't need to subscribe to read, but you will need to if you want to post items.

A vital point: Please be patient, as it will be difficult to draw together everyones ideas and suggestions, so this list will probably be a 'clearing house' until we collectively decide what directions,
strategies or time lines people decide upon.

A call out to bicycle user groups, cycling clubs and related groups is already in progress, people have been contacted in the last 24 hours to help out with a proposed campaign & draw our collective energies together. Melbourne Cyclist, aus.bicycle, BV forums, Facebook and Farkin (yep, even the MTB mob) and numerous blogs all have existing discussions about the bans.

For example, read a great overview by David Tiley: bikes baulked, behemoth becalmed

So feel free to x-post the info when it gets posted and I'll attempt to collate it on MC or on this PT list. If you would like to assist (yes, this a call out for help!) with general admin stuff, email me off list
so tasks can be shared & allocated.

For example:

- Should this proposed campaign have a easily identifical name? Time to creatively brainstorm!

- What are we asking for? - a breakdown of goals in the short term, medium term and long term

- Communication - outreach to individuals, groups and the media about this proposed campaign

- Research - we need workable solutions in order to lobby effectively. If you have examples of cited research, weblinks etc, please post them here.

- Meetings - informal meetups, reporting back to the group, ph conference calls or Skype

- Planned actions, methods for lobbying the State Government, media and protest/direct action

- Dealing with the media

- Probably anything left out from the above. Feel free to add it in.

I've already been sent numerous examples of PT provision for bicycles, also have a look at the new Cycling Resource Centre.

A serious concern is that all the energy being shown at the moment can be easier dissipate, so that was the logic behind the email + info I posted out yesterday.

So in the meantime, please feel free to discuss what your opinions and keep it polite and on topic.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Tasha on January 8, 2008 at 8:16am: Looks like the V-Line ban may get rescinded. Yeah. Common sense prevails.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/country-cyclists-win-repriev...; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by ChrisS on January 8, 2008 at 10:21am: 'Tasha',

If you read the extract - ‘Bike Bans on Trains in Victoria 1st January, 2008 - Frequently asked Questions’ that was sent to the public transport list, and hosted above - this V/Line ‘reprieve’ is because the changes haven’t been sorted out yet! Hence the grace period of a month.

http://preview.tinyurl.com/2hkst3

Sure it’s good to know it’s up to Kosky to decide, but this reprieve smacks of spin doctoring.

Is Kosky going to make the reprieve for metro commuters retrospective?

So you're lining up for a bike locker at your station? So who's actually doing the service provision for the lockers? Now that could get potentially interesting.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by RobE on January 8, 2008 at 10:22pm: b>If you build it they will ride This was up back in August 07, but its a great image : Report from Minneapolis (Courtesy of Alansnel.com Bike Stories correspondent Jeff Houck is in Minneapolis for a food writer conference and his observations and photos confirm that the Mini-Apple is a bicyle friendly place that embraces pedestrians, bicyclists and non-vehicular transportation types.

Check this out -- bicycle storage on trains. Here in the Tampa Bay area, it would be nice to have trains.

Jeff points out: "Even the folks who built the mass transit train that runs between downtown and the Mall of America considered this. The trains have multiple vertical bike racks for riders to stash their bicycles . . . In other words, if you build it, they will ride."; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by ChrisS on January 9, 2008 at 1:21pm: Meeting this Saturday - Informal meet up for Bike the Bike Ban

Saturday 3pm, 12th January. CERES Cafe, 8 Lee Street East Brunswick. Don’t worry if you can’t make it, there will no doubt be further meet ups. A precis/minutes will be posted on the public transport list.

Please let us know if you’re organising meetings or action in your area. Especially if you live in a regional area and are organising something against the V/Line ban, email us and we will put the details up on the BtBB site.

Click here for Google map to CERES Cafe; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by ChrisS on January 11, 2008 at 11:50pm: Bin the Bike Ban: Meeting Update

Melbourne Metro
Saturday 3pm, 12th January. CERES Cafe, 8 Lee Street East Brunswick. Don’t worry if you can’t make it, there will no doubt be further meet ups. A precis/minutes will be posted on the public transport list.

Geelong
From Russell: I am planning to be involved in the ‘Ban the Bike Ban’ Meeting on Saturday afternoon via Skype. For all Geelong based riders who want to be involved, come to Café 9 Zero 90 Pakington St, Geelong West, for the 3pm meeting – and send this on to whomever you think will be interested. - Russell Lindsay. P: 5222 3344 E: cafe9zeroAToptusnet.com.au

Are you organising a similar meet up, action planned or a media interview? Please leave the details in the comments & we’ll post them into the main article.

Some things to consider for any agenda or discussion at meetings

# Short term goals
# Medium term goals
# Long term goals; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Russell on January 10, 2008 at 1:41pm: Just a bit on bike lockers - You would think Connex (and VLine for that matter) would have a system in place so they know instantly if they have any free lockers at a station etc...

I enquired in Dec 07 about a locker at St.Albans Stn to be told by the station master that they were all full, they cost $75 and I'd never ever get one.

Then in the New Year while talking to Adrian Webb (Victorian Fair Policy Manager, DOI), he referred me to Geoff Jackson at Connex regarding lockers. Geoff said the cost was only $50 and yes they have two free lockers at St. Albans Stn. I had him double check with the Stn and he rang back and confirmed two lockers available and they would be expecting me next week.

Next week I arrive at the Stn., the fellow said he’d need to check to see if there were any free lockers (groundhog day!!), even after I explained it was checked 4 days ago and they should be expecting me.

He took a bag with some keys with him and returned to say something about the keys not working and I’d have to come back later (ie my train was arriving at this stage!)

Of course I rang Geoff back the next day (yesterday) and he seemed genuinely embarrassed and said he’d get the manager who looks after the Station Masters to sort it out and give me a call back. So still waiting…

V/Line isn’t much better – their lockers cost $100 (bit rich!) and even though they have a folder at my station with the deposit dockets and a pretty hand drawn picture, the station master said he’d have to go and check the lockers to see which ones were free as he wasn’t sure from the records! – He of course had forgotten to check when I saw him the next day. Maybe today??

Anyway, apart from finding $150 for locker deposits, I also need to buy a cheap second bike now (maybe CERES) – and they wonder why people objected to not being given any notice before the bans came in (apart from BV who were told by DOI on 3rd August 07 – too bad they didn’t tell the rest of us).; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by The Wrat on January 12, 2008 at 12:12pm: A few thoughts:

* I think a group effort is the way to go.

* We should focus on the bike issue but also highlight to other groups affected by transport that as we are fighting for our own issues, this is also to fight for issues that are non bike related in regards to public transport.

* Bike lockers aren't practical. As Russell has pointed out, it's disorganised for a start up and it seems to be fairly expensive too. I haven't been really affected by this train/bike issue personally but I know that I wouldn't be able to afford $50-150 upfront. I ~~imagine~~ know that there would be others in this situation. Lockers are not a viable solution.

* I'm available to help in any way I can. I do have a chronically ill partner and I work full time but I'll do what I can do. :); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by ChrisS on January 16, 2008 at 10:01am: Along for the Ride on 3RRR-FM

- mp3 file of interview with Brianna + talkback about the Connex & V/Line peak hour bicycle bans

File size: 3M, running time approx. 22 minutes courtesy of MiTH.

Wasn't that last caller a magical radio moment?

;))); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Alex 4.0 on January 16, 2008 at 6:08pm: Hi Chris,

Would you like some pics of the trains in Adelaide? They often have 1/4 or 1/3 of the last carriage devoted entirely to bike racks. Imagine that ...; ▶ Reply to This