YarraBUG

Val and Faith catch up in the studio and share their bike moments, a green wave for Val on the way to the studio this morning and another milestone celebrating almost Mothers Day and almost 100 women in the Wheel Sisters program in Merri-bek for Faith. We take a look at some news including; updates from Queenslands' attempts to work out a way forward with e-bikes, and the Yarra Council meeting on Tuesday where the proposals for Wellington Street will be considered. Read about what has changed and how you can get involved at Say Yes to a New Wellington Street. We also take a moment to ponder the State Budget 2026-2030 released last week and what is in it for active trasnport? As that proves to be a very short conversation we dissect the gender lens Victoria has used to provide an analysis of the budget and its impact on women, or is it more a case of rose coloured glasses? 

On this weeks program we're doing a hour long program as a treat with two interviews.First up: Chris catches up with Erin and Liam from the Nicer Wellington Street crew about advocating for a leafier, quieter, and safer Wellington Street for everyone in the week before a crucial vote at the next Yarra Council Meeting on 12 May 2026.Erin and Liam discuss supporting Option 1 for both Wellington Street - South and Wellington Street - North, building community support in Clifton Hill and Collingwood, with over 900 names in support, improving canopy cover, road design, improving resident amenity, parking issues, writing to councillors, Yarra receiving $3m per year from Congestion Levy for active transport projects, and challenging confusion and misinformation, including cross street traffic fears and that the north section of Wellington Street could be closed to local traffic.Second chat: Cr Eleanor Freeman from City of Adelaide talks about a recent feasibility assessment to create pop up bike lanes due to Australia's ongoing fuel crises.Eleanor discusses creating safe conditions for new and intending riders, keeping the city open, working on network gaps, new cycling strategy as part of City of Adelaide Integrated Climate Strategy 2030 and working towards a more strategic approach with South Australia state government (Party leader backs pop-up bikeways in Adelaide CBD, Pop-up bike lanes mooted for Adelaide streets)News includes Alphington Link to be completed due to state government implementing the Transport Integration Act so that 120m of shared trail can finally be constructed after a insane 37 year wait, Ride & Stride e-bike subsidies for Merri-bek families, a fabulous BikeRave Melbourne ride on the weekend just gone, Critical Mass on 29 May 2026, Maribynong Council investigating a pop up bike lane program and Sydney Road issues due to looming Level Crossing works. (The 9km corridor that’s recorded 279 cyclist crashes but still doesn’t have a protected bike lane)Program musicScratching, Malvern StarStreets of your town, The Go-betweensSource, Tycho

Faith and Val are joined in the studio by Dr Afshin Jafar, Research Fellow at RMIT University. We all share our bike moments and wax lyrical about Friday evening's Critical Mass ride along Sydney Road to protest the diabolical detours proposed by the LXRP while the Upfield Path is closed for construction. Dr Jafar reminds us that in addition to the well known benefits of bike riding and the community it builds, like Critical Mass, we also need quantifiable benefits to support business cases for infrastructure that allows people to move around safely by bike. Finding a way to model these benefits to specific contaxts has remained a challenge which is why RMIT has been working on a tool for bicycle infrastructure investment analysis. With greater nuance in its modelling of the diversity of riders the tool combines spatial, infrastructure and safety data integration, demand forecasting and econometric scenario projections to understand how to best achieve successful rollouts that maximise the benefits of cycling as a transport mode. A recent case study in Bendigo provides some insight into how the tool might work. While we ran out of time to mention it on the program don't forget that Melbourne Bike Rave is coming up this coming weekend! 

On this weeks program we're having a musical interlude including a new release from locals Scratching. Back in a fortnight!Program musicSia, Riding on my bikeSleepy Dreamers, Bike songScratching, Malvern StarEvalyn Parry, Two wheeled words, to wield wordsEels, 3 speedHey Ocean!, BicycleKing Curly, Riding in the darkHymner feat. Alessandra, BicycleMaika Loubte, Ride My Bike

On this weeks show, Chris catches up with Kathryn Good from the Story Bridge Active Transport Alliance about last weeks E-mobility Critical Mass protest ride in Brisbane against proposed amendments to Queensland e-bike legislation.Speakers from SNAP ACTION: Defend Legal E-Bikes - Critical Mass Ride included Andrea Herklots, EveryBody Electric Bikes and Matthew Burke, Bicycle Queensland.If you're in Queensland (or Queensland adjanct) please make a submission before 10 April 2026.See E-Mobility Inquiry Committee, Transport and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026, news articles: ‘If they want us on the roads, we’re getting on the roads’: Riders plot peak-hour protest and Backlash over pending Queensland e-bike licence laws.Local news includes a fabulous April 1st media release from the Department of Pedalling and Perspiration about their new Ride to Save scheme, ongoing energy and transport issues, see Why affordable alternatives to the car have never mattered more,  Wellington Street in the news: Wellington Street wars: The plan dividing Collingwood and Clifton Hil,  April Fool: Why paying cyclists isn’t such a joke and have a look at Modal filters in the inner north, North Richmond Bike Bus: Sunday Ride on 19 April, Critical Mass possibly heads north on Friday 24 April. Elizabeth Street update: if you haven't seen the dinky little red bollards yet and narrowed conditions for people parking their cars and trying to ride past, general advice is to monitor, document, report and repeat.Program musicHONNE, BIKE 

Faith and Val are joined in the studio by Curtis Hatton of Bike Rave Melbourne. We all share a bike moment before taking a look at some recent news including the Victorian government's announcement of free public transport for one month from April 1st. With limited public transport accessibility in many parts of Melbourne shouldn't some pop-up style bike lanes be part of the solution? Talk turns to Bike Rave Melbourne, another enduring grassroots bike event that will be celebrating it's 13th year in 2026. With a line up of four DJs, the promise of epic playslists and a theme of Deluxe Disco this year's event on May 2nd promises to be epic. Melburn Roobaix may have left a hole in this year's bike calendar in Melbourne but maybe this is a way to fill it? You can find all the details and FREE registration for updates at @bikeravemelbourne or Bike Rave Melbourne on FB 

On this weeks program Chris talks to numerous guests about the Elizabeth Street protected lanes protests, media coverage and ongoing issues (apologies for audio quality), including reels from Gabrielle and Sophie, College Street Cycleway history and critique and timeline of last weeks events leading to the protected lanes demolition.Local news includes, Ride to School Day, Australia's looming energy crisis, Victoria’s Active Transport Plan announcement and Critical Mass rides west this Friday 27 March to support BikeWests call for improved infrastructure.Ongoing Elizabeth Street works: Bicycle Networks 25 March article includes more useful detail than Yarra Councils Roadworks update.In March 2026 with a looming national petrol crisis and crunch time for many household travel budgets, it is an indictment on the Victorian Government that neither Minister stepped up to stop demolition of Elizabeth Street protected lanes exactly when people need safe, economical transport options.Action you can take nowEmail 1: Contact Ministers: Why doesn’t the Victoria Government support it’s own Active Transport Plan?Email 2: Contact Yarra Council: Immediate action required: Fix Elizabeth Street, Richmond Safety issuesMedia CoverageThe Age: Bobcat and protesters take to Richmond bike corridor being narrowed for car spaces Media Release – Yarra Council Rips Up Bike Lanes – “Road Safety” Minister Lets It Happen ‘Used to be the most progressive’: Yarra Council begins narrowing bike lanes to make room for car spaces Inner City News: Cyclists protest Yarra’s Elizabeth St bike lane downgrade in Richmond Drive.com.au – ‘Back to the people’: Cyclists outraged after introduction of new car parksProgram musicKing Stingray, Camp dogBonobo, Linked

Val and Faith kick off the show with their bike moments and collectively appreciate the recent shift to autumn. We chat about the recent death of two teenagers in Queensland on an 'e-bike', although its hard to know much about the circumstances at this point. We also remind listeners that the Elizabeth Street protected bike lanes are being ripped up this morning ahead of the re-sheeting of the road and the rebuilding of the lanes in a narrower, less safe configuration. When will the State Government take responsibility for Strategic Cycling Corridors? Not only are they langusihing from a lack of funding but with no one willing to take responsibility for the quality they are built to poor outcomes like that we're seeing on Elizabeth Street undermine local and state aspirations to active transport. Read about what you can do here.Val shares another favourite podcast episode about the history of 15 minute cities and we'll share the link here shortly! 

On this weeks show, Chris talks to Aaron Moon about the Parkville Gardens Bike Bus that rides every Friday morning during Term 1, a fun, active way for kids to get to Flemington Primary School together. The bike bus is a collab with several groups including Flemington Primary School, Moonee Valley Bicycle Users Group, Active Transport Moonee Valley, Dr Crankys, Ellen Sandell and City of Melbourne.Learn more: Bike Bus World, Bike Bus Toolkit (WA), Zero Carbon Merri-bek: Ride to school on a Bike Bus! (Vic), North Richmond Bike Bus (Vic) and Bayswater Bike Bus (WA).News includes another futile global fossil fuel conflict, now with even less oversight than the previous two Gulf Wars and more incomprehensibly stupid, refer to MUA: Australia's fuel insecurity exposed by global conflict & Climate Council: Fuel shock: why clean energy is our best defence, Bicycle Network Super Tuesday Bike Counts and a water main collapse on St George's Road South opposite Brunswick Oval. Program musicKing Stingray, Camp DogMGMT, Kids (Instrumental)HONNE, BIKE 

On this weeks program Chris talks to two guests, first up Alex Lamb from Say YES to a new Wellington Street, a group of residents who support 'Option 1: shared street' for Wellington Street. Alex discusses Option 1 benefits, challenges, history, critiques the anti-Welllington Street campaign and how can people get involved, add their names to an open letter and get a corflute to show support for safer Wellington Street.Second guest is Aidan Barac-Dunn from Safer Streets for Richmond who currently have petition for Adopt safe 30km/h streets in Richmond. Aidan talks about simple steps to make local streets safer, including Speed Zoning Policy and signaling to the community what's possible.Local news includes Bike Fest: an epic all things Bikes, FREE fun day out Saturday 21st March, located outside Bike Hubs shop at 608 Barkly Street, West Footscray.Program music: H O N N E, BIKEFour Tet - Into Dust (Still Falling)Bonobo, Flashlight

Faith and Val are back in the studio and sharing their bike moments despite a glitch to the start of the program. Amongst other news, it is 3CRs annual Subscriber Drive and a great time to subscfribe to the station if you don't already so so. You can subscribe at this link, and select Yarra BUG Radio from the dropdown if you would like to support the program. The Great Rixe of Return Naarm is planned again for late March and they need more people to help particulalry on the day. Get in touch if you can help! Faith chats about local updates on her cycling routes in the Netherlands and Dutch pragmatism in implementing infrastructure in challenging spaces. Val takes us back fifty years to 1976 when 3CR was created and a look at our favourite bicycles in Mdelbourne at the time. 

On this weeks program Chris catches up with Jeremy Lawrence Streets Alive Yarra and discuss Yarra Council Report card, the ever moving festival of local democracy alongside rise of grievance politics, proposed Elizabeth Street protected lanes narrowing, a request sent to Gabrielle Williams to protect Strategic Cycling Corridors from degradation, protected bike lane guidelines, announcing creation of new inner suburb parks yet stopping plans for Charlotte Street park in Richmond, Malop Street Green Spine project issues in 2020 and shared space challenges and opportunities facing cities everywhere. Local news, Lime share bike and scooter trial starts in Darebin, Melburn Roobaix takes a pause in 2026, but there's Footscray-Roubaix 2026 on Sunday 1 March 2026. Hey are you a current 3CR subscriber? In February 2026, 3CR is aiming for ONE THOUSAND subscribers, it’s just $40 concession, or $80 full - here's all the ways you can subscribe and support community radio!Program musicKing Stingray, Camp dogTycho, DR Odyssey

This weeks program has two interviews, first up Chris talks to Adele Vosper about Stonnington Council partnering with the Transport Accident Commission to conduct a smart bike light trial with See.Sense bike lights and data technology to capture data on bike riding experiences in Stonnington.For additional details, go to Light Insights Trial to apply and complete the application form by 5pm Monday 23 February 2026.Second interview, Karen Hovenga talks about the new North Richmond Bike Bus having a soft launch this Friday 30 Friday January for Term 1.'North Richmond Bike Bus is a group of families who live in North Richmond and have children at Yarra Primary School and Trinity Primary School. We meet on a Friday morning and ride our bikes to school together. We'd love to have you join the fun.'Read more about bike busesComplete this google form to register or volunteer.Funding for the North Richmond Bike Bus has been supported by the Victorian Government.Local news includes a call out for assistance to keep Melbourne Bike Rave going, staying safe during the current heatwave conditions across Victoria and Australia. Go to VicEmergency to find emergency information and warnings.Following up on e-bike changes in Victoria, Transport Victoria have banned all converted e-bikes from the network, in Hobart/Nipaluna: Bike lanes not to blame for congestion and international outrage and solidary after the extrajudicial killing of Alex Pretti on 24 January 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.Program MusicKing Stingray, Camp dogTycho, DevicesTycho, To Everywhere Part. 1

 Nic Dow and Val take a look into how the mayors in cities drive changesin cycling and pedestrian infrastructure. Examples being Ann Hidalgo of Parisand Sadiq Khan of London. 

We're having a short summery break, so enjoy this active transport themed playlist for our last program for 2025Program musicJon Brenner, Tour de VeloEels, 3 SpeedCamp Cope, How to socialise & make friendsFlobots, HandlebarsHONNE, B I K EDota, RennradKing Stingray, Camp dogHalf Man Half Biscuit, A Lilac Harry Quinn

Melbourne BUG news and a Book Review: Nik Dow from Melbourne BUG on what is happening at the Melbourne City Council regarding the funding, planning and transparency surrounding the city's bicycle infrastructure.If you love riding bikes but the weather has kept you inside, there is nothing better than reading about them and their makers. Melbourne authors Christine Elliott and David Jablonka have produced something special with Handcrafted Bicycles, Builders, Frame Design, and Insiration. Great photographs, a wide range of designs and a text that is part history and in a way, 32 Bike Moments.  

On this weeks program Chris catches up with Laura Aston Wayfinder Labs to talk about her Street Joy Kit, Regenerative Streets Podcast and recent activities. We discuss new ways to slow down, make local connections, interpret our streets, ongoing challenges with traffic and public space and the opportunity to feel more welcome via offering people a series of tiny seasonal activities and experiments.Follow streetmakerlaura, #streetjoy on insta and Bring Your Street to LifeLocal news and announceables galore include (drumroll) Gipps Street Ramps finally opening, Iris Dixon Veloway opening (also see Footscray Veloway - Opening Week User Experience Survey), Federation Trail Link works completed, Somerville to Baxter Trail apparently opening very soon and take a look at the new Heyington Avenue bridge in Doncaster.And the Victorian Government have followed NSW with banning after market e-bike changes instead of a blanket ban around the PT network, the changes start on 21 December 2025.As I ran out of time, here's that bell hooks quote:'Dominator culture has tried to keep us all afraid, to make us choose safety instead of risk, sameness instead of diversity. Moving through that fear, finding out what connects us, reveling in our differences; this is the process that brings us closer, that gives us a world of shared values, of meaningful community'Program musicJon Brenner, Tour de VeloCharlie Parker, Now's the timeB I K E, HONNE

Val and Faith are joined in the studio by Anthony Aisenberg of CrowdLab. We all share our bike moments before taking a look at some very exciting news; firstly the completion of the Gipps Street ramp after a twenty-plus year advocacy effort, and secondly, the opening of the Dixon Veloway, named after our favourite studio guest, the late Iris Dixon.  Talk turns to CrowdLab's latest project, CrashDash; a platform for providing acess to crash data collected by agencies across Australia. CrashDash pulls together the sometimes impermeable state governement crash statistics and provides filters and tools that give advocates, councils, consultants and others user-friendly access to data about their local areas and projects. Anthony fills us in on the differences between the ways different states collect data in Australia and the need for a uniform national approach. You can also check out Anthony's earlier project BikeSpot. 

On this weeks program Chris talks with Lachlan McKenna about e-bike standards, Saul Griffith observations about using e-bikes in hilly areas, torque vs. power discussions, different potential uses in Australia, lower transport emissions, Australia returning to the EN-15194 standard after they were scrapped by the previous Australia Federal Government in 2021 and we discuss his petition: Increase Tasmanian E-Bike Power Restrictions to USA Standards (750W) TAS is not Europe.Local news includes Critical Mass 30, both Gipps Street Ramps and Westgate Veloway opening real soon, Adopt safe 30km/h streets in Richmond petition and in related news earlier this week, Darebin Council adopted 30km/h as part of the High Street Preston Streetscape Upgrade.Program musicKing Stingray, Camp dogShonen Knife, Cycling is fun

Faith and Val are joined in the studio at 3CR by guest Vince Masci. We all share our bike moments before taking a look at a couple of local news items. Last Friday an ammendment was passed in Parliament that sees $15M of the revenue collected by the parking/congestion levy allocated to walking and cycling projects in participating local council areas for each of the next ten years. This is a small but significant boost to local Council's active transport budgets and we look forward to seeing the results! Also announced last Friday, the federal government is re-instating tthe european standard EN-15194 for imported electric bikes while also working on a framework to regulate the import of electric mobility devices. This will give people clarity on what is and isn't a legal electric bike and also help state governments sensibly regulate the use of electric bikes, particularly on public transport. Talk turns to Vince's project with the VicBug.app, mapping the different sorts of bicycle infrsctructure around Melbourne and building a platform for community input and maybe even data informed advocacy. Its only been online for a few weeks so take a look and sign up and give your feedback. You may also want to check out Vince's other project at bikeroutes.com.auFinally we finish up with a reminder that Critical Mass is coming up this Friday, its a BIG one, its the 30th anniversary this month of Critical Mass in Melbourne so make sure you come along and join the party!