"cfsmtb" wrote:
If you don't know what VicRoads are doing,
then how can cyclists interact and advocate for change?

Certainly these Cycle Notes are valuable in telling cyclits what VicRoads
are up to and whether their designs are appropriate. Thanks for pointing
them out to us.

snip

Either learn to participate in the current process

What process? Because I tend to see and hear very little about any real
process that involves consultation and listening to what cyclists need.

or contribute with
numerous community advocates/bicycle user groups who are in there
trying to negoitate with local councils, state gov and DOI/VicRoads.

I have tried lobbying and letter-writing on a number of issues, myself and
through BV, on several issues over the years. Personally I feel the chances
of success in many cases are a real hit and miss affair, subject to the
whims of politics at the time. The general response on cycling issues tends
to be "Oh we can't make those sort of changes just for a few cyclists" or
"That would be unsafe/enviromentally damaging" (in the views of non-cycling
transport, council or Parks Vic bureaucrats). Some of BVs public campaigns
have born fruit - the Gardiners Ck-Yarra Trail link was one where we got
Kennet to move. Others have flopped and will lay floundering for decades -
the Warburton Trail bridge at Lilydale springs to mind.

Ten years ago I contacted Parks Victoria about some restrictive gates on the
Dandenong Ck Trail at Shepherds Bush that were very difficult to pass
through on a single bike and impossible with a tandem or child trailer (we
were using both at the time). Response? "Oh, no. If we widen the gates
motorbike riders will get in and place people in danger. If one person was
injured by a motorbike we'd be liable. We can't allow that risk" Letters,
phone calls, a visit to meet with the Parks staff, but no change. I gave up
on bad show.

Now 10 years later all of a sudden those gates have been chopped out! Its an
open ride through to Jells Park and beyond. But what about the trail bike
danger now? I wonder what the spur was for this change - maybe I can claim
credit for my lobbying in 1995?

There's been a lot of excellent work done by cyclists & community
groups in the past, but there's unfortunately another group, whether
they're quite aware of it or not, who have left a dysfunctional mess
for current advocates to attempt to patch up.

Yep, well aware of all the good work being done on many local problems by
the BUGs and other community groups. All credit to them. I've just got a bit
past that now, just want to ride my bike on the public roads, use the trains
for extensions to my travels, and do some bush track riding. Locally I'm not
aware of any real BUG activity, Whitehorse BUG became a psuedo-touring club
for a generation older than I, and I'm very happy with MBTC in that regard.

Who's the dysfunctional group? Wouldn't be that group headed by 'Barry
Harber'?

--
Cheers
Peter

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