Bicycle Federation of Australia: e-News - September 2007

• Federal Election Campaign developments
• Bike Fleets
• London follows Oz cities
• Vote4Cycling website
• Climate Change Advert
• Cycling Training
• Donations to the BFA
• Australian Bicycle Council
• BFA meeting

Federal Election Campaign developments

During last week’s Parliamentary sittings, likely to be the last before the election, the BFA’s Peter Strang and Cycling Australia’s Stephen Hodge met with the advisers to Roads and Local Government Minister Jim Lloyd and the Shadow Minister for Local Government and for Sport, Recreation and Health Promotion Kate Lundy.

They presented the advisers with examples of potential Healthy and Active Transport (HEAT) projects that the BFA has assembled over recent months with the help of local cycling advocates. There was a good spread of urban and regional projects that illustrate the proposal’s diversity and potential.

Thanks go to Bicycle Institute of SA, Cairns BUG, Dubbo BUG, Dorrigo-Urunga-Bellingen BUG, Pedal Power ACT and others who sent the BFA suggestions on sample projects. It was great to be able also to give the advisers examples that come from outside the cycling sector. The Council of Capital City Lord Mayors’ election proposal, ‘Partners in Prosperity’ includes a number of cycling projects:

• Completing the Brisbane City Cycle network;

• Implementing the City of Sydney’s Sydney Cycling Strategy and building Sydney City’s North South Pedestrian & Cycle Corridor; and

• Building Hobart City Council’s Pedestrian & Cycle Infrastructure project.

The Cycling Promotion Fund has written to Councils seeking support for the project. BISA has written to all South Australian Federal Members. Other groups are also promoting the campaign through their websites. Thank you all.

Bike Fleets

The BFA’s bike fleets project found bikes being used to meet a range of needs, from security patrols at Canberra’s Parliament House to quick response ambos in Melbourne. From Centerlines in the US comes a very sensible idea. A car dealer’s service department has introduced a Bike Loaner Program. It’s simple enough. Customers whose vehicles are in for service can borrow a bike. The company says it’s one way they can help improve our environment. Owner Brent Small says. “We are committed to adding ozone reduction and carbon reducing techniques to our business plan”.
With all the current talk of off-setting the cost of carbon emissions, bike fleets for car service departments sounds like a great way of making a contribution to carbon reduction and getting onto bikes people who might not ride very often.

To help us set up a bike fleets consultancy, the BFA has just received a grant from Australian Ethical Investment, an ethical funds manager which donates 10% of its profits to environmental, charitable and community activities.

If you know of organisations that may be interested in information about introducing bike fleets, please contact Peter Strang.

London follows Oz cities

Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney have closed streets and bridge lanes for cycling events for some time. Imagine the logistics of doing it in London. The BBC reports traffic was banned from several roads in central London last Sunday from 1100 until 1600, to make way for riders.

For the London Freewheel, over 30,000 people rode from six ‘hubs’ across the capital past iconic landmarks including the London Eye, Victoria Embankment, Westminster, St Paul’s Cathedral and the Mall. The number of cyclists on London’s major roads is estimated to have grown by about 80% over the past seven years, but Transport for London wants to increase it further. It would be great to have that level of increase here. More…

Vote4Cycling website

The Cycling Promotion Fund’s election web site has information about the cycling sector’s election asks including the HEAT proposal and other resources. We hope to have HEAT project examples up there soon. Check it regularly for the latest developments in what will be a fast moving campaign. More…

Climate Change Advert

CTC, the UK’s national cycling organisation has created a cinema ad that directly links cycling to tackling climate change. More…

Cycling Training

Funding from the Australian Government through the Australian Greenhouse Office, and the IMB Community Foundation is now being used to prepare a business plan for the national cycling training scheme that the BFA, the Amy Gillett Foundation and Cycling Australia are working on together.

Donations to the BFA

While membership fees have been increased slightly, they will still provide less than half the resources the BFA has spent this year on the election campaign. To make a donation to our work on the election campaign, please contact Peter Strang, 02 6249 6761 or email for further details.

Australian Bicycle Council
The communiqué from the August meeting of the Australian Bicycle Council (ABC) summarises the matters raised at the meeting. More…

BFA meetings

Last week’s special general meeting went well, especially considering there were 12 delegates hooked into a teleconference. A clear majority of members favoured a 10% increase in fees and other motions including the level of supporters’ donations.

A draft work plan of suggested BFA activities was circulated with the agenda papers. Can members please send their comments and suggestions on this to Peter Strang.

Members can contact Peter for a copy of the work plan. The AGM has been set for 24 November. To minimise cost for members and the BFA, this is also likely to be an electronic meeting.

Jeff Ibbotson, President

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