LBUG Home Rides Calendar Join Bike Leichhardt Contact Big Bike Day Go For a Ride Bike Leichhardt on Ning
BIKE LEICHHARDT
LBUG Home Rides Calendar Join Bike Leichhardt Contact Big Bike Day Go For a Ride Bike Leichhardt on Ning
Bike Leichhardt (formerly LBUG) is a community group of people who ride bicycles for leisure, fitness or transport. Our aim is to encourage the use of bicycles and to lobby and work with the relevant authorities to get better and safer conditions for cyclists. BL is affiliated with Bicycle NSW.
LBUG meetings - BL Committee Meetings are held quarterly. We also attend the Leichhardt Council Bicycle Advisory Committee, usually held Quarterly on second Wednesday of the month at 6:30 pm in the Town Hall. If interested in coming along, contact us or council. Tel 98103706 for next meeting date or check with Leichhardt Council on 93679222.
Meeting dates, Agendas and minutes for the BAC. Council bike page here.
BL on Ning - new interactive web site to allow members to make comments, start discussions and add photos. Our Rides Calendar is there too. You can see when the next ride or tour is on and and help plan rides. It is easy to use and anyone can sign up. (You can view the site without signing up but to use the interactive facilities you will need to Sign Up first and choose a password. After that you Sign In each time.)
After a large low pressure system hit Sydney last week, strong winds have damaged a number of buildings leaving debris lying across tracks. Before attempting to remove building rubbish, you need to make sure it does not contain asbestos. There have been instances of illegal dumping of building materials that contain asbestos in bushland close to bicycle tracks. When airborn, asbestos can pose a real hazard, so call a local asbestos disposal company to remove debris safely, and report any illegal dumping you see.
For those interested in the Council Bike Strategy (aka Bike Plan), come along to the next BAC on Wed 11 February,2015, in the Leichhardt Town Hall at 630pm. Entry from side door in Marion St. Can park bikes inside. See links to the Agenda in the box above. A new Bike Plan has been drawn up, so this meeting will be important to identify priorities for new bike routes and needed upgrades of existing facilities.
The Liberal/Labor controlled Council cut the bike budget to zero in June 2013 for 2013/14. Previously in 2012 the Green controlled Council announced an increase in the Bicycle Budget for 2012-13, from $400,000 to $455,000. They were also going to create an extra position to cope with implementation of the Bike Strategy. Now they are struggling with a part time transport planner. The mayor did reinstate the bike budget for 2014/15, but we will need to lobby hard to ensure the budget is increased in 2015/16.
See our petition on funding.We presented it to Council.
Read more on the bike plan funding cuts on our main site.
The Big Bike Day was on again on September 20, 2014, from 10am to 2 pm. The venue is War Memorial Park on corner of Moore St and Catherine St. Volunteers are needed on the day to help set up and run a stall and lead the community ride at Noon. Get in touch if you can be there next year- see the event on our main site and RSVP.
Balmain Road is one of the few ways to get across the City West Link, and is also relatively flat, so it is an important route for cyclists between Leichhardt and Rozelle or Balmain. This is recognised in the Leichhardt Bicycle Strategy, where it is designated a Strategic Route, NS 4.
There is a bike lane from Parramatta Rd to Marion St, and you can bypass one section by taking Derbyshire Rd behind the Secondary College. Then there is the new pedestrian/cycle path from the City West Link to Leichhardt Secondary College, but the crossing of the City West Link needs improvement as does the Lilyfield Rd intersection.
The RTA is to resurface the section from Wharf Rd to Rozelle in May 2012 and this will be an opportunity to mark a proper bike lane on both sides, but only if parking is removed from the Callan Park side. An alternative is to build a path in Callan Park behind the brick wall, but this has been rejected. See Callan Park item below. The RTA is looking at some designs for the road, but the Council has said it won't support removal of car parking on the Callan Park frontage.
A 40 K limit would make the road safer for all road users.
Note added in April 2012: very disappointed that very little has been gained here, despite many meetings with Council. RTA (now RMS) have refused to agree to Council's remarking scheme after the resurfacing,which would have removed the dangerous car door shoulder lanes, or improve intersections at Wharf Rd or Victoria Rd, and Council won't remove parking to make room for a bike lane anyway. There has been an agreement to look at a signposted route through Callan Park on existing roads, from Wharf Rd to Cecily St gate, but the Council still does not have control of the Park to go ahead with this, although it didnt stop them doing the new football fields.
Local Government elections are coming up in September 2012. LBUG is keen to hear from candidates about their policies on promoting the use of bicycles in Leichhardt, and if they will support the Council's Bicycle Strategy (aka the Bike Plan). The plan is up for review this year for the next 5 years. Quite a bit has been done in the last 5 years - lots of signs up, green paint here and there, some useful lane widening on Booth St, more bike parking, but some things are lagging, like safe crossings of the City West Link and improvements to Darling St.
Go speak to your local councillors and candidates when announced(4 wards, Annandale, Leichhardt, Lilyfield/Rozelle, Balmain)) and ask them what their policies on cycling are. Ask them if they are familiar with the Council's Bicycle Strategy, and point them to the LBUG website if they want to see what we think. Nearly all current Crs have indicated support for cycling, so we hope the cross party agreement will continue. [Edit, June 2013- it didnt, Liberals and Labor combined without any consultation with the BAC to cut the bike budget, see article above.]
LBUGs election page, see responses from candidates last time
Update 2013- The Greens lost councillors and control of the Council. Liberal and Labor have combined on most issues to wind back many Green initiatives and institute their electoral promises, such as 30 minute free parking in Main Streets. Revenue lost from parking meters matches the funds cut from the bicycle budget.
Bike Leichhardt rides are on the Calendar on Ning. The Rides Committee meets a couple of times a year to plan rides. We will do several weekend or longer tours as well as our regular day rides around Sydney, including monthly EasyRides on the first Sunday usually. New riders are welcome. Download an EasyRide flyer.
New website is at leichhardtbug.ning.com. To get curent news and ride information, take part in discussions and view and upload photos or files visit our new site. Will keep this site as a gateway until further notice.
The cycleway part of the project has been killed, according to reports in the paper. This is despite a petition of 10,000 signatures being presented to Parliament. An "active transport study" is being undertaken by the Department of Planing, to examine alternatives to the Greenway, using existing or potential on-road bike routes to create a route between Cooks River and Iron Cove, and also to look at a link to Anzac Bridge. See more at Greenway .
[June, 2012] LBUG asked for a children's cycling circuit, better internal roads, better access from surrounding streets and for making the Park a cycling destination. We also asked for a bike path along the Balmain Rd frontage, so cyclists can avoid the traffic on Balmain Rd. The Council says it is not in the Plan, but we say it was in the Drafts, and should not have been taken out of the final plan, although we say it still is mentioned. Bicycle NSW is asking the Council for an explanation. Discussion on Ning.
[Dec, 2011]
Nov 2010. LBUG is now an Incorporated Association. This means we need to have several meetings a year, elect officials, report our finances and keep records. In return we get protection under the Sporting Clubs Act against claims for liability and we also get to remain affiliated with Bicycle NSW, under their rules.
There are often outbreaks of irate letters to the local papers about speeding cyclists and, in retaliation, about careless dog owners and unaware pedestrians, ipod in ear, and so on. LBUG has had a Path Etiquette on its website for some time, and is keen to promote better understanding and behaviour by all users.
Cycling continues to make the Herald's pages. If it isn't a swag of Letters to the Editor (pro and anti cycling) it is articles like this or a strong pro-cycling Editorial on 2/1/2009. [Jan2, 2009]
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| From Bicycle audit Sept 2008- Leichhardt. |
With a digital camera it is easy enough to take photos of roads around Leichhardt and put together a safety audit of cycling conditions. LBUG discussed the audit with the Council to seek action. If you see any hazards or problems that should be fixed, like poor surfaces, holes, bumps, lips, squeeze points, poor access, let us know and contact the Council too. Your efforts can help us all get better conditions for cycling.