Bicycle Network: Directory
Yarra Ranges Shire Council
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Yarra Ranges riders - drafting of council Budget 2013/14 underway
05 March 2013. As you read this Council is preparing its draft 2013/14 Budget. The time to act is now for more bike infrastructure funding!
As a ratepayer and rider now is the time for Council to hear from you if you want more funding to improve the local riding environment.
Click here to tell your Council to invest in bike infrastrcuture in the 2013/14 Budget.
Bicycle Expenditure Index (BiXE) 2012
15 November 2012. The Shire of Yarra Ranges’ BiXE rating for 2012 is $4.45. This is below the Outer Zone council average for 2012, which is $5.65. This is based upon council spending of $669,595 and population of 150,602.
Relevant bicycle related investment for the 2012/2013 financial year includes but is not necessarily limited to expenditure upon the following projects/programs:
• Contribution to trail improvements
• Warburton Rail Trail buildings, bridges and culvets
• Trail rehabilitation projects: Maintenance and renewal of various trails
• Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail: Maintenance and renewal and establishment of station platform sites as visitor nodes with signage, picnic facilities and water bubblers
Additional spending sourced from external grants and funds may apply, but that is outside the scope of BiXE reporting.
The Shire of Yarra Ranges achieved a five-year BiXE average of $4.58. This is below the Outer Zone council five-year average for 2012, which is $5.80.
See full BiXE report available here.
VoteBike - Local Council Elections 2012
27 October 2012. Local council elections are being held in Victoria on October 27 2012. Bicycle Network Victoria is once again running VoteBike that allows you to engage with potential candidates on local cycling issues. We will collect statements from candidates about their commitment to cycling in Yarra Ranges and publish them on the VoteBike Facebook event page for you to comment on.
To view candidate statements for Yarra Ranges go to our Find a Candidate page. Or to comment on candidate statements as well as voice your support for particular local cycling projects, visit our Facebook events page for Yarra Ranges.
VoteBike allows you to have your say and make sure your vote counts for improved cycling conditions in your local area.
BiXE 2009: City of Yarra Ranges
Shire of Yarra Ranges Council has a BiXE 2009 of $4.86 which is an improvement on its BiXE 2008 of $4.78. This year’s result places Yarra Ranges below the average Outer Councils' BiXE 2009 of $5.78 and shows that Yarra Ranges has again come close to meeting the recommended $5 per resident threshold. Yarra Ranges has a 3 year BiXE average of $3.51.
Yarra Ranges City Council has further opportunities to invest in cycling infrastructure such as:
• Lilydale-Yarra Glen section of the Rail Trail
• Providing more on road bike lanes on Council-maintained roads, particularly around schools.
The not-so-cold shoulder to Healesville
24 September 2009. Brave riders taking the Maroondah Highway to Healesville have been caught by surprise by the appearance of an unlikely bike lane on the stretch from Coldstream.
Did someone go to all this trouble just for us? Well, yes and no.
The works have primarily been done as a road safety measure as part of the VicRoads ‘Run Off the Road’ Road Safety Program.
The engineers have also linemarked and signed the shoulder as a bike lane following encouragement from the bike-riding public.
Where possible the shoulder has been sealed to 2.5m although for some sections where there is an existing sealed shoulder or concrete kerb or over bridges the width may be less.
Tactile edgelining will be installed on the lane edge next to the car lane.
Members have recently reported a problem with loose stones on the new lanes. Bicycle Network Victoria has been advised that as with all sprayed stone seals it will be swept off after a period of bedding down by traffic.
Apart from the loose material cyclists have reported on the rough surface. This results from the use of a size 10mm stone seal and although a finer stone would make for a smoother surface it is not appropriate for the high speed traffic environment on this highway. Engineering advice is that a fine stone surface would be too easily stripped by traffic.
Council adopts plan for developing cycling
Jul 05 Council formally adopted the Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan for Yarra Ranges at the Council meeting on 28 June 2005. Cr Alan Fincher said the plan would bring "enormous benefits for years to come".
$24.4 million worth of works are required. The plan identifies walking circuits in all major townships and on-road bike lanes.
Also identified in the plan is a shared trail between Lilydale and Healesville along the old railway line which would rival the Lilydale–Warburton Rail Trail.
In September 2004 cyclists in Yarra Ranges were invited to provide input on shared paths, bike lanes, bike friendly roads and rail trails in Yarra Ranges Shire and be part of the process of identifying gaps in the network.
Our highest priority is the connection of the Lilydale–Warburton Rail Trail to Lilydale station and a bridge crossing over the Maroondah Hwy. The trail currently stops at the Maroondah Hwy in Lilydale, with no off-road connection to the Lilydale station and car park.
The much-needed bridge will eliminate a dangerous crossing over the busy 4-lane highway (Melway 38 G4). We also want to see bike lanes on busy main roads and connecting up the trail network.
Link to Lysterfield Park from Belgrave
Jun 05 Yarra Ranges Shire is investigating a connection from Belgrave Railway Station to Lysterfield Lake via Birds Land Reserve to provide an off-road connection to the mountain bike course being constructed for the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
The crossing of Wellington Rd is a safety concern for Council, who are looking at ways to provide a safe road crossing over this busy, high speed road.
A funding application has been made to the State Government for constructing the trail.
Lilydale–Warburton Rail Trail
A bridge over the Maroondah Hwy is desperately needed to provide a safe connection to the Lilydale–Warburton Rail Trail. For updates on the rail trail see link (right)
Principle Bicycle Network routes
These roads are part of the PBN and improvements for cyclists should be considered.
- Pynes Rd
- Edward Rd
- Coldstream West Rd
- Station St
- Maroondah Hwy
- Anderson St
- Hereford Rd
- Swansea Rd
- Warburton Hwy.
Take action
Would you like to see a section of road improved to make cycling safer in your neighbourhood? Then check out our Get it fixed web page for tips on how to take action.