Bicycle Network: Take Action

Bicycle Network Victoria is currently looking for enthusiastic, motivated people to help us improve conditions for riders in Victoria

Opportunities currently available include

Communications Officer

• Create, edit and update Cycling Development web pages to keep our members fully informed of what we're doing
• Promote, raise awareness and rally support for issues which are important for riders
• Research and respond to member queries and general campaign enquiries
• Provide input to cycling strategies and plans.

Survey Coordinator

• Create, manage and analyse online surveys. These surveys provide us with invaluable information for indentifying issues and delivering the best outcomes for cyclists.

If you are interested in any of the above roles, contact the Campaigns team on (03) 8638 8888 (1800 639 634 country callers) or email Bicycle Network Victoria - Campaigns.

There are also many other ways that Volunteers contribute to our cycling campaigns.

Most of them are office-based but there are some that involve field work or work that you can do from home. They are detailed below.

If you want to work in our office we prefer to have someone who can work consistent hours as this lets us use our computers and other resources best. We prefer to have Volunteers work on specific longer-term projects (rather than day to day odd jobs) as it reduces the amount of day to day supervision from us.

Once you get in touch with us we can review your skills and expectations and what jobs are available. We can then decide together what may be the best thing to do.

Help with our major campaigns

From time to time we need help mounting our major campaigns. Current big projects are the Geelong Bypass, Mitcham-Frankston Freeway Project, the Yarra Darebin Bridge,  Marroondah Hwy Bridge in Lilydale, Bellarine Rail Trail,Main Yarra Trail Steps in Abbotsford, the Northbank Trail, and Ride to Work Day and travel behaviour change. This is just a small cross-section of some of the important projects we're working on.

Bicycle Counting Program

We do an annual cyclist counting program on specific arterial bike routes around Melbourne in early March (Search: How many cyclists, top right). We are looking for people to:

• help coordinate the counts programs
• count bikes. We need people available from 7am - 9.30am on weekdays to count the number of cyclists on each route. Coffee and muffin provided.
• input and analyse data/ results from the bike count survey.

Assessing new suburbs for bike-ability

We'd like someone to help us audit new suburbs and give them a rating according to their bike-ability. This project would involve visiting a number of new, mostly outer, suburbs and scoring them on various characteristics.

For instance:

• Does the shared path network connect to schools and shops?
• Do the collector roads have bike lanes?
• Are the shared paths wide enough, with centre lines and smooth pram ramps?
• Is there bike parking available?
• Do cul-de-sacs have through access for bikes and walkers?

Based on the results of the project we will give new suburbs a 'healthy suburb' rating.

Auditing tram and train stops for bike parking

We want someone to help us assess which public transport stops would be best suited for installing high quality secure bike parking. We are especially interested in the potential for tram stops to accommodate undercover bike parking.

Cycle-friendly schools

We want someone to help us develop a program to help schools encourage cycling. Part of this is assessing the potential for connecting particular schools to the shared path network, but also to help us develop guideline policies on what training and skills kids need for riding to schools.

Researching cycling deaths

Bicycle Network Victoria keeps track of how cyclists die on our roads. We are looking for someone to help us follow up on every cyclist's death in Victoria.

Tasks include reviewing papers, writing to the coroner's office, following up with Police and courts, maintaining our database and writing reports. You'd need computer skills and some analytic ability.

Tracking council performance

We have a rudimentary database which tracks the performance of local councils and state government on providing for bikes.

Data includes:

• Date of last bike strategy
• Council budget for bikes in 2003/04
• Priorities for spending
• Council contacts
• Local cycling contacts and priorities.

We are looking for someone to help us refine and compile this database and get it in shape for our website so it becomes a public campaigning resource.

Measuring roads to help design bike lanes

Building bike lanes relies on our having accurate road measurements and knowledge of where there are clearways, tram tracks, kerb extensions etc. We frequently have opportunities for volunteers to contribute to our campaigns by going out on site and recording this information.

Bicycle Network Victoria's road measurement sheet can be used when measuring roads. It provides a useful format for recording road measurements. If you are thinking of measuring a road you may want to call Bicycle Network Victoria beforehand to see if it has already been measured.

Safety first when measuring roads. As you are concentrating on taking measurements you must remember to stay aware of traffic. Measure with a buddy and wear a safety vest or other visible clothing (eg your yellow cycling jersey).  

Photographing new bike facilities 'before' and 'after'

Before and after photographs of bicycle facilities are important as a record of what has been achieved and to make sure that the facilities are satisfactorily completed.

Researching and writing reports for publication

For example: researching cycling crashes and deaths (see above), bike theft, cost benefit analysis of bicycle facilities and review of overseas developments.

Writing letters to support Bicycle Network Victoria's campaigns

Something everyone can do from home. Your local action will help improve conditions for all cyclists.

Researching cycling information for inclusion on our website

Help us keep our website up-to-date and useful. Examples of pages we want are:

• Cycling clothing: how to chose knicks, jerseys, and other gear
• Choosing a bike
• Riding in traffic skills, especially making turns and negotiating lights.