50 000 Bicycle Victoria Members
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Imagine, ten times the number on the Great Vic or three times the many riders on Around the Bay actively supporting More People Cycling More Often.
Members mean results. In 1990,Bicycle Victoria gained our first 1500 members. This year, we hit 43,000 members – and celebrated some great results. Imagine then, what 50,000 members could do.
Whether it’s laying green paint on roads, smoothing the path for the rail trail or calling for the completion of the Darebin bridge connection to the network, your support as a Bicycle Victoria member has seen many people enjoying more places to ride.
Over the years members continue to join and Bicycle Victoria continues to pursue bike riding as the norm. Can you feel the change in the air? I can, and I know it’s directly related to your support and involvement.
As well as peak membership numbers, this year we saw 12 years of campaigning towards Melbourne’s most anticipated piece of bike infrastructure, the Darebin Bridge, come to fruition. Some campaigns take time, others take numbers.
Long-term members would remember many wins for riders over the years. In 1994 (with 7,000 members) we saw bike lanes introduced along Swanston Street. In 1995 we began a 10-year campaign to see the Federation Trail built and in 2006 the hard work paid off. At 23km long, it is one of the biggest and most important off-road trails to be constructed. And now in 2009 our sights are set on further connections for riders in the west to Melbourne CBD, Bay Trail and Werribee Zoo and Mansion.
And members’ hard work is not just visible in metropolitan Melbourne: in 1999 (with 17,000 members) Bicycle Victoria focused on tapping the potential of disused railways across the state. The new Rail trails gave riders the chance to explore destinations by bike and in turn, greater bike infrastructure around tourism destinations has grown. We also celebrated successes in regional areas: in 2005 the sum of $8M was committed to develop rail trails in regional Victoria. In 2009 (with 40,000 members) this was topped up with an additional $5M, and an extrodinary $14M was committed to the Gouldburn River High Country Trail.
The dollars can’t grow without community support and influence. We know what can be achieved and now we’re setting the bar even higher. Our aim is to reach 50,000 members by Melbourne Cycling Festival in October 2010. This will bring us one step closer to making bike riding the norm. Your Support has taken bike riding this far; together we can further grow More People Cycling More Often.
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