Hi ,

As the east coast of Australia experiences heightened rainfall this month, we are reminded about our environment, the cities we build and the need to make our streets better for people to move on foot and by bike. We have signed a joint statement to the Australian government's consultation on the Transport Net Zero Roadmap with strong recommendations (read here).

This month we celebrate the wins of volunteer efforts and support their work:

• Win - Some tenacious local advocacy winning a new bike lane on Sydney's northern beaches (Curl Curl)
• Watch - a fun informative video about the the history of the Sydney cycleway network development 

July also marks a new financial year and we've seen some exciting announcements of funding, plans, strategies and projects.

• Funding - Australian government announcement of funding for local road improvements
• Consultation - Several councils are seeking public consultation on their walking and bike plans (Waverley, Newcastle, Perth)

*The newsletter header image was taken in Melbourne, Victoria. 

QUEENSLAND

READ - Queensland's first 'Safe Active Street'

After five years of advocacy, Pierce St in Toowoomba has just been instituted as the state's first 'Safe Active Street'. Bravo to all those who've helped bring this to fruition! Read more here.

RIDE, WALK & DANCE - Drum & Bass On The Bike returns to Australia!

Having only just made his first trip to Australia to take over Darwin streets, UK DJ Dom Whiting (aka DJ on a bike) will be back again in July on the Sunshine Coast. It'll be incredible to see the streets transformed when Dom is out there - if you're one of the lucky 1000 ticket-holders... we want to hear all about it!

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

WRITE & ATTEND - Call for Abstracts: Asia-Pacific Physical Activity Conference Perth (20-22 November) 

Under the theme 'Pathways to Impact,' this health-focused conference is set to cover a lot of excellent walking and cycling content. Abstracts from practitioners, advocates and policy-makers working in physical activity - including advocating for Better Streets - are very welcome. Deadline for submissions is now Monday 15 July. More details here.

READ & WRITE - Draft Bike Plan for the City of Perth

Until 26 July, the City of Perth is inviting feedback on its draft Bike Plan - complete a five-minute survey to have your say. The City is set to finalise the Plan by the end of 2024. 

WestCycle, a Better Streets coalition member, has some inputs here that people might like to use in their submissions.

NEW SOUTH WALES

READ - Let’s Pedal Together: Building a better cycling network in the Inner West!

Sydney’s Inner West - known for its eclectic mix of street art, heritage homes, breweries and countless cafes - is surprisingly car dependent. Help us make it the perfect place to walk and ride by signing the petition! Read more here.

WRITE - Calls for Submissions to Walking/Mobility Plans

• Waverley Council is asking for community input on its Walking Strategy - you have until Sunday 21 July to fill in a survey about your individual walking habits and preferences.
• The City of Newcastle's draft Walking and Mobility Plan is open for consultation until Thursday 8 August.

RECOGNITION - Congratulations to Jake Coppinger, aka the creator of Better Intersections and 'Young Sydneysider of the Year' nominee!

We are delighted to see Better Streets volunteer Jake's nomination. We hope he claims the prize and can bring more attention to his project Better Intersections and highlight the inequality in waiting time for people walking. 

Note: Better Streets volunteer Fiona Campbell (Manager of Cycling Strategy at the City of Sydney) was last year's Sydney Awards Unsung Hero.  Watch Fiona (now not-so-unsung!) talk and ride about her work here.

NATIONAL

APPLY FOR FUNDING - Federal funding to improve unsafe local roads

The Australian Government’s new Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program has just been announced. Anyone can nominate for Black Spot consideration - read more here. 

READ - Better Streets' submission on autonomous vehicle safety

Better Streets has urged the Australian Government’s National Transport Commission to put people first when they write new safety laws for automated vehicles - read more here.

LEARN

IN PERSON - Transport Camp (19 July), Paving the way for better policies in NSW (Hosted at University of Sydney)

Join this event in person and meet other people keen to discuss ideas, opportunities and pathways to better transport policies - more details here. 

ONLINE - Austroads webinar series to prioritise Active Transport

Austroads has released a new publication, 'Prioritising Active Transport'. Join their (free) webinar series with Dr Elliot Fishman to find out which interventions effectively grow active transport mode share:

• Increasing Active Transport Mode Share (22 July, 1 pm AEST)
• Infrastructure Interventions to Increase Active Transport - Most Effective Approaches (23 July, 1 pm AEST)
• Policy and Other Non-Infrastructure Measures to Increase Active Transport Mode Share (24 July, 1 pm AEST)

Registration is essential. You can access the report & registration here.

CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS - PHOTOGRAPHERS

Can you take beautiful photos of people and streets? Do you want to support Better Streets to improve our website? If this is you, reach out and support us improve the website  - reach out via email at contact@betterstreets.org.au. 

WEEKLY GET TOGETHER

For those based in Sydney an in-person weekly get together to say hi, exchange ideas, keep track of our activities and keep motivating each other.

Wednesday - 6pm - The Strawberry Hills Hotel, 453 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills (near Central, map) upstairs (Accessible entry available.)

Thank you for your unwavering support as we continue to create better streets for all!