Macquarie University

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nomadicsoul
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Macquarie University

Postby nomadicsoul » Tue Sep 03, 2013 11:04 pm

Hi everyone
I work with Macquarie University and have a hand in the bike side of things for the campus. Is anyone else here a Macquarie person?

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DavidS
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Re: Macquarie University

Postby DavidS » Tue Sep 03, 2013 11:12 pm

Not Macquarie, I work at Melbourne Uni and even though they have built heaps of bike racks on the last few years you can barely park a bike there now. Might be something to do with inner Melbourne traffic and Macquarie is certainly further from the CBD. How is it going there, lots of people cycle in?

DS
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duncanm
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Re: Macquarie University

Postby duncanm » Wed Sep 04, 2013 1:08 pm

no.. but I regularly ride through it (University Ave past Cochlear or Eastern / cut across to Gymnasium Rd).

What's the story with the wide path up University Ave? -- it looks like it was designed to be a shared path - and that route could really do with it -- but its not signposted as such.

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nomadicsoul
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Re: Macquarie University

Postby nomadicsoul » Wed Sep 04, 2013 4:19 pm

DavidS:
We have a lot of bike racks around the place, including two purpose built 'bike hubs' which contain secure lock up facilities, lockers and a self cleaning shower/change area. Cycling is quite popular with students around the area (plenty of the crap Repco/Diamonback/Dunlop bikes around) and quite a few staff come in too. Many commuters detour through the uni early in the morning (i.e. on to Cochlear, MGSM) and the surrounding business area i.e. Optus.

Duncanm
They are 'unofficially' shared paths, however the university prefers people to ride slowly on them (someone was involved in an accident a few weeks back). The traffic on the internal university roads is fairly slow moving and predictable, so it's quite a good place to learn to ride.

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DavidS
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Re: Macquarie University

Postby DavidS » Wed Sep 04, 2013 11:33 pm

We have bike hubs too but most of them are just a bitumen car park with a cyclone fence around them. I'm lucky, I work next to a new building with cages on each floor of the underground car park and with change facilities and showers. It is good to see lots of students and a fair number of staff riding to uni. Doesn't matter what the bike is, they're using easily the best form of transport to Parkville. At Melbourne Uni I'm always amazed anyone drives there, but plenty do. Right next to the CBD and our roads are very clogged.

Hopefully there will be someone else here from Macquarie. Do you have a Bicycle Users Group there? There is sort of one at Melbourne but mainly it is an email list. We are lucky enough to have a bike shop on campus (as well as plenty within a KM or two).

DS
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Re: Macquarie University

Postby duncanm » Thu Sep 05, 2013 12:55 pm

nomadicsoul wrote:DavidS:
Duncanm
They are 'unofficially' shared paths, however the university prefers people to ride slowly on them (someone was involved in an accident a few weeks back). The traffic on the internal university roads is fairly slow moving and predictable, so it's quite a good place to learn to ride.
David.

That makes no sense.. and I'm even more confused.

Presumably this means the Uni will look the other way until something happens - like another collision. Then the cyclist will be hit up for riding on a footpath.


Regarding traffic - its more of a problem around the evening peak - when University Ave turns into a car park as people use it as a shortcut from Macquarie Park to Balaclava Rd. There's not enough lane width to easily filter through the traffic.

Given that both the road and footpath were just recently rebuilt, and there's plenty of width, I seriously question why neither a cycle lane on the road nor an official shared path was put in.

(ps: I'm not having a go at you - just in case it sounds like that)

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nomadicsoul
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Re: Macquarie University

Postby nomadicsoul » Fri Sep 06, 2013 8:02 pm

Hi Duncanm
No offence taken at all. I am not aware of the official stance of the university when it comes to cycling. As I understand, all paths are shared paths, however cyclists are expected to ride at a safe speed (i.e. if a bewildered texting student suddenly steps out, you could stop easily without impact). Here is a message about issues around traffic (both vehicular and pedestrian)

http://www.announcements.mq.edu.au/hr/t ... _on_campus" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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nomadicsoul
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Re: Macquarie University

Postby nomadicsoul » Fri Sep 06, 2013 8:05 pm

DavidS
The BikeHubs are like two wooden shed type constructions http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/strategy_ ... /bike_hub/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

We have a BUG which mainly exists on Facebook and recently Strava. There have been a few meetings, but nothing too concrete. We used to have a Transport Officer who is a bike fanatic, however he left a while back. I'm hoping to get the bike community on campus a bit more synchronised and up and running again :)

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DavidS
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Re: Macquarie University

Postby DavidS » Sat Sep 07, 2013 12:13 am

Those bike hubs look ok. The main problem with most of the ones at Melbourne is that they aren't under cover. Which is why I didn't bother until I moved jobs and the nearby hub was in the underground car park. Well worth it now. Also they used to charge $20 a year, now they are free which is an excellent move.

Our BUG is via email but I suppose it may also be on Facebook, I'm not on Facebook so I wouldn't know!

DS
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Re: Macquarie University

Postby stevecassidy » Sat Sep 07, 2013 6:01 pm

Hi David, I'm at MQ, I teach in the Computing Dept. I ride in every day and park in the E7B Hub - excellent facility. I usually come in through the back past the gym, it looks like they're building a nice new path for me through the trees just before E7B.

It's good to see so many bikes around these days, the racks are often quite full although I've always managed to find a spot.

Steve
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panda_oz
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Re: Macquarie University

Postby panda_oz » Sat Sep 07, 2013 6:37 pm

Hi, I am at Macquarie as well. Although I don't use the bike hub facilities myself, I have some friends who use them frequently and they only have good things to say about them!

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xavdav
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Re: Macquarie University

Postby xavdav » Sat Sep 07, 2013 11:13 pm

Hi, I am also kind of at Macquarie; I work for one of the affiliated colleges on Herring road. I try to commute a few times a week during day light saving, as I usually work outside the 9 to 5 frame, and it is a long commute. Lucky enough to be able to park my bike in my office.
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nomadicsoul
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Re: Macquarie University

Postby nomadicsoul » Sat Sep 07, 2013 11:15 pm

panda_oz wrote:Hi, I am at Macquarie as well. Although I don't use the bike hub facilities myself, I have some friends who use them frequently and they only have good things to say about them!
Thanks for the feedback! Do you cycle to MQ at all?

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Re: Macquarie University

Postby danchez » Sun Sep 15, 2013 4:11 pm

At MQ every Monday and Wednesday night. Haven't yet made the commute from work to there however, but with the cost of parking on campus (I've yet to justify paying for a pass) it is becoming more and more a viable option, especially with the bike hubs that are available.
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nomadicsoul
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Re: Macquarie University

Postby nomadicsoul » Tue Sep 17, 2013 11:35 pm

For those of you who ride around the campus, be careful around the uni village. I have been attacked a few times now by what looks to be a juvenile magpie.

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Re: Macquarie University

Postby FrednGinger » Thu Sep 26, 2013 8:22 pm

Hi, I'm at Macquarie. I haven't tried out the bike hubs yet but we have a shower in our building anyhow. I'm a little concerned about bike theft on campus as I'm about to buy a decent commuter bike. I park in the bottom of the hearing hub, so I'm hoping that's safe enough for my new bike...

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nomadicsoul
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Re: Macquarie University

Postby nomadicsoul » Tue Oct 15, 2013 10:25 pm

Ride2Uni day is happening tomorrow. Join us from 8AM in the central courtyard at the Jumbotron (the large outdoor LED screen) for a free breakfast, slow bike race, free bike health checks and more. It will run until 10.30AM.

barney all fixed
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Re: Macquarie University

Postby barney all fixed » Sun Nov 03, 2013 3:37 pm

hello nomadicsoul , craig here i live just around the back at aldi near blaxland rd and was wondering if any of the uni ppls whom peddle for fun and or do any group rides??
i regularly frequent past the campus and head onto camden and out the back way to penrith from time to time and if anyone would be interested in a get together as i have tuesday free 5th nov and plan a nice ride 7am onwards .
and can be contacted on here or txt 0415 85 66 30 cheers craig

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nomadicsoul
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Re: Macquarie University

Postby nomadicsoul » Sun Nov 03, 2013 9:02 pm

Hi Barney
From next year we're looking at doing casual rides at Wednesday lunch times - just figuring out the nuts and bolts of it all at the moment. There are many cyclists on campus, both serious and casual. We're working on trying to build more of a cycling culture and community, with the weekly ride being one of the components. I would recommend posting your comment on the Bike Macquarie page as that is where the core of our users are at the moment.

https://www.facebook.com/bikemacquarie?ref=br_tf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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