Traffic jams? Consider underground tunnels to ease congestion on the hot roads

Elon Musk "really profits from a kind of terra nullius environment, where there’s as few regulations as possible, and he can quickly move into a relatively empty space and dominate it,” Slobodian says. Just as he achieved that with SpaceX’s rockets and Starlink’s low Earth orbit satellites, so Musk doubtless saw the underground realm as territory for the taking."

We urgently need an uncongested tunnel underneath Hyde St in car-dependent #Bellingen >>
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jun/17/neoliberal-nightmare-my-ride-on-vegas-loop-elon-musk-answer-to-traffic-jams
#cars #congestion #traffic #cardependent #MobilityDesign #TerritoryforTheTaking #tunnels #climate #ExtremeHeat #EmptySpace #UndergroundRealm #TerraNullius #environment #deregulation

Nudging drivers to share the roads with wildlife

"Motorists are being urged to slow down and stay alert for wildlife as Transport for NSW launches its annual “Animals on Country Roads” safety campaign.

"Between 2016 and 2025, 26 people were killed and more than 1,250 crashes resulted in injuries involving animals on country roads. Kangaroos were involved in the highest proportion of fatal crashes involving animals in NSW, accounting for 44 per cent of deaths over the past decade."

“Driving on country roads means sharing the road with animals that can move quickly and unpredictably...Slow down, stay alert – especially at dawn and dusk – and take note of the animal warning signs. Also look out for animals near creeks and waterholes."

"The campaign runs until 30 June, encouraging motorists to take extra care on country roads and be prepared for unexpected wildlife hazards, including reporting injured animals to WIRES on 1300 094 737." >>
https://nambuccavalley.newsofthearea.com.au/look-out-for-wildlife-campaign
#cars #motorists #speeding #MobilityDesign #roads #HabitatFragmentation #wildlife #livestock #RoadKill #RoadTrauma
Image: Young passenger's view of native wildlife on NSW road shoulder

Crashes at Lavenders Bridge, North Bellingen

* Just a short time ago two women were killed and another seriously injured after a motorist 'lost control' near the notorious Lavender Bridge and smashed into two cars parked at the riverside swimming spot. >>
https://coffscoast.newsofthearea.com.au/a-woman-has-tragically-died-in-a-crash-at-bellingen-on-thursday-afternoon

* Today there was another serious incident involving two e-bikes. An ambulance was seen at the crash zone. An injured person was seen lying on the ground. (The ambulance is visible on the Kombu Flood Camera at 2026-05-24 11.26 ) >>
https://kombuwholefoods.com.au/floodcam/

* The long road to a bike-friendly Australia >>
https://mastodon.au/@Bellingen/116626357349183983

* In the design of the new 'Lavenders Bridge Replacement' bikes and foot traffic do not seem to be a feature. A lot of bitumen was smeared over the river banks to facilitate the convenience for cars (parking).

Image: North Bellingen, Lavender Bridge Black Spot by design

#MobilityDesign #LavendersBridge #cars #motorists #infrastructure #climate #ActiveTransport #footpaths #SharedStreet #cyclists #ProtectedBikeLanes #dehumanisation #sprawl #suburbia #traffic #aggression #RoadRage #RoadTrauma #CarDependency #FossilFuels #BellingenShire #accidents #crash #pedestrians

The long road to a bike-friendly Australia
and the dehumanisation of cyclists

* "At the rate Australian cities are building cycling networks, a cohesive system is probably decades away. What’s taking so long?

"NSW wants to double active transport trips in 20 years...But at the rate Australian cities are building cycling networks, a cohesive system is probably another 50 years away, experts speaking to The Fifth Estate warned. Progress is slow. (One bike bridge was recently installed in Melbourne after 37 years of lobbying and discussion.)"

"A 2024 report by The Australia Institute points out that less than 1 per cent of federal road funding goes to active transport infrastructure."

"Richter was one of 49 bike riders who died on Australian roads last year, up on the average of around 38 deaths per year between 2012-23. (Thousands more were hospitalised with serious injuries during that period.)." >>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-24/active-transport-cycling-bikes-cities-safety/106710436

* Dehumanization of cyclists predicts self-reported aggressive behaviour toward them: A pilot study >>
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1369847818308593?dgcid=author

#MobilityDesign #cars #motorists #infrastructure #climate #ActiveTransport #footpaths #SharedStreet #cyclists #ProtectedBikeLanes #dehumanisation #sprawl #suburbia #traffic #aggression #RoadRage #RoadTrauma #CarDependency #FossilFuels #Australia

IMAGE: Children on scooters on a 'normal' Bellingen bitumen streetscape lacking a footpath or a cycle path. Nothing is protecting the flesh and blood from metal and steel.

Get a mayor

It is said that Australia is currently experiencing a nationwide pothole crisis, driven by the combustion of fossil fuel. (Extreme weather, flooding, and aging infrastructure)

Motorists (and other residents) could elect a mayor who actually acts on worn out roads as well as taking action to address issues of pressing public concerns.

* Potholes everywhere: how climate change is trashing Australia’s roads >>
https://theconversation.com/intense-rain-landslides-and-potholes-everywhere-how-climate-change-is-trashing-australias-roads-264328

* "Mamdani has also filled over 100,000 potholes. I’m no expert, but the data suggests that is a remarkable rate of hole-filling." >>
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/may/19/when-i-look-zohran-mamdani-jealous-of-new-yorkers

* Here’s a list of things Zohran Mamdani has done in just four months , First Dog on the Moon >>
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2026/may/18/heres-a-list-of-things-zohran-mamdani-has-done-in-just-four-months

Image: First Dog on the Moon, Guardian
#councils #CivicLeadership #mayors #PublicConcerns #action #inequality #BellingenShire #climate #FossilFuels #MobilityDesign #housing

The state of young Australians
A crisis of social reproduction

* “Many Australian children struggle with their mental health. Recent data shows around one in seven children (13.9%) aged 4–17 experiences a diagnosable mental illness.”

“…We estimated that reducing factors such as parental psychological distress, hostile parenting and partner violence could potentially prevent up to 40% of severe and persistent mental health problems in young Australians.” >>
https://theconversation.com/to-improve-childrens-mental-health-start-by-supporting-their-parents-271944

* Young Australians kept in the dark
Australia’s social media ban preventing teenagers from accessing the news, research finds >>
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/may/19/australias-social-media-ban-preventing-teens-from-accessing-the-news-research-finds

* Sydney mum reveals the huge cost of the school run (Young people's socialisation into (car) dependency)
"She would easily spend $170 a week on petrol, and drives between 80km and 90km often six or seven days a week, depending on what’s on. In 2024, the average household should budget between $10,000 and $25,000 a year to own car." >>
https://www.drive.com.au/caradvice/scool-run-australia-cost-2024/
#SocialReproduction #StateRetreat #CareDeficit #MentalHealth #anxiety #children #parenting #carers #family #DomesticViolence #violence #suburbia #sprawl #cars #MobilityDesign #CarDependency #work #WageStagnation #inequality #housing #instability #DoubleBurden #financialisation #outsourcing #SocialMedia #MSM #independence #citizens

Sprawl, cars and climate
Transport set to be Australia’s top-emitting sector by 2030, private cars (SUVs) still dominate.

“If you’re in suburbia or regional Australia and you’re trying to make a journey, often you’ll find public transport is just not a viable option and you have no choice but to drive."

"Experts have pointed towards an Australian love for US-style SUVs as a contributing factor to the rising death toll on roads nationwide, which has climbed every year since the pandemic, with NSW the highest of any state." >>
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/07/sprawling-city-public-transit-work-sydney-right-track
#sprawl #cars #SUVs #DeathToll #transport #climate #PublicTransport #NSW #MobilityDesign

Biodiversity under the wheels

Koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, wombats and other wildlife are forced to dwell in fragmented spaces having to cross many roads to go about their life. Mobility design is primarily for combustion machines to fly along their supply chains. The mobility needs of the un-motorised is not taken care of with the existing infrastructure.

"Tens of thousands of collisions with animals are recorded each year across Australia and the number appears to be rising. According to NRMA Insurance claims data, there was a 21% rise in animal collision claims from 2024-2025."

"Many large animals, including kangaroos, are most active at dusk and night, often moving to feed along roadside vegetation. Insurance data shows collisions are concentrated on regional and rural roads, where higher speeds, limited lighting and greater exposure to wildlife increase risk." >>
https://theconversation.com/crashes-involving-animals-spike-in-winter-heres-how-to-avoid-them-281531
#biodiversity #wildlife #MobilityDesign #vehicles #roads #speed #RoadTrauma #kangaroos #wallabies #koalas #wombats #birds #crashes

Harvesting fruit and vegetables 'in the middle of nowhere': The Pacific Islander farm workers scheme

"With about 30,000 PALM workers in Australia as of October, that equates to about 30 deaths per 100,000 people — more than six times the national average of 4.8 per 100,000."

"Back home, I usually drive for no more than 30 minutes before reaching my destination. Here, I'd drive for hours... after working 12-hour shifts." >>
https://www.abc.net.au/pacific/palm-workers-urged-to-obey-australian-driving-laws-/104730954

"Two Pacific Islander farm workers dead" >>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-06/manjimup-fatal-crash-pacific-farm-workers/106636166
#PALM #workers #food #farms #work #AgriculturalIndustry #SettlerSociety #roads #TyrannyOfDistance #transport #rural #cars #Australia #exploitation #plantations #MobilityDesign #WideOpenSpaces #FossilFuel #FoodMiles
Image: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, 1939

Make cycling ordinary again

Cycling "in Australia, is still closely tied to being male, wearing a lot of Lycra, owning an expensive bike and costly cycling gear and riding really fast."

"In places where cycling functions as everyday transport – such as large parts of Europe and Asia – people ride in work clothes, at relaxed speeds, on practical bikes."
https://theconversation.com/you-dont-have-to-be-a-cyclist-to-ride-a-bike-heres-how-to-start-again-280451
#BicycleInfrastructure #CarCulture #OutdoorGym #Energy #uncertainty #FossilFuels #Australia #Paris #MobilityDesign

Image: Drive the car to have a bicycle ride somewhere. It is 'sport' here. In many other places it belongs to active and fossil fuel free mobility integrated into everyday life. Bellingen recreational bike strapped to a car roof