photo: Gaz
A good cycling story. As reported in the Guardian, Sydney is witnessing a boom in cycling. In the past year, they have seen a 82% growth in cycle numbers due to a concerted effort to encourage cycling and build more cycle specific lanes.
Sydney has a manifesto to create a greener city by 2030. This involves encouraging cycling and building of up to 200Km of bike lanes.
The cycle lanes are not without controversy. To create cycle lanes has involved removing parking spaces on some roads and narrowing the road space for cars. This local Sydney blogger, described how it led to a temporary ending of bus services because the road was too narrow. However, the interesting thing is that people have responded to the bike lanes by venturing out onto two wheels.
photo: Velovotee
cycle lanes
Not a helmet less person in sight. But, the boom in cycling shows segregate lanes do make a difference in encouraging people to cycle.
photo: velovotee
photo: Sweetone.
Targets of Sydney Cycling
A key issue is whether a city has the motivation and ambition to encourage cycling. Clear targets and plans to make it happen make a big differenc
- Increase the number of bicycle trips made in the City of Sydney, as a percentage of total trips, from less than 2% in 2006 to 5% by 2011, and to 10% by 2016;
- Increase the number of bicycle trips between 2 and 20 km made in the City of Sydney, as a percentage of total trips to 20% by 2016;
- Achieve a minimum 80% good level of confidence and comfort for cyclists that ride in the City of Sydney by 2016; and
- Measure and monitor the number of collisions and injuries involving bicycles and achieve a reduction in the number of incidents.
Not quite sure who has priority at this junction, but I guess it’s cyclists
photo: Sweetone
A three lane cycle path.
photo: Sweetone (Not Sydney, but Ontario, Canada. Not sure how this one crept in, but I’ll leave it now.)
photo: Sweetone
Special buzzer for cyclists.
photo: Sweetone Four modes of transport in one shot
Conclusion
It’s nice to see a city have an ambitious target to promote cycling. It’s always interesting to see examples of areas where ‘non-cyclists’ are tempted to try two wheels.
Usually when I think of Australian cycling, I’m reminded of the compulsory helmet laws which discouraged cycling in cities like Melbourne. Good to have a more positive trend in cycling.
Good to read a positive cycle infrastructure story and to see new cyclists being tempted to ride. Fully agree about the need to have a city with ambitions to make changes.
Off to Oxford on Thursday, so will look out for cycle lanes there…………
In Oxford, you will find every different kind of cycle lane, it’s a real hotpotch, though most are quite short.
Hi! Thanks for featuring my photos and the link to my blog! I just want to make one correction – that photo you have linked as “A rare Sydney cyclist without a helmet” was actually taken in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on Jarvis Street. The rest though are all in Sydney – and that was a good observation about that photo in Darling Harbour, I never noticed there were so many modes of transport in the one shot!
Thanks Neal, I actually thought is that really Sydney. Interesting no one is without helmet in Sydney.