Ride to Work

Each day, millions of trips are made for employment purposes. The overwhelming majority of these journeys are taken by car – with subsequent congestion, pollution and parking problems. Bicycling, especially for short trips, is an excellent alternative. Governments and an increasing number of businesses and their employees are realising the benefits of this healthy, pollution and stress free form of travel.
Australia:

  • bikes4work is an initiative of the Bicycle Federation of Australia - Visit Site  and will help the BFA promote cycling - Visit Site

    The bikes4work web site is sponsored by Australian Ethical Investment - Visit Site

  • TravelSmart Australia, 2006, Employers.
    Visit Site

    Information on national Workplace TravelSmart initiatives and access to toolkits for employers and cycle friendly workplaces.
  • TravelSmart Australia, 2006, How to setup a successful bike fleet.
    Visit Site

    The purpose of this Toolkit is to assist organisations that may be considering the implementation of a bike fleet. The Toolkit can help them do so effectively and efficiently. It can also be used by organisations that have decided to implement a bike fleet, or by individuals who are trying to convince management of the benefits of a fleet.
  • TravelSmart Australia, 2006, Information on how to create a cycle-friendly workplace.
    Visit Site

    Many workplaces around Australia are supporting their employees to use sustainable ways to travel during work for business trips and lunch breaks. Providing a staff bike fleet is an excellent way to improve the health and well being of employees, and a bike fleet places considerably less demand on parking space than other vehicles.
  • Bicycle Victoria, website, National Ride to Work Day.
    Visit Site

    Information on National Ride to Work Day.
  • The Australian Bicycling Achievement Awards - Award for a bicycle friendly business
    Visit Site

    The 2007 Winner was the Public Transport Authority, Western Australia, with an honourable mention going to Cardno Pty. Ltd., Wide Bay Visit Site

New South Wales:

  • Roads and Traffic Authority, 2007, Cycle to work – a guide for employees and employers, New South Wales Government, Sydney.
    Visit Site

    This site provides information pamphlets on cycling to work, safe cycling and getting around by bike.
  • City of Sydney, Cycling in the City Project
    Visit Site

    The program is based on a successful pilot developed by Dr Gabrielle Kuiper and Dr Chloe Mason in 2004 with grant funding received from the NSW Department of Environment and Conservation.
  • Bike Bus, video on how a bike bus works.
    Visit Site

    Fiona Campbell leads the bike bus from the inner west of Sydney to the CBD.
  • Rissel, C. & Telfer, B. (2005) A guide to setting up a bike pool within a risk management framework, March 2005, Health Promotion Unit, Sydney South West Area Health Unit.
    View PDF

    This guide is written to help people who want to set up a bicycle pool in their workplace. It primarily takes an organisational point of view, with a particular emphasis on larger and more bureaucratic organisations. There are plenty examples of the day-to-day running of a bicycle pool, and so this guide does not go into all these specific details. More information about the day-to-day practicalities can be found in the resources listed in the further reading section.

back to top

Northern Territory:

  • TravelSmart Northern Territory, website, NT TravelSmart.
    Visit Site

    Information on the Northern Territory’s TravelSmart Workplaces project.

back to top

Queensland:

  • TravelSmart Queensland, website, TravelSmart Workplaces.
    Visit Site

    Information on Queensland’s TravelSmart Workplaces program.
  • Some of the issues stopping people from cycling to work include:
    Where do I park my bike during the day?  
    But, I can't go around in my cycling gear all day! 

    Now you don't have to, in Brisbane at least.  There is a brand new parking station in the Brisbane CBD with showers, individual lockers and secure bike parking, adjacent to a public transport hub Visit Site

    The bike parking station is a joint initiative between state and local government.

South Australia:

  • Cycling Adelaide Visit Site

    Cycling Adelaide is an initiative designed to reduce existing barriers to cycling for Adelaide’s CBD workers. The program provides safe cycling workshops, on going support and social rides.
  • Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure, website, TravelSmart Workplaces South Australia.
    Visit Site

    Information on Workplace based TravelSmart initiatives in South Australia.

back to top

Victoria:

  • TravelSmart Victoria, website, Workplaces.
    Visit Site

    Information on TravelSmart in Victorian workplaces, including links to travel planning guides, the walksmart and cyclesmart initiatives as well as tools for developing the business case for TravelSmart.
  • TravelSmart Victoria, website, Workplace case studies.
    Visit Site

    This site provides a range of local and international case studies, documenting the adoption of workplace TravelSmart programs in a variety of settings.
  • TravelSmart Victoria, website, Cycling and walking benefits.
    Visit Site

    Provides evidence on the benefits of walking and cycling, focused on workplace outcomes, such as absenteeism.
  • Bicycle Victoria, workplace bicycle user groups.
    Visit Site

    If you're thinking of getting the cyclists in your workplace together, take a look at Bicycle Victoria's Workplace BUG Guide (right).
  • Bicycle Victoria, bicycle parking handbook.
    Visit Site

    Take the guesswork out of bike parking design.  Design a layout to suit your space—a plan that works first time. Know what riders want and develop a design that will save you time and money.

back to top

Western Australia:

  • TravelSmart Western Australia, website, TravelSmart Workplace.
    Visit Site

    Information on Workplace based TravelSmart initiatives in Western Australia.

New Zealand:

  • An example of secure bike parking for a work place
    Visit Site

 

International:

  • Jeff Nield, 26 June 2009, "Mountain Bikes Empower Cacao Farmers in Congo" Canada: TreeHugger - Food & Health
    Visit Site

    A few months ago I posted about Original Beans and the true cost of chocolate. The company is has committed to planting a tree in the country of origin for every bar sold. And now, Original Beans is celebrating a partnership with mountain biking legend Hans Rey's Wheels4Life foundation, that will allow cacao farmers in the Congo much needed mobility.
  • Josh Peterson,(2009) "Bike to Work, Pocket 20 Bucks", USA: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation, 24 May 2009The Bicycle Commuter Act
    Visit Site
    The Bicycle Commuter Act: The unnoticed tax credit was called the Bicycle Commuter Act. It was penned by Oregonian Congressman Earl Blumenauer. The aim of the bill was to give bicycle commuters a tax break similar to the ones that other commuters are eligible for.
  • Brad Aaron, (2009) "Streetfilms: Luxe Bike Parking in Chicago", StreetFilms - 21 May 2009, (Film 4.24 mins)
    Visit Site
    Continuing the Streetfilms tour of envy-inspiring bike parking garages, Clarence Eckerson files this report from the McDonald's Cycling Center in Chicago's Millennium Park, operated by Bike and Roll on behalf of the city.
  • Employers, Here's How You Can Create a Bike-Friendly Office
    Michael Graham Richard,  14 May 2009, Canada: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
    Visit Site
    "How to Keep Cyclists Happy at the Office"
    Baltimore Spokes has an interesting piece about things that employers can do to help their employees successfully bike to work. It's a very important thing. Even if you have nice bike paths and know all the tips about how to ride, you'll probably be more tempted to give up if your work place is very bike-unfriendly. From an employer's perspective, having bike-commuters in the office is a positive thing; they tend to be healthier, less stressed, and more productive (this sounds a bit too close to fitter, happier, more productive...). Read on to see tips for employers who want to encourage bike commuting.
  • Get Ready for Bike to Work Day (And Then Keep Going)
    Michael Graham Richard,  14 May 2009, Canada: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
    Visit Site
    There are So Many Reasons to Bike to Work
    Bike to Work Day is tomorrow (Q?: How can we make biking to work 'normal'?), and our friend Chris Baskind over at LighterFootStep wrote many interesting things lately on the how and why of biking (plus tips on how not to become an Insufferable Cyclist). Read on for more details.
  • Q?: How Can We Make Biking to Work 'Normal'?
    Michael Graham Richard,  14 May 2009, Canada: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
    Visit Site
    "We need to show people that ride bikes to work, not cyclists that ride to work."
    Tomorrow is Bike to Work Day, and our friends at StreetsBlog, bouncing off something written at M-Bike, ask a very important question: How can we make bike commuting "normal"? How can we make the idea of commuting to work on a bike seem normal (as in not-out-of-the-ordinary) so that more people will be tempted to give it a try. We'd really love to hear your ideas on this one in the comments.
  • Sarah Goodyear, 13 May 2009, StreetsBlog
    Visit Site

    Lots of blogs around the Streetsblog Network are tackling issues related to bike commuting this week in honor of the upcoming Bike to Work Day on Friday. Baltimore Spokes weighs in with a post about how employers can tailor workplaces to encourage employees to ride in.
  • Can we make biking look normal?, 12 May 2009, m-bike.org - Promoting safe and convenient bicycling in Metro Detroit
    Visit Site
    Biking to work doesn’t mean one must dress like Lance Armstrong. We need to show people that ride bikes to work, not cyclists that ride to work.
  • Stephanie Sharpe, 13 May 2009, USA: Green Planet
    Visit Site

    Put the brakes on your morning drive with these 5 easy tips.
  • Lloyd Alter, (2009) "Commute to Work by Bike", Toronto: GreenPlanet
    Visit Site

    Ten points to consider when bikeing to work.
  • Connecting Bike Riders with Bike Friendly Employers 
    Visit Site

    Bike riders make great employees, and companies that recognise this are great places to work.  Domestique is dedicated to connecting cyclists of all kinds with employment opportunities. Our passion for sustainable transport is as much a key issue for us as is the sheer enjoyment you get from riding.
  • UK Tax-free bike buying 'Cycle to Work' schemes
    Visit Site

    Did you know you could save up to 50 percent off the price of a bike (and accessories) thanks to a government Green Transport Plan scheme? Here's how.
    • All about the Tax-Free Bike Buying Scheme
      Visit Site

      Cycle to Work is a tax incentive aimed at encouraging employees to, er, cycle to work, thereby reducing air pollution and improving their health. 
      The scheme allows employees to benefit from a long term loan of bikes and commuting equipment such as lights, locks and panniers completely tax free.
    • Cycle to Work Scheme implementation guidance
      Visit Site

      Learn all about 'salary sacrifice' and 'tax exemptions'. This is the detail a Human Resources department would need to create their own bike-buying, tax-break scheme.
  • Oxfordshire County -
    • How to encourage your employees to cycle to work instead of using their cars.
      Visit Site

      Cycling is ideal for shorter journeys. It is good for the health, cheap compared with car travel, and can often be the quickest way to get from A to B in a busy urban area. A workplace with more employee bicycle journeys will often benefit from less congestion and less space needed for car parking.
    • Work Plan Travel Action
      Visit Site

      How to encourage travel to your workplace on foot, by public transport, and by bicycle.
Back to top