Bicycle strategies & plans

Bicycle plans are an increasingly common method for government authorities to outline their strategy for accommodating and encouraging bicycle use. These planning documents offer the strategic framework to implement bicycle initiatives in a manner consistent with the organisational requirements and objectives of the relevant agency.

The following documents are offered to assist practitioners in the development, review and implementation of bicycle strategies and plans:
Australia

  • The National Cycling Strategy, 2005 – 2010
    Austroads, Australian Government
    The Australian National Cycling Strategy is the commitment of all Australian governments to increasing the national level of cycling.
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  • Bikeability Toolkit
    Bicycle Federation of Australia, 2006, Australian Greenhouse Office, Australian Government, Canberra
    The Bikeability Toolkit provides a practical checklist and relevant resources to assist local and state governments, as well as developers and community groups to improve the physical and social conditions for cycling.
    Visit Site
  • Cycling for active transport and recreation in Australia: Status review and future directions
    Rissel, C., Garrard, J., 2006, World Transport Policy and Practice, Vol. 13, p. 49 – 63
    This paper reviews the position of the bicycle in Australia, as a form of transport and recreation. The paper identifies the various influences on people’s decision to ride and highlights gender differences in participation and requirements. It is a helpful tool for planners to better understand how to encourage greater cycling participation in Australia.
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  • New South Wales
    • Cycling Strategy and Action Plan 2007-2017
      City of Sydney, 2007, City of Sydney
      The City of Sydney Cycle Strategy and Action Plan 2007-2017 is Council’s commitment to increasing the attractiveness of cycling. It specifically aims to improve the level of bicycle friendliness, increase safety, market the benefits of cycling and raise the proportion of trips conducted by bicycle.
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    • Action for Bikes: Bike Plan 2010
      Roads and Traffic Authority, 1999, Roads and Traffic Authority, New South Wales Government, Sydney
      Action for Bikes is a four point plan to improve conditions for cycling in NSW. The plan consists of improving the cycle network, increasing safety, improving health and environmental outcomes and marketing the benefits of cycling.
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    • How to Prepare a Bike Plan: An Easy Three Stage Guide
      Roads and Traffic Authority, 2002, Roads and Traffic Authority, NSW Government, Sydney
      How to Prepare a Bike Plan is an informative, step-by-step guide for local government’s seeking to develop a bike plan. Although it is intended for NSW local councils, much of the content is easily transferable to other states and territories.
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    • The Cooks River Cycleway
      is an example of multiple government agencies and community groups working together to create a commuter and recreational cycle route that links various areas and interconnects with destination hubs and public transport.
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    • Campbell Town City Council - Bike Plan
      Campbelltown City Council has undertaken a survey of residents to identify key attitudes to cycling in Campbelltown.  The survey is part of a review of Council's current Bike Plan (1998) in an effort to improve the cycle network, to better promote cycling as an activity and to promote more sustainable transport choices. 
      The Current Bike Plan - Visit Site  

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  • Queensland
    • Developing a local cycle strategy and local government plan
      Queensland Transport, 2006, Queensland Transport, Queensland Government
      The purpose of this Cycle Note is to provide guidance to local government in the development of local cycle strategies.
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    • Queensland Cycle Strategy
      Queensland Transport, 2003, Queensland Transport, Queensland Government, Brisbane
      The Queensland Cycle Strategy aims to create the conditions under which cycling is seen as a safe and convenient form of transport and recreation. The strategy seeks to integrate cycling throughout government strategies, standards and guidelines to enable bicycle initiatives to be incorporated throughout government activities and projects.
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    • Policy context for cycling in Queensland
      Queensland Transport, 2006, Queensland Government, Brisbane
      This document describes the importance of undertaking action on cycling in a manner consistent with national, state and regional policy frameworks. This policy context is broadened to include environment and health strategies, in addition to specific cycling policy.
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  • South Australia
    • Safety in Numbers: A Cycling Strategy for South Australia 2006-2010
      Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure, 2006, Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure, Government of South Australia
      The South Australian Cycling Strategy is the government’s commitment to increasing the safety, convenience and attractiveness of cycling. The strategy highlights safety and perceptions of safety are primary factors influencing the rate of cycle participation. The document strongly identifies that as more people cycle, the safer it becomes. A doubling of cycle trips by 2015 is a core goal.
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  • Victoria
    • Victorian Cycling Strategy
      Department of Transport, (2009) DoT website
      The Victorian Cycling Strategy aims to increase cycling levels across Victoria and position cycling alongside cars, trains, trams and buses as a viable and attractive transport option.
      Visit Site
      Victorian Cycling Strategy  View PDF (PDF, 2.2 MB, 44 pp.)
    • Thinking Transport
      Victorian Local Government Association
      A toolkit to assist local government with integrated transport planning.
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    • Bicycle Strategy
      Bayside City Council, 2003, Bayside City Council, Melbourne
      A high quality, comprehensive document outlining Bayside City Council’s commitment to encouraging cycling.
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    • Meeting Our Transport Challenges
      Department of Infrastructure, 2006, Victorian Government, Melbourne
      Meeting Our Transport Challenges (MOTC) is the Victorian Government’ blueprint for transport planning for the next 25 years. It outlines the government’s commitment to both increasing the cycle network and promoting it through behaviour change initiatives. Action 8 of MOTC is titled Promoting smarter, healthier travel choices and contains specific commitments to cycling.
      View PDF
    • Bike Plan 2002-2007: A Transportation Strategy
      City of Melbourne, 2002, City of Melbourne
      The Bike Plan 2002-2007 is Council’s commitment to increasing the bicycle friendliness of the City of Melbourne. The Plan identifies safety, connectivity, infrastructure and communication as key areas of action to fulfil its vision of a bicycle friendly City.
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    • Bikes and travel behaviour change – a transport engineers perspective
      Rose, G., 2003, Institute of Transport Studies, Monash University, Melbourne. Presentation at Connecting Cycling, Canberra, 20 - 21 November. This presentation explores the balance between travel behaviour change program such as TravelSmart, with other methods of encouragement, such as bicycle infrastructure improvements.
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  • Tasmania
    • Launceston Bicycle Plan 2005 - 2010
      Launceston City Council Bicycle Committee
      A high quality, comprehensive document outlining Launceston City Council’s commitment to encouraging cycling. 
      View PDF
  • Western Australia
    • Bike Ahead: Bicycle Strategy for the 21st Century
      Department of Planning and Infrastructure, 1996, Government of Western Australia
      Bike Ahead is the Western Australian Government’s plan to build the level of cycle participation across the state.
      View PDF
    • Local Streets for Cycling and Walking
      Bicycle Victoria
      This webpage is presented as a toolbox for local government to assist in the development of bicycle friendly local street design.
      Visit Site

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New Zealand

  • Getting there – on foot, by cycle: Strategic Implementation Plan 2006 – 2009
    Ministry of Transport, 2006, Ministry of Transport, New Zealand
    Getting there is a long term planning document that seeks to promote walking and cycling as a form of transport throughout New Zealand.
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  • Regional Land Transport Guidelines
    Land Transport New Zealand, 2005, New Zealand Government, Christchurch
    This report provides a comprehensive set of guidelines for those reviewing regional land transport strategies. Although it is written for Land Transport NZ staff, others may find it useful.
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  • New Zealand walking and cycling strategies - best practice
    Macbeth, A.G., Boulter, R., Ryan, P. S., 2005, Research Report 274, Land Transport New Zealand, Wellington
    This report offers a collection of New Zealand and some international walking and cycling strategies, highlighting examples of best practice. It aims to simplify the task of developing walking and cycling strategies, as well as reviewing existing documents.
    View PDF

 

International

  • City’s bike plan switches gears
    Tess Kalinowski - Transportation Reporter, 31 May 2010, The Star
    Cycling committee head says quality — linked routes — may be better than quantity.  It’s the 1,000-kilometre question.
    Has Toronto’s cycling movement been tethered too long to a meaningless number — the 1,000 kilometres of bike routes touted for a decade as the path to a cycle-friendly city?
    Visit Site
  • Active Travel Strategy, UK
    Department for Transport, February 2010  - Visit Site
    Getting the right mix of modes of transport for local trips matters. Walking or cycling can be a quicker and lower cost alternative to the car or public transport for many short trips, and are often the easiest ways for most of us to get more physically active.
    More walking or cycling for short journeys has benefits for individuals in terms of their health – they are more likely to achieve a healthy weight and to have better mental well-being. There are benefits for communities too with safer and more pleasant streets, better air quality and lower car-bon emissions, and reduced congestion.
    Active travel strategy (PDF - 2558 KB) View PDF
    Active travel strategy (DOC - 2981 KB) Visit Site
  • German Conference Calls For Stronger National Bicycle Plan
    Jan-Willem van Schaik, 2 March 2010, Bike Europe
    BERLIN, German – The transport potential of cycling in Germany is still underestimated. Cycling is a mega trend, fits in our time and might help to solve many issues in today’s society like traffic jams as well as environmental and health problems. This was concluded in the final manifesto adopted by the participants of the Vivavelo Conference which took place last February 22 – 23 in the German capital Berlin.
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  • Carfree Design Manual
    J.H. Crawford (2010), International Books
    The earlier book, Carfree Cities, proposed a practical arrangement for carfree cities based on walking, bicycling, and public transport. In Carfree Design Manual J.H. Crawford considers how to meld carfree planning with innovative design methods to achieve great improvements in the quality of urban design. The goal is to make carfree cities so irresistibly attractive that people will clamor for them.
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  • Changing Course - A New Paradigm for Sustainable Urban Transport
    Roger Allport, Bruce Winston, and Joe Wood (2009), for the Asian Development Bank
    There is an urgent need to change course in how urban accessibility is addressed. The new paradigm for sustainable urban transport calls for a people-focused approach, one that manages demand for travel and promotes accessibility over mobility. At the heart of the approach is the promotion of nonmotorized and public transport systems, coupled with pricing mechanisms that ensure private vehicle usage covers the full costs of externalities.
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  • Use muscles, not a motor, urges Government
    Carlton Reid, 22 February 2010, BikeBIZ
    Departments for Transport and Health jointly release an Active Travel strategy. Next ten years will be the 'Decade of Cycling'.
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    Active Travel Strategy  Visit Site
  • Mayor and TfL plan to improve cycle safety
    Press Release - 23-10-2009   538
    As the capital’s cycle revolution continues to gain pace the Mayor has released details of a comprehensive safety plan to keep the thousands of Londoners now taking to two wheels safer.
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    • Transport for London Draft Cycle safety action plan
      Transport for London, October 2009
      A cycling revolution is underway in London. Cycling journeys in London have doubled in recent years and the Mayor‟s ambition is to see further growth in cycling in future. Cycle Superhighways, the Central London cycle hire scheme, and potential outer London cycle hubs, will all help to make this a reality.
      Many Londoners are enjoying the health benefits of the opportunity to travel quickly and cheaply around the city by bike. There are also wider benefits of increased cycling - reducing congestion and helping cut CO2 emissions.
      The Mayor wants to transform London into a cycling city but this must be supported by new safety initiatives to ensure that casualty rates do not rise as a consequence.
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  • European Cities Commit to Cycling
    Jack Oortwijn, 19 May 2009, Bike Europe
    BRUSSELS, Belgium - Last Friday, at the final day of the international conference on cycling policy, Velo-city 2009, 27 cities signed the “Charter of Brussels” 
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    European Parliament. With this Charter the cities commit themselves to achieve at least a 15% share of all trips made in urban areas to be done by bicycle. Today, this share stands at about 5 % in Europe.
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  • Sustainable Transport that Works:  Lessons from Germany
    Prof. Pucher, J. & Buehler, R. (2009) World Transport Policy and Practice, Vol. 15, No. 1, May 2009, pp. 13-46, Rutgers University Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy 
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  • Cycling for a Few or for Everyone: The Importance of Social Justice in Cycling Policy
    Prof. Pucher, J. & Buehler, R. (2009) World Transport Policy and Practice, Vol. 15, No. 1, May 2009, pp. 57-64, Rutgers University Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
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  • Cycling-inclusive Policy Development: A Handbook
    GTZ SUTP and the Interface for Cycling Expertise (I-Ce), (2009) (19MB) - you will need to register to get the free download (instructions are on the website)
    This handbook provides detailed information on how to develop cycling-friendly policies and facilities. It can help you, as a planner, engineer, community leader of advocate to enrich your own ideas about the future traffic and transport system where you live and work. It has been written by 12 authors who are experts in different fields of cycling-inclusive development.
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  • Bike Lanes, On-Street Parking and Business: A Study of Bloor Street in Toronto’s Annex Neighbourhood
    The Clear Air Partnership, (2009), Toronto
    This report takes a closer look into fears that improved walking and biking conditions through reallocation of road space would hurt business.
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  • Cycling England
  • Sustainable Transport: A Sourcebook for Policy-Makers in Developing Cities
    Hook, W. (2003)  Preserving and Expanding the Role of Non-motorised Transport, Division 44, GTZ Transport and Mobility Group
    The Sourcebook is intended for use by policy makers in developing cities, and their advisors, it provides policy tools appropriate for application in a range of developing cities.
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  • Pedestrian and bicycle planning: A guide to best practice
    Litman, T., Blair, R., Demopoulos, B., Eddy, N., Fritzel, A., Laidlaw, D., Maddox, H., Forster, K., 2002, Victoria Transport Policy Institute, Victoria, Canada
    A thorough guide to best practice pedestrian and bicycle planning. This is an excellent resource for anyone wishing to achieve better planning outcomes for pedestrians and cyclists. An extensive list of references allows for convenient research opportunities.
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  • Implementing Sustainable Urban Travel Policies: Moving Ahead
    European Conference of Ministers, 2004, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris
    This paper provides an overview of national level policies aimed at encouraging cycling. It highlights the importance of national level policy commitment concerning cycling, to ensure an appropriate framework is in place for the development of more detailed, localised actions.
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  • Collection of Cycle Concepts
    Danish Roads Directorate, 2000, Government of Denmark, Copenhagen
    The Collection of Cycle Concepts is a comprehensive Danish publication on cycling. It offers a wide ranging, yet detailed analysis and discussion on promotion, urban planning, facility design, signage and parking. Although some of it is specific to Denmark, much of the content is internationally relevant.
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  • Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Centre
    • Policy and Planning
      United States orientated, web based information centre covering a wide variety of topics on walking and cycling issues. This Policy and Planning link offers links to a large number of US walking and cycling strategy documents, as well as the benefits of cycling.
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    • Bikeability checklist
      A practical guide designed to evaluate the bicycle friendliness of particular localities. Although it was developed in the United States, the majority of the content is relevant to the Australian and New Zealand context.
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  • Why Canadians cycle more than Americans: A comparative analysis of bicycling trends and policies
    Pucher, J., Buehler, R., 2006, Transport Policy, Vol. 13, p. 265 – 279
    This research paper, although North American focused, offers an important explanation of how transport and land use policies influence rates of cycling.
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  • Promoting safe walking and cycling to improve public health: Lessons from the Netherlands and Germany
    Pucher, J., Dijkstra, L., 2003, American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 93, No. 9
    This research paper assesses the public health consequences of unsafe and unattractive walking and cycling amenity. It does this through an examination of conditions in US cities and compares them to the Netherlands and Germany. This paper is instructive to Australian and New Zealand planners, although it is written with a US and European focus.
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  • USA Non-motorized Transportation Pilot Program
    This interim report to Congress summarizes the progress and initial results of the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) and the four pilot communities' participation in the Non-motorized Transportation Pilot Program (NTPP) from its inception through May 2007.
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  • Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (Visit Site )

    • Case Study - Lessons from Bogota
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      Enrique Penalosa - the iconic Colombian mayor who transformed the city of Bogota, together with top Latin American and US transport experts - has been contracted as an adviser to Cape Town mayor Helen Zille, who hopes to emulate Penalosa’s example.

    • Case Study - Buenos Aires to Implement a Vélib-style Bicycle Transit System
      The Buenos Aires City Council took a positive step towards becoming a more sustainable city by approving legislation to create a public bicycle transport system. Replicating the Vélib system in Paris, which was awarded with the 2008 Sustainable Transport Award, the law establishes a city-wide bicycle rental system that also provides strategically-located bike stations.
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    • Case Study - Mexico City Bicycle Planning
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      Transportation-related issues present a serious challenge to improving the quality of life for Mexico City’s 19 million residents. Of the 2.5 million tons of pollutants emitted into the city’s air each year, more than 80% come from cars and other motorize vehicles.

      Though only 20% of all the trips in Mexico City each day are made in cars, 80% of its physical space is dedicated to travel by car. Seven out of ten Mexican citizens are overweight or obese.

  • BIKE FOR THE FUTURE II - A Funding Strategy for National Investment in Cycling to 2012, Cycling England
    Cycling England was formed in March 2005 by the Department for Transport to get ‘more people cycling, more safely, more often’. Its creation was the result of recommendations made in August 2004 by the prior advisory body, the National Cycling Strategy Board (NCSB).

    Bike for the Future II draws heavily on the recommendations of a wide range of stakeholders, particularly the major NGO’s, Sustrans, CTC, British Cycling and the London Cycle Campaign, as well as Local Authority representatives. It has benefited from the experience of Transport for London (TfL) who have consistently increased investment in cycling in the London Boroughs to its present £38m p.a., and generated 450,000 cycle trips per day.
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    This is the Executive Sumary - BIKE FOR THE FUTURE II View PDF

 

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