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Bike Sharing: State of the Practice and Guide to Implementation (USA)

This webinar, presented by the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) in April 2012, shares highlights from a national study of bike share programs in large and small communities across the US. Since 2008, more than 20 jurisdictions have implemented  bike sharing in their communities.  

The presenters explain funding sources used to implement bike share programs and describe their planning and procurement process, as well as successes and unexpected challenges encountered along the way. 

Presenters:

• Josh Moskowitz, Capital Bikeshare Project Manager
• Julia Diana, manager of the San Antonio Bikes Program
• R.J. Eldridge, Director of Planning for Toole Design Group
• Mauricio Hernandez, Transportation Planner with Toole Design Group

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Land Use and Traffic Congestion (USA)

This research report, prepared for the Arizona Department of Transportation in cooperation with US Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, was published in March 2012. The study investigated the link between land use, travel behavior, and traffic congestion. The analysis showed that urban corridors had considerably less congestion despite densities that were many times higher than a suburban corridor. The reasons were traced to better mix of uses, particularly retail share, which led to shorter trips, more transit and nonmotorized travel, and fewer vehicle miles of travel.

Popular wisdom suggests that higher-density development patterns may be beneficial in reducing private vehicle dependency and use, which if true, could hold important implications for urban transportation planning and related goals such as congestion relief, air quality, and sustainability. However, an important consideration is whether more higher-density development also exacerbates traffic congestion on adjacent streets and roads simpl ybecause of its concentration of activity.

Researchers performed a detailed analysis of the relationships between higher-density land use and traffic conditions in four Phoenix transportation corridors. The corridors included three older, high-density, mixed-used urban areas and a more contemporary suburban area with lower density but high traffic volumes.

The analysis showed that the urban corridors had considerably less congestion despite densities that were many times higher than the suburban corridor. The reasons were traced to better mix of uses, particularly retail share, which led to shorter trips, more transit and nonmotorized travel, and fewer vehicle miles of travel (VMT). Also recognized was the importance of a secondary streetgrid in the three urban areas, which allows for better channeling of traffic and enables walking.

Researchers developed a set of regression models to quantify the effects of key land use variables on household vehicle ownership and VMT, illustrating the mitigating effects of higher density, better mix, and better transit accessibility. Researchers also performed an extensive review of literature on transportation and land use interaction, and surveyed local officials to elicit information about familiarity with compact, mixed land use concepts; perceptions of impact on travel and traffic; and desirability of greater proliferation in Arizona’s metropolitan areas.

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Draft South East Queensland Active Trails Implementation Guidelines (Australia)

The Draft South East Queensland  Active Trails Implementation Guidelines were developed by the Department of Infrastructure and Planning in 2010. The guidelines aim to assist local governments, trail planners and community groups to plan and develop a network of regional, district and local trails. 

While comments on the draft have closed, the document provides detailed advice about trail planning, design, construction, rating, signage, management and maintenance. 

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South East Queensland Active Trails Strategy (Australia)

The South East Queensland Active Trails Strategy was published in 2007. The strategy aims to inform and guide future investment in recreation trail planning, development and management. The desired long-term outcome of the project is to facilitate the development of a network of regional and district trails forall trail-dependant recreational uses - built, managed and promoted as a high quality regional networkproviding an outstanding and appropriate diversity of opportunities for trail users.

South East Queensland (SEQ) has hundreds of recreation trails, ranging from urban cycle and walking paths to river trails and rugged bush tracks. These trails cover thousands of kilometres. Trails are found on land owned and managed by many different landholders. Trails users are subject to a complex mix of laws, policies, approvals and planning and management responsibilities across all levels of government.

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Planning and Designing Paths and Trails (Australia)

This chapter from the 2004 NSW Planning Guidelines for Walking and Cycling examines the benefits of walking and cycling paths and trails and how path and trail planning issues can be addressed. 

Recommendations from the publication include:

The benefits of paths and trails

• In developing path and trail projects, recognise and promote the full range of benefits — transport,recreation, tourism, health and place making
• Include in path and trail projects actions for broader environmental improvement
• Encourage developers to promote the lifestyle benefits of local paths and trails in the marketingof their developments

Path and trail issues and solutions

• Reduce conflicts between trail and path users through design, signage, and linemarking and educationN Include maintenance funding in path and trail project plans
• Use durable materials for path and trail construction to minimise maintenance and prevent erosion,particularly in high usage areas
• Install suitable crossings wherever paths and trails cross moderate-to-heavily trafficked roadsN Enhance surveillance by encouraging adjacent development to face (rather than back onto) thepath or trail
• Ensure lighting minimises glare and spill, and give priority in lighting to functional routes overdiscretionary (recreational) routes
• Avoid environmentally sensitive areas unless access is specifically provided to promote awareness
• Minimise environmental impacts of paths and trails through sensitive design
• Integrate local path and trail projects into regional networks and open space corridors
• Optimise path and trail usage through mobility management programs that include promotion and events
• Draft agreements to allocate liabilities for risk, while recognising that risk is likely to be low overall

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Cycle safety measures on trial (New Zealand)

In May 2012 Auckland Transport (AT) announced it is trialling new ways to keep cyclists safe on roads. The innovative safety measures, installed at two locations in Auckland’s west, are a first for New Zealand. Measures include raised cycle lane delineators and flexible bollards. 

On Clark Street, New Lynn the measures consist of raised lane markings and flexible bollards which clearly mark the edges of the cycle lane. The aim is to keep vehicles out of the cycle lane and protect cyclists along this busy arterial route.

The raised cycle lane delineators have a curved cross-section and stand about 25mm above the road surface. The curve is safe for cyclists but causes a judder-type effect for motorists. They have been laid for a length of 60 metres along Clark Street, finishing at the cycle stop box at the Clark St/Rankin Ave intersection, where a row of six flexible bollards provide a physical safety barrier for stationery bikes.

The cycle lanes in Triangle Road, Massey have been upgraded to stop motorists blocking them. The cycle lane is now divided off by solid rubber kerbs and flexible bollards. Auckland Transport also did some road widening and relocated some car parks. 

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Evaluating Cycle Mapping Styles (UK)

This research report by Henrietta Sherwin and Caroline Bartle was published in May 2012. The research project, undertaken for Bristol City Council, explored the views of focus group participants on the ‘usability’ of four different styles of map. The results highlighted the difficulty of classifying cycle routes in a meaningful way for different potential user groups. Before any map is produced, the specified users and its intended purpose must be clarified.

Although the type of information thought to be required on a cycling map varied according to individual preference and map purpose, a number of points were considered to be essential:

• Clarity/consistency of terms used to describe cycle routes
• Information on gradients (e.g. contours)
• Information on distance (a grid)
• Indication of traffic volumes and speed

There was recognition that paper maps still occupy a ‘niche’ in providing an overview of a geographical area – a route in its context – and, unlike mobile electronic devices, are not dependent on GPS or batteries. However, on-line maps were seen to offer the major advantages of being easy to update, and providing a large amount of information to suit the needs of different users, thereby allowing the individual to select specific types of information and “leave the rest behind”.

The research concluded that, whatever the delivery mechanism, there is a need for consistent standards of representation and clarity about the meaning of terms such as ‘traffic-free’, ‘shared path’ etc. Consistent representation on the map must also reflect certain agreed standards on the ground, as some people, particularly novice cyclists, might be discouraged if they find that the actual cycling experience falls short of the expectations set by the map.

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Walk Score Calculates City Bikeability (North America)

In May 2012 Walk Score, a real estate rating service that goes by the slogan 'Drive Less, Live More', launched a new rating system 'Bike Score'. At launch the system ranked North American cities with populations over 200,000.

Factoring in proximity to bike lanes, street connectivity, topography, and commuter cycling rates, the Bike Score algorithm rated Minneapolis America's most bikeable city. Image: Walk Score

 

Under the Bike Score system individual addresses are rated on a scale of 0-100 based on four factors:

• the availability of bike infrastructure (with on-street and off-street facilities weighted differently)
• the hilliness of the area (the one factor a city can’t control)
• amenities and road connectivity
• the number of bike commuters (because 'biking is social' and there’s safety in numbers)

To then determine the score for the city, the individual address scores are used to compute scores for each block, and then the block-by-block scores are weighted by population density.

The Bike Score methodology was developed in collaboration with Professor Meghan Winters at Simon Fraser University and Professors Michael Brauer and Kay Teschke at the University of British Columbia under a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

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South-East Queensland TravelSmart Maps (Australia)

Queensland's Department of Transport and Main Roads’ TravelSmart program is working with local councils to create a range of local travel maps for south-east Queensland. TravelSmart maps provide a guide to walking, cycling and public transport options in a local area.  The TravelSmart program can provide hard copies of the maps or you can download a PDF from the website.

As at May 2012 maps are available for Brisbane, Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast.

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Oregon Manifest (USA)

The Oregon Manifest Constructor’s Design Challenge was a bicycle design/build competition held in September 2011. The project challenged some of the US’s best custom bike craftsman and select student teams to create the ultimate modern utility bike. The project website provides details about the challenge and the winning designs.

Tony Pereira of Pereira Cycles won Best of Show award.  Tony’s bike – centered around an electric pedaling assist — was specifically designed to get people out of cars, introducing amenities that drivers have grown accustomed to on the road;  stereo, locking storage, stable loading and a huge dose of Fun Factor.

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Outcomes of the Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program (USA)

The Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program provided roughly $25 million each year for four years to four pilot communities to make significant investments in walking and bicycling infrastructure and education. This report, released in April 2012, documents the program's progress and initial results. An estimated 16 million miles were walked or bicycled that would have otherwise been driven in 2010, and an estimated 32 million driving miles were averted between 2007 and 2010

From its inception, the NTPP was designed as ademonstration program to gather statistical information on transportation mode share shifts before and after the implementation of nonmotorized transportation infrastructure and educational or promotional programs. The program was intended to “demonstrate the extent to which bicycling and walking can carry a significant part of the transportation load, and represent a major portion of the transportation solution, within selected communities.”

Throughout the program, the four communities, each with unique physical and demographic characteristics, identified and implemented a locally devised strategy to significantly increase the use ofnonmotorized transportation, along with the accompanying safety, environmental, and health benefits. This report represents the culmination of that initial implementation and analytical effort.

The report is structured as follows:

1. Program Introduction; summarizes program management;

2. Introduction to the Pilot Communities: overview of characteristics of each community;

3. Program Investments and Implementation Approach: summarizes types of investments made by each community;

4. Evaluation and Results: describes the data collection and evaluation methodology;

4.1 Project Level Evaluation and Results: evaluation of the results of specific projects ineach community;

4.2 Community-Wide Evaluation Methods and Results: presents travel behavior changesin each community and for the overall program;

5. Other Benefits: summarizes program results related to key program goals;

6. Insights and Lessons Learned: observations provided by program participants for peers; and

7. Continuing the Progress: insights on the accomplishments of NTPP in each community andhow to expand them to the national context.

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East Gippsland Rail Trail (Australia)

The East Gippsland Rail Trail runs between Bairnsdale to Orbost in Victoria. The trail stretches nearly 100km and was completed in 2006. The trail, a shared cycling, horse and pedestrian path, starts at the Mitchell River in Bairnsdale, 280 km east of Melbourne. It runs past picturesque farmland and crosses a spectacular trestle bridge over the Nicholson River. 

In September 2004 Victoria’s East Gippsland Rail Trail received a $660,000 Regional Partnerships grant to extend the trail 28 kms east from Nowa Nowa to Orbost on the Snowy River. The trail opened in January 2006, five years ahead of the initial estimate. 

The trail is managed by a voluntary committee.

The East Gippsland Rail Trail website has a map and trail notes.

www.eastgippslandrailtrail.com

The East Gippsland Rail Trail Facebook page also has updates. 

Collection of Cycle Concepts 2012 (Denmark)

The first edition of Collection of Cycle Concepts was published in 2000 and enjoyed a wide circulation. This second edition, Collection of Cycle Concepts 2012, updates the field, featuring new challenges and the latest knowledge. Collection of Cycle Concepts 2012 is not intended to be a summary of Danish road standards, but to provide inspiration and motivation for creating more and safer bicycle traffic – in Denmark as well as the rest of the world. It is published in English.

The publication includes case studies relating to:

• Collaborations and networks
• Cost-benefit and traffic models
• Campaigns and marketing
• Health and cycling
• Urban planning and bicycle planning
• Planning the cycling infrastructure
• Designing the cycling infrastructure
• Bicycle parking
• Road signage and maps, cycle route planners, and ITS
• Maintenance and road construction
• Public bikes and commuter bikes
• Cycle tourism

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Bicycle Rider Collisions with Car Doors: Crash Statistics and Literature Review (Australia)

This report, published in May 2012 by CDM Research for the Road Safety Action Group Inner Melbourne, aims to identify the extent of car dooring injuries to cyclists and the context in which these crashes are occurring; and identify what practices are in use elsewhere in Australia and internationally to reduce the risk of car dooring. 

This report describes the extent of injury crashes involving bicycle riders and car doors (“car dooring”) in inner Melbourne, and reviews the evidence from Australia and elsewhere on interventions that seek to reduce the frequency of dooring crashes.

Extent of car dooring

The best available data on the extent of car dooring crashes is provided by police-reported crash data:

• There were 494 injuries to road users due to car dooring crashes between 2006 and 2010, of which 433 (88%) were to cyclists. These cyclist injuries represented 19.4% of all cycling injuries reported to police, constituting the most common crash type.
• Of these 433 injuries, 111 (26%) resulted in the rider being admitted to hospital. These 111 hospital admissions represent 16% of all police-reported hospital admissions by cyclists in inner Melbourne over the five year period, and is the most common crash type leading to hospitalisation.
• 75% of car dooring collisions occurred when the driver door was opened into the path of an oncoming cyclist.
• Car dooring crashes are clustered along a relatively small number of streets; 30% of all crashes occurred on four streets (St Kilda Road, Collins Street, Chapel Street and Elizabeth Street) and the most common ten streets represent 47% of all dooring crashes involving cyclists.
• Females represent 37% of dooring casualties, compared with 32% of all cycling injuries. Young adults aged 18 to 29 constitute 43% of dooring casualties but 36% of other cycling injuries.
• The number of car dooring crashes reported to police has increased markedly; between 2006 and 2008 an average of 63 crashes were reported to police, but jumped to 129 in 2009 and 117 in 2010.
• Car dooring related crashes occur across the days of week in a similar pattern to all cycling crashes, but tend not to be as common during AM peak periods (8 – 9 am).

Legislation and enforcement

All Australian states and territories have regulations that place the onus on the motor vehicle occupant to ensure their vehicle door does not present a hazard to other road users. Most other Western countries have similar legislation. The maximum penalty varies widely – from $366 in Victoria to over $2000 in NSW and Queensland. In practice, the penalty imposed tends to be significantly lower and is handled through a traffic infringement notice ($122 in Victoria). The extent of enforcement is unknown.R

Driver training

The Victorian learner driver handbook (“Road to Solo Driving”) and general driver handbook (“Driving in Victoria: Rights and Responsibilities”) both make reference to the legal obligation of motor vehicle occupants and provide advice to check for bicycle riders, motorcyclists and other road users before opening doors. This advice is similar to that provided internationally.

Countermeasures

There is very limited evidence on the efficacy of countermeasures to reduce car dooring, and few countermeasures which have been developed to target car dooring crashes specifically. Most education and communication campaigns where car dooring is a component, such as “share the road” style campaigns are probably ineffective as they often run in isolation of other interventions (such as enforcement) and fail the fundamental criteria of being immediate to the behaviour (i.e. car door opening) and intimate (i.e. a direct, personal communication). Furthermore, there is a wealth of evidence from the road safety literature that campaigns which solely provide information, tips or facts are ineffective.

The absence of evidence or experience of implementing a car dooring intervention makes it difficult to identify a set of countermeasures which we can confidently predict will be effective. However, the following general principles would be supported by wider road safety practices as having the greatest likelihood of being effective:

• Interventions should encompass more than one of engineering (infrastructure), legislation and enforcement, cyclist and driver training and behaviour change programs.
• Infrastructure measures should seek to reduce the exposure of cyclists to car doors, by one or more of:

•  
  • Repositioning bicycle lanes to the kerbside away from the driver-side of parked cars (i.e. “Copenhagen” lanes) 
  • Removal of some car parking and extension of parking periods (where practicable, to reduce parking turnover and the number of door opening events)
  • Encourage cyclists to ride away from the dooring zone through the use of painted buffers, shared lane markings and traffic calming that encourages lane sharing
  • Ensure the road space is most effectively utilised by marking parking bays that are no wider than absolutely necessary in order to encourage parking discipline as close to the kerb as possible

• Any legislative changes should be supported by visible enforcement and education, and be practical for police to enforce as required
• Behaviour change campaigns should be focussed on individual marketing towards drivers and cyclists in the areas with the highest rates of dooring crashes, and to those drivers who open their doors most often (namely, couriers and taxi drivers).

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Bike Share Map (International)

This online resource provides rich data about  bike-share systems around the world. It inlcudes the bike share schemes in Melbourne and Brisbane.  The site, created by Oliver O’Brien, a researcher at University College London, lets you compare bike-share usage from city to city and watch animations of usage across schemes.

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Bike Bus (Australia)

A bike bus is a group of people who cycle to work in a group. It’s called a 'bus' because there is a set route and timetable so it can pick up more 'passengers' along the way. Cycling is a quick, fun way to get to work while keeping fit and healthy. A bike bus adds sociability and comfort. The Bike Bus website explains the concept and lists Australian bike bus routes. 

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San Francisco: Reclaiming Streets with Innovative Solutions (USA)

This video, created in partnership by Streetfilms and ITDP in 2012, showcases San Francisco’s new sustainable transportation measures. These include the parklet program, which converts parking spaces into people spaces in the form of mini-parks adopted by local businesses. The city has seen a 71 percent increase in bicycling over the last five years, moving them closer to their goal of having 20 percent of all trips by bicycle before 2020.

Increasing density in Australia: maximising the health benefits and minimising harm (Australia)

In March 2012 the National Heart Foundation released a literature review into the impact of density on health. Evidence shows that compact cities have the potential to promote physical activity by encouraging more walking, cycling and public transport use, and to decrease sedentary behaviour. Conversely, suburban sprawl is associated with less walking, more sedentary behaviour and increased vehicle miles travelled.

The review considered the impact of density on a range of health outcomes and across thelife course, including physical activity, cardiovascular and cancer mortality, road trafficmortality, respiratory health, and mental health.

The report found that increasing housing density, when done well, has the potential to produce numerous benefits to the environment and the community by:

• increasing the use of active modes of transport and public transport
• reducing vehicle miles travelled
• improving air quality
• reducing traffic congestion
• providing more affordable housing closer to amenity
• reducing the footprint of cities by reducing the amount of space required for each person.

Three main factors are important:
1. building (i.e. location, construction, design, management and maintenance)
2. the socioeconomic and cultural make up of residents in the local neighbourhood
3. quality and amenity of the neighbourhood environment

The Heart Foundation's website has links to the report and related articles.

Keep to the speed limit campaign (EU)

In April 2012 the Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment in the Netherlands launched a safety campaign urging drivers to keep to the speed limit. The campaign inlcuded radio, television and outdoor advertising and a website. The campaign aims to reduce speeding in residential areas, particularly on 30 and 50 km roads. The campaign focuses on drivers who speed 'just a little bit'. A few kilometers speeding seems harmless but it substantially increases the chances of an accident involving injury or fatality.

This version of the television advertisements has English subtitles.

The campaign materials and website are in Dutch.

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TOGETHER on the move (EU)

TOGETHER on the move offers energy efficient transport training for immigrants and develops teaching and training materials for sustainable mobility like walking, cycling, public transport and greener car use. The three year project started in 2011 and is funded by the 'Intelligent Energy Europe Programme' of the European Commission. The project aims to enhance the quality of life of immigrants, to facilitate social inclusion as well as conserving essential energy resources for future generations.

TOGETHER on the move will provide useful information and basic knowledge of energy efficient and sustainable transport modes along with materials and resources in order to engage with the target group.

The materials developed for TOGETHER on the move will be available in five modules which relate to different modes of transport. The modules are:

• Energy saving and sustainable transport
• Safe walking
• Safe cycling
• Public transport use
• Eco-driving

Each module provides both teaching and training materials:

• The teaching materials offer all the necessary information for teachers, stakeholders and other interested people working in the field of formal and non-formal education.
• The training resources offer tools for the implementation of activities and educational units.

After an initial pilot to test the materials, they will be available on the project website in mid 2012.

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Is the three-foot bicycle passing law working in Baltimore, Maryland? (USA)

This article, published in the journal Accident Analysis and Prevention in March 2012, examines the effectiveness of a 3-foot passing law in Baltimore. Maryland (MD) recently became one of fourteen states in the United States to enact a traffic law requiring motor vehicles to pass bicyclists at a distance of greater than three feet. The study found that interventions, such as driver education, signage, enforcement, and bicycle infrastructure changes are needed to influence driving behavior in Baltimore to increase motorist compliance with the three-foot law.

Cyclists in Baltimore, MD were routinely passed at a distance of three feet or less while cycling during morning and evening commutes, which indicates that the three-foot law is not being followed and cyclist safety may be compromised. Risk factors fordangerous passes by motorists were decreasing lane width and the absence of bicycle lanes. Interventions and strategic education campaigns are needed to influence motorists’ driving behavior in Baltimore, to cultivate norms for passing cyclists, and to enhance enforcement and compliance around the three-foot law. The constructionof bicycle lanes is a transportation infrastructure solution that would engineer out deficiencies in motorist behavior toward cyclists.

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Leveraging Bikes to Build a Better City (International)

This webinar, broadcast online in April 2012, examines what is needed to encourage a greater uptake in urban cycling. It discusses traffic calming; mobility management; investment in safe cycling infrastructure; and bicycle share schemes. It draws on examples from Europe, the UK and North America. 

In the Netherlands, where the mode share of cycling is around 27%, 25 Euros per person per year is invested in cycling (97% is spent on infrastucture).

In Denmark, where the mode share of cycling is around 18%, 16 Euros per person per year is invested in cycling.

View the webinar

Generation of walking, cycling and public transport trips: pilot study (New Zealand)

This research, undertaken for the NZ Transport Agency in 2010, investigated a method for collecting data relating to walk, cycle and public transport trips to land-use activities. A method needed to be developed that would require a short questionnaire to ensure higher sample rates, while also providing reliable and consistent results. This data could subsequently be used in calculating trip rates for walk, cycle and public transport trips, when combined with trip rate units such as floor area. 

Multi-modal trip data has been collected for some time in the UK. The survey method developed in this research was simpler than the UK method by interviewing in only one direction for the vast majority of land uses, apart from residential where the recommended method was to interview in both directions. 

A face-to-face questionnaire method was developed over a series of different site surveys in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch during 2010. The research also identified that collecting non-car mode trip information through purely observer methods was not sufficiently accurate and that simple questionnaire surveys were necessary with clear instructions from the survey organiser to ensure all relevant information would be collected.

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Connecting our City; Transport Strategies and Actions (Australia)

In March 2012 the City of Sydney released a framework for action to improve transport and access in the City. The report provides detailed transport statistics. More than 90% of internal trips within the city are by foot and that the number of cyclists riding into Sydney has increased by 60% in the last 12 months.

On each week day, 83,000 private cars enter Central Sydney, carrying around 110,000 people. Commercial vehicles make up around 13 per cent of all traffic, and taxis carry a further 13,000 people into the city.

The City has 160,000 parking spaces, or about 1.75 spaces for every registered vehicle – compared to an average of three spaces per vehicle Sydney-wide.

If we do nothing, there will be a forecast 30 per cent jump in the number of buses to 1,300 buses arriving in the City Centre during peak hour and an unmanageable 7,800 on average each day.

In 2009 there were some 990 road vehicle crashes in the City of Sydney, involving 313 pedestrians, 126 cyclists and 240 motorcyclists.

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Social Costs of Car Use Video (Mexico)

This video, produced by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy in March 2012, examines the social costs of car-dependency in Mexico. The video effectively conveys complex messages about induced demand and motoring's hidden costs. It has English subtitles.

The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy works with cities worldwide to bring about sustainable transport solutions that cut greenhouse gas emissions, reduce poverty, and improve the quality of urban life. 

Green Star ‘Cyclist Facilities’ Credit (Australia)

This article on the Green Building Council Australia website examines the role that bicycle parking plays in the green star rating system. The Tra-3 Cyclist Facilities credit, included in all Green Star rating tools, reward projects that encourage the use of bicycles by building occupants and visitors.  Up to three Green Star points are available but credits depend on the type of tool used.

In the case of the Green Star – Office v3 rating tool, one point is awarded when secure bicycle storage is provided for five per cent of building staff (based on one person per 15m2 of NLA), along with accessible showers, changing facilities and one secure locker per bicycle space.  Two points are available when 10 per cent of staff have access to secure bicycle storage.

An additional point is awarded when visitor bicycle parking is provided at one space per 750m2 of NLA.  This must be accessible, well signposted, and close to a major public entrance to the building.

The 2010 Colliers International Office Tenant Survey finding that providing bike racks and showers was one of the fastest emerging ways to attract and retain staff.  Colliers National Director of Research, Nerida Conisbee, has said that “tenants are seeing bike parking as equally important as car parking.”

The ANZ Centre in Melbourne, which achieved a 6 Star Green Star – Office As Built v2 rating, features 560 bicycle spaces, 59 showers and more than 750 lockers.  The cycling facilities, which were awarded two points under the Green Star Tra-3 credit, complement the yoga and Pilates classes, physiotherapy and massage at the ANZ Wellness Centre, all integral elements of the employee attraction and retention program.

At Australia’s first Green Star-rated building, 8 Brindabella Circuit at the Canberra Airport, secure bicycle facilities were provided for 10 per cent of the staff.  Visitor bike racks were also provided.  Interestingly, the use of the bike racks was expected to be limited, with pilots expected to prefer driving over cycling.  However, this has not been the case, and there has been a larger than expected use of the racks.

At 500 Bourke Street, which houses staff of NAB, a secure bicycle cage with 300 spaces, 30 showers and 400 lockers encourage staff to ride to work. NAB’s Group Executive Group Business Services, Gavin Slater, has said the bank encourages “our people to make sustainable choices in their everyday lives and are committed to providing the necessary support and facilities for our people to maintain a healthy lifestyle.”

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Shared-Use Bus Priority Lanes on City Streets: Case Studies in Design and Management (International)

This report, published by the Mineta Transportation Institute in April 2012, examines the policies and strategies governing the design and, especially, operations of bus lanes in major congested urban centers. It provides detailed case studies in seven cities that currently have shared-use bus priority lanes: Los Angeles, London, New York City, Paris, San Francisco, Seoul, and Sydney. Bicycle riders are allowed in bus lanes in London, Paris and Sydney. 

The paper addreses four key questions:

1. How do the many public agencies within any city region that share authority over different aspects of the bus lanes coordinate their work in designing, operating, and enforcing the lanes?
2. What is the physical design of the lanes?
3. What is the scope of the priority use granted to buses? When is bus priority in effect, and what other users may share the lanes during these times?
4. How are the lanes enforced?

The study developed detailed cases on the bus lane development and management strategies in seven cities that currently have shared-use bus priority lanes. Through the case studies, the paper examines the range of practices in use, thus providing planners and decision makers with an awareness of the wide variety of design and operational options available to them. In addition, the report highlights innovative practices that contribute to bus lanes’ success, where the research findings make this possible, such as mechanisms for integrating or jointly managing bus lane planning and operations across agencies.

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San Francisco Bay Area's 18th Annual Bike to Work Day's Video (USA)

The San Francisco Bay Area’s 18th Annual Bike to Work Day’s video is being broadcast to 2M+ Twitter followers. The video aims to spread the word about bicycling in the Bay and encourage more riders to participate in the annual Bike to Work Day which attracts hundreds of thousands of riders annually and will be held on May 10, 2012. This promotional piece is a three minute music video called ‘The Cycle Beat’ which blends a soft pop song with rap.

 

The video was produced by award-winning Beyond Pix and Emmy award winning director, Tony Welch. 

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Transportation and the New Generation (USA)

This report, released by the NJPIRG Law and Policy Center in April 2012,  demonstrates that Americans have been driving less since the middle of last decade. The report, 'Transportation and the New Generation: Why Young People are Driving Less and What it Means for Transportation Policy', shows that young people in particular are decreasing the amount they drive and increasing their use of transportation alternatives.

The trend away from driving in the USA has been led by young people. From 2001 and 2009, the average annual number of vehicle-miles traveled by young people (16 to 34-year-olds) decreased from 10,300 miles to 7,900 miles per capita – a drop of 23 percent. The trend away from steady growth in driving is likely to be long-lasting – even once the economy recovers. Young people are driving less for a host of reasons – higher gas prices, new licensing laws, improvements in technology that support alternative transportation, and changes in Generation Y’s values and preferences – all factors that are likely to have an impact for years to come.

Federal and local governments have historically made massive investments in new highway capacity on the assumption that driving will continue to increase at a rapid and steady pace. The changing transportation preferences of young people – and Americans overall – throw those assumptions into doubt. The time has come for transportation policy to reflect the needs and desires of today’s Americans – not the worn-out conventional wisdom from days gone by.

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The Road Safety Consequences of Changing Travel Modes (Australia)

This report, published by Austroads in 2010, examines changes in modal shift and their consequences in terms of road deaths and injuries. The project found that substituting travel as a car driver to travel by bicycle would reduce deaths and serious injuries. The authors recommended that governments progressively improve provision for cyclists. 

The report also suggests that the issue of promoting or providing for walking and cycling be reformulated as creating walking and cycling infrastructure and a traffic environment which will encourage high levels of walking and cycling and reduce casualty rates.

In addition to current programs, the authors suggest options which could be considered include:

• reconsideration of speed zoning with a greater focus on pedestrian and cyclist safety through rigorous application of Safe System principles to these issues
• improving the safety of locations where increases in pedestrians or cyclists are most likely by directing routes to safe crossing locations, improving crossing facilities, and providing separated bicycle lanes or paths where feasible
• encouraging the purchase of vehicles which are designed to inflict minimum injuries on pedestrians in the event of a collision

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Rail Trail Signage Guide (Australia)

Railtrails Australia published this guide to good practice for the design of signage for rail trails in 2004. The guidelines are intended for use on Railtrails throughout Australia.

This document covers:

• A strategy for the development of a life cycle signage programme for Rail Trails.
• The design philosophy and design principles for signage on Railtrails throughout Australia including signage onroads crossing Rail Trails and on Rail Trail access paths.

The various signage categories are described and examples given, together with a process for producing a detailedlife cycle signage programme for any particular Rail Trail.

 

Rail Trail Signage Guide | 400kb PDF

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Sustainable Recreational Trails (Australia)

These guidelines for the planning, design, construction and maintenance of recreational trails in South Australia were published in 2008 by the South Australian Trails Coordinating Committee.

 The guidelines are structured into nine chapters. The first four chapters provide a concise overview of the relevant legislation, strategic documents and Government Departments which are involved in the planning, development and management of trails. The remaining chapters provide more specific detail and guidance for new trail proposals.

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Cycling Illustration Competition (UK)

In 2010 the London Transport Museum asked illustrators to draw the links between cycling in the capital, environment issues, health and fun. Fifty of the 1,000-plus entries were displayed at the museum, in London's Covent Garden. A selection of 17 are available to view on line.

Spokes and Leaves Full by Mia Nilsson
Photograph: London Transport Museum

 

View the illustrations

Cycling to School: A review of school census and Bikeability delivery data (UK)

In March 2012 the UK Department of Transport published a report looking at the number of children cycling to school since the introduction of the Bikeability scheme five years ago. In March the scheme celebrated five years of delivering training for children in schools. The report shows that where there is a longer history of delivering cycle training, a higher proportion of children are cycling to secondary school. Further, those authorities that have received higher levels of Bikeability funding have seen larger increases in cycling to secondary school.

The funding will enable the training of more than 300,000 school children.

In addition, £24m will be allocated by the Department for Transport over the following two years. This includes an extra £2m to support expansion of the scheme on top of money originally earmarked for Bikeability. Additional local contributions worth around £11.5m are expected over the next three years.

Sustainable Mobility Campaigns for Young People (EU)

The EU funded CONNECT project which focused on Sustainable Mobility Campaigns for Young People ran between October 2007 - September 2010. Two separate campaigns were designed, one aimed at primary schools (Traffic Snake Game) and the other targeted at secondary schools (ECO-TRIP). Both campaigns aimed to encourage children and young people to travel to school using sustainable methods of travel.   

In its three years of operation CONNECT reached almost 85,000 pupils, over 5,000 teachers spread over more than 350 schools in nine countries.

The results for the Traffic Snake Game show a total of 825,000 car km were saved over the three years which is equivalent to approximately 135,000 kg CO2. 

In 2009 CONNECT was awarded the Sustainable Energy Europe Award in the category ‘Promotional, Communication and Educational Actions’.

The project website has implementation and evaluation reports along with downloadable resources such as a teachers' manual.

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PRESTO - Promoting Cycling for Everyone as a Daily Transport Mode (EU)

The PRESTO project aims to provide a set of tools for technicians to create cycle friendly urban environments, to implement sound cycling plans and to start up targeted promotion campaigns. Five Presto demonstration cities have concentrated on activites that build cycling cultures. The cities: Bremen, Grenoble, Tczew, Venice and Zagreb; have different cycling conditions, modal splits, starting situations and local challenges. The project website has indepth informaiton about the project outcomes and lessons learnt.

PRESTO has developed a series of policy guides. One policy guide presents a general framework, outlining the fundamentals of an integrated cycling policy. Three further policy guides develop one policy area each: cycling infrastructure, cycling promotion and pedelecs. The first two of these outline overall principles, critical issues and decision making factors, without going into technical details. The third on focuses on the role pedelecs can play in urban transport and how their use can be promoted by local authorities and bicycle retailers.

The English language Policy Guides can be accessed www.presto-cycling.eu/en/policy-guidelines-a-fact-sheets

In February 2012 the project published a Lessons Learnt brochure, the final report of the PRESTO project, summarising its main achievements and recommendations. 

The English language version can be accessed www.presto-cycling.eu/images/LLB/presto_lessonslearntbrochure_en_web.pdf

The Project website is www.presto-cycling.eu/en/home

The Work Cycle website (International)

The Work Cycle is a web-based showcase of workspaces that successfully integrate bicycles. It is a source of inspiration, as much as it is a celebration. The site is a project by Pixillion, a UK-Dutch digital agency. As of April 2012 the site featured about 35 workplaces from around the globe.

www.theworkcycle.com

All things considered: developing a holistic and all encompassing assessment system for evaluating prospective active transport infrastructure (Australia)

A robust, reliable and reusable process for establishing what active transport project should be funded, and when, is an important commodity. This paper, published in 2012 in the Proceedings of the Fourth Australian Cycling Conference, details a system to assess and prioritise active transport projects. 

The paper outlines this assessment system, explaining the process undertaken, analysis and outcomes, as well as providing an insight into how the capital works and grants processes in Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory have been developed.

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Adelaide City Bikes – an alternative public bike model? (Australia)

Adelaide City Council established Australia‘s first public bicycle hire scheme in 2005, with 70 bikes that could be hired from the office of BikeSA. The scheme has since grown steadily. In 2010-2011 the scheme involved 16,400 hires from seven nodes, using at least 150 bikes. This paper, published in 2012 in the Proceedings of the Fourth Australian Cycling Conference, reviews the scheme.

Public bicycle hire schemes have evolved since they were first adopted over thirty years ago. They have grown in terms of popularity, sophistication and expense. New technologies have helped to overcome problems that plagued earlier schemes. An essential feature of most modern schemes is that bikes can be hired from many locations, which are unstaffed.

Adelaide City Council established Australia‘s first public bicycle hire scheme in 2005, with 70 bikes that could be hired from the office of BikeSA. The scheme has since grown steadily. In 2010-2011 the scheme involved 16,400 hires from seven nodes, using at least 150 bikes. Adelaide City Bikes is still small compared with more well-known bike hire schemes, and is limited in that the bicycle must be returned to the location from which it was hired and nodes themselves must be staffed. Nevertheless it is relatively cheap and has overcome some of the problems faced by bike hire schemes adopted in Melbourne and Brisbane.

The question remains as to whether the Adelaide City Bike scheme can continue to grow incrementally or whether at some point the Council will need to abandon the model for the self-service approach used in other cities.

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The potential is exponential: incentivising provision of cycling facilities (Australia)

The paper looks at the cost of transport (parking) infrastructure, and considers the alternatives available, along with the benefits of broadening the opportunity to choose cycling as an option for the preferred transport mode of choice for the community. The paper makes recommendations to alter the orientation of the statutory regime to create an environment where developers and government authorities want to provide cycling facilities. The paper was published in 2012 in the Proceedings of the Fourth Australian Cycling Conference.

In many parts of Australia and other western countries, we are overly reliant upon the car and we are excessively car orientated. 

The paper looks at the planning system and provisions of planning schemes, including those relating to parking and cycling facilities in Western Australia. Whilst it primarily focuses upon the planning system in Western Australia, the aim of the paper is to enhance the integration of the bicycle into our daily travel routine, so it becomes part of our daily life.

So that cycling becomes the first real first choice for our short (mechanical) journeys.The paper looks at the cost of transport (parking) infrastructure, and considers the alternatives available, along with the benefits of broadening the opportunity to choose cycling as an option for the preferred transport mode of choice for the community.The paper makes recommendations for cycle planning and policy.

The paper makes recommendations to alter the orientation of the statutory regime to create an environment where developers and government authorities want to provide cycling facilities. The aim of the paper is to produce an environment which makes it more commercial, or beneficial economically to provide cycling facilities. It is envisaged the recommendations will, in part, make cycling a more attractive transport option, through improving the applicable statutory and financial regimes.

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Cycling, walking and biodiversity: occupying urban landscapes (Australia)

This paper focuses on The 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide and the opportunities it provides for walking, cycling and biodiversity restoration or enhancement in a number of yet to be developed greenways, and discuss the policy and funding possibilities emanating from the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Bill and CEF Biodiversity Fund. Indicative project examples are provided. The paper was published in 2012 in the Proceedings of the Fourth Australian Cycling Conference.

The paper concludes that if South Australian planners and advocates value walking and cycling in denser urban forms and want to restore and enhance biodiversity, the following actions may assist in optimising the possibilities:

• Be familiar with The 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide and quote it in advocacy. DPTI, DPLG, and all local governments are committed to it in theory, but they could do with continuing prompts about actioning The Plan.
• Mine the funding possibilities of the Carbon Credits (CFI), by becoming expert in understanding the legislation and associated funding as well as the Biodiversity Fund (Clean Energy Future - $946 million over 6 years).
• Generally advocate for green infrastructure which will provide for resilient biodiversity, but in particular advocate for additional space for pedestrian and cyclists
• Talk up 'green infrastructure' and 'greenways' and eschew the use of words like 'open space' or 'natural open space‘.
• Be politically aligned with 'green' activists who understand plants, animals, water and soils in urban forms.
• Accept the complexity of public title ownership along 'greenways' but remember the greenways – our 'commons' – are mostly under public titles and available for the public good.
• Encourage cycling clubs, Bicycle User Groups (BUGs) and walking groups to commit to restoring and enhancing biodiversity in cycling and pedestrian greenways, that is be active in maintaining biodiversity assets.

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Spatial representations of walking and cycling catchments: adding meaning through local participation (Australia)

Walking and cycling catchment maps are important tools in promoting behaviour change towards sustainable and active forms of travel. In late 2010 Plan B, La Trobe University Student Planners‘ Association, produced 'Zone B', a walking, cycling and public transport catchment map resource for the city of Bendigo, Victoria. The resource adds context to conventional sustainable and active catchment mapping through community participation, local experience and knowledge. This paper, which reviews the project, was published in 2012 in the Proceedings of the Fourth Australian Cycling Conference.

By providing accessible information about available sustainable and active transport options, these maps function as a means for supporting those considering transition to new travel behaviours.

A review of existing and readily available walking and cycling catchment maps has identified four primary categories of walking and cycling catchments, each with respective strengths and weaknesses.

Plan B has used these maps as the basis for developing a community-based active and sustainable transport mapping toolkit that assists communities through a community participation framework to take steps toward promoting local transport opportunities and facilitating local sustainable and active travel behaviour change.

In this manner the 'MapMyTown' toolkit will continue to provide a range of opportunities for communities to translate local knowledge and experience into useful and meaningful tools for their own communities.

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Maps for Australian cycle tourists in the online world: who uses them and what content are they looking for? (Australia)

This paper reports on recent research at the University of Canberra that has explored the use of online technologies by cycle tourists in Australia. The paper briefly explores the definition and scope of cycle tourism and then goes on to identify the online aids that cycle tourists are using and what content they are seeking from these sources, particularly online maps. This paper was published in 2012 in the Proceedings of the Fourth Australian Cycling Conference.

Many cyclists are making increasing use of mobile communication and navigation devices to plan and record their cycling activity. A number of web mapping tools, such as MapMyRide and Bikely, provide features that were difficult for cyclists to access before the emergence of the social web 2.0. It is possible now with mobile applications to plan rides using online maps, record them on a mobile phone or GPS unit on a ride, share routes with other cyclists and keep a log of all rides, routes, distances and elevation profiles.

A total of 671 cyclists responded to an online survey in which they were asked to identify the mapping tools they use and what content they were seeking. This paper reports on the findings of this research, and identifies some future research opportunities in this space.

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How to effectively engage with specific groups of cyclists in order to develop better coexistence between cyclists and pedestrians on shared path (Australia)

In 2011 the City of Sydney undertook qualitative research as part of the City‘s coexistence campaign between cyclists and pedestrians on shared paths. The City identified a particular group of cyclists as not only hard to reach but also key perpetrators of poor conduct on shared paths. The research sought to explore the world of this group of cyclists in order to understand how to effectively engage with them. This paper was published in 2012 in the Proceedings of the Fourth Australian Cycling Conference.

The research methodology used a qualitative approach enabling a discursive exploration of the attitudes, perceptions and opportunities for these cyclists. Two 2-hour mini-group discussions were conducted; one group of 'club riders‘ (cyclists affiliated to a cycling club), one group of 'training riders‘ (cyclists with no official club affiliation).

The findings revealed some key opportunities for the City to work more closely with these cyclists.

In particular, this club and training cyclists identify themselves as different and do not relate nor associate with 'other types' of cyclists (e.g. commuters, riding for transport), thus communications which reference 'other cyclists' are rarely effective. Although this group of cyclists support the broad goals of 'more people cycling' and the co-existence philosophy, they perceive nothing in the City‘s 2030 plan that benefits them and feel largely ignored by the City‘s communication and infrastructure investments.

The absence of a meaningful relationship between this group and the City is at the heart of enabling effective engagement.

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The impact of the 2007 Tour de France Grand Depart on cycling in London: a review of social and cultural legacy (UK)

Drawing on a range of secondary material and using five key indicators for successful social and cultural impact this paper demonstrates that the bidding, organisation and delivery of the Tour de France Grand Depart was not undertaken in isolation but was contained within a broader strategy to promote and develop cycling in London. The paper documents and charts a series of key initiatives from up to 2011 that have enabled London to make significant interventions in terms of cycling provision and participation. The paper was published in 2012 in the Proceedings of the Fourth Australian Cycling Conference.

The impacts of events, both positive and negative, is recognized as occurring in several ways, notably through economic, political, social, environmental and cultural impacts (Bowdin et al, 2010). What is less clear from research is how a host city uses an event strategically to act as a catalyst for urban socio-cultural change, since many events have limited and intangible impact beyond the immediate aftermath of their occurrence.

This paper suggests that the host organisation for the event, Transport for London, working under the auspices of the Mayor for London, have implemented a series of post-event initiatives to develop provision and have thus deflected what Chalip (2004) suggests is common of such events: that only immediate benefit accrues with no significant legacy.

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A car is 1.9m wide. How much extra space does it really need? (Australia)

The paper summarises the innovative approach that the City of Yarra has been undertaking in the last decade to implement non-standard facilities in order to improve conditions for cyclists. This has been done by calming traffic, reallocating roadspace, implementing 40km/hr speed limits on 90% of local roads and various other non-standard treatments. Together, these measures aim to provide a more conducive environment for cycling. The paper was published in 2012 in the Proceedings of the Fourth Australian Cycling Conference.

Yarra has largely ignored the Australian Guidelines by implementing 2.5m wide traffic lane widths, significantly lower than that suggested in the Australian Guidelines. This innovative approach has meant that Yarra has been able to install bicycle lanes, most of which are wider than 1.5m, on approximately 35kms of Yarra‘s streets.

These changes have been achieved through an incremental implementation of road space reallocation and the use of 'Yarra Standards'. While the Australian Guidelines, designed essentially for greenfields sites, state that the minimum width of a traffic lane should be 3.0m, Yarra has typically implemented 2.5-2.8m traffic lanes. This method has allowed Yarra to install wide bicycle lanes while traditional doctrine would dictate that either no bicycle lane or only a narrow bicycle lane could be provided. These works have meant that vehicle tracking has become more consistent, traffic speed lowered and cyclists given more separation thus creating a safer environment for all users.

The roadspace reallocation has been implemented incrementally in the last 10 years whenever a road was relinemarked and has resulted in 6.4% of Yarra residents cycling to work in 2006. As works have been 'low impact‘ and implemented gradually it has meant that very little consultation has been required, little parking has been lost and no negative publicity has been received. Due to the high quality facilities in Yarra and the resultant improvements in cyclist numbers, Yarra is now able to start to remove parking to begin the next phase of improving bicycle facilities in Yarra.

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A bicycle friendly roundabout: designing to direct cyclists to ride where drivers look (Australia)

This paper proposes a new single-lane roundabout design concept which provides cues to cyclists to move to the middle of the lane – where drivers are most likely to look. The design slows vehicles and aligns them for improved visibility to the right. The author recommends that road authorities review the research about the dangers for cyclists on the edge of roundabouts and revise design guidelines, with circulating bicycle lanes prohibited rather than recommended. The paper was published in 2012 in the Proceedings of the Fourth Australian Cycling Conference.

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A review of Adelaide City Council's Sturt Street trial (Australia)

In 2009, Adelaide City Council began the trial of a separated bicycle lane in Sturt Street, Adelaide. The trial was deemed a failure and the separated bicycle lane abandoned after less than 9 months of the 12-month trial period. This paper, published in 2012 in the Proceedings of the Fourth Australian Cycling Conference, looks at publicly available evidence to critically examine the Sturt Street separated bicycle lane experience. This review indicates systemic failure in the trial process and provides pointers to avoiding the headwinds that were encountered by the Sturt Street trial.

Despite its (obvious and numerous) shortcomings, perhaps the greatest failure of the trial is its characterisation as an 'outright failure‘.

Despite everything – no network value, poor design, impeded access for much of its life, poor linkages, provided in one direction only – the number of cyclists using Sturt Street increased significantly, and more than half of these used the separated bicycle facility. In other circumstances, this would be termed an overwhelming success.

Likewise, for all the complaints and difficulties, a lot of good experience was gathered that could be used in the future. For example, the treatment would have been more acceptable in the CBD, where on-street parking is in sufficiently scarce supply that it is not relied upon by business. A number of design issues have been identified, and also the means by which many of these could be addressed.

Also, community understanding has been developed through the experience. Indeed, many people calling for the removal of the trial still supported separated bicycle facilities, but felt that design issues were not adequately addressed.

Other themes that could be explored in the context of the Sturt Street experience include balancing individual versus population risks and health outcomes; the need for better understanding of overseas experience (particularly given their different road rules); or the question of where separated bicycle facilities are most valuable in the cycling network.

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Adelaide Bicycle Action Plan 2011-13 (Australia)

Adelaide City Council's Bicycle Action Plan 2011-13 is an interim plan to ensure that the Council’s and State Government’s investments in cycling in the city are maintained prior to the completion of a new Integrated Movement Strategy for the City of Adelaide. The plan was approved by Council in October 2011. It details $2.655 million investment in cycling infrastructure, promotion and monitoring over the next two years.

Adelaide City Council's Bicycle Action Plan 2011-13 | 516KB PDF

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Analyzing the time frame for the transition from leisure-cyclist to commuter-cyclist (Korea)

Published in the journal Transportation in August 2010, this study examined how long it would take for a leisure-cyclist to become a commuter-cyclist. The study found that young white-collar workers who live in high-rise apartments and enjoy intensive leisure-cycling in groups, are a good target toward whom promotions for commuter-cycling should be focused.

A recent survey reported that many commuter-cyclists had enjoyed leisure bicycling on a regular basis prior to becoming a commuter-cyclist. While bicycling for leisure, it is assumed that they considered various factors that led them to consider becoming commuter-cyclists.

This study began with the question of how long it would take for a leisure-cyclist to become a commuter-cyclist, and it focused on the time that elapsed between leisure-cyclists transitioning to commuter-cycling. In order to analyze the time frame, it was hypothesized that the probability that a leisure-cyclist would become a commuter-cyclist at a certain time would be conditional on the duration that elapsed from the onset of leisure cycling till that time, which represents the “snowballing” or “inertial” dynamics of duration.

A robust methodology, which is known as the “hazard model,” was adopted to accommodate such characteristics of a time period. In addition, various external covariates such as individual-specific characteristics, variables associated with the current or previous commuting mode, supply variables regarding bicycle facilities, and individual latent propensities were adopted to account for the duration of changes that would be generally applicable.

As a result, many useful results were derived that could be used in fomenting policies to promote cycling to work. It was found that government should invest in establishing segregated lanes for leisure- and commuter-cyclists. It also turned out that a long distance to work hinders a leisure-cyclist from progressing to commuter-cycling.

According to the results, young white-collar workers who live in high-rise apartments and enjoy intensive leisure-cycling in groups, are a good target toward whom promotions for commuter-cycling should be focused. However, an unfortunate development was that, when compared with car-commuters, it was found that transit-commuters are more likely to become commuter-cyclists.

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Self Guided Cycle Touring In Tasmania (Australia)

This free booklet, published in 2010 by Tourism Tasmania, provides information about cycle touring in Tasmania. It includes suggested one and two week itineraries and provides elevation maps as well as useful information for cycle tourists.

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British Social Attitudes Survey 2011: Attitudes to Transport (UK)

This publication presents statistics on attitudes towards transport in Great Britain during 2011. It discusses results for the transport questions asked on the 2011 British Social Attitudes survey and trend changes since 2010. It includes attitudes towards cycling and the potential to change transport modes for short trips.

Thirty-one per cent of respondents were cyclists: that is, they had access to a bicycle and had cycled in the last 12 months. However,

• 45 per cent of cyclists agreed that it was too dangerous for them to cycle on the roads compared to 69 per cent of non-cyclists, and
• 58 per cent of cyclists said that they were very or fairly confident cycling on the roads compared to 20 per cent of non-cyclists.

Age and gender have a strong effect on whether individuals feel confident cycling and how dangerous they consider the roads to be. Those who drive are also slightly more confident about cycling on the roads.

46 per cent of those aged 18-24 reported feeling confident about cycling on the roads, falling to just 12 per cent of those aged 65+ (this probably also reflects the respondents' confidence in their physical ability to ride a bicycle). Similarly, 52 per cent of those aged 18-24 said it was too dangerous on the roads for them to ride a bicycle, rising to 78 per cethose aged 65+.

Females were less confident about cycling and considered it more dangerous than males:

• 18 per cent of females said they were very or fairly confident about cycling on the roads compared to 46 per cent of males, and
• 70 per cent of females said it was too dangerous for them to cycle othe roads compared to 52 per cent of males.

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Physical activity by stealth? The potential health benefits of a workplace transport plan (UK)

This study investigated the effect of a workplace travel plan, which mainly focused on restricting parking opportunities, on levels of active commuting and its potential to contribute to public health. The results, published in the journal Public Health in April 2011, suggests that transport plans aimed at reducing car usage should be considered as a feasible and effective strategy for increasing health-enhancing physical activity among the workforce.

Study design

Analysis of a repeated bi-annual travel survey in a workplace setting.

Methods

Usual mode of commuting, gender, age, worksite location and distance commuted to and from work were obtained from the University of Bristol Staff Travel Surveys conducted in 1998 (n = 2292), 2001 (n = 2332), 2003 (n = 1950), 2005 (n = 2647) and 2007 (n = 2829). Z-tests were used to examine the significance of trends in active commuting between 1998 and 2007. The largest and most recent survey (2007) was used to calculate the effects of gender, age and salary band on mode of transport, length of commuter journey, and the extent to which active commuting contributed to meeting national recommendations for physical activity.

Results

Results showed that between 1998 and 2007, in contrast to national trends, the percentage of respondents who reported that they usually walked to work increased from 19.0% to 30.0% (Z = 4.24, P < 0.001). The percentage of regular cyclists increased from 7.0% to 11.8%, but this was not statistically significant. In 2007, regular walkers were more likely to be female, under 35 years of age and earning a middle-band salary. Regular cyclists were more likely to be male, aged 36–45 years and earning a higher-band salary. Approximately 70% of respondents who usually walked or cycled to work achieved greater than 80% of the recommended guidelines for physical activity through their active commuting.

Conclusions

This study suggests that transport plans aimed at reducing car usage should be considered as a feasible and effective strategy for increasing health-enhancing physical activity among the workforce.

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Empowering Women to Bicycle for Transportation (USA)

The webinar 'Empowering Women to Bicycle for Transportation' was run online in March 2012 by the US based Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals. The presentations cover programs and approaches that engage, empower and encourage women to bicycle on a more regular basis.

Speakers include:

• Kim Cross, founder, Magic City Cycle Chix. This Birmingham group’s motto is "Building courage, confidence, and community…two wheels at a time;” it encourages women to mountain bike through clinics, trips and group rides.
• Julie Huck, Membership & Development Director, Adventure Cycling. Learn how this association educates women to travel by bicycle and to explore the landscapes and history of America for fitness, fun, and self-discovery.
• Gina Overshiner, Bicycle Program Manager, PedNet. Find out how PedNet is building the next generation of cyclists in Columbia, Missouri, with the Middle School Bike Brigade and cycle chic events.
• Claire Stoscheck, Bike Library Program Director, Cycles for Change. Cycles for Change in Minneapolis educates and empowers women of various cultures to use bicycles as transportation, helping to build a sustainable environment and community.

The webinar also includes updates on the outcomes of the first National Women Cycling Forum held on March 20 in Washington, D.C. (details here) and plans for the interactive Women Cycling website, a joint initiative between APBP and the Alliance for Biking & Walking.

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Nørreport Station: Rethinking and Doubling Bicycle Parking (EU)

Every day, more than 250,000 people pass through Nørreport Station, Denamrk's busiest train station. Improving the conditions for cyclists and pedestrians has been a must for the architects responsible for major rennovations at the station. Bikes will be placed in well-defined and slightly-lowered areas called “bicycle beds”, which will help create a clear and calm urban space. The new designs will more than double bike parking places from 900 to 1900.

The bicycle beds will be strategically placed so cyclists can always find one from wherever they enter. The idea is to make it as easy as possible to park your bike on your way to the platforms – without unnecessary detours.

Placing the parked bicycles about 40 centimetres below the standard level of the station gives a good overview while securing functionality and accessibility. The change of level and pavement between the bicycle beds and the rest of the station will clearly mark where—and where not—to park your bike.

The bicycle beds themselves will be laid out in concrete with a non-skid surface, and the newly developed bike racks in stainless steel will be designed for tight angle parking in order to maximize capacity. Every rack will have built-in LED-lights on the top. The many small lights will clearly mark the bicycle beds, which will be made to look like organically shaped, shining islands in the city’s busiest urban space.

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Murray to Mountains Website (Australia)

The Murray to the Mountains Rail Trail in North East Victoria provides more than 100 kilometres of off road trails through natural bushland, open farmland, valleys and mountain ranges.  The trail links the popular tourist villages of Wangaratta, Beechworth, Rutherglen and Bright. A website promoting the trail provides maps and links to tour operators, accommodation, events and attractions.

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Audit of the Bike Paths Component of the Local Jobs Fund (Australia)

In March 2012 the Australian National Audit Office released a report into effectiveness of the bike paths component of the Jobs Fund. The fund, implemented by the Australian Government in 2009 to support employment and economic recovery in response to the global financial crisis, provided $40m for bike path projects that generated employment opportunities.

In total, 175 projects were approved for bike paths component funding, and the majority (95 per cent) of these proceeded to a funding agreement being signed.

The report is critical of the administrative processes used to assess the funding applications and recommends:

• adopting application processes and assessment criteria that support, subject to government concurrence, the selection of projects that are likely to best contribute to achieving the objectives of the National Cycling Strategy in the administration of any further funding allocated for bike path construction projects
• value for money and ‘fit for purpose’ considerations being addressed in Regional Australia’s implementation of infrastructure construction funding programs; and
• improvements to risk assessment practices so as to promote the equitable treatment of applicants and effective management of risk.

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The Pedal Study: Factors Associated With Bicycle Crashes and Injury Severity in the ACT (Australia)

This report, published in July 2011, summarises the findings of a study which examined the characteristics of bicycle crashes in different cycling environments in the ACT and investigated the type and severity of injuries associated with the type of clothing worn. The objective was to inform strategies to reduce bicycle crashes and the severity of the associated injury.

Over the last decade in many parts of Australia as in other high income countries, there has been a substantial increase in the number of people cycling. The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) has the highest cycling participation rate in Australia and a population rate for serious bicycle crash injuries that is significantly above the national rate, which may be due to higher exposure.

A cross sectional survey of adults (aged 17-70 years) who were injured in cycling crashes and presented to hospital Emergency Departments in the ACT over the six months from November 21, 2009 to May 21, 2010. All cyclists involved in crashes on public roads or publically accessible areas within the ACT were eligible for inclusion. Recruitment was restricted to residents of the ACT or the adjacent New South Wales (NSW) border region of Queanbeyan. Cyclists with severe trauma were excluded from the study as they were considered to be medically unfit or otherwise unable to provide informed consent. Riding environments were defined as either off-road or transport related. Off-road includes recreational environments such as mountain bike trails and skate parks. Transport related includes on road in traffic, in bicycle lanes, on shared paths and on footpaths (including other pedestrian areas).

This study confirms the value of on-road lanes reserved exclusively for cyclists as a means of reducing their crash and injury rates but raises questions as to the safety of cycling on shared paths and pedestrian areas.

The study found that full body coverage including gloves, shoes, long sleeved tops and full length pants, regardless of the materials used, provided a significant benefit in preventing or reducing injuries.

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Economic Benefit of the Tour Down Under (Australia)

In March 2012, the South Australian Government released attendance and economic data relating to the Tour Down Under. Held in Adelaide and regional South Australia from January 15-22, 2012, the event generated $42.2 million in economic activity and attracted 760,600 spectators, including 36,100 interstate and international visitors.

Since its inception in 1999, the Tour Down Under has significantly grown, and is today the biggest cycling race in the Southern Hemisphere and one of South Australia’s major tourism drawcards.

2012 was the first time in three years that cycling legend Lance Armstrong did not participate in the Tour. Before he first rode the Tour, the event generated around $17 million for the state’s economy. In 2012, without his participation for the first time in three years, the event generated more than $42 million.

Santos Tour Down Under 2012 attendance statistics

Total attendance (crowd figures): 760,600
Event specific visitors: 36,100
Economic impact: $42.2m
Mutual Community/Bupa Challenge Tour: 7036
Mutual Community/Bupa Challenge Tour – international/interstate riders: 2305

Santos Tour Down Under 2011 attendance statistics

Total attendance (crowd figures): 782,400
Event specific visitors: 37,000
Economic impact: $43.3m
Mutual Community/Bupa Challenge Tour: 7512
Mutual Community/Bupa Challenge Tour – international/interstate riders: 2186

Santos Tour Down Under 2010 attendance statistics

Total attendance (crowd figures): 770,500
Event specific visitors: 39,700
Economic impact: $41.5m
Mutual Community/Bupa Challenge Tour: 8099
Mutual Community/Bupa Challenge Tour – international/interstate riders: 2426

Santos Tour Down Under 2009 attendance statistics

Total attendance (crowd figures): 760,500
Event specific visitors: 36,200
Economic impact: $39m
Mutual Community/Bupa Challenge Tour: 7127
Mutual Community/Bupa Challenge Tour – international/interstate riders: 1997

Santos Tour Down Under 2008 attendance statistics

Total attendance (crowd figures): 548,000
Event specific visitors: 15,100
Economic impact: $17.3m
Mutual Community/Bupa Challenge Tour: 3404
Mutual Community/Bupa Challenge Tour – international/interstate riders: 717

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2011 National Bicycling Achievement Awards (Australia)

In March 2012 the winners of the Australian Bicycling Achievement Awards were announced in Canberra. The awards recognise programs and initiatives that encourage Australians to ride their bikes and celebrate their 10^th anniversary this year.

The 2011 winners announced in March 2012 were:

Achievement Award for Contribution by a Politician - ACT Chief Minister, Katy Gallagher

With support of the ACT Government, Canberra is further enhancing its reputation as a cycling hub, with on and off road facilities, cycling precincts and upgrades to cycle ways that already have high numbers of bicycle users.

Award for Achievement by an Educational Institution— Macquarie University

The university has more than quadrupled its dedicated bicycle parking and has instituted a range of measures to make cycling to Uni and around the campus easier and more convenient.

Cycle Friendly Business Award—the Rouse Hill Town Centre

Developer GPT leads the way with its focus on reducing its ecological footprint. A healthy, liveable environment was built in from the ground up with free skills training, investment in paths and training areas, their own cycleway map, advice to make trip planning easier and even bike purchase vouchers.

Local Government Achievement Award—Gosford City Council

A broad commitment to increase cycling with 68km of shared paths in its network and another 195km planned. Free cycling courses for people to build confidence, skills and knowledge compliment the numerous events like a free bicycle film festival, school cycling programs and free workshops.

Special Initiative or Event to Promote Cycling—the Bike Muster

Started to generate new economic activity in the Mudgee region, the event has now grown into a popular family fun event, especially for children who make up over a quarter of all participants. The success of the event has been replicated with a second Bike Muster being held each year in Myrtleford, Victoria.

National Media Achievement Award—Rupert Guinness

The Sydney Morning Herald cycling journalist is one the most experienced cycling correspondents in Australia with more than 20 Tours de France and several books to his credit. His greatest impact has been his ability to bring cycling to mainstream media outlets.

Bicycling Achievement of the Year Award, Professional —Mark Cridland.

As Associate Director General of the Department of Transport and Main Roads, Mark Cridland has been instrumental in driving the incorporation of bicycling as a normal part of multi-modal transport planning in the state. As their official ‘Cycling Champion’ Mark has re-positioned cycling within the department to become a core element of policy and planning to the extent that all new multi-modal transport projects must include provision for cycling from the earliest stages of planning.

Bicycle Retailer of the Year—Yellow Jersey Bike Shop, Ipswich

Following the death of three Ipswich cyclists this year Troy Dobinson, of the Yellow Jersey Bike Shop, set up the 24/7 Cycling Safety Fund, a campaign to create much needed safe cycling facilities and education for the Ipswich community. Key aims of 24/7 are to research, promote and strategically plan for safe cycling in Ipswich, train children in safe cycling and raise awareness of the safety of cyclists on the road.

Bicycling Achievement Award of the Year - Volunteer—Frank Kinnersley VIC

Frank started advocating for cycling in Geelong 35 years ago and was the founding President of Geelong Touring Cyclists. He has been a Bike Ed instructor, contributed to local government and state bicycle plans and has been instrumental in achieving better outcomes for cyclists when major transport projects impact on cycle commuter routes. Recognised by cycling organisations and jurisdictions across the state, currently fulfils a role with Rail Trails Australia in addition to continuing his many volunteer activities.

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Active Travel to School 2012 (Australia)

In March 2012 the National Heart Foundation in collaboration with the Cycling Promotion Fund published the results of an online survey with a random sample of 1,005 Australian parents with school aged children in relation to children and riding bikes to and from school. The survey found that only one in ten children ride to school, even though 80% of parents think it would improve their kids’ health.

The survey also found:

• Nearly two-thirds of parents said they would let their children ride to school if there were safe routes
• 8 in 10 nominated too much traffic and a lack of safe routes as key barriers  to kids being allowed to ride to school
• Parents surveyed agreed that ‘cycling is a good way to get fit’
• Almost 60% of parents drive their children to school
• 1 in 2 parents support  formal cycle education programs
• 1 in 2 live less than 10 minutes from school, a distance which could easily by cycled or walked by children.

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NSW Long Term Transport Master Plan (Australia)

Transport customers, businesses and other organisations are being urged to have their say on the future of transport following the release of a discussion paper as part of the process to develop the NSW Long Term Transport Master Plan. The discussion paper examines key transport issues, challenges and opportunities for Sydney and the regions. The paper specifically asks people to consider 'How can walking and cycling best be encouraged?' Submissions are due by 27 April 2012.

The NSW Long Term Transport Master Plan is being developed by Transport for NSW through a 12-month process of research and consultation with customers and the community, transport specialists, industry and all levels of government.

The plan will identify a clear direction for transport over the next 20 years, building on current commitments which are underpinned by a record $13.1 billion investment in roads and transport in the 2011-12 budget.

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Moving People 2030 Taskforce (Australia)

In March 2012 the Federal Government announced the establishment of a Moving People 2030 Taskforce. Members include the Australian Local Government Association, Australian Logistics Council, Australasian Railway Association, Bus Industry Confederation, Cycling Promotion Fund, National Heart Foundation, International Public Transport Association and the Planning Institute of Australia. The taskforce will report in October 2012 on ways to improve planning and transport systems.

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Healthy lifestyle programs for physical activity and nutrition in Indigenous communities (Australia)

This resource sheet was produced by the Federal Government's Closing the Gap Clearinghouse in January 2012. The publication identifies a number of programs shown to be effective that were initiated and managed by local Indigenous communities. Examples of some of the positive results stemming from community-led programs included stabilisation of diabetes rates, and significant falls in smoking rates, cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

This resource sheet describes the burden of lifestyle-related chronic diseases affecting Indigenous Australians. It assesses the evidence regarding the effectiveness of physical activity and nutrition programs and identifies strategies that have been demonstrated to be effective. It also reviews strategies that have the potential to be effective, based on their short-term effect or their effectiveness
in non-Indigenous populations.

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Draft City of Melbourne Transport Strategy (Australia)

The City of Melbourne is finalising its updated Transport Strategy. The Council’s Future Melbourne Committee invited the public to comment on the draft of the Transport Strategy at its 13 March meeting. Comments can be received until 5 April 2012. One of the six key directions is to 'make Melbourne a cycling city'.

The strategy has six key directions which represent the most important aspects of this strategy and outline the areas in which the City of Melbourne’s advocacy and actions will be concentrated. These are:

1. integrated transport and land use planning
2. go anywhere, anytime public transport for inner Melbourne
3. optimise the transport effectiveness of inner Melbourne’s roads
4. create pedestrian friendly high-mobility public transport streets in the Central City
5. make Melbourne a cycling city
6. foster innovative, low-impact freight and delivery in central Melbourne.

The final strategy is expected to be presented to the Council for endorsement in May.

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Google Green Transportation (USA)

Google is working towards a carbon neutral employee commuter transportation system. They have some amazing programs in place including a bus system (with bicycle racks), biking incentives, bikes on the Google campuses, and electric cars. In this video, Google's Transportation Operations Manager talks about various innovative transportation solutions at Google, which strive to keep employees commuting as sustainably as possible.

 

To encourage more self-powered commuting, Google donates to an employee's  favorite charities based on how often they walk or bike to work. Each time employees self-power their commute, they collect a digital stamp. Stamps are turned into dollars that Google donates to a charity of the Google employee's choosing. Employees can donate up to $140 a quarter, and more than 8,000 have donated to nearly 5,000 charities since the program began.

In 2011, 56 Google offices and 2,500 employees around the world participated in the Google Bike to Work Day, Google's way of celebrating cycling commuters and introducing new riders to this transport option.

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Draft Western Australian Bicycle Network Plan 2012 - 2021 (Australia)

The draft Western Australia Bicycle Network (WABN) Plan 2012-2021 was launched by the Minister for Transport on March 13 2012. This new plan incorporates a review of its predecessor, the 1996 Perth Bicycle Network Plan, while also taking in regional cycling. The draft plan will be open for public consultation until 17 June 2012.

The draft Western Australia Bicycle Network (WABN) Plan 2012-2021 was launched by the Minister for Transport on Tuesday, March 13 2012. This new plan incorporates a review of its predecessor, the 1996 Perth Bicycle Network Plan, while also taking in regional cycling.

The plan maps the way ahead to service WA's expanding cycling needs, particularly those of riders commuting to work, for the next ten years.

Key recommendations of the WABN Plan include:

• Formulation of a WABN Implementation Reference Group
• Biennial review of the Plan
• Expansion of the PSP network
• Funding increases to the PBN and RBN Grants programs
• A feasibility study for an end-of-trip facility in the CBD
• A connections to schools program
• A connections to rail/major bus stations program
• Review of traffic management on local roads
• Review of the local bicycle routes
• Development of an online journey planner
• Planning for cycling facilities in larger regional cities

Public consultation

The draft WABN Plan will be open for public consultation until 17 June 2012.

A  public information session to be held at on Wednesday, 21 March 2012 at the Department of Transport, 140 William Street Perth.

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Girl Bike Love (USA)

Girl Bike Love is website designed by women, for women about riding, racing, and commuting by bike.  The site's mission to empower, inspire and encourage more women to ride bikes. The site provides personal experiences, technical information and gear reviews and an events calendar.

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Cyclo Femme (International)

Cyclo Femme is an annual ride event held internationally to celebrate women and cycling. In 2012 the ride will be held on May 13. 

The event aims to:

Honour the past and the emancipation of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers, for the freedom to choose and the chance to wear pants.  

Celebrate the present and the riders who keep it rolling, bringing women's racing to the forefront, pushing the limits, breaking down barriers and sharing the love of the bike with everyone along the way.

Empower the future of women in cycling and the opportunity for positive social change.

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‘It’s all about the journey’: Women and Cycle Tour Events (Australia)

This research paper by Simone Fullagar and Adele Pavlidis (Griffith University), was published in the International Journal of Event and Festival Management in 2012. The article develops a gender perspective on women’s experience of a mass cycle tour event. The research findings have implications for how active tourism events are conceptualised, promoted and managed as gender inclusive.

This research uses an ethnographic approach to explore women’s experiences of a cycle tour event. Qualitative data is analysed through the conceptual framework of post-structural feminism.

Key themes included the meaning of women’s cycle tour experience as non-competitive journey, the negotiation of gender identity and constraints as well as suggestions for planning gender inclusive events.

This research is based on a particular sample of women who were largely Anglo-Celtic, middle to lower middle class and middle aged Australians. Hence, this research does not claim to be representative of all women’s experiences. Given the strong focus on quantitative research within event management this research identifies the need for qualitative and feminist approaches.

The research findings identify a number of gender issues for professionals to reflexively consider in designing, promoting, managing and evaluating mass cycle tour events.

There has been little exploration of the gendered experience or management of events in the literature. Hence, this article contributes to empirical research and theorising of women’s experiences of active tourism events.

Contact Profesor Simone Fullagar for a full copy of the paper. 

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Health Co-benefits of Climate Change Mitigation - Transport Sector (International)

This report, published by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2011, is part of the Health in the Green Economy series. It considers the evidence regarding health co-benefits, and risks, of climate change mitigation strategies for transport, as reviewed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cycling, walking and rapid transit systems are associated with a wide range of potential health benefits that climate assessment needs to consider more systematically.

Health benefits may include: physical activity from walking and cycling, which can help prevent heart disease, some cancers, type 2 diabetes, and some obesity-related risks; lower urban air pollution concentrations; lower rates of traffic injury risks for users of dedicated bicycle and pedestrian networks; and less noise stress. Transport systems that prioritize active transport and rapid transit systems, along with better urban land use, also can help improve access for vulnerable groups, including children, the elderly, people with disabilities, and lower wage earners, enhancing health equity.

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Mobility Management Solutions to Transport Problems Around the World (Canada)

This draft chapter of the book 'Cars and Carbon' investigates the role that mobility management plays in an efficient transport system. Written by Todd Litman, Victoria Transport Policy Institute, it describes the basic principles that a transport system must reflect to optimize efficiency and maximize benefits, identifies various transport policy and planning distortions that result in economically-excessive motor vehicle travel, and describes various reforms that correct these distortions, resulting in more efficient transport patterns. 

These mobility management strategies include improvements to alternative modes, transport pricing reforms, and more neutral policies and planning practices. This favors higher value trips and more efficient modes, increasing overall transport system efficiency. Mobility management can provide multiple economic, social and environmental benefits, and so help achieve true sustainability. It also benefits disadvantaged people by improving affordable transport options.

This analysis indicates that many commonly used transport policies and planning practices result in economically excessive motor vehicle travel, which is particularly harmful to lower income people and economies. This has important implications for developing countries which are still establishing their planning policies and practices.

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Evaluation of Transport Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction Policies (Canada)

 This report, published by the Victoria Transport Policy Institute in March 2012,examines the benefits and affectiveness of cleaner vehicle strategies versus mobility management strategies.

Various transportation policies can help conserve energy and reduce pollution emissions. Some, called cleaner vehicle strategies in this article, reduce emission rates per vehicle-kilometer. Others, called mobility management (also called transportation demand management and VMT reduction) strategies, reduce total vehicle travel. There is disagreement concerning which approach is most cost effective and beneficial. Some studies conclude that cleaner vehicle strategies are generally most cost effective and beneficial overall, while others favor mobility management strategies. These different conclusions tend to reflect different analysis scope. Analyses that favor clean vehicle strategies tend to overlook or undervalue some significant impacts, including cleaner vehicle lifecycle analysis and rebound effects, and mobility management co-benefits. More comprehensive analysis tends to favor mobility management. This article investigates these issues and provides specific recommendations for comprehensive evaluation of transport energy conservation and emission reduction strategies.

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Smart Congestion Relief (Canada)

This report, published by the Victoria Transport Policy Institute in March 2012, critically evaluates the methods used to evaluate traffic congestion costs and the benefits of various congestion reduction strategies.The results indicate that highway expansion often provides less total benefit than alternative congestion reduction policies such as improving alternative modes, pricing reforms, and smart growth land use policies.

The report describes various biases in current congestion evaluation practices. It develops a more comprehensive evaluation framework which is applied to four congestion reduction strategies: Roadway expansion, improving alternative modes, pricing reforms, and smart growth land use policies. Comprehensive evaluation can identify more efficient and equitable congestion solutions. It is important that decision makers understand the omissions and biases in current evaluation methods.

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Social Equity Agenda For Sustainable Transportation (Canada)

This report, published by the Victoria Transport Policy Institute in March 2012, discusses the importance of incorporating social equity and environmental justice objectives into transport policy and planning analysis. It recommends a more systematic and comprehensive framework for social equity impact analysis.

Social equity refers to the equitable distribution of impacts (benefits, disadvantages and costs). Environmental justice is a subset of social equity analysis that focuses on illegal discrimination against disadvantaged groups. This is often the lens through which transportation equity impacts are analyzed.

More comprehensive analysis considers additional impacts, including delay and risk that motor vehicle traffic imposes on pedestrians and cyclists, various costs that automobile dependency and sprawl impose on non-drivers, and subsidies for motor vehicle travel which are often overall regressive. More comprehensive analysis considers how various biases in the transport planning process tend to favor mobility over accessibility and automobile travel over other modes. These biases reduce transport system diversity, and therefore the transport options available to non-drivers, and exacerbate various external costs that are particularly harmful to disadvantaged people.

More comprehensive analysis can help identify more integrated, win-win solutions, which achieve a variety of social, economic and environmental objectives. This can help build broader coalitions among diverse interest groups.

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Improving Public Health Through Active Transportation (Canada)

This dissertation, by Meghan Winters, University of British Columbia, aims to understand how to design cities to support cycling, to improve public health. It applied quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate the link between cycling and the built environment. The paper, issued in April 2011, reports on five studies using data from the Cycling in Cities survey, which captured the opinions and travel behaviours of 2,149 current and potential cyclists across Metro Vancouver.

Urban transportation is a public and environmental health issue. In North America, where urban environments have been shown to influence transportation decisions and physical activity, over two-thirds of adults are inactive. Consequently, there is growing interest in promoting active transportation. Cycling in particular offers one of the greatest opportunities for change.

The five studies that comprise this dissertation use data from the Cycling in Cities survey, which captured the opinions and travel behaviours of 2,149 current and potential cyclists across Metro Vancouver.

The first study analyzed preferences for 16 types of cycling infrastructure, noting a clear desire for off-street and separated facilities, especially among women, people with children, and occasional and potential cyclists.

The second study evaluated the relative importance of 73 potential motivators and deterrents. Environmental and engineering factors carried the strongest influence; specifically aspects related to scenery, topography, facility design, weather, and safety issues.

The third and fourth studies mapped travel data to determine associations with measures of the built environment. The route choice analysis found that the majority of trips were less than 10% longer than the shortest distance route, and that bicycle trips detoured toward bicycle facilities and away from major roads, whereas car trips detoured toward highways and arterials. The mode choice analysis (bicycle versus car) made explicit consideration of the built environment around trip origin, destination and en route. Multi-level logistic modeling, adjusted for demographics and trip distance, showed significant associations with topography, cycling facilities, the road network and land use.

The fifth study integrated these results with focus group findings to derive an evidence-based “bikeability” measure. The utility of the index was demonstrated through its application as a planning tool. Taken collectively, these studies contribute to both data and methodological gaps in prior health, planning, and transportation research.

This dissertation provides evidence on environments that support cycling and presents a tool to guide strategies to improve conditions.

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Active Design Webinars (USA)

This webinar, Becoming a Fit City: Top Opportunities in Healthy, Active Design, was presented by the New York City Department of Design and Construction in January 2012.The webinar features some of the top ways in which cities and towns can promote Active Design, which encourages walking, bicycling, stair climbing, active recreation and improved access to healthy foods and beverages.

Designing our communities to encourage greater physical activity and healthier eating and drinking can help counteract the most pressing health, environmental, and economic challenges of our time, from the epidemics of obesity and chronic diseases like diabetes, to oil consumption and pollution from vehicle use, to spending on healthcare.

The New York City website provides a recording of the webinar and PDFs of the presentations.

www.nyc.gov/html/ddc/html/design/activedesign_webinar.shtml

New York City published Active Design Guidelines in 2010.

From the Netherlands to America: Translating the World’s Best Bikeway Designs (EU + USA)

This video, released in March 2012 by Streetfilms, joins city leaders from Chicago, Washington, DC and Miami on a study tour of the Netherlands. The video takes you on a tour of the street designs in the Netherlands. The study tour was organised through the Bikes Belong Foundation's Bicycling Design Best Practices Program. The program shows American transportation professionals and policy makers real life examples of what it looks like to invest in cost-effective bicycle facilities.

From the Netherlands to America: Translating the World's Best Bikeway Designs from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

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E-Bike Program Reduces Car Use in Twente (EU)

A 2011 campaign in the Dutch region of Twente encouraged the use of the electric bicycle (e-bike) for commuting. The campaign provided employees with e-bikes to trial and then subsidised the purchase of the bikes. The campaign resulted in the sale of 240 e-bikes and subsequent studies showed that more than 10,000 less car kilometres were driven each week on roads in Twente.

Twente Mobile is an initiative of VNO-NCW Twente, Chamber of Commerce, SMEs Twente, ANWB, Twente region and the municipalities of Enschede and Hengelo. The organisation works to improve accessibility in the region.

Twente Mobile worked with employers in the region to reduce car use during rush hour through a series of mobility actions. Participating employers signed a Mobility Twente Covenant. 

The e-bike action provided employees of signatories to the Mobility Twente Covenant with an opportunity to try an e-bike for free and then to buy it for a very low price. Insurance and discounted wet weather gear was also provided as part of the offer.

Twente Mobile organised the delivery, the financial settlement and the delivery of the e-bikes.

The pilot program ran until July 1, 2011.

After the pilot, Twente Mobile studied the extent to which the e-bike had contributed to the decline in car use during rush hours in Twente.

The research found that following the Twente e-bike action, 450,000 car-commuting kilometers were saved each year.

It appeared that the buyers of the e-bike were predominantly former car users. They travelled on average 11 km one way. Therefore each week over 10,000 less car kilometres were driven on the roads in Twente.

The e-bikes were especially popular among workers over 45 years old (77% of the buyers).

The results show that the e-bike can provide a serious alternative for commuters.

There is an expectation that the program will continue in 2012.

The project website www.twentemobiel.nl is in Dutch.

Cool it, Share it Campaign (Australia)

'Cool it, Share it' forms part of the City of Sydney's 'Share the Path' safety and awareness campaign to encourage considerate and safe behaviour on shared paths. Launched in March 2012, the campaign features a sound installation at Prince Alfred Park in Surry Hills - a fun, social tool that's spreading the word about how to behave on shared paths.

The piano-like installation, with colourful keys arranged along the park's shared path, is a first of its kind in Sydney, and encourages people to Cool it, Bell it, Slow it, Share it as they cycle or walk by.

When using a shared path, bike riders need to watch out for pedestrians – slow down, use their bells early and be ready to stop. By law, bike riders must always give way to people walking on shared paths.

Update

Just two weeks after being installed the installation was destroyed by vandals. 'Cool It, Share It' will be re-installed with anti-vandal measures. The City of Sydney's media release about the vadalism and future plans is here.

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Zahnradbahn Bicycle Wagon (EU)

The light rail Zahnradbahn in Stuttgart, Germany includes a wagon for transporting bicycles. 

The Stuttgart Rack Railway (German: Zahnradbahn Stuttgart) is an electric rack railway in Stuttgart, Germany. It connects the urban districts of Stuttgart South (Marienplatz) and Degerloch (Albplatz). The route runs along the Alte Weinsteige, which was historically the main route to the Filder towns until the Neue Weinsteige was built in 1826.

Over its 2.2 km route the line climbs a height of 205 m (from 260 m to 465 m). The maximum incline on the route is 17.5% (between Liststrasse and Pfaffenweg).

The train includes a wagon at the front or back for transporting bicycles.

The Big Pedal (UK)

The Big Pedal is an inter-school cycling competition spanning 15 school days in March (5-23 March 2012). The competition is coordinated by Sustrans and in 2012 more than 1000 schools participated. It works a bit like the Tour de France in that each day of the race is a new stage following a different Sustrans cycle route around the UK. Schools encourage pupils, parents and staff to cycle and scoot to school each day and the more that do, the faster their time will be for each stage of the race.

 

Most schools take part in the whole three week challenge, but schools can also just enter one or more of three daily stages.

Schools log in to the competition website each day of the race and record their school’s results. All school results are then published the following day on the website and schools can track how they and other schools are doing throughout the race.

In 2012 the competition provided three categories for schools: small primaries (150 pupils and less), large primaries (over 150 pupils), and secondary schools. This means there are lots of opportunities for all sizes of school to win prizes and do well.

Some schools run their own competitions between their individual classes. Results are recorded per class and when schools log in to the website, they can access information about which classes have performed best at each stage.

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Designing for Pedestrian and Cyclists – Training Courses for Professionals (Australia)

This course is designed to provide road transport engineering and planning practitioners with a working knowledge of pedestrian and cycling planning and design issues and current best practice. The aim is to help engineers and planners provide for people walking and cycling as an integral part of the overall road transport system. The course consists of a mixture of classroom presentations, practical work on site and group technical assignment work where participants work in teams to develop solutions to a number of real-life examples.

The training course provides:

• A holistic and inclusive approach to road-based transport.
• Integrated field experience on foot and by bicycle with theory/principles and group-work assignments.
• Better knowledge and understanding of the key operating characteristics of pedestrians and cyclists to ensure better transport integration;
• Understanding of the importance of sustainable transport modes and their role in the transport system.

The course is run in NSW and QLD under licence to RMS NSW and Department of Transport and Main Roads, Queensland.

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Healthy Spaces and Places Training (Australia)

Healthy Spaces & Places was developed through a unique collaboration between the National Heart Foundation of Australia, the Australian Local Government Association and the Planning Institute of Australia to encourage local governments to create communities where structure, design and placement lead to healthier outcomes and people-friendly places. A key aim of this training is to facilitate and encourage people to become enthusiastic advocates of Healthy Spaces & Places.

The raining helps participants to:

• Develop an understanding of the relationship between health, wellbeing and the built environment and how the evidence research base supports this.
• Familiarise with the design principles that relate to cities, towns and suburbs in urban, regional and rural areas that influence health and wellbeing.
• Learn where to source material, tools and research that assists you to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between health and the built environment.
• Build capacity to convert the principles into practice through the use of interactive session and cast studies.

The training focuses on 10 Design Principles and success factors for achieving built environments that promote healthy and active living. These design principles are: active transport, aesthetics, connectivity, environments for all people, mixed density, mixed land use, parks and open space, safety and surveillance, social inclusion and supporting infrastructure.

The training is relevant for everyone involved in designing, building and maintaining the built environment and in delivering quality of life outcomes for communities. It has been developed specifically for Local Government and should be considered an essential component for those Local Government areas that are part of the Healthy Communities Initiative.

Those who will benefit from the training are decision makers such as elected members and senior management personnel. The training will also be of great benefit to a wide range of other personnel involved in creating and maintaining community well-being.

Training will be most effective when the participants come from a range of council roles and professional backgrounds (such as urban and social planners, building surveyors, engineers, recreational and environmental health officers, landscape architects cultural planners etc) each bringing different experiences and perspectives.

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Practical Methods for Counting Bicycle and Pedestrian Use (USA)

In January 2012 the Center for Transportation Studies at the University of Minnesota released a report exploring ways to distinguish bicycles from pedestrians when using automtatic traffic counting applications. They found that a vision-based system overcomes many of the shortcomings of existing technologies such as loop counters, buried pressure pads and infra-red counters and developed state-of-the-art algorithms for performing object classification to solve the problem of distinguishing bicyclists from pedestrians.

The primary goal of this project is to develop a practical vision-based bicycle counting system that is capable of automatically processing video stream data of traffic scenes involving bicycle and pedestrian activity and estimating their traffic counts. Upon a successful deployment this can be potentially the cheapest and easiest method to do the counting. This is due to the fact that cameras are inexpensive and in many places we will be able to leverage the already existent security cameras, which can reduce incurred expenses further.

While cutting costs is important, processing videos for getting bicycle counts is non-trivial and involves state-of-the-art machine learning and computer-vision algorithms. Based on practical experience from developing similar systems in the past for the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), we have addressed some key issues from a scientific perspective to improve our algorithm software. Upon further testing, we evaluate the efficacy of our new algorithm and obtain improved performance. The new algorithm is more precise as it exploits the localized appearance characteristics of a bicyclist and a pedestrian. The particular challenge is that a bicyclist is a combination of a bicycle and a person. Also the algorithm is faster and can process more hours of video in a day, thereby saving time and hence costs.

The new algorithm is not specific to bicyclists and pedestrians; it can also be extended to other vision-based recognition tasks such as vehicle class type (sedan, SUV, etc.) estimation, traffic estimation, etc. Albeit the parameters for the algorithm have been fine tuned for optimal performance with respect to bicyclist classification and counting.

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Los Angeles Bicycle Master Plan (USA)

The County of Los Angeles Bicycle Master Plan was approved in February 2012. The plan proposes a vision for a diverse regional bicycle system of interconnected bicycle corridors, support facilities, and programs to make bicycling more practical and desirable to a broader range of people in the County. The plan is intended to guide the development and maintenance of a comprehensive bicycle network and set of programs throughout the unincorporated communities of the County of Los Angeles for 20 years (2012 to 2032).

The plan proposes to build on the existing 144 miles of bikeways throughout the County, and install approximately 832 miles of new bikeways in the next 20 years.

Along with the proposed bikeway network, the plan outlines a range of recommendations to facilitate accomplishing the regional goals of increasing the number of people who bike and the frequency of bicycle trips for all purposes. This will be accomplished by encouraging the development of Complete Streets, improving safety for bicyclists, and increasing public awareness and support for bicycling in the County.

The recommendations include bicycle infrastructure improvements, bicycle-related programs, implementation strategies, and policy and design guidelines for the unincorporated communities of the County of Los Angeles and where the County owns property or has jurisdictional control, such as along flood control facilities.

County of Los Angeles Bicycle Master Plan | 47.2 MB PDF

Getting the British back on bicycles: the effects of urban traffic-free paths on everyday cycling (UK)

This research paper, by Tim Jones, was published in  the journal Transport Policy in February 2012. The paper presents research which aimed to identify the contribution of a typical section of the UK's National Cycle Network urban traffic-free path in encouraging cycling for everyday travel amongst a community living adjacent to this type of intervention. The paper concludes that provision of urban traffic-free cycle paths alone may be insufficient in encouraging a shift from car to cycling for everyday travel purposes.

The UK National Cycle Network (NCN) developed by the transport organisation, Sustrans, is a significant policy intervention aimed at encouraging cycling. Around half of the population is purported to live within one mile of the 20,000 km Network. Traffic-free paths (separated from the public highway away from motor traffic) form about one third of the Network but account for around 80% of trips. The importance of NCN urban traffic-free paths in encouraging people to cycle is often assumed but despite large aggregate datasets characterising users, there is no research on the effects on the local communities which they serve.

First, the paper outlines the characteristics of the NCN, the philosophy behind the development of urban traffic-free paths and the barriers to cycling which such interventions seek to overcome. Then findings of a controlled cross-sectional survey of two neighbourhoods in a medium size town in the English Midlands (which are demographically similar except that one is located adjacent to a section of NCN urban traffic-free cycle path intervention) are discussed.

In conclusion the paper reveals that provision of NCN urban traffic-free cycle paths alone may be insufficient in encouraging a shift from car to cycling for everyday travel purposes. The data from the study corroborates evidence that suggests that a wider co-ordinated multi-faceted approach to promoting cycling is required which combines social marketing with physical measures including; wider speed restrictions in urban areas, investment in high quality segregated cycle facilities on major roads, and general land use and transport policies that ‘advantage cycling’ and reduce the convenience of the car.

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Cycling to work in 90 large American cities: new evidence on the role of bike paths and lanes (USA)

This research, by Ralph Buehler and John Pucher was published in the Journal Transportation in 2012. The results are consistent with previous research on the importance of separate cycling facilities and provide additional information about the potentially different role of paths vs. lanes. The analysis also revealed that cities with safer cycling, lower auto ownership, more students, less sprawl, and higher gasoline prices had more cycling to work.

The article analyses the variation in bike commuting in large American cities, with a focus on assessing the influence of bike paths and lanes, which have been the main approach to increasing cycling in the USA.

To examine the role of cycling facilities, we used a newly assembled dataset on the length of bike lanes and paths in 2008 collected directly from 90 of the 100 largest U.S. cities. Pearson’s correlation, bivariate quartile analysis, and two different types of regressions were used to measure the relationship between cycling levels and bikeways, as well as other explanatory and control variables. Ordinary Least Squares and Binary Logit Proportions regressions confirm that cities with a greater supply of bike paths and lanes have significantly higher bike commute rates—even when controlling for land use, climate, socioeconomic factors, gasoline prices, public transport supply, and cycling safety.

Standard tests indicate that the models are a good fit, with R ² ranging between 0.60 and 0.65. Computed coefficients have the expected signs for all variables in the various regression models, but not all are statistically significant. Estimated elasticities indicate that both off-street paths and on-street lanes have a similar positive association with bike commute rates in U.S. cities.

Our results are consistent with previous research on the importance of separate cycling facilities and provide additional information about the potentially different role of paths vs. lanes. Our analysis also revealed that cities with safer cycling, lower auto ownership, more students, less sprawl, and higher gasoline prices had more cycling to work. By comparison, annual precipitation, the number of cold and hot days, and public transport supply were not statistically significant predictors of bike commuting in large cities.

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Open Streets Guide (USA)

Open streets initiatives temporarily close streets to automobile traffic, so that people may use them for just about any activity but driving. As of early 2012, there are more than 70 known initiatives in the North America. In February 2012 the Open Streets Project published a comprehensive guide which includes an introduction to open streets, best practices, 67 case studies and links to further resources.

The Open Streets Project was formed to share information about open streets and increase the number, size, and frequency of initiatives occurring across North America. The open streets movement has grown from 11 initiatives in 2005 to more than 70 in 2012.

Open Streets website openstreetsproject.org

Open Streets Guide 

AustCycle Teacher Accreditation Program (Australia)

The AustCycle Teacher Accreditation Program (ATAP) Level 1 course trains people to provide a wide range of cycle training programs from beginners learning how to ride through to teaching cyclists how to ride in traffic environments. Courses are running throughout Australia from March to May 2012.

AustCycle Teacher Accreditation Program courses will be held nationally in the coming months:

• Melbourne (VIC) on Sat 3 March – Sun 4 March
• Mudgee (NSW) on Sat 24 March – Sun 25 March
• Geraldton (WA) on Sat 31 March – Sun 1 April
• Sydney (NSW) on Sat 31 March – Sun 1 April
• Gold Coast (QLD) on Sat 14 April – Sun 15 April
• Darwin (NT) on Sat 21 April – Sun 22 April
• Perth (WA) on Sat 28 April – Sun 29 April
• Cairns (QLD) on Tues 22 May – Wed 23 May

 AustCycle is implementing a national cycling education strategy and will be holding training courses to assist community instructors/teachers gain national accreditation in training the community in cycle education. 

Places on the AustCycle Teacher Accreditation Program courses are strictly limited. Course Application form attached. To secure your place on course, please return the Course Application form as soon as possible.

To become an accredited AustCycle Teacher, the following supporting documentation needs to be supplied (preferably pre-course or promptly post-course):

• current "Working With Children Check"
• current First Aid qualification
• one of the following certificates: Beginning Coaching General Principles course (refer to note below) or Level 1 Coach Accreditation (recognised by NCAS) or CycleSkill Coach Accreditation or Registered School Teacher with a Bachelor of Education (or equivalent School Teacher university qualification)

Note: The Beginning Coaching General Principles course is a free online course provided by the Australian Sports Commission. This short course can be access and completed online.  https://learning.ausport.gov.au/

The above documentation can be supplied via:

• Email: scanned copies to education@austcycle.com.au (preferably)
• Fax: attention Meredith Gray (02) 9339 5888
• Post: AustCycle, National Education Coordinator, PO Box 6310, Alexandria NSW 2015

 

Background on AustCycle and the Teacher Accreditation Program

AustCycle has been developed to provide all Australians access to consistently high quality training, through accredited cycle instructors (called Teachers). The AustCycle Teacher Accreditation Program (ATAP) Level 1 course focuses on training Teachers to provide a wide range of cycle training programs from beginners learning how to ride through to teaching cyclists how to ride in traffic environments. Accredited AustCycle teachers focus on teaching all ages, ability levels and backgrounds the skills and confidence to ride safely in order to improve public health, support the environment or reduce traffic congestion.

 

Further Information

Available at the official AustCycle website www.austcycle.com.au.

AustCycle looks forward to training and accrediting more AustCycle Teachers nationally and ultimately increasing the community’s access to AustCycle programs. AustCycle: promoting Skills, Confidence and Safety.

View Attachment

Mobility Management Monitors (EU + UK)

In February 2012 the European Platform on Mobility Management (EPOMM) released a series of reports about the mobility management policies, projects and data in 26 countries. The standardised reports have background information about each country including mode splits and trends and an overview of transport planning.

The reports also have a list of the organisations and individuals responsible for mobility management in each country. Reports are available for the years 2011, 2010 and 2009 for:

• Austria
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Italy
• Lithuania
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• United Kingdom

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NT School Road Safety Centres (Australia)

The Northern Territory Government's Road Safety Centres are located at Newland Park in Alice Springs and at Parap Road Safety Centre in Darwin. Both centres are operated by Road Safety Officers from the Road Safety Branch. Children are taught about road and bicycle safety in a classroom situation and then proceed to a practical lesson on a miniature road system.

The lessons are conducted by trained Road Safety Officers during school hours. The lessons are approximately one and half hours in duration and teachers may request that the lesson covers specific topics.

Times and dates available to visit the Road Safety Centre are during normal school hours and is a free service.

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Community Attitudes to Road Safety—2011 survey report (Australia)

This report documents the findings from the Department of Infrastructure and Transport's 2011 survey of community attitudes to road safety. The issues examined include: perceived causes of road crashes, exposure and attitudes to random breath testing, attitudes to speed, perceptions of police enforcement, mobile phone use while driving, reported usage of seatbelts, involvement in road crashes, and experience of fatigue while driving.

The twenty-second in a series of national surveys on community attitudes to road safety was conducted in May and June 2011.  A total of 1,555 interviews were conducted with persons aged 15 years and over.

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NSW Government Cycling Actions (Australia)

The NSW Government is implementing a wide range of actions to improve cycling infrastructure and encourage bike-riding. Cycling programs are also being reviewed as part of work on a new Long Term Transport Master Plan for NSW.  

The NSW Government is delivering an extensive program of actions to grow cycling, in line with a policy of support for this mode, and associated NSW 2021 targets. NSW cycling actions are consistent with the Australian National Cycling Strategy 2011-2016, including doubling by 2016 the use of cycling for trips under 10 km in Greater Sydney. Actions  by the NSW Government include building bicycle infrastructure to give people more safe places to ride, away from busy traffic, plus supporting policies and initiatives involving many different government agencies, businesses and community organisations. All NSW cycling actions are being reviewed as part of work, led by Transport for NSW, on a new Long Term Transport Master Plan for the State.

 

Find out more about NSW Government cycling initiatives at bicycleinfo.nsw.gov.au

2011 Bicycle Count Report City of San Francisco (USA)

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) 2011 Bicycle Count Report was released in February 2012. The bicycle counts inform bicycle planning efforts in the city, provide the data needed to evaluate the efficacy of the bicycle network, and help identify locations where additional infrastructure improvements may be needed.

Key Findings in San Francisco Bicycling for 2011

• Since 2006 when 4,862 riders were counted, counts have increased an impressive 71% to 8,314 riders (August) and are up 7% since 2010
• A sample of 10,139 riders (September) were manually counted in the peak 90 minutes; approximately 75,000 bike trips occur each day out of 2.2 million total trips across all modes
• SFMTA survey data in 2011 indicate that 3.5% 3 of all trips in San Francisco are made by bicycle, a 75% increase in mode share since 2000 when bicycling was 2% of daily trips
• Late September has 18% more riders than early August
• 94% of riders use bicycle facilities as designed

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Road User or Abuser: Safety Campaign (Australia)

In February 2012 the Victorian Minister for Roads, Terry Mulder, launched a VicRoads' safe cycling campaign, titled 'Road User or Abuser.' The campaign is designed to improve the relationship between Victorian drivers and bike riders and is hosted on a purposely built Facebook page.

In the last five years, an average of 457 bike riders were seriously or fatally injured on Victoria’s roads. VicRoads conducted segmentation research in Victoria to identify and profile groups of bike riders, including the best way to communicate with them. The Road User or Abuser campaign has been developed on the basis of the segmentation research.

The social media awareness campaign, Road User or Abuser, is the first of its kind, using a Facebook page as a forum for bike riders and drivers to come together to discuss their concerns about sharing Victoria's roads.

Minister for Roads Terry Mulder said the Road User or Abuser campaign addressed key road safety issues - including a lack of knowledge of cycling related road rules by both bike riders and drivers - and bike riders breaking key road rules when they think it's safe to do so.

"We know many bike riders feel that drivers resent their presence on the roads, and many drivers are unaware of the challenges faced by bike riders, or even realise they are there," Mr Mulder said.

"Eighty-eight per cent of drivers and bike riders agree there needs to be greater mutual respect between road users.

"Eighty-three per cent agree that behaviour on the road is too aggressive and rude compared to our behaviour in other aspects of our lives."

Research findings show that not only are driver and bike rider attitudes toward each other at times negative, so are some of their behaviours.

"While 87 per cent of bike riders and drivers believe bike riders are more vulnerable than drivers on the roads, only 52 per cent believe that drivers actually look out for bike riders," Mr Mulder said.

Dangerous driver behaviour among the most common causes of police reported crashes involving bicycles on Victoria's roads include:

• opening a car door without checking for approaching bike riders (approx. 20% of bike/car crashes in the Melbourne CBD and surrounds)
• driving across the path of an oncoming bike rider (approx. 30% of crashes in Victoria)
• bike riders being hit from the side or from behind (approx. 20% of crashes in Victoria)

Bike riders also need to do their bit by wearing a helmet, using bicycle lights to make sure they are visible, riding in bicycle lanes where they are provided and stopping at red lights.

"It is important that drivers and bike riders take shared responsibility for staying safe on Victoria's roads. Even though the majority of bike riders know the road rules, according to the research there is a minority who continue to flout the law," Mr Mulder said.

"While most bike riders ride to minimise risk, some see risk taking as acceptable, and may be prepared to break road rules if they think it is safe and they will get to their destination faster."

Mr Mulder said the popularity of cycling has increased dramatically over the past 10 years.

"For bike riders, riding is a means of transport, a form of fitness and a way to keep in touch with friends who are fellow bike riders. But the culture of cycling is relatively young in Victoria, so bike rider and driver behaviour needs to improve to make sure everyone shares the road respectfully," Mr Mulder said.

Mr Mulder said an online community discussion will be held on VicRoads' new Road User or Abuser Facebook page, encouraging bike riders and drivers to discuss their concerns with each other.

"The Road User or Abuser Facebook page provides an excellent opportunity to clear up misconceptions about the road rules and address issues relating to road safety. A simple quiz asks drivers and bike riders to reflect on their own on-road behaviour and for some, the results may be surprising," Mr Mulder said.

The Road User or Abuser campaign will address a key topic each week over six weeks of the campaign, including relationships, rules and tips, visibility, points of view, confessions and conciliation. Any other hot topics identified during the campaign will also be addressed.

All drivers and bike riders are urged to log on to VicRoads' new Road User or Abuser page, take the quiz and start talking about the issues they face when on the road.

Link to Facebook page

www.facebook.com/RoadUserOrAbuser

Campaign video

Changing gears: bicycling as the panacea for physical inactivity? (Australia)

This editorial published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in March 2011 summarises the health benefits and risks of cycling, and describes current controversies and evidence challenges for cycling policy and promotion. 

The bicycle is a means for individual health-promoting behaviour, is a clinical tool for rehabilitation and a societal tool for contributing to a healthier environment.

Until recently there has been promising yet limited evidence on cycling-specific health benefits. A new systematic review identified 16 studies focusing on cycling-specific health outcomes. The studies identified a consistent positive relationship between cycling and cardiorespiratory fitness and functional benefits in boys and girls. Furthermore, they demonstrated improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness and disease risk factor profiles. Several longitudinal epidemiological studies have shown a significant risk reduction for all-cause and cancer mortality and for cardiovascular disease, colon and breast cancer, and obesity morbidity in middle-aged and older men and women.

There are also cycling-associated risks, especially traumatic injuries (requiring acute clinical treatment) and non-traumatic injuries. Next are the potential risks of exposure to poor air quality among cycle commuters. However, a recent analysis has compared the risks and benefits, and estimated that the life expectancy gained as a result of increased physical activity was many times larger (3–14 months gained) than the lost life expectancy due to increased air pollution (0.8–40 days lost) and increased traffic accidents (5–9days lost), when shifting from a car to cycle commuting in urban settings.

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A Guide to Urban Transport Innovation (EU)

NICHES+ Study Tour Catalogue is a guide to urban transport innovation. Its aims to provide urban transport professionals and local decision makers an overview of European towns and cities that successfully implemented innovative strategies which have the potential to become mainstream transport solutions. The Guide has a section on cycling facilities and case studies demonstrating bicycle storage, combining cycling with public transport, and public bicycle schemes.

The featured cities have been selected by urban transport experts within the scope of the EU funded projects NICHES and NICHES+, which studied and promoted a range of innovative approaches within a number of thematic areas, such as accessibility, infrastructure and interchanges, traffic management, automated and space-efficient transport systems, urban freight, etc.

Cycling case studies are drawn from Basel, Berlin, Copenhagen, Eindhoven, Ghent and Paris.

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Cities Fit for Cycling: Safety Campaign (UK)

UK newspaper The Times launched a high profile cycle safety campaign in January 2012. The campaign was instigated when a Times journalist was hit by a lorry just metres away from her place of work. This event encouraged The Times to look into cycling culture and infrastructure in British cities, finding that 27,000 cyclists have been killed or seriously injured in the UK in the last ten years.

The campaign has an eight point manifesto:

1. Trucks entering a city centre should be required by law to fit sensors, audible truck-turning alarms, extra mirrors and safety bars to stop cyclists being thrown under the wheels.

2. The 500 most dangerous road junctions must be identified, redesigned or fitted with priority traffic lights for cyclists and Trixi mirrors that allow lorry drivers to see cyclists on their near-side.

3. A national audit of cycling to find out how many people cycle in Britain and how cyclists are killed or injured should be held to underpin effective cycle safety.

4. Two per cent of the Highways Agency budget should be earmarked for next generation cycle routes, providing £100 million a year towards world-class cycling infrastructure. Each year cities should be graded on the quality of cycling provision.

5. The training of cyclists and drivers must improve and cycle safety should become a core part of the driving test.

6. 20mph should become the default speed limit in residential areas where there are no cycle lanes.

7. Businesses should be invited to sponsor cycleways and cycling super-highways, mirroring the Barclays-backed bicycle hire scheme in London.

8. Every city, even those without an elected mayor, should appoint a cycling commissioner to push home reforms.

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Innovative Cycling Facilities for Interchanges (EU)

This guideline provides an outline of the benefits and costs of installing cycling facilities at public transport interchanges. The document was published in 2010 by the EU project NICHES which aims to promote innovative measures for making urban transport more efficient and sustainable and to move them from their current 'niche' position into a mainstream urban transport application.

The guidelines recognise that installing cycling facilities at public transport interchanges: reduces the need for car ownership and use; increases the combined usage of public transport and bicycles; and helps the shift towards sustainable modes. The document provides advice about the installation of facilities such as bicycle parking and public bicycle docking from concept, to installation to operation.

It includes case studies form the Netherlands, Sweden, Hungary and the UK.

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