report – canberra.bike

Mountain biking: ACT is lagging

Mountain bike path and the Brindabella Ranges, Dairy Farmer Hill, National Arboretum.

ACT prides itself on mountain biking, but the investment in the ACT is at the back of the pack, after every state except South Australia.

Where we cycle to from home

The destinations we cycle to, not surprisingly, depends on where we live. The 2017 ACT Household Travel Survey breaks down the trips depending on the “region” of origin (district). The most likely destination is always the same district (locally). Beyond that, the charts below tell the story.

The 2017 ACT Household Travel Survey has been introduced and key facts discussed elsewhere on canberra.bike.

ACT and Queanbeyan-Palerang Household Travel Survey (ACTQP HTS)

The 2017 travel survey for Canberra from the ACT Government. The survey tells us a great deal about Canberra but the top facts are worth keeping in mind. Here are the top facts for the ACT, Belconnen being the example.

The 2017 ACT and Queanbeyan-Palerang Household Travel Survey (ACTQP HTS) can be found here.

Australian Infrastructure Audit 2019

The Australian Infrastructure Audit 2019 is published by Infrastructure Australia to model Australia’s infrastructure needs in the coming decade, and includes transport infrastructure. The Austroads’ Australian Cycling Participation 2019 survey showed that cycling has decreased in the last decade in Austalia. The Australian Infrastructure Audit 2019 predicts this is unlikely to change in the next decade in the ACT.

National Cycling Participation Survey

The National Cycling Participation Survey is unusual for Australia. It is a standardised survey that has been repeated every two years since 2011. Repeating the survey regularly is the only way to find and analyse trends. The survey provides data on cycling participation across Australia and estimates of participation in the ACT, too.

Mountain biking as a missed opportunity

Mountain biking is described in glowing terms. The ACT Greens submission to “The best of Canberra mountain bike experience” consultation last year is worth reading. It is well researched. Mountain biking is good value you for money and hampered by the inability of Government to exploit it.

“It appears that issues are currently managed through a collection of internal and disparate processes, which can be difficult for the public to understand, … aren’t conducive to making good long term strategic decisions.”
ACT Greens submission to “The best of Canberra mountain bike experience”, 2019

Canberra MTB Report 2019

Mountain bike cyclist. Photo by Daniel Frank on Pexels.com

Surprise! “The best of Canberra mountain bike experience” consultation has come back with a report. The Canberra Mountain Bike Report has been prepared by TRC Tourism Pty Ltd for ACT Parks and Conservation Service. It can be downloaded here.

How Canberrans use their bike

The National Cycling Participation Survey tells us how Canberrans use their bike and what they think about cycling.

Safe roads for kids

Navigating roads is a challenge for cyclists and pedestrians – both the very old and young are particularly vulnerable. There are ways to make roads safer for children:

“such as traffic calming methods like speed bumps to slow vehicle speed, creating mechanisms to separate pedal cyclists from vehicles, such as cycle pathways, and increasing a child’s road safety knowledge and traffic skills.”
There are ways to reduce injuries in kids that don’t involve wrapping them in cotton wool, The Conversation, 16/6/2017

Cycling injuries to children

Cycling road fatalities are not all that common but injuries are. Navigating roads are in cities is a constant challenge for vulnerable road users including cyclists and pedestrians. The very old and young are, particularly at risk. We want to reduce cycling injuries on the road and not least for our kids.