Fewer of us are cycling – here's how we can reverse the decline
Retrieved on:
Thursday, August 31, 2023
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During the time of pandemic restrictions, when there was less other traffic on the road, people perhaps felt safer to ride.
Key Points:
- During the time of pandemic restrictions, when there was less other traffic on the road, people perhaps felt safer to ride.
- Two-thirds of people want more transport funding to go into walking, cycling and public transport.
- Walking and cycling are part of the solution to several of the most pressing issues facing our cities.
The decline isn’t surprising
- The decline in cycling probably shouldn’t surprise us.
- In the past 40 years, the percentage of children who walk or ride to school has dropped from 75% to 25%.
- Read more:
Cycling and walking can help drive Australia's recovery – but not with less than 2% of transport budgets
Short trips by car – everyone loses
- Two-thirds of these trips could be done by bike in 15 minutes or less.
- So, for example, of the 4.2 million daily car trips in Perth, 2.8 million are less than 5km.
- These short car trips – such as the school drop-off, the short drive to the shops or the local park – are bad for public health, emissions and climate change, road safety and congestion.
Urban sprawl and car use have a high cost
- Urban sprawl makes it less appealing to walk and cycle to our destination, further entrenching car dependency.
- Urban sprawl costs governments too.
3 transport priorities
- In 2022, the Asia-Pacific Society for Physical Activity and cycling advocacy group We Ride Australia proposed three transport priorities for Australia supported by a national alliance of 13 public health, transport, education and climate organisations.
- Safer default speed limits The current default speed limit of 50km/h in built-up areas is unsafe and leads to many deaths and injuries each year.
- Default 30km/h speed limits in built-up areas are an immediate low-cost way to increase road safety.
- For example, this month Wales is set to adopt a default speed limit of 20 miles an hour (32km/h).
- However, to boost walking and cycling to school, parents need to feel it’s safe for their children to do so.
What else can we do?
- As well as the three transport priorities, we can of course take many more actions that would help increase walking and cycling.
- Here are four actions you can take to help boost walking and cycling in your area:
Matthew 'Tepi' Mclaughlin receives research funding from the Australian Government's Medical Research Future Fund and The Government of Western Australia's Healthway. He also receives salary support through the Australian Research Council's Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course. He is a member of the Asia-Pacific Society for Physical Activity and a member of the Active Transport Advisory Group of Westcycle.