We want healthy, liveable cities and to cut emissions to net zero. Getting more people to use bicycles instead of cars will go a long way towards achieving these goals.
À Berlin, le 4 juin 2023, près de 30 000 cyclistes ont fait campagne pour de meilleures conditions de pratique du vélo.
Shutterstock/Mo Photography Berlin
A new study finds congestion charging and creating car-free streets and separated bike lanes have been most effective at reducing car use in European cities.
Building a culture of cycling is essential, especially where bike use is low. A global movement of community bike workshops, also known as bike kitchens, can help.
In Paris, the major east-west axis, from the Place de la Concorde to the Place de la Bastille, as given a temporary ‘coronapiste’ after the pandemic broke out. Mayor Anne Hidalgo has said that it will become permanent.
Mairie de Paris
The need for social distancing sparked a cycling boom, cutting air pollution and boosting city dwellers’ mental and physical health. But when the pandemic ends, will it be back to life as usual?
Investing more in cycling and walking would boost both physical and economic health, with a typical return of $5 for every $1 spent on cycling infrastructure.
Liang Ma, RMIT University and Runing Ye, The University of Melbourne
Workers with long commutes are more likely to become sick. They also receive less net income (after deducting travel costs) and less leisure time.
If cyclist-friendly cities like Copenhagen can offer abundant and conveniently sited parking space for bikes, why not Australian cities?
Grey Geezer/Wikimedia
If cities had backed their active transport goals with investment in adequate cycling infrastructure we might not be having the arguments about dockless bikes ‘littering’ public space.
Electric scooters could solve the ‘last mile’ problem of urban transport if operators learn from the mistakes that plagued the introduction of dockless bikes.
CrowdSpark/AAP
Shared electric scooters appeal as a way to cover that awkward distance between public transport stops and your destination. But first e-scooter operators must solve the littering and dumping problem.
Only in a few active travel strongholds, typically in the inner city, do Australian cycling and walking rates get close to those in Europe.
Andrew Robinson/Flickr
A comparison of Australian cities reveals cyclists and walkers are still very much a minority of commuters, despite the economic, health and environmental costs. Action on three fronts is needed.
Bike lanes in South Africa were meant to encourage commuter cycling and ease congestion but in Johannesburg the initiative garnered more outrage than support.