Bike Culture – 2019 Winner

A collaboration between three ACT Government Directorates and a range of community partners is leading the way in creating a positive active travel culture in ACT school children. There has been considerable investment and commitment in recent years to support school-based active travel initiatives led by the ACT Health Directorate, Transport Canberra and City Services (TCCS), and the Education Directorate, including:

– Ride or Walk to School program (for primary schools);
– It’s Your Move Safe Cycle program (for high schools);
– Active Streets for Schools program;
– School Crossing Supervisor program; and
– School Traffic Management Plans.

These initiatives target a range of issues including cyclist and pedestrian safety, traffic management and infrastructure improvements, active travel curriculum resources, educational materials and behaviour change strategies.

Bike Bendigo has developed a suite of programs and events to foster, grow & celebrate Bendigo’s everyday cycling culture. Community rides are held monthly and new festivals introduced such as Bike Palooza Bendigo a month long cycling extravaganza held in October – the 2017 calendar featuring more than 170 rides, events and programs including the Filmed by Bike film festival & a Future Movers Forum to bring road users together in positive road safety dialogue.

Collaborations with artists and businesses have seen the development of bike themed laneway murals paired with bike parking & a series of three impressive underpass murals on the Spring Gully Trail.

BikeBendigoLTU built cycling culture at the university & numerous cycling courses for culturally diverse communities are underway.

“Just in case”, these were the words that sparked the creation of the Sydney Cycling Sisters in 2015. Many Muslim women were afraid to go about their everyday activities in fear of being harassed and abused due to Islamophobia, and would often take male relatives “just in case”.

Created as a safe opportunity for Muslim women to engage socially and be physically active, the Sydney Cycling Sisters offers weekly rides within the Sydney area. Their numbers have continued to grow and cycling has now extended beyond the women and onto the children.

Eighteen months ago, Whitehorse Cycling Club of Melbourne, comprising 330 predominantly retiree members aged 55 to 85, had approximately one serious bike accident (defined as broken bones) every three weeks. A major safety campaign initiated in late 2017 resulted in a reduction of serious injuries to approximately one every four months, with the goal of achieving zero in a twelve month period in line with the TAC’s objective.

The high injury statistics were leading to rising negative emotions amongst members including declining confidence to participate in club rides. The club was concerned that over time, this would harm the image that cycling was a safe form of exercise, and would lead to a decline in member’s social bonding post retirement which is one of the major benefits of social cycling in our club.

A highly successful multi-pronged focus on cycling safety was initiated, covering cycling skills training, bike equipment, high-vis clothing, safe riding communication campaigns, accident scene management, sharing of accident reports analysis and learnings, plus Almoner support to those injured.