Jim Pendlebury

Ride2Work peak hour numbers soar
Increases of up to 50% on key routes into the CBD, according to Bicycle Victoria,

by Megan Levy The Age 4/3/2010 March 4, 2010 – 12:47PM.
The number of cyclists on Melbourne's roads has soared by up to 50 per cent during peak hour in the past year, according to new figures.
The biggest increases were recorded in Fitzroy and on the Yarra Trail, according to an audit of cyclists conducted by the state's peak cycling body Bicycle Victoria.


The organisation monitored the number of cyclists on key routes into Melbourne's CBD between 7am and 9am on Tuesday.
Initial figures revealed increases of between 12 and 50 per cent on routes across the city, Bicycle Victoria spokesman Garry Brennan said.
Major changes are:
* Johnston Fitzroy lane up 51%
* Yarra Trail + Gardiners Creek bike path up 50%
* Swanston St CBD route up 25%
Initial figures from Bicycle Victoria's count revealed 1795 cyclists passed through the intersection of Swanston and Flinders streets in the city between 7am and 9am. That was a rise of 25 per cent compared to the previous year.
At the corner of Napier and Johnston streets in Fitzroy there a 51 per cent increase was recorded, which Bicycle Victoria attributed in part to the installation of bike priority traffic signals at the intersection.
At the corner of Brunswick Street and Victoria Parade, numbers were up 21 per cent to 687 cyclists.
The number of cyclists jumped 50 per cent to 1407 at the junction of the Yarra Trail and the Gardiners Creek Trail, however Mr Brennan said that figure may have been skewed by a diversion in place during last year's count.
A detailed analysis of the figures was not expected until the end of next month.
"The statistics show us that the rate of accidents is actually declining as the number of riders goes up," Mr Brennan said.
New Bike Guide help drive the up lift
Helping drive the increase is the new edition of the BikePaths & RailTrails guide which published late last year (RRP $24.95) and is a best seller more than 10,000 copies being snapped up in the first four months!.
It has a full chapter and maps devoted to Ride2Work that includes dozens of inspirational tips on how to get started enjoying the benefits complete with maps and equipment selection ideas and commuters stories.
The guide shows how Ride2Work cyclists are not only saving huge slabs of time, getting much fitter but have thousands of dollars to spare (reported from $6,000 – $15,000) from savings they are enjoying on fuel, car repairs, public transport tickets and parking.

For more info: See Ride to Work on this site: www.bikepaths.com.au or contact:

Mike Sabey
Sabey & Associates
0418 354 732 or Ph 03 9533 8030
image courtesy of flickr