A pandemic bicycle boom has faded, with the latest statistics showing many people feel it is too dangerous to ride on Australian roads.
There has been a steady decline in people cycling at least once during a 12-month period over the past decade, from about 40% in 2011 down to 34.2% in 2017.
There was a brief spike back to 40% in 2021 during the Covid crisis, but riding declined again to 36.7% in 2023, according to the most recent Cycling and Walking Australia and New Zealand (CWANZ) national survey.
Weekly participation rates went from just under 14% to 18% during the pandemic then dropped back to 15% in 2023.
“The effect of the pandemic appears to have diminished in 2023 such that cycling participation – while higher than would be anticipated on the trend prior to 2019 – has significantly declined from the high levels observed in 2021,” CWANZ found.
Those who do ride are also riding less often. The main reason for not riding a bike was not having one – but about one in five of those surveyed said it was “too dangerous”.
Jennifer Rivera Gonzalez, the Amy Gillett Foundation’s research lead, said a recent road safety inquiry in Victoria heard there had been changes in road behaviour.
“When we go out and we perceive that [behaviour], the less likely we are to ride our bicycles because we can see stress and aggressive behaviour on the road, even road rage, but the truth is that riding a bike is a choice that we make only when we know that we will be safe,” she said.
“One of the things we think about when analysing why does someone choose to ride a bicycle is not only is it comfortable to get there, it’s also why am I going? Am I going on my own, with friends, with a child? Because then there are the skills and infrastructure and all these other aspects that we need to consider for the most vulnerable person that will be riding.
“If it is a child we immediately will say unless there’s good infrastructure, and I know where I’m going and I know I will be seen and respected by other vehicles, that’s the only way I’ll do this trip on bicycle.”
Rivera Gonzalez said there was not enough data to properly understand changes in behaviour or the best solutions. What evidence there was indicated that safe infrastructure – such as the right type of bike lanes – was critical.
“It’s the right type of bike lanes, segregations, with protected intersections”, and also the ability “to find the bike lane and to know where this bike lane is going”, she said.
With a sample of 3,672 households containing 9,419 people, CWANZ found Northern Territorians and Victorians were the most avid cyclists, with Tasmania at the bottom of the pile.
About 5% of those surveyed were confident riders and would take the shortest route even if it was on a busy street. Just over 14% would avoid busy streets, while 41.6% would like to ride, or do ride, but only off-road.
CWANZ, the successor to the Australian Bicycle Council, advises state and territory ministers.
Thirty-five cyclists were killed on Australia’s roads last year, slightly down on the 10-year average of 38.5. About half of those were aged 40 to 64, and most were men, according to the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare statistics show 14,796 bike riders were hospitalised in 2021-22.
Matthew Mclaughlin, from the University of Western Australia, and PhD candidate Peter McCue, from UNSW Sydney’s school of population health, wrote in the Conversation on Friday that people should be worried about the decline in bike riding.
They called for 30km/h default speed limits, safe routes to schools and subsidies for e-bikes.
“Walking and cycling are part of the solution to several of the most pressing issues facing our cities,” they wrote, pointing to better public health and reduced emissions and congestion.
They pointed out that most transport funding goes towards building wider and longer roads “embedding car dependency” – which leads to more driving and ultimately more congestion.
