transport-related greenhouse gas emissions in Australia every year and account for about 70 per cent of air pollution in
Zen and the Art of Bicycle Promotion The Culture of a Car-Centric Economy and Prospects for Change Anne Savage CEO, Bicycle Queensland June 2018
“How embarrassing to be human.” Kurt Vonnegut
Culture Change Infrastructure & Safe Systems
Road Safety & Law Enforcement
Cycling Promotion & Healthy Travel
Design for all ages and abilities
Minimum Passing Distance Laws
Market research and analysis
Planning, road design, and traffic management towards harm reduction
Enforcement of Minimum Passing Distance Laws and other regulations
Identifying barriers to cycling and potential solutions
Wide on-road buffered bike lanes
Emphasis on compliance
Discouragement of private car use
Separation to avoid conflict points
Focus on key issues e.g. visibility
Women and children on bikes
Safe speeds and signage
Road safety education campaigns
Access to end-of-trip facilities
Reduce kerbside hazards
Improved awareness of Road Rules
Convenient, secure bicycle parking
Address intersection risks
Combatting driver distraction
Promote multimodalism
Floating bus stops
Targeted strategies and campaigns
Access to training and development
Bike boxes and priority treatments
Better care of vulnerable road users
Provide social opportunities
Outcomes will be sub-optimal with no culture change
Status Quo
Is there a conflict between motor vehicle marketing, road safety goals, and driver behaviours?
How is riding a bike represented? How does this influence perceptions, and misperceptions?
Are road safety campaigns getting the right message through to the right audiences, in an effective way?
Mass media alone does not work. To be effective, campaigns must be targeted to difference audiences, and combined with education and enforcement strategies.
By not issuing fines for unsafe passes, are we being soft on bad drivers? And does this lead to complacency – and risky driving?
Future Vision
Cycling is low impact, higher intensity than walking or jogging, and offers the added benefit of increasing strength and muscle tone while improving cardiovascular fitness.
Every dollar invested in cycling infrastructure will return nearly five dollars in economic benefit to Queensland with improved health outcomes, reduced traffic congestion, and lower transport costs.
Riding a bike is better for the planet. Cars emit about half of all transport-related greenhouse gas emissions in Australia every year and account for about 70 per cent of air pollution in Brisbane.
Owning and operating a car costs about $225 per week, not including parking.
Congestion costs Australia about $5 billion every year, on top of the $27 million it costs every day to maintain Australia’s transport infrastructure.
Why bikes?
International studies have shown that properties within 50 metres of a bikeway are likely to sell for at least 10% more, and businesses co-located with bikeways enjoy greater sales and revenue.
At the population-wide level shifting just 5% of short distance car trips to active transport could result in a reduction of between 20,000 and 50,000 motor vehicle trips per day on our roads.
Every kilometre travelled by bike saves the community about $0.75, while cars cost the community money.
While most people associate cars with movement and freedom, they're parked more than they are driven, in fact, it's estimated that cars are parked 95 per cent of the time.
Riding just 10km to and from work every day will save the average household about $1,700 per year, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 1.5 tonnes annually.
How has infrastructure design evolved to reinforce a car-centric culture? Is there a way back, and forward?
Don’t hate the battle; change the game.
