The Western Australian - The Bike Boom

[Mrfenejeans]

The West in today's paper has included a 4page Lift out entitled "The Bike Boom" which includes increased numbers of cyclists , the savings cyclists pass on, and What bike is for you(giving the average joe an explanation of bike styles).

With a making cycling safer series to start next Monday.


I apologize in advance for the size of the pic.

[Pushy]

Thanks for the post, didn't get the West today. Image size is fine for me.
It certainly has been a noticeable increase over the past few years.

[rolandp]

+1 to posting. I also don't get The West, and look forward to what is published next week.

I did notice the number of cyclists yesterday. Nice weather at last, and the number out there significantly increases.

[Karati]

Have really noticed in and around the CBD lately a huge increase in cyclists getting about. Nice to see!

[embee8]

And there's much more permanent monitoring of the cyclist numbers around Perth.

The company I work for supplies the monitoring equipment to Main Roads WA (and other jurisdictions) and WA data can be viewed at WA DOT Active Transport. Lots of great charts and tables here.

[ColinOldnCranky]

I am not noticing an increase so much as a consistency throughout this year.

Time will tell if th is is more than a response to a truly mild winter this year. I think it has had an effect on me for example.

[ColinOldnCranky]

Link to the article is at http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/lifestyle/a/-/article/15094797/west-australians-get-on-their-bikes/

West Australians get on their bikes

WA has the highest cycling participation rate of any State and new data suggests many West Australians are now using bikes as a mode of transport to work.

The latest national participation study completed by the Australian Bicycle Council and Austroads found that 22.1 per cent of the WA population rode a bike at least once during a typical week.

About two-thirds of these people rode for leisure.

The WA rate is well above the national average of 17.8 per cent and second only to the Northern Territory's 26 per cent.

The national survey found that children had the highest level of cycling participation, including half of all two to four-year-olds, two-thirds of all five to nine-year-olds and one-third of all 10 to 17-year-olds.

All States and Territories recorded a dramatic decrease in participation rates as people got older, particularly in the over-40s group.

The WA Department of Transport has permanent counters placed around the CBD to record the number of bike movements all day every day.

Based on a comparison between the first half of 2012 and the first half of 2011, the number of bike journeys in and out of the city has jumped more than 13 per cent - from 1,683,936 to 1,907,351. This would suggest more people are opting to ride their bikes to work.

The Kwinana Freeway, the most popular path into the city for cyclists, showed an 11.19 per cent increase over the same period.

A spokeswoman for the department said there was no doubt WA was experiencing strong growth in cycling participation, beyond normal population growth.

When numbers began to increase last year, Bicycle Transportation Alliance spokesman Heinrich Benz welcomed the trend but said the total number of people riding to work was still low compared with other cities.

And when _The West Australian _ spoke to city cyclists earlier this year, they all advocated more designated bike lanes so bike riders could feel safer.

"I don't think we need a kerbed-off lane like they have in European cities, but just a line and a cycle stencil," one cyclist said. "This just makes cyclists feel safer and clearly indicates to motorists that the lane is reserved for us."

Designated bike lanes - separated from the road - have already proved popular in Perth.
For example, the recently opened Bayswater to Bassendean path along Guildford Road recorded a 61 per cent increase in cyclist usage in the first full month of operation.

[Magnum9]

Tell you what has increased, the late afternoon bugs! Never seen them so bad.

[dampier]

I have noticed that on the weekends, there are a more families out on the PSP's and at the Subiaco markets, I am struggling to find a lock up point due to the bicycle increase.

[Mrfenejeans]

Tell you what has increased, the late afternoon bugs! Never seen them so bad.

+1, Especially the last few warm days, at one stage a few days ago my arms were just about coated in the things.

[Lizzy]

Tell you what has increased, the late afternoon bugs! Never seen them so bad.

+1, Especially the last few warm days, at one stage a few days ago my arms were just about coated in the things.

+ another, had several get tangled up in my ears on the way home the other night. It's the summer easterlies, blows them all out to the coast - then the SW'ers kick in and blow them all back to the bush again*.

*not science!

[uglybob]

they seems especially bad along the train line from subi to city west!

[hotfoot]

Well I am finding it hard to find time to get out on my bike...so much so I am considering changing jobs so I can find a job I can ride to...at least I'll get some bike time that way.

[RobertFrith]

Spring weather has definitely brought out some noobs - I'm not a fast rider and it's not often I pass riders on smart bikes but I cruised past two this morning. The easterlies we've had will be a bit of a shock to those heading into town from points south and west for the first time

[Aushiker]

The Australian is also jumping on the bandwagon.

Andrew

[RonK]

Western Australian? Jeez, back when I lived in Kingsley, sandgropers would be seriously offended to hear their state or their newspaper called that.

[ColinOldnCranky]

Western Australian? Jeez, back when I lived in Kingsley, sandgropers would be seriously offended to hear their state or their newspaper called that.

And we still are. 'cos Western Australia is the state. West Australian is the people.

Somewhat like Scot and Scotch.

[Mrfenejeans]

West Australian is the people.

I thought is was Westralian, pronounced Wes-tray-an

[ColinOldnCranky]

West Australian is the people.

I thought is was Westralian, pronounced Wes-tray-an

Westralian popped up some time in my midlife - vague personal recollection is that it was used by businesses and marketing and spread. It has now been around long enough and used often enough that I imagine that it is now justifiably a legit word. To my mind it is synonymous with West Australian.

It is fair, however, to assume that we West Australians have existed for a good deal longer than the last thirty years. Hence the pre-existing need for "West Australian".

[Pravda]

Not to get into semantics but the term West Australian really only came about because of the paper, pretty good marketing strategy really.

That aside, another decent piece in the paper today.

[ColinOldnCranky]

Not to get into semantics but the term West Australian really only came about because of the paper, pretty good marketing strategy really.

That aside, another decent piece in the paper today.

After some time discussing this irrelevancy (what else is the internet for anyway?), I have only just noticed that the OP titled the thtread incorrectly.


What is the article today btw?

[Pravda]

[Mrfenejeans]

After some time discussing this irrelevancy (what else is the internet for anyway?), I have only just noticed that the OP titled the thtread incorrectly.

I normally use the Internet to access the News, probably why i got the papers name wrong.

[Aushiker]

For those struggling with Pravda's image (thanks for sharing it but) the article by Kent Accott is available at Yahoo!.com

Andrew

[ColinOldnCranky]

Fot hose after the article referred to, head to http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/15119667/putting-cycling-safety-on-right-path/