Our approach to making and supporting policy is evidence based.

We are focused on creating a cycling friendly Australia, and that is why sourcing and sharing the facts is so important to our party.

As members we come from a wide range of backgrounds and we are various types of cyclists – but what unites us is our passion for cycling and a desire for a safer, more diverse and fun cycling experience.

We also support increased cycling participation; yes, we want to see more cyclists out cycling for their enjoyment and recreation.

Cycling improves:

individual’s health and wellbeing
our communities’ prosperity and environs
our environment’s health and sustainability
our nation’s economy and environment

Below are a list of facts relevant to our vision, mission and policies, and are grouped at a global, national and state level.

If you would like to contribute to our facts page please send your word document, with sources and links, to us at: info@icycleivote.com

Any images that you submit to the ACP you must have approval for public publication (online or print).

The Facts - For Our World

Environment & Traffic

Traffic usage: Cycling mode share for 700 Cities, date
Road Safety in the EU – comparisons, trends and recommendations
More facts and figures from around the world

The Facts - For Our Nation

Cycling Participation

According to the key findings from the Austroads 2013 Participation Survey:

3.6 million (17% of) people ride a bike in Australia each week and 7.4 million (37%) had ridden at least once in the previous year.
Of the Australian voting population (18 years+) 1.5 million (9.5%) had ridden in the previous week and 5.6 million (28%) had ridden at least once in the previous year.
5.1% of Australians are commuter cyclists – i.e. had ridden for transport purposes over the previous week, compared with 14.1% for recreation or exercise, mostly children.
Over a third of our children ride a bike weekly – the highest levels of cycling participation is amongst 2 to 9 year old children where 44% had ridden in the previous week, and 32% of 10 to 17 year olds.
Males are more likely to participate in cycling than females: 21% of males and 12% of females had ridden in the previous week.
55% of households have at least one bicycle in working.
The average Australian household has 1.5 bicycles in working order.

(National and state by state results are available in the survey document – Austroads 2013 Participation Survey)

Cycle infrastructure is underfunded and the ACP is fighting for an immediate increase, quadrupling government cycling funding from 0.6% to 2.4% as a minimum investment of road infrastructure expenditure.

According to the National Cycling Strategy 2011-2016, bicycle expenditure makes up just 0.6% of road related expenditure in Australia, yet 2% of commuters are cyclists.

State and Territory Governments spent $3.7 million promoting and encouraging bicycle use and a further $93.8 million (0.6%) building infrastructure and facilities. In comparison, total road related expenditure in Australia was $15.8 billion in 2008-09 (latest figures available).

The above equates to just $4.20 cents per person invested on cycling infrastructure versus $700.00 per person on road infrastructure (i.e. based on the Australian population of 22.5 million, 2015).

Recognising the social, economic and environmental benefits of cycling, aggressive targets have been set at both commonwealth and state levels for increases in bicycle use, however the reality is that cycling related expenditure levels remain low.

The Australian National Cycling Strategy 2011-16 recognises that increasing the number of people who ride a bike for transport and recreation has a host of benefits to individuals and society.

The strategy has a vision to double the number of people cycling in Australia by 2016.To measure performance towards this objective the Australian Bicycle Council has commissioned a biennial National Cycling Participation Survey to provide estimates of cycling participation (measured in the past week, month and year) across Australia and for each state and territory. The survey was conducted in 2011 and 2013.

What the Census tells us about cycling trends

National Cycling Strategy 2011-2016

1. Promoting cycling as a viable and safe mode of transport, and an enjoyable recreational activity.
2. Creating a comprehensive and continuous network of safe and attractive routes to cycle and end-of-trip facilities.
3. Addressing cycling needs in all relevant transport and land use planning activities.
4. Enabling people to cycle safely.
5. Improving monitoring and evaluation of cycling programs.
6. Developing nationally consistent guidance for stakeholders.

Full report can be found at: http://www.austroads.com.au/road-operations/bicycles/resources/national-cycling-strategy.

The Facts - Government

National Action Plans Integrating Health, Environment and Transport
Infrastructure Australia-Roads-Report (the draft they didn’t want us to see): Spend More Waste More: Australia’s roads in 2014: moving beyond gambling

The Facts - Roads and Road Rules

Should cyclists pay rego? Here is a good summary

The Facts - Health & Safety

Hospital Separations statistics (hospital admissions including cycling injuries, 2009/10)
Transport related serious injuries table 2008-9
Road Deaths in Australia – Monthly Bulletin
Overall leading causes of death
Cycling injuries in Australia – Road safety’s blind spot?
Do the health benefits of cycling outweigh the risks?

The Facts - Environment & Transport Usage

HOUSEHOLD TRANSPORT USE

Source: ABS: 1301.0 – Year Book Australia, 2009–10
READ FULL REPORT

People’s reliance on motor vehicle transport for commuting and that of industry for the distribution of goods, comes at an environmental cost. The transport sector is one of the largest generators of greenhouse gas emissions in Australia, contributing 13.2% of Australia’s net emissions (78.8 megatonnes (Mt) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-e) in 2007. This was 27% above the 1990 level, with an annual growth of almost 1.5%. Road transport was the main source of transport emissions in 2007 (87% or 68.5 Mt), of which passenger vehicles contributed nearly two-thirds (41.9 Mt) (Department of Climate Change (DCC), 2009).

In March 2009, eight in ten people aged 18 years and over used a private motor vehicle to travel to work or full-time study 14% took public transport, 4% walked and 2% cycled (graph 2.2). The use of private motor vehicles has decreased slightly from 82% in 2000 to 80% in 2009 and public transport has increased from 12% in 2000 to 14% in 2009. Our aim is to reduce the percentage of people using private cars and increase both the percentage of cyclists and public transport users.

With your vote, when we win seats in parliament we will be able to negotiate with the government of the day to:

allocate funds to build better integrated public transport, bike storage and more cycleways;
create safer cycling spaces, such as rail trails, cycleways, bike parks and more;
increase the number of cyclists who commute to work and ride for recreation and competition;
and legislate and fund projects to create a cycle friendly Australia.