Good news from Australia:
The cycling industry says the Federal Government will save money in the long term if it invests $800 million now in bicycle infrastructure.
Call for more bike lanes: The scene at last year's Ride to Work Day in Melbourne (ABC: Timothy Marshall)
The Cycling Promotion Fund has submitted a proposal to Infrastructure Australia, asking the Government to fund the construction of physically separated bike lanes and major cycleways in capital cities.
Spokesman Elliot Fishman says the Government should see the proposal as an investment for the future.
“It’s cheaper to invest in it than not invest in it because the benefits that you get in term of obesity and diabetes, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and traffic congestion and also costly petrol, it actually pays for itself by a factor of three to one,” he said.
“So it’s cheaper to do it than not to do it.”
The submission proposes projects including $30 million cycle-way between North Sydney and the CBD, and a bicycle bridge over the Brisbane River.
Mr Fishman says the plan would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging more people to leave their cars at home.
“We took a look at some of the international evidence about how cities had developed a strong bicycle culture and one of the key things they’ve done is develop on-road bicycle lanes that are physically separated from the rest of the traffic so that cyclists don’t have to contend with much larger and faster moving vehicles,” he said.
“And that’s something that helps more people make the decision to get out there on their bike.
Today is National Ride to Work Day, designed to promote bicycle commuting.”
Next step: abolishing the helmet laws.
WHAT TO DO NOW?