Aussies Getting on Their Bikes
This past Wednesday here in Australia saw the presentation of the National Bicycling Achievement Awards, as well as the presentation of a report entitled “Cycling: Getting Australia Moving,” compiled by Rob Moodie, Professor of Global Health, Nossal Institute for Global Health.
The key note speaker for the event, Moodie showcased the results of his study (pdf) which, amongst other things, saw that cycling currently saves an estimated $227.2 million per year in health costs alone. Dr. Moodie sayd that “this report demonstrates the considerable benefit offered to individuals and governments by cycling. Addressing the barriers preventing more Australians from cycling will deliver substantial savings to both government and the community”.
Another aspect of the report focused on the hindrances currently in the way of more Australian’s getting on their bikes. With escalating fuel prices the world over, and the health and environmental benefits of riding to work, more and more Australian’s are saddling up and riding in to work. But for many, according to Elliot Fishman, editor of the report and policy advisor with the Cycling Pormotion Fund, “safety concerns, a lack of skill/knowledge and limited bicycle friendly infrastructure and urban design were all found to impact negatively on cycling participation.”
In the wake of this discovery, Peter Garrett, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, announced a $45,000 grant for development of a national cycling training program, that will encourage and train people in the use of bicycles.
As someone who has ridden all his life, and uses cycling as his primary form of transport, I am ecstatic at this news. And I am not surprised at the timing either, coming as Aussie Cadel Evans, with time Silence-Lotto, is considered the hot favorite to win this year’s Tour de France, the premiere cycling, and in my opinion, sporting event of the world.
The media release (pdf) for Garrett’s program noted that “300 grams of greenhouse gas emissions is saved, per kilometre, for every vehicle that is taken off our roads, potentially totalling an average of more than four tonnes of emissions per vehicle every year.” Add to that the health benefits of regular exercise, and this is indeed a good day for Australian Cycling.
credit: naemick at Flickr under a Creative Commons license
