City of Joondalup has released results of a community bike survey

THE City of Joondalup has released the results of a community bike survey.

Open from March to April, the survey was designed to establish an understanding of bike riding participation in the City and the motivators and barriers to cycling.

The City received 667 valid responses, of which the majority were regular bike riders with almost two-thirds having cycled at least once within the past week.

Of these respondents, about half indicated they normally ride between five and 30km in a single trip with “exercise/fitness” and “fun/enjoyment” cited as the top reasons for cycling.

Of those who are not regular bike riders, almost half did not feel safe riding a bike and a third did not own a bike.

Thirty-seven per cent of respondents preferred to ride on cycle-only paths, 25.6 per cent preferred on-road bicycle lanes and 24.1 per cent shared paths, with the majority indicating they felt “safe” or “very safe” when doing so.

Where many respondents felt “unsafe” or “very unsafe” were roads with no bicycle lanes, particularly those with medium and heavy traffic.

Respondents would most like to see “more or better” cycle-only paths, dual-use paths and on-road bicycle lanes in the City.

Overall, respondents were moderately satisfied with bike infrastructure in the City, with 39.9 per cent “satisfied” or “very satisfied”.

The results of the survey will now be used to inform future City programs, services and infrastructure.

Mayor Albert Jacob said the City aspired to be the number one bike-friendly City in the metropolitan area.

“We want the bike to be the easiest and most convenient way to get from A to B, and increased bike riding will also result in a healthier lifestyle for our residents,” he said.

“Through initiatives such as the community bike survey and consistent monitoring and reporting of our Bike Plan, we are ensuring that we are listening and taking on board the community’s changing attitudes towards bike riding.

“Ultimately by improving bike infrastructure and enhancing connectivity and functionality it will result in a greener, safer, less congested and more liveable City.”

The next bike survey will be conducted in 2020-21.