Brisbane City Council is boosting bike riding confidence across the city with a free cycling education program encouraging thousands of people to switch from four wheels to two.
Public and Active Transport Chairman Cr Adrian Schrinner said Bike Week marked the perfect opportunity for residents to give bike riding a go and Council’s Cycling Brisbane program was helping riders boost their skills.
“Council’s Cycling Brisbane program has already helped 3,000 riders of all ages and abilities feel safer and better equipped on the road through free workshops and events, with two in every three people admitting they will ride more often as a result of the skills they have acquired,” Cr Schrinner said.
“Over the past few years, we have built more than 130 new off-road bikeways, and the Cycling Brisbane program is helping many riders overcome that final hurdle to give them the confidence to get pedalling.”
Cr Schrinner said experienced cyclists, people who hadn’t ridden in years or even those without their own bikes could join the Cycling Brisbane program and take advantage of the 200 free classes offered each year.
“More than 17,000 people have already signed up to the program which includes members-only discounts, refresher courses, guided rides, kids safety classes, maintenance workshops as well as electric bike introduction sessions, all delivered by cycling professionals,” he said.
“The benefits of bike riding are multi-faceted, whether it’s to get active and healthy, reduce traffic congestion or to lead a cleaner, greener and more sustainable lifestyle, and the Cycling Brisbane program is making it easier for people to start riding and to ride more often.
“Brisbane City Council is investing more in the bikeway network than any other government in Australia and it is already having a positive impact with the number of people riding to work doubling since 2006.
“With more than 2,000 CityCycles available at 150 convenient locations across the city, it no longer matters if you don’t own a bike.
“More than 2.5 million trips have been taken on CityCycles since 2010 and we are now seeing more than 16,000 people taking advantage of the network every week.
“More people cycling means a cleaner and greener city with less traffic congestion and Council continues to help residents get home quicker and safer with its $100 million investment to deliver 35 new bikeways by 2020.”
For more information on the Cycling Brisbane program, visit www.cyclingbrisbane.com.au or phone Council on 3403 8888.