Bike push out of puff

More women cycling but overall numbers are flat for Hobart

WOMEN are jumping on their bikes around Hobart at greater rates, while male cycling numbers are slipping.

The latest count of bike riders in Tasmania’s south shows the overall number of cycling movements has been static for five years, prompting calls for improvements to cycling routes to encourage more people to beat the traffic by pushing on pedals.

Cycling South chairman and Hobart Councillor Bill Harvey said the plateau was “disappointing but expected”.

“The number of people commuting into Hobart in the morning seems to have flatlined,” he said. “We know that unless we are creating or improving cycling routes then there is little incentive for more people to ride.”

The proportion of female riders has reached 35 per cent.

The data follows an annual count of bike riders during a commuter period, from 7am to 9am, on a Tuesday in March.

Bicycle Network Tasmania volunteers count bikes at intersections across Southern Tasmania every year as part of the “Super Tuesday” bike count.

This year there were almost 1000 females counted cycling, compared with about 750 when the count first started five years ago. The number of male cyclists was about 3000 for the first two years of the count, but in the past two years it had dipped to about 2750.

Cyclist Ellen Greenwood, who commutes from Moonah to work in the city, said women were a minority on the bike track but they were out there.

“You see mainly blokes but it’s quite encouraging to see a lot of women out there as well,” she said.

Ms Greenwood started commuting to work a couple of months ago, when she moved to Moonah, because of the convenience of the bike track into the city.

“Riding in is great because it’s free – the parking in town is so expensive,” she said. “It also means I get a bit of exercise into my day, which is great.”

Cr Harvey said Hobart needed to provide more safe environments for cyclists.

“Hobart doesn’t have an integrated cycling network yet,” he said.

Bicycle Network Tasmania public affairs adviser Alison Hetherington also said Hobart needed to add to the network of cycleways.