The fearful locals object to the boy riding on the footpath because he rides too fast,but would also object to him riding on the road because he rides too slow. The same group of people get whipped into frenzied opposition every time the obvious solution is proposed:reallocating road space to build a network of dedicated cycleways separated from motor traffic and pedestrians.
The benefits of separating bikes from pedestrians should not distract from the fact that there is no sensible comparison between the daily carnage inflicted by motor vehicles – with their vastly greater mass and speed – and the risks posed to others by people on bikes,including e-bikes.
More than1000 pedestrians a year are struck by motor vehicles in NSW,an occurrence so commonplace that it is no longer newsworthy. Last year,349 people died on our roads,and nearly 10,000 were seriously injured. Reports of serious injuries or deaths to others caused by people on bikes are almost non-existent. A carelessly ridden bike is a nuisance. A carelessly driven car is lethal.
The benefits of a separated cycleway network extend far beyond those who already cycle. As any transport planner or Balmain resident will tell you,private cars are a terrible way to get around a busy city and building more roads only induces more traffic.
Sydneysiders make over 2 million car trips a day ofless than two kilometres,a distance easily covered by bike. Theeconomic cost of congestion in Sydney is forecast to grow from $8 billion in 2016 to $15.7 billion by 2031. Transport is thesecond-highest and fastest-growing source of greenhouse emissions in NSW,made worse by a boom in the sale ofsuper-sized SUVs and utes. A shift to EVs will do nothing to reduce road trauma,traffic congestion,or the looming public health crisis caused by inactivity.Seventy per cent of children are failing to meet minimum physical activity recommendations,with rates of active travel to school dropping from75 per cent to 25 per cent over the past 40 years.
Cycling is a cheaper,cleaner and often quicker alternative to the car for trips of up to 10 kilometres and a far more efficient use of road space. E-bikes make cycling a viable alternative for more people,over longer distances and hillier terrain,and with cargo or children on board. Despite the hostility towards people on bikes expressed in comments sections and talkback radio,a majority of Sydneysiders either ride or are interested but concerned about mixing with motor traffic.