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Wednesday 3 September 2014

WA Bicycle Network Plan Needs More Oomph

This review of the WA Bicycle Network Plan is presented here as a contribution to better-informed decision-making in public policy.

The WA Bicycle Network Plan is a useful updating of previous bicycle network plans, but it fails to consider:
- complementary behavioural and encouragement initiatives, to maximise the additional cycling activity created by the bicycle network;
- higher population forecasts than those on which the 2012 draft Plan was based; or
- how the plan is to be effectively implemented over a reasonable period of time.

Education and encouragement, directly linked to infrastructure investment, needs to be added to the Plan. Targeted funding in these areas, especially in conjunction with infrastructure improvements, can increase cycling dramatically.

The Plan should ‘fight its own cause’ by providing evidence of the significant economic benefits of cycling – see the previous post on the STC Blog: ‘Cycle and Walking ARE Economic Activities’ (http://sustainabletransportcoalitionofwa.blogspot.com.au/2014/09/cycling-and-walking-are-economic.html).

Beyond the planning, there are insufficient funds in the WA State Budget to implement this Plan within 10 years. The identified funds for 2015 are about half what is needed, and the following three years are less than a fifth of those needed. There is no indication of, nor commitment to, funding beyond 2017/18.
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Written and posted by Ian Ker, Deputy Convenor, STCWA

Cycling and Walking ARE Economic Activities

This piece is derived from a paper presented to the VeloCity Global Conference, Adelaide, South Australia, 27-30 May, 2014. The full paper can be read at http://www.slideshare.net/Catalystian/140528-ik-paper-v20. It is presented here as a contribution to better-informed decision-making in public policy.

Walking and cycling are too often thought of as primarily having social and environmental benefits, but the economic benefits are even greater and are sufficient in their own right to justify funding of infrastructure and supporting programs.

While they do have useful social and environmental benefits, walking and cycling programs deliver economic benefits that are greater than most people realise, with BCRs of around 3 to 5. This is typically more than most transport BCRs.

The financial benefits of walking and cycling, that is the direct dollar benefits to individuals, are also substantial. Public investment in walking and cycling has the same effect as a tax cut for those who choose to change from car driving for some of their travel.

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Written and posted by Ian Ker, Deputy Convenor, STCWA