Cycling participation in South Australia has dropped by 20 per cent in the past six years

CYCLING participation in South Australia has dropped by 20 per cent in the past six years — but we want to know how Adelaide can be more bike-friendly. Take our survey for cyclists and have your say.

• Adelaide’s cycle city dream fading away

CYCLING participation in South Australia has dropped by 20 per cent in the past six years, prompting calls for hundreds of millions of dollars in new bike-friendly infrastructure to encourage people to hop on two wheels.

The number of people riding a bike has this year fallen to 239,000, down from almost 300,000 in 2011, according to the latest National Cycling Participation survey.

The annual study found just 14 per cent of South Australians cycled each week – the second lowest of any state behind NSW.

The State Government uses the survey to track the progress of its target of 600,000 cyclists in SA by 2020.

The cycling downturn comes amid new RAA travel data which showed Adelaide had the highest percentage (79 per cent) of people who commuted via a car of any capital city.

Bike SA chief executive Christian Haag said relativity low traffic congestion and availability of carparks in the CBD meant cars remained king on Adelaide’s roads.

The cycling downturn comes amid new RAA travel data which showed Adelaide had the highest percentage of people who commuted via a car of any capital city.

“It is not enjoyable to ride a bike in Adelaide unless you are a confident cyclist,” Mr Haag said. He called on the State Government and councils to develop a “metropolitan cycling strategy”, including a network of separated bike lanes linking the suburbs and city.

He said it would cost about $140 million to “future proof” Adelaide’s cycling needs, and warned continued investment in road projects would only increase – rather than ease – congestion.

“The more car-based infrastructure we build the more congestion will follow,” he said.

Transport Minister Stephen Mullighan last week told State Parliament that he was optimistic about the state of cycling in SA, particularly in the CBD.

“The South Australian government is investing more than $20 million in cycling infrastructure...” Mr Mullighan said.

But Opposition Transport spokesman David Pisoni said the State Government had made “little progress on its promise to make Adelaide a bike-friendly city”.

He said the Liberals would establish an independent infrastructure body to help “identify bike-friendly infrastructure projects” if it wins the March state election.