Cycling is eco-friendly, inexpensive and good for you so get on your bike

AVOID congestion, reduce emissions, save money – there are plenty of reasons to cycle. Each of us has a choice. You can join the drive, or enjoy the ride, writes Anne Savage, CEO of Bicycle Queensland.

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When I was a kid, my dad would pack us all into the car and we’d drive from Townsville to Adelaide to spend the Christmas holidays with relatives.

Those road trips had a profound effect on me, nurturing a deep dislike of cars, Christmas, and my relatives.

Anne Savage has never owned a car. Picture: AAP Image/Steve Pohlner

Jokes aside, the type of car we had mattered. It was an indicator of social class and an easy way to tell whether we were better or worse off than our neighbours.

One of my family’s favourite stories is of the time mum reversed out of the yard in a hurry and ripped off the Cortina’s door on the fence because my little sister hadn’t shut it fast enough.

We got to school, but I envied the kids on bikes. They seemed more independent and tougher, somehow.

I’m now middle aged and have never owned a car. People often ask me why. Firstly, I’m impatient.

I live and work in a major city and I can get to most places more quickly on a bike. Secondly, cars are a waste of money. Owning and operating a car costs about $225 a week, not including parking.

While cars are associated with movement and freedom, they are parked more than they are driven – in fact, it’s estimated that cars are parked 95 per cent of the time.

And thirdly, I’m fanatical about my health. Cycling is low impact, higher intensity than walking or jogging, and increases strength and muscle tone while improving cardiovascular fitness.

Riding a bike is also better for the planet. Cars account for about half of all transport-related greenhouse gas in Australia every year and about 70 per cent of Brisbane’s air pollution.

Congestion costs this country about $5 billion every year, on top of the $27 million it costs every day to maintain Australia’s transport infrastructure. The taxes Queenslanders pay in fuel excise, registration, and licence fees don’t go close to covering the cost of maintaining and building roads – and never did. (In any case, most bike riders also own cars, and do pay rego for the privilege of being able to ride and walk on our streets).

On the other hand, every kilometre travelled by bike saves the community about 75¢, and riding just 10km to and from work every day will save the average household about $1700 a year.

Even better, international studies have shown that properties within 50m of a bikeway are likely to sell for at least 10 per cent more, and businesses co-located with bikeways enjoy greater sales and revenue.

On average, every dollar we invest in cycling infrastructure will return nearly $5 in economic benefit to Queensland in improved health outcomes, reduced congestion, and lower transport costs.

As far as the economy goes, even a modest investment in cycling tourism could generate hundreds of millions of dollars for the Queensland economy annually, revitalising our regions and boosting small business growth.

The adventure travel market is growing by about 65 per cent a year and bicycle tourists stay longer, spend more, and support smaller businesses.

There is real potential for cycling tourism. Picture: AAP/Keri Megelus

Queensland is the perfect destination for bicycle and electric bike tourism, with some of the world’s best-known mountain bike trails and endurance events.

We are also strongly positioned to lead the world in electric bike research and development, with Queensland companies such as AVE Electric Bikes exporting homegrown knowledge to cycling powerhouses such as Germany and Spain, capitalising on Europe’s early adopter status while Australia drags its wheels.

Encouragingly, about 60 per cent of Queensland homes have at least one working bicycle, and one in four households have three or more.

We can build on those numbers now during planning for transport infrastructure that will connect us to the future.

Major infrastructure projects such as Cross River Rail, Brisbane Metro, Queen’s Wharf, and the riverfront precincts are poised to dramatically change the way we present ourselves to the world.

Each of us has a choice.

You can join the drive, or you can enjoy the ride.

Anne Savage is CEO of Bicycle Queensland