Northern Cycleway & National Ride to work day

Yesterday was National Ride 2 Work Day. By all accounts it was a great success. There are currently two ride to work days each year in Queensland now, BQ's Ride to Work Day and Bicycle Networks "National Ride 2 Work" day. The national day has the advantage of getting people onto bikes just after the winter chill. While not as big as BQ's even in Queensland yet, it is building. There was certainly more people out on bikes and that was consensus from all over Brisbane. One person said that there were strings of bikes on the Western Bikeway.

As always National Ride 2 Work day is the perfect time to bring to light issues facing people that wish to use the bicycle as a form of transport. This year thanks to the CBD BUG and one of it's members the need for the Northern Cycleway was brought to light again. While the online article is quite lite in detail and need for the cycleway, it is still good that it is getting coverage. What is also encouraging is the fact that both BQ and the local councillors both backed up the calls. This was better then hearing the current councillor that heads active transport sprouting on about how the council is spending money on bikeways, leaving out the fact they have used the same line for the past decade and how there is still no safe way for people of Brisbane's North to access the CBD safely.

There was also an article comparing 4 different commutes from the North. All are of a similar distance. What is most telling is they are all of a similar duration. Now conventional wisdom is that riding the bike would be the standout taking the most time but once again conventional wisdom is flawed when comparing travel times and bikes.

I will leave it this time with a You Tube clip by Bicycle Network on Ride to work day 2012, footage is from Melbourne