P Ratcliffe
Department of Urban Services, July 1993
This Section provides a short summary of the data presented in the body of the report. In general it does not attempt to draw conclusions from the data.
The size and extent of cycling data sets are very limited. This leads to considerable difficulty in drawing conclusions or identifying trends based on the data. Cycling activity is especially variable from day to day, and factors such as weather can result in significant daily differences. These differences tend to be more pronounced for weekend recreational cycling compared with weekday commuter cycling. Because some of the data sets are based on data collected for a single day only, great care needs to be taken in interpreting trends or results.
The following summarises the data which has been documented in this report. Care should be taken in drawing general conclusions from these comments.
1. Data collected at ten cycle path sites at similar time periods and at similar times of the year indicate both increases and decreases in average weekday cycle activity over an eight year period. There is insufficient data to indicate a clear trend in cycle activity. Factors which could affect cycle activity on cycle paths include weather, seasonal factors, economic activity, changes to cycle legislation, condition of cycle paths and propensity to ride on or off road. Accuracy of results is limited by sample size, inability to extrapolate the ten sites to represent the cycle path network, and the high daily variability at each site.
(It is recommended that statistical tests are conducted on data to assess if significant differences can be found between years 1984 to 1992, and the extent to which variance can be explained by possible factors discussed in he report.)
2. Average daily cycle volumes measured at 23 cycle path locations for one week during the spring of 1991 and 1992, indicated flows which were generally higher on weekdays than weekends, highlighting their role as an integral part of the journey to work and school network, in addition to their role as recreational facilities.
(It is recommended that statistical tests are conducted on data to assess if significant differences can be found between weekdays and weekends.)
3. Based on automatic counts of cycles for one week at 23 cycle path locations, described in 2 above, mean weekday cycle path daily volumes were recorded in 1992 to be about one third lower than the similar period in 1991, with mean weekend daily volumes declining over the same period by about half. There were twice as many days with rain recorded in Canberra during the 1992 survey period than the 1991 survey period which could have accounted for the reduction in cycling between the two surveys.
(It is recommended that statistical tests are conducted on data to assess if significant differences can be found in data sets between years 1991 and 1992.)
(It is recommended that further work is undertaken to identify the significance of weather and other factors in changes to cycle activity.)
4. The reported differences in 1991 and 1992 daily and peak period weekday and weekend bicycle path traffic may be attributed to a number of possible factors. These include variability due to small sample size (ie there may be no significant difference between the two data sets); the difference in weather conditions during the two survey periods, and possible effects as a result of the introduction of legislation to make wearing bicycle helmets compulsory, which was introduced in the ACT between the 1991 and 1992 survey periods. It should be noted however that by measuring this cycle activity, no causal link between cycle activity and helmet legislation has been established
(It is recommended that market research is conducted to identify if a causal link exists between the helmet legislation and propensity to cycle)
5. School age riders tend to be, with limited exceptions, marginally under represented (in 1992) on cycle paths at both weekdays and weekends, compared with the surveyed population of 'regular' cyclists. (Up to one third of am peak period weekday cyclists are school students, and between 24% and 40% of weekend cyclists are school students, compared with 36% of the population of 'regular' riders3.)
6. Reports of surveys suggest that there have been significant changes to cycle activity in Victoria and NSW during the period before and after the introduction of compulsory helmet legislation. NSW recorded an overall decline of about 26%, with Victoria recording a small overall decline, which masked some increases and some decreases in activity. Both reports expressed caution about the interpretation of these results.
7. Based on a survey conducted over a single morning at City and each town centre, the number of morning peak period cyclists commuting to City and the other three town centres was measured to reduce by an average 21% between November 1991 and November 1992. There were twice as many days with rain recorded in Canberra during the 1992 survey period than the 1991 survey period, which could have accounted for the reduction in cycling between the two surveys.
8. The provision of cycle facilities to improve access through town centres is important in order to provide for the significant minority of cyclists who ride through town centres (between 7% at Tuggeranong town centre to 43% at Belconnen town centre.)
9. The distribution of cycle trips crossing the town centre cordons is not evenly distributed, with some sectors being much more heavily used than others. This information will assist cycle route planners to target the most cost effective improvements for cyclists riding to and through town centres.
10. The work trip mode split to bicycle (1991) is estimated to be between 2% and 6%. Measures of mode split to work are affected by the sample size, time of year and time of day when modes are recorded, and definitions of employment used.
11. Female cyclists may be consistently under represented at all ages and for all trip purposes, with about one third of all surveyed cyclists (in 1992) being female.
12. Female participation in cycling appears to be lowest for work trips and secondary school trips (18%), and highest for adult recreational trips (40%).
13. With the exception of school trips by secondary students, bicycle helmet wearing rates in November 1992 (after the introduction of compulsory helmet legislation) were recorded at greater than 85% for all ages and trip purposes, compared with self reported wearing rates before compulsory helmet legislation of 75%(work), 41% (school) and 42% (recreation).
14. 1992 adult helmet wearing rates were measured at between 85% and 88%, with little variation between male and female riders or different trip purposes.
15. 1992 primary school age children appear to have higher wearing rates (97%) than secondary school age children (75%), when riding to school, with secondary age males having the lowest wearing rates (73%).
16. The helmet wearing rates reported in the ACT compare favourably with equivalent rates in Victoria and New South Wales. They appear to be generally higher both before and after the introduction of legislation.
17. The level of enforcement of helmet wearing has been limited, with 69 adults fined between July 1992 and April 1993, and a small number of school children cautioned in February 1993. No under 18 year olds have been fined despite their lower wearing rates. (Note: Persons under 18 years cannot be issued an on the spot fine, and must be dealt with by summons).
This summary clearly points to the need for further time series, and more extensive data to be collected, together with a range of tests of statistical significance to be conducted, before firm conclusions can be drawn about measures or trends in cycling activity in the ACT.
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