The week’s top bike news from around the world, brought to you every Friday.
Local
Teens targeted for health and happiness
Bicycle Network is embarking on the first stage of a partnership with Coca-Cola. It will become a major national initiative to get Australian teens back on bikes, having fun and adopting the habits of healthy physical activity.
Inner-Sydney bike network a ‘top priority’
The Inner-Sydney Regional Bike Plan, which would establish a 284km bike network connecting the city centre and inner-suburbs is the first bike project ever included as an Early Stage Project on the National Infrastructure Priority List, and brings the project a step closer to securing $185 million in Commonwealth funds over the next eight years that it needs to go ahead.
Funding for a fix up
Melbourne’s Main Yarra Trail, used by over 1,000 riders each day, has received $480,000 in funding for emergency repairs after the pontoon section of the trail was deemed unsafe and closed to the public in June.
Tasmanians call for $1 million a year
Tassy bike advocacy group Cycling South have said that recent infrastructure project approvals, such as the Sandy Bay Walking and Cycling Project, are good, but $1 million in recurring annual funding would go a long way to making Hobart’s roads more bike-friendly.
International
Ghost bikes haunt Scottish parliament
Two ghost bikes representing the latest bike fatalities on Scotland’s roads and a tombstone listing the number of riders killed in recent years have been placed outside parliament as bike advocates push for increased funding for bike infrastructure projects.
Paper helmets for bike share
A group of UK art school graduates have put their heads together to come up with a disposable helmet for bike share bikes. The helmets are made from recycled newspapers left on public transport.
Montreal’s road struggle to accommodate bike boom
While the Canadian city is making many bike infrastructure improvements, bike advocates say it’s not enough to facilitate the growing number of riders on the roads and keep injury rates down.
Health
Exercise flatlining
The ABS has just released the physical activity results from the 2011-13 Australian Health Survey—the largest and most comprehensive health survey ever conducted in Australia—and the news highlights the urgent need to get more people on bikes.
Video
Too many bikes in Amsterdam? Never.
Check out the Dutch response to an article published in The New York Times claiming that Amsterdam is “swamped” by bikes.
[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/70470936 w=500&h=281]
Are there really too many bikes in Amsterdam? from Streetfilms on Vimeo.
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