2016-05-02
Senator Janet Rice
With all the hype around electric and driverless cars, we often overlook the world's most energy efficient vehicle - the humble bicycle.
And despite being on the cusp of its 200th birthday, the bike is still a cutting edge machine which has the potential to revolutionise the way our transport systems work more than any new technology.
We all know about the congestion on our roads.
But congestion won't be solved just by building new roads. That is like loosening your belt to cure obesity – car use will inevitably expand to fill the space.
More cars lead to further entrenching our congestion quagmire and increasing the fossil fuel pollution that suffocates so many cities around the world, turbo-charging global warming.
For such a large problem, there is a smart, cost-effective solution right under our noses.
We need to diversify our transport system with infrastructure, including encouraging people to ride bikes and making sure our bike networks have smart integration with modes like walking and catching public transport.
Half of the car trips in our capital cities are less than five kilometres, which is easily doable on a bike. All we need is the right infrastructure to make these journeys quick, safe and easy.
Doing so will have other benefits than busting congestion and reducing pollution.
It will make us healthier, both physically and mentally.
We are all well aware of the obesity crisis facing this country. Almost two-thirds of Australian adults and a quarter of children are overweight or obese. Each time we jump in a car, we increase the likelihood we'll become obese.
Getting on our bike for half an hour just three times a week reverses these risks, and has demonstrable mental health benefits.
Imagine how you feel coming home from work after being stuck in traffic for half an hour. Personally, it makes me want to jump on the couch and eat takeaway.
Compare that with the feeling of returning from work after a brisk 30 minute ride. There is a sense of achievement, a sense of being alive.
I know which option I prefer.
Investing in safe facilities for bikes increases the number of women who ride.
For instance, before the separated 'Copenhagen' bike lanes were installed along Swanston Street in Melbourne, around a quarter of the people on bikes were women. Now that number is sitting at 45%.
Creating the sort of infrastructure that is needed also saves the taxpayer.
An investment of $1 million builds around a kilometre of bike path – and a pretty fancy bike path at that. In comparison, the much debated East West Link toll road in Melbourne was going to cost around $1 million for every metre of road.
So for the $6 billion pricetag of the failed tollway, we could have invested in over 6,000 kilometres of bike lanes - enough to pay for every bike path and bike lane you've ever wanted in all of Australia's capital cities and still have money left over!
To realise these benefits, we need genuine political commitment.
We cannot leave this to state and local governments alone. This leads to many areas simply missing out because of lack of funds, inefficiencies, and projects ending at council borders.
We need a national commitment to bike infrastructure, as we have for roads, rail and shipping. We need to see the upcoming federal budget take bicycle infrastructure seriously.
As a Senator, I believe in leading by example, riding as much as possible in both Melbourne and Canberra.
We all know about Tony Abbott's love of lycra, but as Prime Minister, he refused to fund any infrastructure project that didn't involve roads.
This meant no federal investment in our trains, trams and buses, and nothing to encourage people to ride their bikes.
When Malcolm Turnbull took over as Prime Minister, there were high hopes that things would change.
Yet his love of selfies on trains hasn't translated to a serious investment in clean transport. Mr Turnbull's announcement of a $1.5 billion investment in Victoria's transport network contained less than 1% for commuter public transport.
And it still had nothing for active transport like cycling or walking.
People around the country are demanding a change.
The Greens Bike Blackspot App allows people to identify where improvements are needed to make travelling by bike safer for everyone.
The increasing popularity of the app, along with great advocacy by cycling groups across the country, is putting pressure on governments to take the concerns of people on bikes seriously.Turnbull insists that his aim is to make Australian cities world-class in liveability, connectivity and productivity.
The Prime Minister has the chance to prove his agility by differentiating himself from his predecessor and funding bike infrastructure in this Tuesday's federal budget.
This is Turnbull's test to get the wheels turning towards a healthier and cleaner future.