Bicycle riders in Hobart are back to pre-COVID levels, with a surge in e-bike usage among women, according Bicycle Network Tasmania.
Network spokesperson Alison Hetherington said the number of people riding during the morning peak has rebounded in recent years.
“The city centre has led the charge with many intersections recording higher than average totals and Molle and Collins streets and Bathurst and Elizabeth streets the highest numbers recorded in the past decade,” she said.
“This was the first year we noted if riders were on standard bikes or e-bikes. Close to 1 in 4 riders were on an e-bike at 23% of all bikes ridden.”
While only 24% of women were riding standard bikes, they made up 43% of e-bike riders.
“This is not surprising as e-bikes help riders to carry more, including small children, and get to their destination without sweating,” Hetherington said.
“In some ways, they can make up for poor infrastructure that normally turns women off riding.”
The data from the ‘Super Tuesday commuter count’, carried out by Bicycle Network volunteers at over 50 intersections across greater Hobart, will be used to plan cycling routes and assess the success of existing infrastructure, according to Kingborough Councillor Amanda Midgley.
“The count data gives us the evidence we need to plan dedicated cycling infrastructure and assess the success of infrastructure that has been built,” she said.
“For instance, we’ve seen a 33% increase in the number of riders moving between the Queens Domain and city centre since the Rose Garden Bridge was finished and we’ll be watching Campbell Street numbers over the next few years now the protected bike lane has been installed.”
Meanwhile, plans to ditch dozens of car parks on Hobart’s Collins Street has caused a heated community debate, with many in the local business community slamming the idea as “ludicrous”.
The two-year trial proposes removing 59 on-street carparks and keeping just 27, while potentially adding parklets, dining spaces and planter boxes.
Alderman Marti Zucco, who opposed the project and called for proper consultation, read an email from an upset business that has operated on the street for 35 years.
“The decision to implement a major infrastructure project such as a bike way on Collins Street requires careful consideration and thorough consultation with the affected community,” Zucco read.
Supporting the trial, Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said cycle lanes are being implemented in capital cities “everywhere” and acknowledged they may not get the support of “100% of businesses”.
