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The tale of 10 years bike commuting data

Bicycle Network’s Super Tuesday commuter count is coming up on Tuesday 1 March 2022, and with a decade of data in the bank, this post-lockdown bike count could be the most insightful yet.

Super Tuesday 2022 will tally people riding at 464 key intersections across 17 Melbourne councils, with the data used by participating councils to assess their bike networks and plan upgrades for the future.

The tale of the past 10 years of bike commuting data in Melbourne is one of steady incline – arming bike advocates with ammunition to push for greater investment in bike-friendly infrastructure to support the growing demand (see graph here).

That was of course until COVID struck, and work-from-home mandates saw bike commuter numbers plummet over the past two years (see figure 1 below) – despite recreation riding numbers flourishing within 5 kilometers of home.

With governments at all levels now firmly focused on bouncing back from the pandemic, Super Tuesday 2022 results could play a crucial role in COVID recovery.

As travel restrictions lift but the latest variant still lingers, our road networks are faced with the challenge of nervous people avoiding public transport as they head back to the office.

But an uptick in bike riding could save our roads from car congestion and signal to our decision makers to further invest in pedalling to a better normal.

“Millions of Melburnians rekindled their love for riding bikes through the darkest days of lockdown”, said Bicycle Network CEO Craig Richards, “but now it is important to keep that momentum rolling!”.

Registrations are also open for volunteers to participate in the count, with count sites still available in Melbourne and Shepparton.

Volunteer counters will receive 6 months Bicycle Network membership or a $60 donation to a charity or community group of their choice. In 2021, Super Tuesday donated more than $46,000.

“Counting on Super Tuesday is not only a great way to contribute to a more bike friendly Australia, but also to raise funds for your sporting club or community group who may have had a tough couple of years,” added Mr Richards.

More information about Super Tuesday including a map with participating councils and count site locations, registrations and more is available at supertuesday.com.au.

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