Cycling in Melbourne

A cyclist rides side by side with a Melbourne tram on Swanston Street.
One of the few so-called "Copenhagen" cycle lanes in Melbourne

Cycling in Melbourne is an important mode of transport, fitness, sport and recreation in many parts of the city. After a period of significant decline through the mid to late 20th century, additional infrastructure investment, changing transport preferences and increasing congestion has resulted in a resurgence in the popularity of cycling for transport.[1] This is assisted by Melbourne's natural characteristics of relatively flat topography and generally mild climate.

Despite an active cycling culture and an extensive network of off-road paths through some parts of the suburbs, Melbourne lacks the on-road cycling facilities that feature in many comparable cities in Europe and North America.[2][3] Cycling infrastructure expenditure remains low compared to other cities[4][5] and well below international recommendations.[6] The introduction of mandatory helmet legislation (MHL) in Victoria in the early 1990s, the first such legislation in the developed world, may have further exacerbated the decline in cycling's popularity.[7][8] Cycling's transport modal share accounts for less than 2% of all trips throughout the Melbourne metropolitan area,[9] though bicycles comprised 16% of all morning peak-hour commuter vehicles entering the CBD in March 2017 – up from 9% in March 2008.[10]

  1. ^ "Rider numbers flat across country while Melbourne rises". Bicycle Network. 10 May 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  2. ^ Stephanie Chalkley-Rhoden (17 August 2017). "Melbourne is not the world's most liveable city, Canadian expert says". ABC News (Australia). Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  3. ^ View, The Age's (15 September 2023). "Melbourne left trailing in cycling revolution". The Age. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  4. ^ Adam Carey (29 June 2016). "Melbourne's cycling-friendly reputation on the line as bike budgets go flat". The Age. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  5. ^ Colleen Hartland (7 July 2016). "Maribyrnong must lift its game on bike spending". Australian Greens Victoria. Archived from the original on 14 July 2017. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  6. ^ "Urgent investment needed in walking and cycling infrastructure to save millions of lives and combat climate change". UN Environment. UN Environment Program (UNEP). 5 October 2017. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  7. ^ Robinson, D. L. (1 January 2007). "Bicycle helmet legislation: Can we reach a consensus?". Accident Analysis & Prevention. 39 (1): 86–93. doi:10.1016/j.aap.2006.06.007. ISSN 0001-4575. PMID 16919590. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  8. ^ Rissel, Chris (7 December 2011). "Make helmets optional to double the number of cyclists in Australia". The Conversation. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  9. ^ "Trends in journey to work mode shares in Australian cities to 2016 (first edition)". Charting Transport. 24 October 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  10. ^ "Annual vehicle and bicycle counts – March 2017" (PDF). City of Melbourne. Retrieved 13 November 2017.