The truly green machine
By Alan A. Parker
The humble bicycle is the truly green machine that can improve access to railway stations and trunk bus routes and be used instead of a car for most local trips, helping to alleviate growing problems of overcrowded roads and air pollution. It can enable many households to do without a second or third car and enhance the mobility of those who don't have a car out of choice or necessity. The map shows that 2.3 million people in Melbourne (75% of the population) live within easy cycling distance (three kilometres) of a station, but only 500,000 live within easy walking distance.
Unfortunately, bicycle theft and vandalism at stations discourage many potential bike-rail commuters. Around 9000 rail patrons have had bicycles stolen or destroyed in the past 11 years. Since the Cain Labor government took office in 1984, there have been repeated promises of measures to combat this problem, but only token actions.
The recent report of the Ecologically Sustainable Development working group on transport recommends encouragement of bicycle access to rail, as does the Senate standing committee report, Rescue the Future. The Senate report says an innovative and cost-effective solution would be to encourage use of public transport through provision of bicycle paths and secure storage facilities. In fact, even bicycle paths are not necessary for about 80% of stations, which are tucked away in quiet back streets. A far bigger problem is the fact that about 100 stations are unstaffed and an open invitation to bicycle thieves and vandals.
In the short term, there is a need for secure bicycle storage in the form of lockers, lock-up rooms and cages, and perhaps closed circuit surveillance. Japan's rail systems already provide such facilities for about 3 million bike-rail commuters. In Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark also, bicycle storage facilities and access are a high priority for public transport authorities.
Failure to provide such facilities here has actually led to a decline of about 9% annually in bike-rail commuting at a time when bicycle sales have been increasing by around 8.5% annually and other types of bicycle use have soared. The high incidence of theft and vandalism rapidly leads to people, and particularly women, losing confidence in the rail system. If theft had been kept to reasonable levels, it is likely Melbourne would have about 7000 bike-rail commuters today, with potential for more than 20,000 by the year 2000.
It seems public transport authorities are actually contributing to car dependence despite the fact that bicycle storage can be provided for around $300 per unit, as against a minimum of $2000, and as much as $6000, for car parking. It seems around 75% of present car-rail commuters come from within three kilometres of the station, easy cycling distance on flat terrain.
[Alan A. Parker is vice-president of the Town and Country Planning Association of Victoria.]