Those from the western suburbs are hesitant to ride their bikes due to safety concerns, a new report has found.
The report entitled ‘The potential for bike riding across entire cities: Quantifying spatial variation in interest in bike riding’ found that significant number of residents in the west are interested in cycling but were concerned to.
The report found that bike ownership in Melbourne’s inner-west was 67 per cent, the highest across Melbourne.
But at the same time the report found that between 85 and 90 per cent of Maribyrnong residents who completed the survey were interested in cycling but were concerned about it.
In Brimbank and Wyndham it was between 80 and 84 per cent, while it was 65 to 69 per cent in Hobsons Bay.
Bike West president John Symons said he expected the percentage to be high in the west, but it was higher than he expected.
“Local authorities normally talk to people who are already cycling and ask what do they like,” he said.
“They are already riding and tolerating the risks. They never speak to the people who don’t ride and a lower tolerance to cycling.”
