Cycling in Perth

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File:Principal Shared Path Along Perth Motorway I.jpg
Many of Perth's cycling routes run along other transport routes like rail lines and freeways. This makes them popular for commuters.
File:Cycle Lane With Weird Raised Parking.jpg
A cycle lane on a coastal route along the Swan River.

Cycling in Perth, Western Australia is common on the roads and paths for recreation, commuting and sport. Between 1998 and 2009 the number of cyclists in Perth increased 450%.[1]

Cycling Facilities in Perth

On-road Bike Lanes

Bike lanes exist on some of Perth's major roads while many others have parallel Shared Paths.

Bike Routes and Recreational Paths

File:E37 Perth bike route sign NE6 NE15.jpg
Perth bike route guidance sign showing routes NE6 and NE15

There are a great many bike routes and recreational paths in Perth that are popular for cycling for the pleasure of a day or evening out of doors or for light exercise, or as a way of getting around. Nearly all of the paths are "Shared Paths" - shared by cyclists, pedestrians and other users. Some of the major routes include:

  • Perth and Kings Park by bike
  • along the Swan and Canning rivers (a 50 km circuit mainly via shared paths)
  • ride from city to sea (a 12 km ride on shared paths from the Perth CBD to City Beach)
  • ride along the Sunset Coast (a 55 km ride mainly via shared paths) that follows the coast. Wonderful views of the Indian Ocean with many interesting sites and beaches to visit along the way. Joins up with the route at Fremantle.[2]
  • Burswood Park Trail: A very scenic 3.5 km route close to the Perth CBD that takes in Burswood Park and the Swan River foreshore.
  • Ride through the hills. Three separate rides of varying distances through the Darling Range hills situated on the outskirts of Perth. Highlights include forests, waterfalls, orchards and vineyards.
  • Choose from a variety of routes through the Swan Valley area on the outskirts of Perth that is famous for its wineries, restaurants and craft industry.
  • Ride from Armadale to Perth. A 50 km scenic riding route via mainly shared paths from the historic of town of Armadale, along the picturesque Canning River catchment, to Perth.
  • Perth to Fremantle bike route. A 20 km bike route from Perth to the port city of Fremantle.
  • Perth to Midland bike route. A 16 km bike route from Perth to the historic locality of Midland.

Also Rottnest Island, 19 km off the coast of Fremantle, is ideal to explore by bicycle because private vehicles are not permitted on its roads.

Rail Trails and Long Distance Routes

There are also rail trails and long-distance trails, such as the existing Railway Reserve Heritage Trail, and the Munda Biddi Trail, which runs 1,000 kilometres from Mundaring in the Perth Hills to Albany on the state's south coast.[3]

Bicycle commuting

Bicycle commuting in Perth has many adherents, as a number of off-road paths (such as "Principal Shared Paths") are provided on main routes, often paralleling rail lines and freeways, i.e. providing access to the same destinations that motorists and train riders want to go to.

Those who do not wish to ride the whole way to their destination can mix their commute with public transport by park and riding or by taking their bike with them on the train.

Park and ride

Commuting is made easier by park and ride facilities at Perth train stations. There are different types of bicycle parking.

Bike parking areas: Transperth's Bike hubs are secure sheds for locking your bicycle in. They are only locked to the public between 9am and 3pm, therefore those who wish to use them must also use a good quality lock. As of October 2009 they are found at the following suburban train stations: Armadale, Greenwood, Murdoch, Bull Creek, Cockburn, Kwinana, Wellard, Rockingham, Warnbro, Mandurah and Currambine.

Bike lockers: As of October 2009 there are approximately 450 bike lockers at suburban railway stations and major bus stations throughout the metropolitan area. Where available lockers have been positioned in areas monitored by surveillance (closed circuit TV). Users are required to provide their own lock (D lock or padlock) and observe the Conditions of Use that are displayed on alternate doors of each locker set. It is recommended that a top quality padlock that has a hardened steel body and shank be used for security purposes.

Bike racks: Over 200 bike racks are provided at suburban railway stations and major bus stations in the Perth metropolitan area. These facilities are usually located on or near platforms for convenience and security purposes.

Bikes on public transport

Bikes are permitted on all Transperth train services except for city-bound morning peak (weekdays 7.00am and 9.00am) services and trains heading out of the city in the afternoon peak (weekdays 4.30pm and 6.30pm). In fact, bikes cannot depart or pass through Perth, Perth Underground or Esplanade Stations in any direction during these periods - Transperth asks that cyclist get off, ride through the city, then re-board outside of these stations.

Folding bicycles are however permitted in peak times as long as they are in a carry bag, exceed no more than 79 cm x 59 cm x 36 cm in size, and are kept out of the aisles.

Bikes are not allowed on any Transperth bus services.

Advocacy and promotion

There are many cycling-related recreational, social and charity events [4] every year in Perth as well as events to promote cycling in general, such as Ride to Work day and the Cycle Instead Challenge.[5] This is based on the Cycle Instead social marketing campaign, coordinated by the WA Department of Transport, which was established in October 1999.[6]

Cycling events

As with other cities in Australia road cycling has become a popular pastime and sport. The organization Cycling Western Australia[7] organises, facilitates and promotes many road racing events, including Western Australia's premier road cycling event, the Tour de Perth.[8] Perth also hosts the premier track cycling event called Perth International Track Cycling Grand Prix. There are also many Mountain bike events.[9]

References

  1. ↑ Perth Bicycle Network Monitoring
  2. ↑ Ride around the rivers
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Event Calender. Cycling Western Australia
  5. ↑ Cycle Instead
  6. ↑ DOT Home – Cycling Home – Cycle Instead campaigns
  7. ↑ Cycling Western Australia
  8. ↑ Event Calendar. Cycling Western Australia
  9. ↑ Event Calendar. Cycling Western Australia

External links

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