Cycleways tempt more people onto bikes

Christchurch residents still rely heavily on their cars to get around but the city’s growing cycleway network is luring more people onto bikes.

That is one of the findings of an online transport survey commissioned by the Christchurch City Council. The survey was completed by more than 4500 people.

New cycleways are tempting more people onto their bikes.

Christchurch has the highest car ownership rate in the country and the survey shows cars are still the most commonly used mode of transport.  More than 90 per cent of those surveyed had travelled by car in the past 12 months, with 48 per cent saying they travelled to work by car five or more times a week.

A third of survey respondents think it is difficult to travel by car in Christchurch, mainly because of the roadworks and road closures.

Close to a third of those surveyed say they are travelling by bike more often than they did 12 months ago.

Around 70 per cent of those who have cycled in the past 12 months have used the new major cycleways – a network of 13 cycle routes connecting different parts of the city - and most agree they have improved their safety and made travelling by bike faster, more convenient and more pleasant.

Around 30 per cent of the survey respondents say they have used public transport in the past year, with half reporting they use it to travel to work at least once a week.

“Overall the results are positive. There are still challenges and areas where the Council can make improvements, but generally people are telling us it is relatively easy and safe to travel in Christchurch using a variety of modes,’’ said Council Monitoring and Research Team Leader Kath Jamieson.

“The ongoing roadworks and road closures continue to have an impact on people travelling throughout the city. However, as roads are progressively repaired it is likely we will see continued improvement in peoples’ satisfaction with travel in the city.

“While the car is still the most common way people are getting around the city, it is encouraging to see people are using increasingly other modes of travel,’’ Ms Jamieson said.

The transport survey is one in a series of Life in Christchurch surveys aimed at providing the Council with in-depth information on how residents feel about various aspects of city life.