Bicycle Network has partnered with urban mobility company RideKola and social enterprise GoodCycles to deliver adult e-bike training courses at three locations in Melbourne.
Funded by the Transport Accident Commission, the project is part of an Equitable Commute Pilot project which aims to deliver improvements to the lives of residents in social and affordable housing by installing e-bike hubs in their housing developments.
Access to e-bikes can help community members take short trips that are more efficient, more affordable and more enjoyable. Riding bikes can also improve people's health and help them get their daily dose of recommended exercise.
RideKola and GoodCycles have installed shared e-bike hubs in three inner city social housing developments in Melbourne. The e-bikes are supplied with helmets, baskets, and locks.
The bikes are a combination of refurbished Gazelle city eBikes and new tern eCargo bikes, with a lock system operated by the RideKola smartphone app.
Bicycle Network's community engagement team oversees the delivery of training sessions for residents of the housing developments.
Expert bike ed instructors provide free sessions that teach residents:
- how to use the e-bikes,
- how to plan a journey on quiet roads, bike lanes, bike routes,
- brush up on and learn new bike riding skills including basic bike handling, avoiding obstacles and making decisions ahead of time.
Bike Ed instructor Cheryl Voigt says the sessions also help improve rider confidence and create social connections for the residents.
“The participants [and other curious residents] were very keen to get tips on how to get to where they needed to go safely and how to integrate the bicycles into their everyday life for commuting or fitness. Many saw it as a way of improving their overall fitness and lifestyle. Their biggest concern still remains their fear for their safety on the road,” says Voigt.
In Victoria, three out of four people want to ride a bike but are put off by a lack of safe lanes.
RideKola and GoodCycles’ eBikes hubs have been enthusiastically welcomed. The bikes have logged more 400 hours journey time since launching last May. Around 60% of journeys are less than 30 minutes and the longest journey was a 25km round trip.
RideKola CEO and founder Chris Arnott says his group advocates for greener, cleaner transport options that are accessible for all.
"While the start of the eBike Hubs has been a great success, with the winter behind us and more residents moving into the buildings, we look forward to introducing more people to the joy of eBikes, shared micromobility and joining the growing community of Melburnians embracing bikes as their primary choice in transport,” says Arnott.
“Good Cycles commends the Building Communities' foresight to offer these valuable hubs to their residents. This project aligns perfectly to our love for bikes and our social impact goals, we couldn't do it without the our amazing delivery partners in Ride Kola and Bicycle Network. We're also delighted that the Equitable Commute Project has recently been nominated for a 2024 Cycling Luminaries Award" Adam Lana - Executive Lead, Brand & Bike
Bicycle Network CEO Alison McCormack says the organisation is delighted to be part of such a life-transforming project.
"We have been calling for easier and more affordable access to e-bikes in the country as Australia grapples with worsening traffic congestion in its cities, alarming obesity rates, and deteriorating air quality that is killing thousands each year.
"E-bikes are getting people out of cars and moving their bodies in ways we’ve never seen before," says McCormack.
You can read more about our Australia's E-bike Moment campaign here.
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