Published: September 2010 | Category: Transport demand management , Research programme , Research & reports | Audience: General
The aim of the Bike Now research project was to explore specific actions that could be undertaken in the workplace to encourage people to take up (and continue) cycling to work.
The actions included: bike mentoring/buddying; establishing 'bike buses'; providing cycle skills training; creating secure parking at the workplace; and providing a cycle fleet at the workplace for travel during working hours, among others.
The Bike Now project involved approximately 40 workplaces in Auckland, Wellington, Nelson and Blenheim, New Zealand for a 12-month period in 2007 and 2008. Specially trained coordinators worked with 'champions' within each workplace to identify the initiatives of interest in their particular location (through an online survey of employees), implement them (as was feasible), and then complete a follow-up survey online.
This paper reports on the strengths and weaknesses of the process used; the effectiveness of the initiatives implemented; and provides some guidance for future programmes to encourage cycle commuting.
The range of activities/initiatives and the presence of the Bike Now programme in the workplace had a noticeable influence, increasing cycling behaviour in a small but consistent way across our self-selected sample.
Keywords: bike, bike buddy, bike bus, bike parking, bike to work, cycle fleet, cycle skills, cycling, commuting New Zealand, workplace
