Cycling Strategy

Council plays an essential role in planning, designing, promoting and regulating local infrastructure including creating and maintaining an environment conducive to cycling. This Cycling Strategy has been developed to inform, plan for and prioritise Council capital investments that affect community wellbeing outcomes. Council is committed to creating great places for people through creating sustainable improvements that consider community engagement, participation, attraction, investment, visitation and liveability. In creating places for people Council seeks to increase the number of people cycling by providing and promoting opportunities to cycle for recreation, sport and transport purposes. Council also plays an advocacy role to improve cyclist safety, amenity, connectivity and facilities. One in four people in Greater Dandenong cycle either for recreation or in order to get to a destination. Cycling is most popular among children and young people, as well as among males. However, only just over half of the households in Greater Dandenong have access to at least one working bicycle, fewer than the Melbourne average (68% of households). Increasing the number of people riding bikes in Greater Dandenong will lead to a wide range of economic, social, environmental and health benefits. Nearly half of all adults in Greater Dandenong are overweight or obese and one in three do not meet physical activity guidelines. Lack of ‘incidental’ physical activity such as riding a bike contributes to obesity amongst children and adults. Communities with high levels of active transport tend to experience lower rates of obesity. There are many ways for people to enjoy the health benefits of cycling, including riding a bike for recreation or sport, for utility purposes to access retail, for active travel to ride to school or work, or to access public transport.