I was pleased to represent Council at the awards presentation for the successful 'Cycling in the City Program'. The program outlined by the City Media Centre below saw more than 100 cyclists ride their bikes commuting to work in the CBD covering 35,000 kms in 12 weeks. I rode my bike (as I regularly do) to make the presentations for 8am at Customs House. I don't usually ride to the North of the CBD but the experience again underlines the work to be done in providing basic safer bicycle infrastructure in our city. See below for details of the program and a link to the Draft Bicycle strategy currently on exhibition. 
City of Sydney Cycling in the City Program Huge Success
15 August 2006
Participants in City of Sydney's Cycling in the City program will be recognised at Customs House tomorrow (August 16) at 8.00am.
More than 100 cyclists from ten leading government and corporate organisations have cycled more than 31,000 kms on their journeys to work over the 12 week program. The program is designed to help more people ride their bicycles to work on a regular basis through peer support.
Program participants, at least thirty of whom will arrive by bicycle, will be presented with certificates by City's Councillor Shayne Mallard.
Participating organisations in the Cycling in the City program included ANZ, Westpac, the Department of Environment and Conservation, IAG, the RTA, the Australian Taxation Office, Lend Lease, Telstra Wholesale, the City of Sydney and AMP. Each organisation nominated an average of ten cyclists to participate in the program.
Each cyclist received free intensive cycle safety training, free bicycle maintenance training, free membership of Bicycle NSW and other equipment. In return the cyclists had to commit to riding to work once a week on average for twelve weeks and provide the City with data from their rides.
This stage of the Cycling in the City program has been a huge success, with more than 95% of the participating cyclists indicating they will continue to ride to work and all ten organisations committing to supporting their cyclists in the future.
This event comes at an exciting time for the City of Sydney as it launches its ten year cycle strategy, designed to increase the number of trips made by bike from the current 2 per cent, to 10 per cent by 2016.
City of Sydney's cycle strategy is on public exhibition until end September 2006. It plans to connect each of the city's villages with a network of bicycle routes, make city streets safer for cyclists and set in place a range of activities to promote cycling and its benefits. For more information see: www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/Council/OnExhibition/
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