2023 Census stats show cycling growth in Christchurch

About 18 months ago, the 2023 Census was undertaken, asking everyone in NZ various details about their households and work/life habits. I’m not entirely sure why it takes so long to collate the relevant information from what is now largely …

Flashback Friday: Where else should we count bike numbers?

There has been an interesting conversation going around Spokes Canterbury lately about the potential for extra cycle counters across Christchurch in new locations. There is of course a cost to installing (and maintaining) any new permanent cycle counters; fortunately there

Christchurch edges up in @PeopleForBikes Global city ratings

A good sign that Christchurch is starting to do OK cycle-wise internationally is when other parts of the world start to notice us – and rate us. A year ago, I told you how the annual PeopleForBikes City Ratings programme …

Cycling in Chch 2023 in Review: The Good, the Bad, the in-Between

And just like that, another year is over and we ponder what has happened since we last reviewed the state of cycling Chch at the end of 2022 – suffice to say that it seems like a mix of things……

Cycling is on the Up in Chch – and even the World is recognising it…

Last week, the Chch City Council released the latest cycle count stats showing that cycling numbers in the city are continuing to climb, up 6% from the same time last year and 30-40% up since 5+ years ago. As the …

More people than you think in Christchurch are cycling – and a growing number are female…

It’s a regular trope I see often on social media of all stripes – we shouldn’t bother doing much for cycling because it’s only a tiny fraction of the population we’re catering to. This confusion seems to stem from the …

Flashback Friday: Yes, there are people who cycle in Christchurch – plenty!

This week there has been a little bit of controversy with the claim that cycling numbers in the city had dropped, with the inevitable resulting grumbles about money-wasting from the naysayers. Turned out of course that it was a

Hey world, have you heard of Christchurch?!

We all love a bit of healthy rivalry, whether it’s which is the bigger “second city” in NZ or even which is the “shittest town in NZ”. Bike-friendliness is another metric by which many people seek to answer “where

Flashback Friday – Nobody Rides Bikes in Winter! Right?

So I gather that it’s been a bit chilly in Christchurch and surrounds lately. I say “I gather” because meanwhile I’ve been enjoying some slightly warmer temperatures in Rarotonga… (I did try to grab some e-bikes to explore the

Flashback Friday: First Count Data for New Cycleways

Cycle counts in Christchurch were in the news this week, with some concerns about stalling bike numbers (at least the Press article was somewhat more measured and factful compared with some other misleading dross elsewhere…). We’re lucky to have built

Cycling in Chch 2021 in Review: the Network grows…

And so we come to the end of another crazy year – who needs cycling dramas when there’s enough going on in the world at the best of times… And yet, once again during lockdown, cycling reminded us why it’s …

Why cycle count numbers are only half the story

Commentary surrounding both proposed and existing cycleways in Christchurch typically turns its attention to just how many people either currently use or will use a certain cycleway. In amongst those conversations, there are often arguments along these lines:

  • Who is

Flashback Friday – Census: Cycling on the Rise in Christchurch

Change in cycling usage doesn’t happen overnight, but we do need ways to monitor it. And while continuous count sites are one useful gauge of such change, they don’t capture all the cycling trips out there (e.g. my normal commute