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

Flashback Friday: Christchurch’s Riskiest Intersections for Cycling?

Before the cycleway programme started getting rolled out in Chch, the local media didn’t really help things by regularly coming up with various “cycle safety” angles for news items. This article, originally from Apr 2013, is a case in

Support and use of cycling remains high in Christchurch

Once a year, Christchurch City Council undertake a Residents’ Survey where they seek feedback on what people think about a wide range of Council services, e.g. roading, rubbish, water. This year’s results are now out and, while the headline focus

Guest Post: Lockdown Latest – The Family Bike Bubble

8/04/2020 Stuff National:

“Data of weekly traffic flows in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Hamilton and Dunedin shows that, compared to the previous year, traffic is down between 74 and 82 per cent.” 

10/04/2020, Smartview Christchurch:

  • Rutland Reserve Cycle Counter