Project Description

The development of the ‘Guidelines for Cycling Data and Cycling Indicators’ has arisen out of objective 5.2 of ‘Australia Cycling, The National Strategy 1999-2004’. These Guidelines provide a framework for the reporting of comparable state and territory cycling data. The Australian Bicycle Council (ABC) undertook responsibility for the development of this framework with funding provided by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care. On behalf of the ABC, VicRoads, through the Bicycle Programs group, was responsible for the management of the project, undertaken by Steer Davies Gleave and TUTI.

The Guidelines do not require the states or territories to collect or report cycling data. Rather they provide guidance for those that choose to collect and report. A fundamental principle of the guidelines is that the data collected should be collected in such a way that it can be compared with that collected by other states and territories. To this end the Guidelines set out a nominated core set of data that the states and territories are encouraged to follow.

These Guidelines recommend reporting on 19 items of base cycling data and 30 cycling indicators. The indicators are derived by normalising the base data against either population characteristics or bicycle network characteristics. Base data and indicators have been selected based on outputs (e.g. length of bicycle network) and outcomes (e.g. number of kilometres cycled). Cycling inputs (e.g. funding) and processes (e.g. funding allocation models) have not been included as it was determined that these are not as relevant to the cyclist as direct outputs and outcomes.