NEWS
The CityCycle bike hire scheme has reached about 2500 subscribers five weeks after it was launched, City Hall says.
“CityCycle is a great commuter transport option for those living in or near the inner-city and there is a quiet revolution occurring with more and more people taking it up every day,” Lord Mayor Campbell Newman (pictured) says.
“Every commuter who uses a bike instead of a car is one less vehicle on our congested road
network.” Cr Newman says safety considerations have been paramount in delivering the CityCycle scheme.
“We reduced the speed limit on CBD streets to 40 kph in readiness for this scheme, but we have also installed new Bicycle Awareness Zones and “share the road” signage, as well as road markings to make cycling in the CBD as safe as possible.”
Cr Newman says that those wanting to use CityCycle need to subscribe online and make sure they have a helmet, either purchased at the time of subscription or from the many bike, sporting or department stores that sell them. Users can purchase an annual ($60.50), quarterly ($27.50) or casual ($11) subscription.
And Lord Mayor Campbell Newman has rejected Opposition claims made on Monday October 25 and reported in this newspaper several days later that he had not used the scheme, outside media-related activities and startup day promotions, since the scheme began on October 1.
A spokesperson said the Lord Mayor had used the CityCycle scheme at least half a dozen times since it began at the beginning of last month, and definitely before he had been “rebuked” by ALP leader in City Hall Shane Sutton for not showing leadership on the issue by using the scheme.
“That number would have been larger except for the wet conditions experienced during October,” the spokesperson said.
“Cr Newman is an increasingly regular user of the scheme and uses CityCycle to travel to and from meetings in the CBD.
“For example, last week he arrived for a meeting at the Premier's office with his helmet under his arm after taking a CityCycle from King George Square to the Executive Building.
“He also undertakes a regular early morning ride around the inner city, most recently yesterday morning when he rode from the CBD to New Farm Park and back.”
• DO YOU THINK THE CITYCYCLE SCHEME WILL BE A SUCCESS OVER TIME?
Give us your views on this much-maligned but outwardly laudable project via email to: editor@theindependent.com.au or send us a letter to PO Box 476 Fortitude Valley Q 4006
