The 2006 Bicycling Achievement Awards were presented at the Bicycling Australia Show Dinner in Melbourne in front of 160 guests from industry, business and community sector. 

The winners of the 2006 awards are:

Cycling Promotion Award of the Year: Professional Category - Jim Krynen, Public Transport Authority West Australia
Jim is the founding member of Bike West a Government body which has been instrumental in Australia in implementing innovative programs to encourage cycling, including an excellent marketing campaign Cycle Instead which has been successful in increasing the number of people cycling in WA.

Jim also played an instrumental role in the establishment of bike week and ride to work breakfasts. In his current role Jim has been responsible for implementing in excess of 40 initiatives to improve links between public transport and cycling. WA is the leading state in Australia in encouraging and promoting “ride to catch a ride” and it is hoped that other states will follow the lead of WA.

Honourable mention: Bill Spurr CEO Tourism SA
Bill Spurr has seen the potential of cycle tourism and has been instrumental in supporting initiatives and programs to boost cycle tourism in SA. Under his leadership of Tourism SA, South Australia has seen the growth of the Tour Down Under, which has become one of Australia’s leading sporting event, attracting in excess of 450,000 spectators and contributing $16.25 million to the states economy. The event is set to keep growing in size and stature, as cycling becomes more popular.

He was also instrumental in supporting the establishment of Cycle Tourism Australia and was its first chairman. Bill took up cycling a few years ago and has become a keen rider participating in the Be Active Tour as well as the Around the Bay in Day ride, experiencing first hand the thrill and challenge of cycling events. For a copy of the South Australian Cycle Tourism Strategy 2005 to 2009 click here

Winner Honorary Category: Doug Stewart, Bike North
Doug is a founding member of Bike North and established the first riding program 10 years ago. He developed ride policies and guidelines and is still actively involved in the program. Communication with members is vital for any organisation, he developed the first newsletter and website. Doug was the first advocacy officer for Bike North and is still actively involved in getting a better deal for bicycle riders. He also been instrumental in developing the Ryde Bicycle Map which is an excellent tool for people to explore and get around the community by bike.

Award for special initiative: Victorian Metropolitan Ambulance Service
The Melbourne Metropolitan Ambulance service is the first Ambulance service in Australia which has a bicycle response unit, providing rapid casualty access in crowded areas during sporting and cultural events. They have developed best practice models in training, equipment and uniforms, which hopefully will provide guidance for other services around Australia.

The bicycle patrol program has been very popular with staff, attracting 80 applications for 22 positions. During the 2005 Spring Racing Carnival the bike response team took an average 2 minutes 30 seconds to reach emergency, faster than any other form of transport. The program also fosters excellent community relationships, fosters a healthy workplace and lifts the profile of cycling in the community.

Award for special initiative: Moreland City Council for the Cyclovia
Moreland City Council has been the first council in Australia, which run a Cyclovia in their community, closing a busy road (Sydney Road) to cars and opening it up to bicycle riders and pedestrians. With any innovative program the council had to deal with a number of barriers but the commitment and vision by the council has been instrumental in making this event a great success with support from traders and the community. Hopefully the commitment by Moreland City Council will be the catalyst for many Cyclovias' around Australia. Cyclovia means life to the street and the key to success is to select roads attractive to locals, accessible and long enough for people to enjoy cycling, rollerblading or walking.

Special Achievement Award by a bicycle organisation: Deadly Treadlies
Deadly Treadlies is an amazing program that works with disadvantaged young people. The team at Deadly Treadlies works with children and young people in Alice Springs, its surrounding town camps and isolated remote communities in Central Australia to restore old bikes. By restoring old bikes children and young people are trained in a variety of skills and team building. Once they are repaired, participants are given bikes, providing them with mobility and independence. A tool pole is left in the community to enable the community to repair and maintain their bikes once the team has left. Eight hundred young people accessed the program in the first eight months of 2006.

Local Government Award for initiative to encourage and promote cycling: Noosa Shire Council
Noosa Shire Council has implemented a range of strategies to promote and encourage cycling including cycling infrastructure, promotion and education. The 2006/07 budget has allocated $3 million for cyclists, pedestrian and traffic safety improvements. The council runs regular walk and ride to school days on Wednesdays and in excess of 2,000 kids have attended cycling skills programs supported by the council. They use ‘Axel and Bell” cartoons to promote safe cycling/walking to school.

The council also encourages staff to ride regularly and in excess of 400 staff have participated in cycle workshops. Bike parking is being expanded to ensure that all shopping centres and bus stops have facilities for bikes. Noosa is a great example for other councils around Australia on how a cycling culture can be created which benefits individuals, communities, visitors and local businesses.

Award for an educational institution for innovation in encouraging cycling to school: Nashville State School, QLD
Nashville is a medium sized school with 330 students. To address traffic issues around the school the school has been working with Brisbane City Council, implementing school travel plans. Today an average of 20% of kids cycle to school and during bike week, nearly 50% of kids cycled to school.

The school subsidises bicycle education and works with local bike shops to provide the kids with skills to maintain their bicycles. Teachers and kids keep a running tally for each mode of transport used to come to school and once a month a trophy is presented to the class with the highest number of kids cycling to school. Nashville State School provides a great example on what a school can do to turn a challenge of traffic congestion into an opportunity to promote active and healthy ways for kids to travel to school.

Honourable mention: Graceville State School QLD
Graceville State School has 550 students and has undertaken a comprehensive program to promote and encourage cycling to school. It has been working with Brisbane City Council and the local bike shops to implement programs to improve safety, increase skills, provide information and provide incentives for kids to ride to school. The survey at the start of the program indicated that only 8% of kids cycled to school, during bike week this number increased to 26% of kids.

As a response to the program the school has purchased extra bike racks and the grounds committee is planning the construction of a second bike cage, funded by the local councillors. This example demonstrates the importance of cooperation between the school, parents, students, local government and local bike shops.

Bicycling Achievement Award for Bicycle Friendly Business: Royal Automobile Club of Victoria
We know that times are changing for bicycles when an Automobile Club wins a Bicycling Achievement Award for promoting and encouraging cycling. The RACV offers Australia’s first bike assist service, which provides puncture repair, general mechanical adjustments or a taxi to transport members to their destination.

This has proven a very popular service with more than 195,000 members signing up in the first two years. The RACV also encourages their staff to cycle by providing bike maps and fitness tips, undercover bicycle parking, lockers and showers, bicycle tool kits and supports staff teams in cycling events and ride to work days. They sponsorthe ride to work angels at Victoria’s Ride to work day and publish cycling information and safety tips for cyclists and motorists in the Royal Auto magazine.

Honourable mention: Public Transport Authority WA
The Public Transport Authority (PTA) in WA is a leader in Australia in promoting the integration of bicycles with public transport by providing access to stations, through stations and within stations. Today more than 640 secure and accessible bicycle storage and parking facilities are available at major bus stops and stations. This has been complemented with a marketing campaign to encourage people who live within 2.5km of the stations to “Ride before your Ride” to cycle to station instead of driving.

PTA is also encouraging its staff to cycle to work and is implementing a program to encourage train drivers to cycle to work to improve their health and wellbeing by offering them a free bike if they are cycle 60km a week for six months. They have been able to attract 159 employees which exceeded their target. They also offer an in house bicycle fleet for ride staff to ride during lunch breaks and to travel to meetings and staff are encouraged to participate in cycling event. Australia is lacking behind the world in integrating bicycles and public transport and hopefully PTA provides encouragement to other states to encourage better integration.

Bicycling Achievement Award for contribution towards cycling by a politician: Cr. Janet Rice, Mayor Maribyrnong City Council
Politicians can play a vital role in supporting cycling. Cr. Janet Rice made an important statement when she opted for a mayoral bicycle instead of the mayoral car. She rides an average of 40km a week on council related businesses saving the ratepayers considerable money. Janet worked for Bicycle Victoria between 1993 to 1997 where she assisted in the development of ride to work day which has given her a good grounding in cycling.

Today she is using her skills and expertise in ensuring the council is providing best practice cycling infrastructure and end of trip facilities. She is a founding member of the local bicycle user group and is the Chair of the Melbourne Transport Forum, which works to improve sustainable transport in Melbourne. Janet has undertaken a study trip to explore world’s best practice in cycling and has a vision to make Maribyrnong into cycling friendly city where it is easy for everyone to get around on two wheels. For more information about Cr. Janet Rice.

Bicycling Achievement Award for contribution towards cycling by a politician: Honourable mention: Cr. Norman Jew
Norman was elected to council in 2004 on the platform for bicycle and pedestrian paths. He is recent convert to cycling but he has been passionately working to promote a safe and healthy environments for children to grow up in. He convinced follow councillors to buy bikes and support investment into making Woolondilly Shire bicycle friendly. He has been instrumental in the development of a motion to enact legislation to make it mandatory to install off and on road shared path networks in any new developments. The motion was unanimously passed.

Bicycling Achievement Award for contribution towards cycling by a bicycle retailer - Joint winners: Gran Prix Bicycles, Caulfield South Vic
Gran Prix Cycles was established in 1995. They have been committed to not only cater for experienced riders but also make novices welcome. Their motto isno question is s stupid question.They offer regular bicycle maintenance classes, which are very popular, and the women’s specific classes and workshops have assisted them in boosting the number of women customers.

To make women welcome and to cater for their needs they have set up a specific women’s section in the shop, with seats, mirrors and changing rooms as well as women’s specific bikes and cycling gear. Stephen the co-owner of the shop compares a weekly radio show on cycling which provides tips and advice on cycling.

Hammer 'n' Cycle and the Bike Shed ACT
The owners of Hammer ‘N’ Cycle and the Bike Shed have been involved in coaching, officiating and organising cycling events on voluntary basis for 22 years. Their stores cater for all cyclists, from the enthusiastic triathletes to the novice rider. Mary Ann is the co-founder of the Tour de Femme which was established 17 years ago when they were very few women cyclists. This event now attracts in excess of 650 women and has been vital in lifting the profile of cycling for women.

They provide sponsorship to a number of clubs as well as individual cyclists, but they do not stop there, they provide hours of volunteer time to run training sessions, bike maintenance advice and courses and always willing to share their expertise and enthusiasm for cycling. Not surprisingly both of their shops are very successful.