For some people riding a bike is easier and less painful than walking. For them, a bike can become a mobility aid. But there are still many barriers to cycling for our disabled community. Over 2023 we’ve focused on reducing barriers to cycling for people with disabilities, so that, as Cycling Without Age say, everyone can feel the wind in their hair.
More than 24% of people over 16 in Tāmaki Makaurau don’t drive; whether due to disability, seizures, ADD, medication, or simply because they don’t want to. And of course, the 13.2% of Aucklanders that are aged 5 – 14 also want active ways to get from A to B. Bikes can be a crucial transport mode for these communities if there are safe places for them to ride.
Our TryaCycle event series reduced barriers to trying a diverse range of bikes. Some attendees had never ridden a bike before, or hadn’t in a very long time. Some had believed they couldn’t ride a bike before attending, and felt liberated in the knowledge that (perhaps with the right bike) they could. Parents had tears in their eyes as they watched their children riding for the first time! Check out this adorable video of Maddy finding a bike that worked for her!
As part of this project a super awesome team audited 50km of cycleways in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland to see if they are accessible for the types of bikes they ride (a mix of reclining cycles, trikes, bikes with trailers and wheelchair bikes). Check out Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s Inclusive Cycling Report 2023 which includes the barriers and solutions they identified.
Thanks to Waka Kotahi’s Hoe Ki Angitū for funding this project, and to Kimberly Graham from Grab Your Wheels and our awesome team of volunteers (you know who you are!) for making it happen! A special shout out to #AdaptMTB for their advice and support.
Waka Kotahi NZTA have also recently released their draft Accessible Cycling Infrastructure Design Guidance Note with fantastic information and consideration for the wide array of cycles people may ride. You can read it here! It’s still a draft, so they’d love to hear your thoughts.
