Businesses take on bike riding challenge

Hundreds of Sydney businesses could soon compete to get even more of their staff riding bikes as part of a three-week challenge to encourage active and healthy employees.

The City of Sydney will next week consider supporting an initiative to help staff and bosses log their bike journeys during the second Sydney Rides Business Challenge, with prizes for the top performers.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said workplace cycling was growing rapidly and the Sydney Rides Business Challenge would encourage businesses to get more employees on two wheels.

“Businesses and developers are championing Sydney’s bike riding boom because they know more of their employees now want to ride,” the Lord Mayor said.

“Our corporate leaders understand how important it is to keep our city moving. Road congestion already costs our economy more than $5 billion each year. With 100,000 extra residents and 110,000 more jobs expected in the City over the next 20 years, more people riding means less pressure on our already strained public transport and roads.”

“Lend Lease, Commonwealth Bank, Clayton Utz, Deloitte, Arup, Telstra, Bankwest Westpac and Google are among many companies providing bike racks, showers, lockers and support for staff who ride. The business challenge will help employers encourage even more staff to give riding a go.”

During the last Sydney Rides Challenge in 2011, more than 3,000 Sydney workers from 180 businesses, including Macquarie Bank, News Corp, Fairfax Media and AMP, clocked almost 250,000 kilometres with more than 16,000 bike trips.

Australia’s largest residential apartment builder, Meriton, is increasingly adding generous bicycle facilities at new developments in response to the doubling of bike riders on Sydney’s streets in the past four years.

The proposal being considered by the City of Sydney Council would include the option to run the Business Challenge for three years if the event proved successful. Participating businesses and the event organisers would offer prizes and other recognition for the top performers in a range of categories.

Executive Director of the Sydney Business Chamber, Patricia Forsythe, said the three-week challenge is a fantastic way to support city-based businesses.

“Businesses know it’s critical to keep Sydney moving and ease the traffic congesting the city’s streets,” said Ms Forsythe.

“The growing network of separated cycleways is an important part of the solution, providing vital infrastructure to make bike riding a safe and viable way for people to travel to work.

“More people riding helps create space on buses and trains, and more space on our roads for business delivery drivers, couriers and taxis. A city that moves more freely with space for everyone is a city that works better for business.

“There’s good reason that businesses in London, Paris and New York have embraced cycling, and Sydney businesses are doing the same.

“Cycling has grown exponentially in recent years as a way for people commuting to work and many buildings and work places are supporting the trend providing facilities from lockers and showers to bike storage and support staff.

“The Sydney Rides Business Challenge is a positive initiative for businesses to demonstrate their support for active and healthy employees.”

The City of Sydney and the NSW Government are currently finalising plans for a network of separated cycleways through the city centre. There are currently more than 5,000 bike parking spaces in 170 non-residential buildings across the City of Sydney.

The Sydney Rides Business Challenge would support the NSW Government’s target of doubling the number of bicycle trips in Metropolitan Sydney by 2016.

For more information, visit sydneycycleways.net