The aim of the Bike Now research project was to explore specific ôactionsö that could be undertaken in the context of a workplace to encourage people to take up (and continue) cycling to work. The actions included: bike mentoring / buddying; establishing ôbike busesö; providing cycle skills training; creating secure parking at the workplace; and providing a ôcycle fleetö at the workplace for travel during working hours, among others. The Bike Now project involved approximately 40 workplaces in Auckland, Wellington, Nelson, and Blenheim, New Zealand for a 12 month period in 2007 and 2008. Specially trained coordinators worked with ôchampionsö within each workplace to identify the initiatives of interest in their particular location (through an online survey of employees), implement them (as was feasible), and then to complete a "follow up" survey online. This paper reports on the strengths and weaknesses of the process used; the effectiveness of the initiatives implemented; and provides some guidance for future programmes to encourage cycle commuting. While the presence of Bike Now in the workplace served to increase awareness of cycling, and encouraged some people to commence cycle commuting, none of the initiatives stood out as particularly successful. (a) For the covering record of the conference, please refer to ITRD no. E218380.
Samenvatting