Bicycle use during Games mirrors results of year-long survey
SPORTS fans and athletes attending Island Games events last week took to bicycles in their hundreds to get around.
But there was also evidence of a general rise in the number of people choosing to use alternative means of transportation, according to a year-long survey conducted by the Better Journeys Project.
The popularity of bikes during Games week showed that people would be happy to use them when there were facilities available, said Alex Costen, active travel officer for of the Health Improvement Commission, which provided additional bike racks at some venues.
‘Let’s hope that one of the legacies of the Games is a permanent shift towards islanders planning their journeys and choosing healthier and more environmentally friendly options if and where they are able,’ she said.
The survey by the Better Journeys Project was carried out by a team of 45 volunteers who monitored commuter traffic on specific days for more than a year, recording a total of more than 66,000 journeys.
It was led by Better Journeys' Barrie Duerden, who said that comparing one Friday in June this year to one 12 months previous, showed a decrease of 6% in cars while motorbike, bicycle and pedestrian traffic all rose.
Bike use saw an increase of just over a quarter (26%) while the number of pedestrians was up by more than a third (35%).
Figures for July so far are similar and the group’s Mark Smith suspected that there were two reasons behind the change – the cost of buying and running a car, and that people were thinking more about their health and carbon footprint.
Mr Duerden said the findings were encouraging news for those wanting to see less congestion, a healthier population and reduced carbon emissions.
One person who was pleased to see the use of bikes last week was Environment & Infrastructure committee president Lindsay de Sausmarez, a regular bike user herself.
‘I was expecting more people than usual to take to their feet and bikes and the buses to get around during the Games, but I wasn’t quite expecting the phenomenal numbers that actually did so,’ she said.
She said she was struck by the variety of people she saw on bikes.
‘There were loads of families with young children, older people, teenagers riding to events with their friends, those who’d come straight from the office dressed in suits, people with their dogs in tow, those with their bikes adorned with flags, and visiting competitors and spectators by the dozen.
‘Locals I chatted with often remarked on how much more convenient and enjoyable it was than they were expecting.’
The atmosphere of the ‘friendly games’ also extended to the roads, said Deputy de Sausmarez, and road users generally were courteous and patient with others which made a positive impression on the visitors.
Many made favourable comments to her about the quality of Guernsey’s road surfaces, saying it was significantly better than in their island.
Riding between meetings yesterday she was struck by how much fuller the pavements, bike racks and buses seemed to be: ‘I hope the Island Games will leave a strong legacy in that respect.’
