The other night I had dinner with Roger Geller, famed cycling advocate. He said a lot of good stuff but one of the things I found most interesting was that when you’re designing a cycling campaign you need to know who you are targeting.
He talked about some market research (PDF) they did in Portland where they looked at who cycled there in the early 1990s and 2000s and who might consider cycling in future. I might have blogged about this earlier but recent discussions on this blog have reminded me of it so I’ll bore you again.
First off, they found that fear of accidents and traffic is the biggest barrier to cycling.
Four types of cyclists
Second, they segmented the population into groups based on how likely they were to cycle and identified 4 groups. First, about 0.5 to 1% of the population is Strong and Fearless. They will ride anytime, anywhere, even in cities that provide very hostile conditions for most cyclists such as heavy traffic, no cycle lanes etc. They are “generally young, predominantly male, fit” – you get the idea.
Given what the stats say about how common cycling is in Auckland (around 1% of all trips) and what a high proportion (79%) of our cyclists are male, it seems likely that this is who currently cycles in Auckland.
The second group, which is about 6 to 7% of the population, are Enthused and Confident. These are people who really want to give cycling a go but just need a little push. They’re concerned about safety but they can be attracted by providing things such as “shorter trip distances, better bicycle facilities, better end-of-trip facilities.”
This is the group that Roger thinks Portland has managed to get cycling by providing what he calls “bare bones” infrastructure – nothing fancy but many more cycle lanes on roads, a few off road cycle paths, more bike parks, more showers in offices etc. Not Copenhagen style cycling infrastructure but a hell of a lot more than Auckland.
The third group are people who are “Interested but concerned.” These people make up about 60% of the population. They are very concerned about safety and don’t cycle regularly – they only take their bike out if going through a park or very quiet road. They cycle less than 4 times a month in summer and dislike the idea of sharing a road with traffic.
I suspect a lot of these people are the type of women who cycle in Copenhagen and other cities with great cycling infrastructure, but are not seen so often on the roads in Auckland.*
The fourth group, who aren’t very interesting to cycling advocates are the 30% of the population who don’t want to cycle: Noway, Nohow.
Obviously, of course, market segmentation is difficult and it doesn’t necessarily translate from place to place. But to me, these groupings and figures sound about right for Auckland although I’d love to see research confirming this. Post a link in the comments if you’re aware of any research done in NZ on this topic.
Who are we targeting in Auckland?
But assuming Auckland is similar to Portland in this regard – who should we be focusing on attracting to cycling right now? Personally, I’d say the 6 or 7% who might give it a go. We shouldn’t bother about the 50-60% who are Interested but Concerned because we’re 10 years away from being able to appeal to them.
Unless they live next to one end of the North-Western cycle and work at the other, we simply can’t offer them a riding experience right now where they don’t have to share any roads with more than a few cars going very slowly.
I don’t question that having an extensive network of very safe feeling, largely off road or fully separated from traffic, cycle ways should be our ultimate goal. That’s what we all want cycling in Auckland to be like. But right now, we’re nowhere near that. So instead perhaps we should focus on trying to work out what it is that’s stopping the 6-7% cycling and overcoming those barriers.
If they’re anything like the people in Portland, it’s probably the absence of basic facilities. This is why I’m excited to engage in the Unitary Plan process (and that’s not a sentence you’ll often hear), because it might give us a chance to get some conditions put in like a requirement for all new office buildings to provide minimum bike parking facilities.
It’s also why I think we should keep on hammering away at the government and council to provide more money for cycling in their budgets – because at 0.7% of the national transport budget dedicated to cycling AND walking we haven’t even got the money to provide the absolute basics.
The semi-mythical, for example, cycle way through the Central Motorway Junction, which will link the North-Western cycle way to the CBD has been stalled now for almost 2 years (and counting) simply because NZTA has no money for it and nor does the council.
Obviously, of course, I’m not saying that I don’t think all types of cycling advocacy are valuable. Cycling fashion events, cycling protests, submissions on plans. All of these things are fabulous and I admire hugely everybody who does them. I’d just love to see our debate on these topics more informed by knowledge about who we have the best chance, right now, to get out there on their bikes.
Anyway, that’s enough for me but here’s the song I was singing today as I flew down Bond Street on my bicycle. The chorus, at least, seemed appropriate to the current situation for cycling advocates in Auckland.
*Although, obviously, Jenny’s blog shows that there are many stylish female cyclists in Auckland. Maybe just not quite so many as in other countries.
An interesting little bit of fact for the discussion on where we are at the moment: Auckland cycle mode share 2011:
In the Netherlands and Denmark, two noted cycling countries, the split is about 45% women, 55% men. In the USA, it is about 25%, though known “cycling cities” like Portland achieve 30-40%. In Auckland, according to the recent cycle counts, we have… 16% women.
So, still some way to go.
Whoops, you already gave some similar stats. Sorry.
Sounds like a plan Lucy, I can’t disagree with any of your points but overturning and torching cars on the Harbour Bridge still holds some appeal.
We do have a lot of steep gradients in Auckland that I think put off a lot of beginners from starting up, and side/by roads seem to be the worst. So you are stuck to busy main roads full of traffic, and you need a level of confidence, dedication and fitness to get to the point of considering a actual journey.
I got back into cycling after many years mainly due to some of the off road cycleways around Auckland and wanting to explore them with my Kids and Partner. (also thanks to Antoine for your great rides blog) but it took a while before I was confident and fit enough to consider riding to and from work (more the ride home in rush hour(s)).
So it is good to give people safe and secure areas to learn and hone their skills, and to become hooked! Then add a good on road cycleway network, and I would love to have some sort of secure bike parking facitites ( almost like lockers??) that you could go out to the movies etc and come back and still have a bike!
In an ideal world Danish and Dutch cargo bikes being available for a good price, so you could do all your shopping, pick up your kids, etc. (now I am just dreaming) maybe one day?
In reality, we will try to do a bit of both, I think. Extend the off-road paths network (mainly, but not all led by NZTA projects along motorways like Waterview), and build lots of cycle lanes, occasional ones of them to a much higher standard than the barebones paint ones.
As Roger Geller also said – you CAN manage to leapfrog some of the intervening steps and go straight to higher-quality infrastructure. You just shouldn’t think the “paint only” measures are without appeal on the way to a more general cycle culture.
oh yes, I’m not saying we shouldn’t build off-road bike paths because I think it definitely attracts lots of people to cycling. for example, my boyfriend is definitely in the “strong and fearless” category (well, I like to think so, at least
and he is doing about a 30 min cycle ride to work right now. He told me part of the reason he cycles, rather than taking the bus, is because he can use the airport cycle way for about half of his route. It’s not that he’s scared of the traffic on the roads – it’s just that cycling in heavy traffic for half an hour is unpleasant, whereas having a mixture where he gets to go through some off-road paths makes it nicer than busing.
I basically just meant that maybe we shouldn’t be thinking or worrying about pitching our work to people who are quite marginal cyclists (they’ll only do it if you give them the perfect experience). Instead we should just be trying to get a few of the basics in place.
“Semi mythical”. LOL, so true. I’m fortunate to be right by the Northwestern Cycleway and it’s added hugely to my enjoyment of cycling, because it’s not only a nice route, but it’s also a very practical route, going to the most obviously popular destination (the CBD), but also all the suburbs on the way too. And yet, even on that fantastic route, there is one hell of a killer hill at the end, one of the steepest longest grades you come across anywhere in Auckland – right at the end, when you have to ascend up onto the Newton Bridge, followed about a minute later by descending the other side, and then facing the same ascent again to get up to the level of K-Rd. To bypass this pointless ascent (unless you’re going to Ponsonby) would involve a path about 100m long beside the motorway, through a park, onto Ian McKinnon Drive. That’s one of the proposed connecting routes, although the route could fork right there, and continue alongside the motorway, crossing over or under a couple of lanes (I’d prefer under), before cruising down a very long flat wide straight beside the offramp at the University. This would cut out the K-Rd ridge altogether, and the cost is tiny compared to the incredible amount of roading that has been built through that whole area in the same time. Bicycle commuters would be saved the unnecessary double ascent, and they’d be off the road all the way to the University.
I’ve slowly evolved into the 1% (strong and fearless) from the 7% (enthused and confident) over the last 5 years – just riding around Auckland makes you like this – now that hill at Newton is just a “aha, now my heart rate’s going to hit 175! Time for some puffing”, whereas about 5 years ago, the prospect of the 4 hills of Kingsland (prior to the recent bypass of two of them, a major improvement) was daunting enough to put me off a ride into the city, without preparation. Even now, I arrive sweating – I can see that any woman hoping to ride in wearing a nice attractive casual outfit after putting on makeup is out of luck. You’ll have to do it when you get there.
We do have geography against us. But every bit of infrastructure helps – with the possible exception of that awful cycleway along Tamaki Drive, which seems to be mostly used as an excuse to kill cyclists.
“would involve a path about 100m long beside the motorway, through a park, onto Ian McKinnon Drive. That’s one of the proposed connecting routes, although the route could fork right there, and continue alongside the motorway, crossing over or under a couple of lanes (I’d prefer under), before cruising down a very long flat wide straight beside the offramp at the University.”
Some good and bad news for you here. Stage 3 of the (NOT mythical) CMJ cycleway is to include building a cycleway through that reserve, and continuing on the west side of Ian McKinnon, to then follow Grafton Gully down to the university.
The bad news? We still haven’t got lift-off (be assured that NZTA and CAA will tell you loudly as soon as we have) and you WILL still have to go up the hill (highest point – Upper Queen Street Bridge), as there is not enough space down low in the motorway cutting.
That is suckful news about the Queen St ascent, but good news about Newton Bridge – I’m reading that that would now be optional, so probably chosen only by people going to Ponsonby/K-Rd corner – or up to Kyber Pass (I don’t envy anyone grinding up Newton Rd amongst traffic).
Perhaps in time a route can be found that crosses the motorway somehow without the 60m ascent to Upper Queen St….every little bit of infrastructure is progress.
It’s a bit sad, because I can quite clearly see about 4 different ways that the motorway could easily be crossed with only a 2 lane underpass, then utilizing existing bridges to go under every other lane. One day….
Hi Ben
Right now, the money needs to primarily go towards providing quality off-road facilities, rather than removing gradients (as long as they aren’t TOO steep – for example, the CMJ cycleway options design ruled out one route pretty early that went via Newton Road up the hill).
But providing even a simple walking and cycling bridge in the CMJ area would set the budget back between 3-6 million, which is almost half a year’s walking and cycling budget for the whole country. And that’s not even talking of the cost of changing / adding retaining walls. An underpass that would be safe to use would – in my semi-expert opinion – be even costlier. So obviously, using the existing bridges is critical to get this off the ground, and to not drain all available funding for other projects in the same go.