The number of Launceston residents choosing to cycle or walk to work has increased over the past 12 months, according to data from the City of Launceston Council’s latest pedestrian and bicycle count.
The Council this week oversaw its biannual count of pedestrian and cyclists travelling into and out of Launceston’s CBD at 12 cordon points across the city, with the count coinciding with Tasmanian Bike Week.
The count captures the number of pedestrians and cyclists passing these points during the morning peak commuter period between 7am and 9am.
The count is undertaken twice per year, every March and September. The data recorded 1,234 pedestrians in this week’s count, compared to 1,193 last year. The number of cyclists also increased from 253 in March 2023 to 286 in this week’s count.
Cyclist and pedestrian activity has trended steadily upwards in Launceston since the count first began in 2009, with 818 pedestrians and 218 cyclists recorded that year.
Mayor, Matthew Garwood said the Launceston Transport Strategy recognised active transport as an essential requirement for a modern city.
“The City of Launceston maintains a 100km-long network of off-street and on-street shared bicycle and pedestrian paths, and it’s great to see these are being well utilised by residents,” Mayor Garwood said.
“To help make Launceston a more cycle friendly city, the City of Launceston is currently installing an additional 22 on-street bike stands.
“The bike stands provide a convenient locking point for bikes during visits to shops, offices, or cafés.
“The new stands are being installed in Charles Street, Invermay, Mowbray, Kings Meadows, Newstead, City Park and Royal Park.
“These locations have been selected in consultation with the Tamar Bicycle Users Group and add to the more than 100 bike racks already in place across Launceston.
“Having a secure location to park a bike at the end of a trip is an important contribution to encouraging more cycling and we’re hopeful they will be well utilised by Launceston cyclists.”
