Active Travel

Did you know...

Travelling by active modes improves your physical and mental health, reduces your travel costs and emissions, provides opportunities to connect with others and reduces pressure on the road network.

Compared with all modes of travel, active travel provides the highest economic returns and supports mobility options for all people regardless of age.

RAC’s Member Priorities Tracker revealed community connectedness increases as people reduce driving during peak hour and increase the frequency they walk and cycle. Other findings include:

• people who drive in peak hour five days a week or more have an RAC Community Connectedness score of 59 out of 100
• people who drive in peak hour once a week or less and both walk and cycle at least a few days a week have an RAC Community Connectedness score of 66 out of 100.

While active travel is a great travel alternative, safety must be front-of-mind – approximately 250 people are killed or seriously injured each year in WA on roads when walking, riding a bike or eRideable, on horse or when using a motorised wheelchair.

Walking

Did you know...

According to RAC Go data, 10% of car trips in Perth made between June 2023 and June 2024 were under 1km. This equates to a 10-minute walk approximately. While walking is an important form of transport and recreation, it’s also a great way to get some regular physical activity into your day.

Research has shown walking also improves brain function, helps with creativity and assists with neuroplasticity. Three studies from Stanford University have shown walking before a big meeting can improve thought clarity and enhance meeting preparedness.

RAC member surveys found the following:

• just under half of RAC members walked for 10 minutes or more five days a week (or more) with over three quarters of members walking for more than 10 minutes each week
• members believe the Government should prioritise improving the footpath network and better plan communities to provide more opportunity to access destinations by walking.

 

Safety for people walking

Pedestrians can be vulnerable on roads due to reduced protections and proximity to fast moving traffic. As a result, implementing safety measures to protect pedestrians needs to be a priority so people can safely walk around the streets.

 

Projects

In 2021, RAC commissioned a safety assessment at the George and Wellington streets’ intersection in West Perth using drone footage and analytics to gather insights about how to improve cyclist and pedestrian safety. The assessment showed traffic signals weren’t optimised for pedestrians and vehicles which could lead to illegal crossings, increasing safety issues.

RAC shared findings with Main Roads WA which resulted in improvements being made at the intersection via automating the pedestrian crossing demand call and extending walk time.

 

Cycling

Did you know...

• investment in cycling infrastructure delivers huge benefits - the economic, social, health and environmental benefits outweigh the cost of investment by around four times;
• in 2023, cycling contributed an estimated $16.9b in economic benefits, including $6.7b in direct outputs and it contributed an additional $954m in health and social benefits;
• cycling is popular in WA, with around 373,300 Western Australians riding each week; and
• more than one in 10 of Perth's residents’ cycle in a typical week, with most people doing so for recreation or exercise purposes and less than half for transport.

RAC member surveys ask members’ habits and thoughts on cycling in Western Australia. The Active Travel Survey revealed:

• the most popular reason for riding a bike is for recreation and fun;
• over half of our members felt safe when cycling on shared paths;
• women predominantly cited fear of sharing the road with motorists stops them from riding or riding more often, with many cycling less due to a lack of safe bike routes; and
• the majority would be more likely to ride if the government improved on-road cycling infrastructure (such as protected cycle lanes) and off-road cycling infrastructure (such as shared paths).

 

Safety for people cycling

Cyclists are some of the most vulnerable people on roads due to the lack of protection and regular interaction with fast moving traffic. Safety issues highlight the need for more protected bike lanes, high quality shared paths, protected intersections and slow speed streets.

Understanding and tackling road safety challenges for cyclists is critical to encourage cycling while preventing deaths and serious injuries on roads.

 

Projects

RAC supports a range of initiatives during Bike Month which runs across October which include:

• running repair workshops on National Ride to Work Day
• sponsoring of Bike Basics workshops for members and the WA community
• sponsoring a range of community initiatives to celebrate Bike Month in partnership with WestCycle and the Department of Transport.

RAC also provides staff with eBikes to use when travelling locally during work time - and they can take them home overnight or on the weekend.

 

eRideables

eRideables, or an electric rideable device (which includes eScooters, eSkateboards, hoverboards, eSkates, and eUnicycles) represent a new way to travel. They require little physical effort and can overcome short distances quicky. eRideables are convenient at the beginning or end of a public transport trip and are increasingly popular for people moving between their home and place of work or study.

Did you know...

The road rules in Western Australia allows eRideables to be used on footpaths and across pedestrian crossings, just like bikes - but they must not travel faster than 10km/h. They can also be used on bicycle paths, shared paths and local roads at up to 25km/h. Other rules that apply to eRideables include:

• one person per device. Never carry passengers or animals on your eRideable;
• wear a helmet. Any approved bicycle, skateboard or motorcycle helmet can be worn when riding an eRideable; and
• eRiders are subject to the same drink and drug driving laws and mobile phone laws as car drivers.

The Road Safety Commission has the latest rules and safety tips for eRideables.

RAC’s Active Travel Survey showed the main reasons members use an eRideable over other forms of active travel are:

• it’s quicker for them to get to their destination
• it’s less physically demanding
• they like trying out new technology.

Members also report most of their e-Rideable trips are less than 5km, which shows they’re well matched to overcoming distances that are too far to walk, like neighbourhoods, local centres and trains stations.

 

Safety for people on e-scooters

eScooters are speed limited so riders can safely share paths with other people and to manage risk, given they have no registration or licensing requirements. The travel speed of an eScooter, determines the likelihood of whether an incident could result in a head injury. Speeds up to 24km per hour are relatively safe as hands and arms can protect a person’s head if they fall; yet when speeds reach 36km per hour the head is usually impacted first.

Additionally, eScooter riders are more vulnerable to poor infrastructure than cyclists due to reduced stability and smaller wheels. Maintaining suitable infrastructure is important to keep eScooter riders safe.

 

Projects

RAC’s Community Educators visit groups and clubs to deliver road safety, sustainability and lifestyle presentations. RAC now hosts a presentation focusing on e-scooters.

It’s all part of our work to achieve our vision of a safer, more sustainable and better-connected future for WA.