In a world-first study, Monash University researchers have found that 92% of young Victorian women, aged 18-29, are interested in riding a bike, but their participation is 4 times lower than men of the same age – demonstrating huge unmet demand. Research by Dr Lauren Pearson and colleagues found that this is influenced by Australia’s current transport networks and support systems being set up for the needs and safety perceptions of confident, physically fit men. Her research has found that the top barriers to riding a bike for young women are: concern about collision with motor vehicle (70%); they do not want to ride on the road (70%); and concern about motorist aggression (68%) (sample size = 646). Importantly, over one in five surveyed reported concern about sexual harassment as barrier to bike riding.

Dr Pearson, working with Associate Professor Ben Beck, Associate Professor Nicole Kalms and Professor Helen Skouteris, has partnered with three Melbourne councils, Merri-bek, Port Phillip and Stonnington, to develop Pedalling Towards Active Living (PETAL), aimed at working with young women to design real-world solutions to getting more young women into cycling. The researchers have surveyed over 640 women, interviewed 25 and have held workshops with 15 women, all of whom have said they would like to ride bikes but feel uncomfortable doing so. Previous research by Dr Pearson and A/Prof Beck demonstrated that a lack of high-quality cycle paths and limited connectivity between them are significant barriers to the wider population riding a bike. However, in this research they uncovered that these barriers prevent an even larger number of young women from riding a bike: “Our focus is a particular cohort of women who really want to ride, but are afraid to take it up, despite the clear health and environmental benefits,” she said. “Young women are in a critical period of their lives where the way they travel changes drastically, from moving out of home, starting a new job, and starting uni. This is a key time to be able to introduce an active and sustainable way of getting around that they can take through to the rest of their life”.

The report to the 3 councils, to be presented in October, will recommend critically needed investment in infrastructure that supports people of a range of abilities to ride a bike, educational programs that overcome the gendered nature of existing cycling programs, and specific campaigns that target young women’s barriers to bike riding, to promote confidence and participation. In particular the researchers have found that young women in particular report a lack of knowledge about: bike purchase; bike maintenance; road rules, services available to support bike riding; a lack of role models similar to them; and apps that are support the kind of trips young women want to take. Dr Pearson says that there is a threshold effect of 7% of trips taken by bike that has operated in other countries resulting in increased numbers of women embracing cycling. In Victoria, 1.8% of trips are currently taken by bike. The number of women riding bikes has increased dramatically in cities globally, including a 50% rise in London during the COVID lockdown, and near-equal gender participation in Paris, after bike pop-up lanes were introduced and the speed limits dropped to 30km/hr city wide. “In Australia, we continue to implement programs that consider women as one homogenous group, with little consideration of their diversity of needs across the lifespan.” Dr Pearson said. “Monash University’s partnership with Merri-bek, Stonnington and Port Phillip council’s will be a global first in moving beyond this, pushing the boundaries for how we smash the gendered barriers women experience for getting active”.