The good folk of Oxford are rolling up their trouser legs and getting on their bikes, Debbie Hopkins writes.
As my train rolled into Oxford station on a sunny winter's day, something felt different.
It could have been my train trip; since high-speed, cross-country train travel in New Zealand is limited to a small number of routes, it had been a while since I had experienced the joy of whizzing through the countryside.
But I also caught sight of the station's bicycle park as my train ground to a halt. While I am sure The Netherlands would put it to shame, I was astounded by the number of bikes. This became a theme of my first few days wandering around the city.
In Dunedin, and other cities across New Zealand, there is increasing demand for cycling infrastructure, and - at least it seemed to me - more people cycling. But most cycle racks are half empty and the percentage of people commuting by bike is still fairly low.
In Oxford, however, any railing or wall will be supporting more than a few bikes. And cyclists are everywhere, mostly on the roads, some of which have cycle lanes, but there are some shared pavements too.
And it isn't limited to any particular demographic group, I saw students, professionals in suits, builders and children, all cycling across the city. As a historic city, much of the Oxford transport infrastructure pre-dates the car, and the use of park and ride systems helps to reduce car travel within the city centre.
But there are still busy roads and large vehicles with which cyclists must contend. Yet the volume of cyclists on the roads makes it a much more appealing prospect. Rather than being a minority, cyclists are highly visible. And I think this makes more people want to cycle.
I have been repeatedly asked when I am getting a bike (I already have one, I am still sorting lights), and it seems to be the normal way to travel. In my office eight out of 10 people cycle to work, the other two living out of town and catching the train. The journey from home to work is about 30 minutes for most of them.
And it's not just the commuters or private travellers who use the bicycle. Delivery systems also use two-wheelers (some are motorised though ...)Deliveroo (deliveroo.co.uk) is a start-up company that collects takeaway food from restaurants that don't offer delivery, and brings it to your door for just £2 or £3.
So my experience to date has left me thinking, why can't we have this in Dunedin? I was told recently that the cycling culture in Oxford exists in spite of the local and regional councils, rather than because of any action they'd taken.
This makes me think that if we want a cycling city, we should ‘‘get on our bikes'' and make it happen.
Debbie Hopkins is a researcher in low carbon mobility and energy demand at the University of Oxford.
