Another newspaper gets it all wrong...again!

Joining a long history of The Daily Telegraph's 'bike bashing,' I find an article in yesterday's edition extremely offensive and completely out of touch with many young Australians, especially young Sydneysiders (like me, I'm 24).

The article in question, 'Clover splashes cash to pedal more crazy ideas,' suggests that the Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney Clover Moore is "handling over thousands of ratepayers' money in bizarre grants."

It mentions eleven projects specifically, four of which are bicycle related.

1 Million Women even gets a mention for a grant we received almost 2 years ago to study how women can help reduce their power bills by 20 per cent. Wow, helping people save money and cutting city pollution at the same time. How bizarre?!?

I think anyone who read the article can make their own judgments about whether or not the various projects funded through Clover's $13 million in grants are of social and cultural value to Sydney city.

What I don't understand is the Telegraph's continued attack on bicycling?

"The cycling-obsessed Mayor's latest follies include a string of bike projects," they wrote.

It stands out as the focus of this article, which by the end basically reduces anyone who actually makes the effort, or who enjoys commuting by bike, to a hipster who drinks organic kale juice from a jar.

I shouldn't have to point out that there are MANY kinds of people who commute by bike everyday from barristers to bartenders, and that in some places of the world it is even more normal than driving a car! (Amsterdam, Copenhagen anybody?)

Yet according to the Daily Telegraph, Clover Moore's support of biking means she has a prejudice against the "non-hipster residents" of Sydney that she is supposed to serve.

With the biggest killer of Australians being "not enough exercise" it hardly seems prudent to be putting people off cycling, yet The Daily Telegraph has a history of doing so.

Even Media Watch asked in July 2014 if bicycle bashing in the media puts cyclists at risk and highlighted the Daily Telegraph's relentless campaign against cycling and Sydney's Mayor Clover Moore.

Over the past 2 years, the usage of major cycle routes in Sydney has definitely increased. "King St and Kent St have seen increases by over 100%" says Professor Chris Rissel, a representative of Freestyle Cyclists.

A few years ago a comparative study was done between some of Australia's major cities including Sydney and Melbourne, which found Sydney was significantly more negative about everyday cycling because of the media, said Rissel.

We should be aiming to double the number of cyclists in Australia, not be dissuading people. Not only is it good for your health, but also so important for building more sustainable cities into the future and leading a low-carbon life yourself.

Something I find particularly offensive in the Daily Telegraph story is the linkage of bicycle riding to the conversation recently on the difficulties for young people to become first homebuyers.

"It is reasonably safe to say that if your proposed means of moving house is a bicycle you are possibly not quite ready to enter the housing market," stated the article.

It then goes on to mention a project that received funding by City of Sydney to buy 'cargo bikes' for UTS students that can carry books and shopping and even help move house.

It is grossly misleading to make the assumption that just because one doesn't own a car (or other form of transport) that they are not ready to enter the housing market. Especially nowadays, more and more young people are choosing to not own a car, and there has even been "a well-documented decrease in young people even getting their license," said Professor Rissel.

Why? Because for many, myself included, a car is the last investment we would choose to make. Especially in the inner city as there are numerous public transport options, cycling options, plus ones own two feet!

Not to mention the money you'll save by not spending it on fuel.

I understand that it can be more difficult for people with families to not own a car, but at 1 Million Women we have certainly been inspired to see some people in our community have chosen to live car-free, or share cars with others.

Nicky Doube, a 24yr old from Darlinghurst and regular bike rider, said living in Sydney without a car can be difficult sometimes, as Sydney is such a vast and spread out city.

There are so many people calling for a more bike friendly city, it just baffles me that some media outlets are set on the opposite.

Reducing private car travel, especially solo trips, is one of the best ways that we can cut CO2 pollution and increase our health.

What's The Daily Telegraph's alternative anyway? More cars on the roads and even more traffic gridlock in the city? Yeh...right! I prefer my organic kale juice...thanks.

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