Australian government says bike riders save $21 on every commute

The Sydney Morning Herald reports:

“The economy benefits by more than $21 [about $19 USD] every time a person cycles 20 minutes to work and back and $8.50 [about $7.50 USD] each time a person walks 20 minutes to and from work, according to a policy statement released by Deputy Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.”

Why is Australia focused on the cost of commuting? The State of Australian Cities 2013 report notes that higher-skill and consequently higher-paid jobs are increasingly located in the central areas of cities, while job growth is lowest in the outer suburbs. Therefore, many people are facing longer commutes, which have an array of economic and health consequences. The report states, “Connections between the places that people live and where they work in major cities are important to their productivity and also to equality of opportunities.”

In a speech, Albanese said that “For shorter trips we need to get more people choosing alternatives to the car…People will walk or cycle if it’s safe and convenient to do so.”

Read the Sydney Morning Herald article and Streetsblog Capitol Hill post to learn more.