Subsidised Safe Cycling Training Reveals High Demand
Melbourne, Victoria
A new and heavily subsidised Safe Cycling training program for Australian road design practitioners has sold out its first three courses in a matter of days, revealing high demand for cycling infrastructure training.
The Amy Gillett Foundation announced the on-line, four-module Safe Cycling program earlier this month, with 100 places allocated to each course, and swiftly sold out its courses for September and October.
Enrolments are now open for the next available course, scheduled to be held on the 1st, 3rd, 8th and 10th of November.
Safe System Solutions has been engaged to run the courses which, courtesy of funding from the Federal Government, is being offered for around one-tenth of the price of comparable training.
Registration for the course costs $85 per person, plus GST, for what the foundation says would normally cost $900.
The training is designed for road engineers, town planners, road safety practitioners and others involved in urban design. But the foundation says it will also benefit coordinators of cycling projects and existing certified auditors wanting to refresh and extend their capabilities in cyclist safety risk assessment.
The Safe Cycling program lead, Chris Arnott, said organisers have been overwhelmed by the response.
“It certainly shows the demand for safe cycling education is out there,” he said.
“AGF’s Safe Cycling program will deliver increased skills and confidence of engineers and local road design practitioners. The nation’s local roads are at the heart of Australian communities, and AGF’s work will make tangible progress towards a safer road network for the benefit of cyclists and all road users.”
Chris said the foundation’s role in the Safe Cycling program also includes working collaboratively with key industry partners such as Federal and State Government departments and agencies, local government, peak bodies in the cycling and road safety sector, and other advocacy groups.
“AGF recognises that these partners can bring their expertise and insights to assist in setting a new and better pathway for local road design based upon international best practice,” he added.
The November course will be conducted from noon to 2pm on each of the four days and Chris says there are still plenty of spots available.
Training includes examining designs for shared path, protected bike lanes and on-road bicycle lanes, as well as mixed traffic environments, roundabouts, and protected and signalised intersections.
The program includes a total of 11 courses, to be conducted by the end of June 2024.