Fairly or unfairly, Australia has a reputation in bicycle advocacy circles as a place where good public policy goes to die. Years of atypical, punitive, disproportionally priced and enforced fines—such as for not donning a helmet or carrying photo identification—combined with minimal investments in protected infrastructure, have created an unwelcoming and unforgiving environment where only the fit and brave prevail. Worst of all, the slow, simple, safe, and civilized act of upright utility cycling has all but abandoned the public consciousness, while Australian streets and media are dominated by Lycra-clad “Super Dads” hunched over carbon fiber racing bikes.

This misguided and heavy-handed experiment has resulted in Australian cities, such as Sydney, being among the few in the world where cycling rates are actually declining. But nearly 4,000 kilometres away, in the Western Australian state capital of Perth, advocates and officials are trying to buck that trend, tackling the problem with a three-pronged solution. They are taking inspiration not from emerging cycling cities like Seville, Vancouver, or New York, but from the undisputed kings of utility cycling: the Dutch.

“The Dutch Are an Excellent Resource for Developing the Use of Bikes for Transport”