Wollongong wins global UCI Bike City Award for community-first cycling innovation
Wollongong has claimed international cycling’s highest honour, winning the prestigious UCI Bike City Award for its Community Partners Program overnight.
The announcement was made at the UCI Cycling for All & Sustainability Awards in Copenhagen, recognising Wollongong’s collaborative grassroots initiative as a world-leading example of how cities can use cycling to deliver meaningful social and environmental change.
Led by Destination Wollongong and supported by Wollongong City Council, the program brings together more than 25 local organisations, from cycling groups and charities to community health services and service clubs, who work collaboratively to ensure cycling is accessible to people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities.
Jeremy Wilshire, General Manager of Destination Wollongong, said the global recognition was a powerful endorsement of what can be achieved when a community pulls together.
“This award belongs to the people of Wollongong. Our community partners are the heart of this program, they’ve made cycling safer, more inclusive and more inspiring,” Mr Wilshire said.
UCI Bike City Ambassador Samara Sheppard has been at the forefront of the Wollongong Bike City Community Partners Program and believes the diverse range of touchpoints is the initiative’s strength.
“From all-abilities rides and piloted trikes to FrameRunning events and youth charity rides, this win is the result of years of grassroots collaboration. It’s an incredible moment for our city,” Sheppard said.
The winning initiative was up against finalists from Abu Dhabi and Treviso, Italy, and was judged by an international panel of mobility, sustainability, and cycling experts.
Wollongong was awarded UCI Bike City designation for hosting the 2022 UCI Road World Championships and its long-term commitment to cycling infrastructure and culture. Brisbane was awarded the status this year to join Wollongong as the only UCI Bike Cities in the Southern Hemisphere.
“This is such an exciting achievement for our city and I’m so proud of the work that has happened across the community to ensure our whole community has access to a range of cycling infrastructure,’’ Lord Mayor of Wollongong Councillor Tania Brown said.
“It is really humbling to think that the decisions we’re making here about on-road cycleways, supporting access to cycling opportunities for all and encouraging people to consider cycling as a social activity, a mode of transport and as a sport is being recognised on the international stage.
“It’s a clear demonstration that the UCI legacy has lived on in Wollongong well beyond the 2022 championships we were so fortunate to host.’’
The Bike City Community Partners Program includes organisations such as The Disability Trust, Cycling Without Age, Healthy Cities Illawarra, Illawarra Cycle Club, FrameRunning Wollongong, the MS Gong Ride, Rotary and Lions Clubs, and the Ride Wollongong Festival of Cycling.
“The UCI event enabled the Trust to promote inclusive cycling opportunities for our participants in the local community,” Michael Norris, Senior Manager Community & Groups, The Disability Trust said.
“We were able to get a range of bikes that were modified to enable our participants to learn how to ride safely and take full advantage of some the great cycleways we have access to here in the Illawarra. ”
As part of the program, collaborative achievements have included:
The launch of an All-Abilities section in the MS Gong Ride
Support for piloted trikes for seniors and those with mobility issues
Integration of FrameRunning events and inclusive cycling activities in city festivals
Creation of the Ride Wollongong Festival of Cycling, now an annual legacy event
Opportunities for local organisations to shape future cycling infrastructure through roundtable engagement with Council
This is the first time an Australian city has received a UCI Bike City Award.