Wollongong City Council was presented with the city's official recognition as a UCI Bike City in front of an energetic 1000-strong crowd of cycling enthusiasts.
The cycling fans, many of them with their bikes ready to participate in the day's Wollongong 2022 Community Ride, were witnesses for the official handover of the UCI Bike City plaque to Wollongong City Deputy Lord Mayor Councillor Tania Brown.
"What an exciting moment this is for our city and our Bike City status was lived by our community today with lots of riders of all ages participating in the Wollongong 2022 Community Ride, or cheering on those who were,'' Wollongong City Council General Manager Greg Doyle said.
"As an organisation, Council has worked hard to improve and invest in a range of cycling infrastructure right across our city. We want to support cycling for all and we want everyone to have the opportunity to enjoy bike riding and build their skills.
"In recent years Council has been improving bike infrastructure with separated cycleways and pop-up cycling routes, as well as investing in facilities like Cringila Hills and our local bike tracks.''
We've come a long way from when Wollongong was first given the prestigious UCI Bike City label. Back in early 2021, when we first received the honour, the label recognised the potential of Wollongong as a cycling-focussed city.
"When Wollongong was named Australia's first UCI Bike City, we made a promise to continue to invest in cycling for everyone. Since then, Council has completed an extensive amount of work to improve and upgrade cycling infrastructure across the Wollongong Local Government Area," Wollongong City Lord Mayor Councillor Gordon Bradbery AM said.
"Some of the highlights include the latest upgrade of a new Bike Skills Playground at the already-popular Cringila Hills Mountain Bike Park, and the recently unveiled Criterium Track in Unanderra.
"When it comes to getting around our city, we've watched cyclists of all ages make the most of Council's pop-up cycling routes which link key destinations in Port Kembla, Thirroul, Towradgi, and Wollongong CBD.''
Council's investment in cycling doesn't end when the 2022 UCI Road World Championships are over. We will continue to improve cycling within our city for residents and visitors to enjoy.
Mr Doyle said that Council was excited to see the level of community interest in cycling grow naturally during and after the Championships.
"Council is proud to have delivered so much in such a short time. It's a fantastic achievement but what's even better is seeing our community jump onboard and give projects such as the Cringila Hills Mountain Bike Park and the Criterium track their big tick of approval," Mr Doyle said.
"Already we're seeing so many people, especially young people, make the most of these new cycling facilities and at the end of the day, there's no better result than that.
"Wollongong's UCI Bike City label and our commitment to cycling won't end once the Championships rolls out of town. Instead, we've made a long-term commitment to improving cycling for all. Our goal is to continue working towards making Wollongong a fantastic place to ride a bike, scooter, or skateboard regardless of ability or skill."
