Bikes are great for business!

We've recently conducted research into how people travel to our shopping precincts. The results clearly show that bike riders and those arriving by foot, visit more often and spend more money than people who use other modes of transport.

Submit a proposal for the installation of bicycle parking facilities

If you would like to propose a particular site for us to investigate for the installation of bicycle parking facilities, please let us know by submitting a proposal to Council.  We'll undertake a feasibility assessment of your proposal and advise you of the outcome.

Council cannot consider proposals for the installation of bicycle parking facilities on privately owned land, or any location outside of its municipal boundaries.

Submit a proposal for bicycle parking facilities

What the research shows

The research shows that walking and bike riding are the most common means of transport into the business precincts of Footscray, West Footscray, Seddon and Yarraville. The research also highlighted that most visitors live locally and so the short distance to the shops is easy on foot or a bike.

Suburb	Footscray	West Footscray	Seddon	Yarraville
Total visitors surveyed	416	198	217	213
Arrived on foot or bike	29.8%	48.8%	60.2%	48.5%
Arrived by car	27.4%	40.6%	27.8%	33.8%
Arrived by public transport	24%	9.6%	12%	16.4%
Arrived by other means	18.8%	1%	0%	1.3%

Source: Metropolis Research 2018

While walking and cycling trips are shorter in nature and visitors spend less money per trip (usually in the $5 - $30 range), they make more frequent trips than car drivers. On average, walkers and cyclists travel to a business precinct 11 times a month, as opposed to 7 times for motorists (Heart Foundation 2011). Thus, people walking and cycling to the shops outspend those arriving by car.

In addition, people arriving by foot or bicycle are most likely to visit small retailers and hospitality businesses, which are particularly popular in Maribyrnong.

Where do people spend their money?

Bike riders spend the most per month at bars and cafés, public transport users at restaurants and car users at supermarkets (Clifton 2012). The following proportions of visitors arrive in a business precinct with the intention of visiting a café, bar or restaurant: Footscray 54.6%; West Footscray 56.1%; Seddon 72.8%; and Yarraville 78.9%. For Yarraville, the proportion is particularly high and this helps to define the nature of the Yarraville precinct.