Wollongong City Council has received recognition from the global governing body for cycling, Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) – becoming an official UCI Bike City following a ceremony attended by around 1000 cycling enthusiasts.
The cycling fans, many of them with their bikes ready to participate in the day’s Wollongong 2022 Community Ride, witnessed the official handover of the UCI Bike City plaque to Wollongong City Council’s Deputy Lord Mayor, Tania Brown.
Wollongong City Council General Manager, Greg Doyle, said cycling was a source of pride for both Council and community.
“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,’’ Mr 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.’’
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.”
