Dyason, DavidCoetzee, CKleynhans, E2025-11-052025-11-052025-09-082025-09-08https://hdl.handle.net/10182/19673As cities grow, they increase in complexity, requiring the urban environment to adjust and respond in ways to effectively use land resources. In order to support city development, cycling is generally regarded as an alternative to motorised transportation that contributes to sustainable cities. In many cities worldwide, a common concern associated with investing in cycling infrastructure is the cost-use nexus. In other words, does the investment and economic cost associated with developing this infrastructure influence its use? This study considers the three largest cities within New Zealand namely Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington and use daily cycling counts that captures cycling volumes on designated cycling routes. New Zealand has historically had a high share of personal motor vehicle ownership and use, and the development of new cycling networks is often met with opposition from local businesses and property owners. We use a Geographically Weighted Regression which includes a continuous longitudinal dataset stretching between January 2018 and June 2024 with daily cycling counts to assess bicycle volumes at a country and city level. In general, these results indicate that cycling volumes for utilitarian use (that is to get to work) have a lower sensitivity to changes in distance compared to variations in weather conditions. At a city level, there are notable intercity differences in weather sensitivity. The results suggest that, although distance and precipitation have general effects, local factors, such as infrastructure quality, topography, weather adaptation measures and cultural attitudes toward cycling, play a critical role in modulating these relationships. The findings highlight the importance of city size and localised factors when planning urban cycleways in cities which will influence the transition from motorised to non-motorised transport© The Author(s). Published by Economic Society of South AfricaConference Contribution - unpublished