Cyclists & Cycling Around the World Creating Liveable & Bikeable Cities Edited by Juan Carlos Dextre, Mike Hughes & Lotte Bech Cy cl is ts & C yc lin g Ar ou nd th e W or ld C re at in g Li ve ab le & B ike ab le C itie s Edited by Juan Carlos Dextre, Mike Hughes & Lotte Bech This fascinating new book from the world of urban cycling is a great read for everybody. It covers topics as diverse as teaching very young cyclists how cycling culture was revitalised in China. It contains 25 articles detailing good practices coming from many parts of the world, from India to Amsterdam. The articles are written by expert authors with one passion in common: cycling and cyclists. You can discover how cycling is impacting the lives of millions throughout the world, through integrated green transport systems, through healthy lifestyle choices, as a convenient, safe and cheap method of getting to school or work every day and as a way to increase income through the increased mobility a bike provides. Whatever your background, this great book will inspire and fascinate you as you read about how cycling has already aff ected so many lives and will aff ect so many more....a must read for all. Juan Carlos Dextre is a Civil Engineer from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, has a Masters in Transport from University College London, a Diploma in Transport from Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine and is a PhD candidate at the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona. He specialises in management of mobility and road safety, on which he has written books and articles, and developed consulting for both public and private sector. He is currently a professor in the Department of Engineering at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, where he coordinates the Transport Area. He is also a founding member and chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Urbanism of the TRANSITEMOS Foundation. In public administration, he is a board member of the Metropolitan Institute PROTRANSPORTE. Mike Hughes has an MA from Keble College, Oxford in French Language and Literature and a Post-Graduate Certificate of Education. He lived in France, Germany and India, as well as his native England before arriving in Denmark in 1985. He started his own business, TRIPLE Acommunication in English in 1990. His company specialises in coaching, training and consulting people in all aspects of effective communication in the English language. Past and present customers include Carlsberg, ISS, Nilfisk, Gerhardt, TDC and the City of Copenhagen. He has translated a 200 page biography from Danish to English as well as many press releases and official speeches. Lotte Bech is an architect MAA and urban planner from the Architect School of the Royal Academy in Copenhagen, Denmark. Since 2011, she has been an independent Planning Consultant, carrying out international tasks on cycle planning and road safety in urban development. Lotte has more than 30 years working experience in Denmark and abroad. Her last position was project manager for 12 years in the Traffic Department of the City of Copenhagen, dealing with cycle and pedestrian strategy planning, the development of cycle infrastructure and public participation in sustainable mobility. She is the course leader of the “The Bikeable City Masterclass” for foreign professionals, which is being offered by the Cycling Embassy of Denmark. Edited by Juan Carlos Dextre, Mike Hughes & Lotte Bech Cyclists & Cycling Around the World © Fondo Editorial de la Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, 2013 Av. Universitaria 1801, Lima 32 – Perú feditor@pucp.edu.pe www.pucp.edu.pe/publicaciones © Juan Carlos Dextre, Mike Hughes & Lotte Bech (editors), 2013 English text improvement: Mike Hughes, TRIPLE A Graphic and layout: Kaenia Estudio Creativo Photo credits: Mikael Colville-Andersen, front page and chapter introductions, pages 1, 19, 66, 123, 159, 185, 209 and 241. All the other photographs and illustrations, unless indicated otherwise, belong to the authors of each article. Print run: 1000 copies This publication is in copyright. No reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Fondo Editorial de la Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. Hecho el Depósito Legal en la Biblioteca Nacional del Perú Nº 2013-16269 ISBN: 978-612-4146-55-8 Registro del Proyecto Editorial: 31501361300868 Printed in Tarea Asociación Gráfica Educativa Pasaje María Auxiliadora 156, Lima 5, Perú 9   Cyclists & Cycling Around the World Foreword Introduction 1. Cycle Culture How to Get Started – Ten rules that have increased cycling in Bogotá and other cities Carlos Felipe Pardo, Bogotá, Columbia (Mesa de la Bicicleta) Revitalisation of a Cycle Culture – Biking again in Guangzhou Bram van Ooijen, Institute for Transportation & Development Policy (ITDP), Guangzhou, China Further Development of Cycle Culture – Amsterdam continues to pave the way for cyclists Ria Hilhorst – City of Amsterdam, Department of Traffic, Transport and Infrastructure, The Netherlands Socio-Economic Impact of the Cycle – A gendered social perspective of cycling in India Dr. Anvita Arora, Managing Director and CEO of Innovative Transport Solutions (iTrans) Contents 13 15 19 23 33 43 55 10   2. Liveable and Bikeable Cities The Benefits of Cycling – Global and individual well being Gil (Guillermo) Peñalosa, Executive Director, 8-80 Cities, NGO based in Toronto, Canada Sustainable Mobility – Commuter cycling and city logistics in Copenhagen Tanja Ballhorn Provstgaard, Traffic Department, City of Copenhagen, Denmark Quality of Life and Bicycles – How Curitiba has become one of the world’s most liveable cities Fábio Duarte, professor at the Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná, in Curitiba, Brazil Cities for People – Copenhagen studies in urban life Architect M.A.A. Lars Gemzøe, Gehl Architects, Copenhagen, Denmark Cycling and Health – Public health experts recommend more cycling Philip Insall, Director, Health Sustrans, England 3. Cycle Infrastructure Planning a Cycling Infrastructure – Copenhagen – city of cyclists Niels Jensen, planner, Cycle Secretariat, City of Copenhagen, Denmark The First Step in Developing a Bicycle Infrastructure – The choice of Seville by bike Virginio Moreno, Planning Department, Head of Projects and Works, City of Seville, Spain Cycle Route Networks – Sustrans creates popular cycle routes through public involvement Tony Russell, Sustrans, England 4. Safety for Cyclists Traffic Safety and Perceived Safety – How to cycle and survive Anne Eriksson, civil engineer, traffic safety specialist, Copenhagen Municipality, Denmark 67 71 83 93 101 111 123 127 139 149 159 163 11   Cyclists & Cycling Around the World Safe Routes to School – From road safety to community building Pau Avellaneda, UAB and MSc. Esther Anaya, BACC, Barcelona, Spain 5. Bicycles Public Bike Share System – A key to urban mobility Alexandre Fremiot, City of Paris, Head of Mobility Agency Paris, France Choosing the Cargo Bike – Experiences from Kisumu and Copenhagen Jeppe Mikél Jensen, Sustainability and Mobility Consultant for the Union of the Baltic Cities Commission on Environment 6. Cycling Policy Bicycle Strategy – The Portland experience Roger Geller, Bicycle Coordinator, Portland, Oregon, USA Multi Modal Transport Policy – The example of the Dutch ‘bicycle and train’ system Tom Godefrooij, Dutch Cycling Embassy, Holland The NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide – Turning innovation into action in U.S. cities Jeff Olson, R.A. – Principal, Alta Planning + Design, USA 7. Cycle Advocacy and Education Cyclists’ Grass Roots Democracy – The importance of strategic participation Lake Sagaris, Santiago de Chile, Chile Cycling Organisation – Lobbying for cyclists in Germany Burkhard Stork, Managing Director, ADFC and Till Kolja Oppel, Sports Engineer Cycle Promotion Campaigns – Getting people to pedal in Guadalajara Carlos Romero Sánchez, Urban technical consultant, Gudalajara, Jalisco, Mexico Branding Cycling – Mainstreaming A Good Thing Mikael Colville-Andersen, Copenhagenize, Denmark 173 185 189 197 209 213 223 233 241 247 261 267 277 12   Cycle Events – Teaching children for a bikeable Lima Jessica Tantaleán, Special Project Metropolitan of Non-Motorised Transport, Metropolitan Municipality of Lima, Peru Cycle Training for Children – Take a child’s perspective and make it fun! Mai-Britt Kristensen and Loa Bendix, Danish Cyclists’ Federation, Denmark About the authors Appendix Contacts and references 287 295 307 321 13   Cyclists & Cycling Around the World Foreword One evening back in April 2011, Lotte Bech, a Danish architect and urban planner, happened to meet up with Juan Carlos Dextre, a professor in the Department of Engineering at the Universidad Católica del Perú. They were both attending the conference ‘Second Meeting of Sustainable Urban Mobility: A dialogue between Europe and Latin America’ and shared the same passion —cycling against a background of sustainable urban mobility— think what this could mean for the quality of life in the cities of the world. From this chance meeting, the book whose foreword you are now reading, was born! Juan Carlos had a dream of creating a book about cycling as an extension to his volume on ‘Pedestrian Facilities’, published in 2003. He was just waiting for the right opportunity. This he saw in a perfect match with Lotte as co-editor, with her experience from working as a cycle planner in the City of Copenhagen, one of the world’s leading cycle cities, and with a huge international network. So, a lively email correspondence developed between Lima and Copenhagen over the next two years resulting in the exchange of thousands of mails. Lotte was following up on Juan Carlos’s dream with the vision of producing a book which would inspire people around the world to create liveable and bikeable cities. The book was to be written by authors with hands on and theoretical experience of a wide range of good practices including cycle planning and bicycle advocacy. It was to be an anthology of articles which would act as a source of inspiration to expand cycling across the continents of the world. Lotte and Juan Carlos met up again in Lima in September of the same year, at the Seminario Internacional ”Movilidad Sostenible de Lima”. It was at that point that the planning of the book really took off. Which topics should the book cover? Where could good practices from around the world be found? Who had valuable experiences which could inspire others? And who should the potential readers be? It was decided to draft in Mike Hughes as an expert in communication in English. This was made possible through the sponsorship of 3M Peru. Mike, owner of TRIPLE Acommunication in English, located in Copenhagen and himself an enthusiastic supporter of the bicycle as a way of furthering sustainable urban mobility, developed the Principles of Written Communication. 14   These guidelines were sent to all authors and were used by the editorial team, of which Mike had now become a member, to ensure a common editorial line throughout the book. This resulted in a series of exciting and inspirational articles appealing to a wide range of readers as well as professional planners and researchers. The book was planned as an English-Spanish publication but as a result of the quantity of the articles, we have chosen to publish two separate editions: the English one to be published in November 2013 on the occasion of the III EIMUS Conference on Sustainable Mobility in Lima and the Spanish one next year. The authors have been invited to the launch of the book at the conference, when it will be commented on by the well-known expert in sustainable urban mobility, Alfonso Sanz. The twenty five authors have contributed on a very generous scale with their valuable experiences, their time and their expertise in various areas. This has resulted in a series of wonderful articles which contain descriptions of the results they have achieved, reports of how they have achieved them and, not least, the challenges they have overcome on the way. This now constitutes an impressive body of examples which will inspire others to emulate them in developing cycling in their own way in their own city. As editors, we would like to thank each of the authors for their willing and fruitful cooperation. It has been a pleasure to work with all of you who are so committed to and enthusiastic about so many aspects of cycling. Thank you too, for your patience and willingness to make the changes we requested of you, whether they were on grounds of general readability, length of article or content. We would also like to thank the consulting company Neo Urbe, Ingeniería Urbana for their financial contribution to the publication, as well as to the company 3M, who have offered financial support for the editing of the book. Finally, we would like to offer our acknowledgements to Mikael Colville-Andersen for the design of the front and back covers of the book. Juan Carlos Dextre, Mike Hughes & Lotte Bech 15   Cyclists & Cycling Around the World Introduction Many cities around the world want to develop their traffic culture with a view to more sustainable mobility and so we are seeing many public transport systems developing to achieve this goal. Strongly linked to this, there is a desire to develop a cycle culture which will increase the mobility of the citizens and reduce private car traffic in cities. The development of bicycle policy and bicycle infrastructure is different from city to city, depending on the local tradition, legislation and political commitment. In spite of different local conditions however, there is a global, growing interest in knowing about experiences from other cities and thus learning both from their successes and the failures. Experiences in promoting sustainable alternatives to urban traffic through cycling, reveal that the key to successful solutions consists in an optimal integration of various aspects of a technical, institutional, regulatory and especially political nature. The common theme to be found in these diverse approaches, is the concept of a cycle culture ie, when citizens or cyclists incorporate cycling into their daily life either by cycling to work, education or recreation. Developing a cycle culture is an essential part of sustainable mobility. In the articles in this book, you will be able to read how increased cycling is improving urban life, the urban environment and the health of the citizens. You will also have the opportunity to read about how cycling has a development potential for cities in reducing poverty, developing democracy and increasing both gender equality and growth through increased mobility. This book provides a collection of good practices from around the world in order to inspire cities either to get started, to reinvent or to develop their cycle culture and infrastructure further. The aim is to contribute to the creation of liveable and bikeable cities throughout the world. The articles illustrate the diversity of approaches necessary to the development of a cycle culture, which is essential if the individual cities are to achieve their goals of increasing cycle traffic, and thus a more sustainable mobility. It is important to establish cycle tracks, but that is not enough to attract more cyclists. The articles illustrate that it is equally 16   important to ensure the safety of cyclists at intersections, to establish cycle parking, develop public bike systems and to integrate bicycles with public transport. They also describe the importance of bicycle advocacy groups that promote cycling and by their good example show the way forward and they show how the seeds of cycle culture are being planted in children and young people. It can be a challenge for those cities that want to promote cycling to define the strategy that best serves the local conditions in the light of the social, economic, cultural and political conditions. This book is intended to serve as a source of inspiration. The book contains 25 articles written by experts for example, local planners, active cycle advocates and researchers. It is divided into seven chapters on policies and topics important for increasing cycling in cities: 1) Cycle Culture, 2) Liveable and Bikeable Cities, 3) Cycle Infrastructure, 4) Safety for Cyclists, 5) Bicycles, 6) Cycling Policy and 7) Cycle Advocacy and Education. An introduction to the articles can be found at the beginning of each chapter containing information on the content of the articles and the main conclusions. Thus, the book can be used by the reader as a reference book in relation to his primary interests or it can be read as a whole and in this way, the experiences shared by the authors will be appreciated in their full diversity. The book contains two Appendices, the first of which The second “Contacts and References” has references to literature and links to web-sites and blogs recommended by the authors. “Co-authors’ biographies,” has curriculum and contact information. Finally, we encourage you to share your comments or suggestions, which you may send to any of the editors or authors. 18   Cycle Culture 1 21   Cyclists & Cycling Around the World 1. Cycle Culture This chapter covers various stages in the development of an urban cycling culture around the world. You can read four examples of good practice, written to inspire cities which are keen to start, revive or develop further a cycle culture or cities which have the potential to use the bike as a way out of poverty and as a means towards gender equality. In his article How to get started, Carlos Felipe Pardo offers ten rules that have increased cycling in Bogotá and other cities. It is an inspiring formula as to how you can contribute to the development of a growing urban cycle culture by acting as a pioneer and role model and by participating in groups that promote cycling. The rules are very concrete and down to earth, starting with how important it is that those engaged in promoting cycling as a mean of transport buy a proper bicycle designed for city use. The author adopts a hands-on approach, emphasising the need to know the infrastructure as well as stressing the need to create alliances with the media and policymakers and to work cooperatively between groups that promote cycling; and by the way, “Do not forget having fun while promoting cycling.” These rules have been effective in creating a strong agenda for cycling in Bogotá. In other cities, for example in China, the challenge lies in saving a cycle culture which is about to disappear. In his article Revitalisation of a cycle culture, Bram van Ooijen describes how this decline was arrested in the city of Guangzhou. During the preparation of the Asian Games in 2010, Guangzhou invested heavily in improving its infrastructure. Two projects especially greatly improved cycling conditions. The local authority created a large network of greenways within the city and as links to other cities, as well as creating a public bike system integrated with the public transport and safe parking. This has affected the local economy very positively in many instances, as the quotation from a local farmer explains how his own life style and those of his friends have changed as a result of the rebirth of cycling in the area. The pilot project in Guangzhou has provided valuable experience which can be used in other cities in China, as well as keeping alive the hope of maintaining a Chinese cycle culture. 22   Cities which already have a well developed cycle culture can draw inspiration from the article Further development of cycle culture, in which Ria Hilhorst tells the story of how Amsterdam became a real cycling capital and how the city continues to pave the way for cyclists. Amsterdam has a long history of cycling and has totally integrated cycling into its everyday life. There are a number of reasons for this, ranging from the scale and the topography of the city – the flat landscape and the narrow streets - to the resistance of the local population to making the city more car-friendly. Since the 70s, Amsterdam has had a strong political commitment and massive popular support for the promotion of their cycle culture. The author recounts how the city has reached the point at which the bicycle is regarded as an important part of the integrated transport system. She also writes about the need to continue encouraging the use of the bicycle and for ongoing investment in a mature cycle structure as well as the need to train children to use their bikes as much as, if not more than, the present generation. A completely different type of challenge to the development of a cycle culture is to be found in cities in India for example, where the poorer sections of the population, especially women, have very restricted access to mobility. In her article, the Socio-economic impact of the cycle Anvita Arora offers a gendered social perspective of cycling in India. She explores the significance of the bicycle not only as a means of transport but also as a means of livelihood for a large segment of the population who are being enabled to climb slowly out of poverty through acquiring bicycles. There are many reasons why only few women cycle in the larger Indian cities. Among other reasons, there is a very hostile street environment with insufficient space and insecurity for the women and a culture of abuse towards women cycling. A survey shows the significance cycles can have in the economy of poor women and in gender equality. The bicycle has empowered them with increased mobility and income as well as offering better status in the families and in the community. 23   Cyclists & Cycling Around the World How to Get Started - Ten rules that have increased cycling in Bogotá and other cities By Carlos Felipe Pardo, Bogotá, Colombia (Mesa de la Bicicleta) Introduction Getting started in moving forward a bicycle-related policy in a city is a difficult but fulfilling challenge – it implies a lot of work and takes considerable time. I will describe my experience in taking part in various activities and groups that promote bicycle policies in Bogotá and other cities where I have worked. I must clarify that I will discuss bicycle policies in the broader sense of the word, meaning that it relates to promotional activities but also regulation (i.e. modifying laws) and infrastructure interventions and projects. Photo by Carlosfelipe Pardo (in Bogotá, Colombia) 24   I have organised this article into ten lessons. For more detailed descriptions of technical issues of bicycle policy, designs and regulations, I direct readers to the works of other authors, predominantly Goodefrooij, Sagaris and Pardo, eds 2009 (for specific references, see Appendix). This article relates to very specific issues that will kickstart discussions and get the agenda moving. I am not an engineer but a psychologist and urbanist, and before getting those titles I used to ride a bicycle mainly as a competitive sport. The ten lessons below reflect my experience as a person who has ridden bicycles for many years, but also as an advocate, a policy advisor and a citizen. 1. Get a (proper) bicycle In many cities across the world (including Bogotá, a city with a long history of cycling as a competitive sport), the generalised perception is that a bicycle is a vehicle for sports or recreation. Regardless, whoever wants to promote bicycle policy must have a bicycle designed for use in the city. The bicycle doesn’t have to be sophisticated or expensive, it should actually be rather basic. Getting a single-speed bicycle with adequate frame design, a comfortable saddle and fenders is enough, and definitely the first step to becoming a person who understands what it means to ride a bicycle in a city and promote its use. Photo by Claudio Olivares (in Santiago, Chile) 25   Cyclists & Cycling Around the World Photo by Carlosfelipe Pardo (in Amsterdam, Netherlands) Helping others in getting bicycles is also a fundamental step in changing /creating a cycling culture, especially where bicycles “equal” lycra and helmets. In doing so, one must prepare suggestions, land tips, talk with local bike shop owners and convince them that city bikes must be part of their stock. 2. Embody your message: ride the bicycle Someone who is promoting bicycle use must use the bicycle, and be aware of the difficulties that may arise in its use, while also knowing details of the infrastructure that exists for bicycles. Riding a bicycle makes people better aware of what needs to be changed and it literally provides a hands-on approach to understanding a problem. It is also indispensable to have other people ride bicycles, and to do so as frequently as they can. Getting friends, family, colleagues and “influential people” to ride bicycles is a promotional activity in itself but also a way to present the issues of urban mobility in a city every day. One must also be conscious of the fact that one represents a culture, and that one must do so adequately: not following traffic rules is not the best way to promote a bicycle policy in a city, especially because the notion of “the irresponsible cyclist” may be perpetuated. 26   3. Cycling as transport There are three reasons to ride a bicycle: for leisure, sport and/or transport. The history of bicycle use has followed a similar progression in many cities: from leisure to transport to sport and the cycle continues or stops at a practice of riding bicycles for one or more of these three reasons. The experience in Bogotá, for instance, is one where the bicycle was identified with sports from the 1950s with its “Vuelta a Colombia” road race, and was then enhanced by an image of leisure from 1974 when it implemented its Sunday Carfree Day (an event that continues to this day). How useful is it to promote cycling for leisure or sport as leverage to its becoming a mode of transport? Nobody has been able to answer this question completely. What is true is that the development of schemes like the Sunday carfree initiatives definitely puts bicycles on the public agenda and in people’s minds as something that actually exists and can be used. In general, it is advisable to promote recreational or sports cycling as part of a city agenda, but with a view to promoting the bicycle as a mode of transport. Photo by Carlosfelipe Pardo (in Copenhagen, Denmark) 27   Cyclists & Cycling Around the World Photo by Jonas Hagen (in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) 4. Learn about the topic The past indications were related to the actual practice of using a bicycle properly and embodying the issue that is being promoted. But it is also necessary to become knowledgeable about the topic and to be reliable in providing information to others. Knowing about experiences in other countries, understanding if and how specific activities have worked, and learning how to adapt those solutions to the local context is not only strategic in terms of becoming an expert in the topic, but it is also greatly beneficial for a city that relies on one’s expertise for improvements. Promoting cycling must be seen as a truly technical issue and is not an idea that emerged overnight. In Bogotá, knowledge of bicycle policies has been enhanced by visits from technical experts from various countries in Europe, and even through training courses on cycling- inclusive infrastructure supported by international cooperation agencies. The fact that Bogotá made huge investments in bicycle infrastructure from 1998-2000 also led to a greater level of technical knowledge and awareness amongst its citizens and experts. The good news regarding knowledge and capacity development is that there are many free and easily available resources on various websites (see Appendix) where anyone can learn a lot. 28   5. Work together The experience of Bogotá is particularly useful in that, despite having various advocacy and technical groups promoting bicycle policies, there have been no strong arguments between them nor any significant conflicts or false leadership – the same cannot be said of other cities where, despite having a strong advocacy culture, bicycle policy promotion has not been particularly effective due to group clashes. The key to arriving at this common understanding of working together despite differences was the common agreement in 2008 that, regardless of the intricacies of each group’s interests and working strategies, all would agree on one thing: to promote policies that included the bicycle in a favourable manner, and to respect each other. This was mainly the work of the “Mesa de la Bicicleta”, a group of experts and advocates who worked to promote bicycles in Bogotá but invited others to do so in parallel and complementary fashion. Some basic rules of this cooperation between groups have been to respect others’ views, recognize the work of others explicitly, forget antagonisms, and invite others to think in the same way (or actively indicate when someone is “crossing the line”). This has been effective in creating a strong agenda for cycling and in generating specific positive effects in bicycle policies in the city. 6. Get support Working as an advocate is an interesting activity, but it needs support from strategic stakeholders. Getting interest from specific groups is very important: Photo by Bogotá Chamber of Commerce (in Bogotá, Colombia) 29   Cyclists & Cycling Around the World Clipping from El Tiempo newspaper (Bogotá, Colombia) - Government: policymakers are the ones who will enact policies, promote their implementation and create budget allocations for cycling policies. They should be approached and engaged in promoting cycling, and sometimes the only way to do this is through strong (but decent) opposition. One risk of “over-including” policymakers in the game is that they may use bicycles as a political instrument, working against one’s intentions. - Private sector: bicycle shops, importers of bicycle brands, and any company that supports bicycle use (directly or indirectly) can be used strategically to promote a bicycle policy. The risk here would be to generate too many commercial links to bicycle use. - International organizations: there are many organizations that can provide support, advice or just generally support the actions of a group promoting bicycle use. There is seldom an opportunity to get financial support from them, but their knowledge and advice is most useful, as well as their written support (for instance, when presenting proposals). - Citizens: many citizens are supportive of bicycle policies, even if they are not bicycle users. They must be actively sought to support actions related to the promotion of a bicycle policy, and that support can range from “liking” a Facebook page to taking part in activities. 30   7. Provide reliable information Communicating a message (e.g. why cycling should have a more prominent role in city or transport policy) needs to have arguments, reliable statistics and in general must follow the same guidelines as a scientific report. This is especially the case when cycling is regarded as an inefficient form of transport or just neglected as a mode of transport. If one is to promote cycling, one must provide thorough details of any example, and also be able to respond to questions that may challenge assertions. There is nothing worse for cycling promotion that someone giving the wrong statistics. 8. Be creative and visual Presenting a message with enough visual appeal is one of the most effective ways to catch people’s attention. Promoting a bicycle policy will involve presenting the use of the bicycle as something easy and joyful, where people can use their bicycles with normal clothes and they will not sweat when riding. There are two champions who should be credited for bringing forward this image of cycling in a most visually appealing way. One of them is Cycle Chic, the other is Ciclismo Urbano. The first of these initiatives (Cycle Chic) was born in Denmark and has now expanded throughout the world with its Cycle Chic City model, where cities promote the use of Bicycles following the “Cycle Chic Manifesto”. The second example is that of Photo by Claudio Olivares (in Bogotá, Colombia) 31   Cyclists & Cycling Around the World Photo by Carlosfelipe Pardo (in Bogotá, Colombia) Ciclismo Urbano in Chile, which are very similar to Cycle Chic but their aim is to promote cycling as part of an “urban experience”. The lesson drawn here is that cycling has great potential to be presented visually to others, and that one can use photography and other visual aids to promote a bicycle policy adequately while persuading others to be part of that agenda and to support it. 9. Write, speak, ride In order to complement visual information, one must be able to write and speak clearly. Having a good relationship with the media implies that one should also be able to deliver useful press releases, key fact sheets and give crucial information to journalists and editors so that they can support a bicycle policy in a city through their media. It is definitely “a must” to be able to communicate with people effectively in order to get them onto a bicycle or to gain their support. 10. Have fun while promoting cycling Having fun while promoting cycling is something that is not so difficult to do, but I want to repeat that idea since there are times when promoting cycling is frustrating or difficult. However, it is always good to get on a bicycle and go for a ride. Carlos Felipe Pardo pardo@despacio.org 33   Cyclists & Cycling Around the World Revitalisation of a Cycle Culture - Biking again in Guangzhou By Bram van Ooijen, Institute for Transportation & Development Policy (ITDP), Guangzhou, China This article describes the role of cycling in Chinese cities. But mostly it looks at Guangzhou, the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in south China, where cycling mode shares, as in any Chinese city, are dropping. The implementation of greenways and a public bike system are improving cycling conditions in Guangzhou though and are reversing this negative trend. This provides useful lessons to other cities in China and around the world. This chapter is based on practical experience from a range of projects ITDP China has been involved in, as well as a number of our own surveys and related literature. Bicycle Kingdom? In the last two decades, China, still known as the ‘bicycle kingdom’, has embraced the arrival of cars and is promoting this with a vast expansion of roads inside and between cities. In order to support and accelerate the development of Chinese cities, city governments’ focus is predominantly on the implementation of inner-city (ring) roads and the widening of existing roads. The road density in Chinese cities is growing on average at a rate of 9% per year (see Appendix). China’s biggest cities are also in the process of expanding their metro networks and building bus rapid transit (BRT) systems, in an effort to meet public transport demand, especially for longer trips. In cities’ transportation plans little or no attention is given to the preservation and development of bike facilities, like bike lanes and bike parking. It seems policy makers, planners and designers have forgotten how crucial the bicycle is to such a large number 34   of Chinese living in cities. Even though cycling shares are dropping, the table above shows that cycling is still (one of ) the most important traffic modes in many Chinese cities. Cycling mode shares vary across cities, but are generally above 20%, and even higher in less developed cities and the countryside. Economic growth, changing cultural perceptions, rapid motorisation, spatial growth, and changes in trip patterns are seen as reasons why cities are experiencing a decline in cycling shares (see Appendix). As a result of the lack of policies for cycling and the promotion of motorised traffic, and the infrastructure these need, cycling is increasingly becoming a dangerous way to get around in Chinese cities. Bike lanes are disappearing from roads, or are being moved to the sidewalk, where cyclists are supposed to share the space with pedestrians. Where bike lanes still exist, they are often located on the kerbside of the mixed traffic roads, not physically separated from motorised traffic, and becoming blocked by cars driving or parking. Moreover, a lack of sufficient bike parking lots and stands, and a high risk of bike theft, are also discouraging cycling. Cycling in Guangzhou Guangzhou, for a long time, has had lower bike shares compared to other Chinese cities. The city historically known as Canton, is the capital of China’s most prosperous Guangdong Province. Located in Southern China, Guangzhou has an estimated population of 16 million people. Source: Darido et al., 2009 35   Cyclists & Cycling Around the World Figure 1. Guangzhou’s Haizhu bridge packed with cyclists, several decades ago Figure 2. Guangzhou’s residents used to get around by bike For decades, the bicycle was the main mode of transportation for Guangzhou’s residents. Dedicated bike lanes were filled with cyclists making their way through the city. Dedicated bike parking areas the size of suburban shopping mall lots were located across the city. Citizens were cruising past as far as the eye could see, as cars were not available and public transport service was slow and had little coverage. But much has changed since the Chinese economy, especially in the South, with Guangzhou as one of the main instigators, grew rapidly during the 90s and 00s. Still, images of hundreds of cyclists can be seen in some places of the city, with migrant workers pedalling to work in the early morning, but the numbers, especially in the more developed parts of the city, have dropped drastically. In thirteen years, between 1992 and 2005, the share of walking and cycling combined, dropped from 70% to 40%, with the majority of trips currently made on foot (see Appendix). Last year, only 8% of trips in Guangzhou were made by bike (see Appendix). 36   The main reason for the decline in cycling over the last decade is the improvement of car and public transport infrastructure. In 1949, Guangzhou had 230 kilometers of road (see Appendix). In 2010, urban roads stretched for 5519 kilometers, with another 717 kilometers planned by 2015 (see Appendix). This greatly improved conditions for driving. Also Guangzhou now has eight metro lines, with three more opening in the coming three years. There are currently around 1200 bus routes, covering the entire city, and a world- class bus rapid transit (BRT) system is linking the city centre with the Eastern districts. But cycling is still an important part of Guangzhou’s urban transport system. It serves as a favourable travel mode for short trips, for commuting as well as shopping and visiting friends and relatives. Also, cycling offers low-cost mobility for the urban poor, who often have no choice but to cycle for their trips. A survey in Guangzhou’s central Tianhe district (see Appendix) shows all different types of people ride bikes for all different kinds of purposes. The average cyclist in Guangzhou though, rides a bike to get to and from work or for work (there is a high share of delivery bikers), rides a bike every day, is under 30 years old, has a lower to middle income and rides a fairly cheap bike. There is an equal amount of male and female cyclists. Despite the negative trend for cycling, two projects have greatly improved cycling conditions in Guangzhou in the past years. Both were spurred by the Asian Games, the world’s second-biggest multi-sport event in the world, that Guangzhou organized in 2010. In the run-up to the event, Guangzhou invested heavily in improving its infrastructure, public transport, public services and parks, but also in the construction of a greenway network and the implementation of a public bike system. Guangzhou greenways bring bike lanes and bike parking In an effort to improve urban living and preserve cultural and environmental sights, Guangdong’s Party Secretary Yang Wang started the development of greenways throughout cities in Guangdong province, especially Guangzhou. In 2010, right before the opening of the Asian Games, 1,000 kilometers of greenways were implemented in Guangzhou, and currently over 2,000 kilometers are open to the public. These greenways, stretched-out parks along scenic and cultural spots and large transportation corridors, are beautifully landscaped paths for pedestrians and cyclists. The greenways are separated from motorised traffic and serve both as a recreational space for people to relax, play and gather, as well as a transportation corridor for pedestrians and cyclists to get around safely and conveniently. In the first year of opening, 25 million people throughout the province visited greenways or used them on a daily basis. By 2015, a total of 8,770 kilometers of greenways will be finished, connecting city centres with suburbs and rural areas and even connecting all cities in Guangdong in a Provincial greenway network. 37   Cyclists & Cycling Around the World Guangzhou’s government intends to make greenways the backbone of Guangzhou’s cycling network. In the city centre and suburbs, greenways were built on the boulevards along the Pearl River, along creek banks, between parks, through residential areas, at universities and along large traffic arterials. In rural areas, the construction of greenways on scenic routes has stimulated rural development. A farmer in Guangzhou’s Zhengcheng district explained how greenways have changed his life. “I used to be motorbike taxi driver in the city, but I moved back to the countryside where my parents live. I opened a restaurant, serving locally grown food to greenway visitors. I make a lot of money now. Friends have opened bike rentals, hotels and small markets, selling local vegetables and fruits” (in Yangcheng Evening Newspaper, on 2012.02.23). Land values, both urban and rural, have risen substantially for areas around greenways, showing the economic value of building high-quality pedestrian and cycling infrastructure (see Appendix). A study showed that the rural collective economy along greenways was 54% higher than that away from greenways (see Appendix). Also in city centre areas, surveys showed an increase of 30% of land values around the most successful greenways, compared to the average increase in the district. The Forestry and Landscaping Bureau, in charge of greenways in Guangzhou, in cooperation with district governments, are organizing events on greenways. Media cover high-level government leaders, students, school children and celebrities riding bikes on a greenway, to promote its use among ordinary citizens. Guannan Liu, a Guangzhou resident, has fond memories of cycling as a kid. “Economic development has had bad effects on the quality of life in the city and the way we travel. Greenways have given us back public green space and a chance to safely ride a bike again. This brings back the culture of cycling I remember from when I was a child. I am happy I can now share that again with my friends and my young child” (in Southern Daily newspaper, 16 January 2011). After the initial success in Guangzhou and other cities in Guangdong’s Pearl river delta, many other Chinese cities started implementing greenways. Hebei and Fujian provinces both decided to construct greenways in all their cities. Currently over 60 greenway networks are implemented or planned in China, with more cities joining every month. The Vice-minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of China’s national government said greenways reduce PM 2.5 emissions and promote social equity, by providing leisure activities for the urban poor. He urged the implementation of greenways across Chinese cities and stressed the importance of implementing public bikes on greenways. For residents, greenways provide high-quality walking and cycling infrastructure and elevate the status of cycling, whereas politicians and city officials boost their careers with implementing high-profile projects. 38   Figure 3. Cyclists flock to a greenway along Guangzhou’s Pearl river, traversing the city Figure 4. Well-separated bike track on Guangzhou’s renowned Shengwudao greenway (photo credit: Karl Fjellstrom) Figure 5. Cyclists using high-quality, separated bike lanes in the central business district for daily commute Figure 6. Shengwudao’s greenway incorporates not only bike tracks, but also bike parking, pedestrian promenades, playgrounds, rest areas and restaurants Figure 7. Cycling groups organize joint bike rides on Guangzhou’s greenways Figure 8. Mountainbikers coming together on a greenway in the countryside 3 4 6 8 5 7 39   Cyclists & Cycling Around the World As a result of this, greenways are now spreading throughout China, proving how successful Guangzhou’s pilot project has been. Greenways have greatly benefited cycling conditions in Guangzhou. In order to increase cycling on greenways, much work remains to be done on improving the quality of the bike lanes, and the continuity of these. Better access and connectivity with origins and destinations of cyclists, will really make greenways the backbone of the cycling network in Guangzhou. Public bike system connect to Bus Rapid Transit system A public system was built in the eastern part of central Guangzhou, connecting the bus rapid transit (BRT) system with the surrounding neighbourhoods. Guangzhou’s BRT corridor has bike lanes on both sides of the road. At 22 of 26 BRT stations, public bike stations are located to provide passengers with ‘last-mile access’. Public bike stations are dotted in the areas within five kilometers from the corridor, mostly in residential and business areas, to provide easier access to and from the BRT station. The BRT serves as a trunk line for longer trips, with the public bike system as a feeder. “Outside my apartment I take a public bike, I ride 10 minutes to the BRT station and then take the BRT to my office building. Without the public bike I probably would drive a car”, according to Lulu Wen. The first phase of the system was implemented in June 2010 and within two months was expanded to 5000 bikes at 113 public bike stations. At BRT stations another 5500 private bike parking stands were installed to allow for convenient chain mobility for cyclists on private bikes. In the first years of operation the average number of daily trips reached 21,000, with 45,750 people registered on the system. Surveys have shown that most public bike users previously used the overcrowded bus system. More than two thirds of Guangzhou’s bike sharing trips were previously made by motorized transport saving an estimated 636 tons of CO2 per year. Only 10% shifted from driving a car and only 10% swapped their private bike for a public bike. Bicycles can be rented from docks at every station by swiping the city transportation card, which is also used in bus, metro and convenience stores. The first hour of use is free, with a small fee for 2 hours (1 RMB – 0.15USD), to encourage short-term use. For longer use, mainly recreational, a fee of 3 RMB/hour (0.45USD/hour) is set. A deposit of 300RMB (50USD), when registering, prevents theft of the public bikes. The system was initiated by the Guangzhou government and operated by a government- owned public bike company. Recently Guangzhou’s bus company, also operating on the BRT, took over the public bike company, making integration and coordination much easier. Subsequently plans were announced to expand the system with more stations and bicycles in the near future. 40   Figure 9. Integrated transportation: Guangzhou public bikes, protected bike lanes and the bus rapid transit (BRT) Figure 10. Cycling along Zhongshan avenue, one of Guangzhou’s busy traffic arterials, has become a lot safer and more pleasant with public bikes and this greenway Figure 11. A well-designed bike lane runs along this public bike station Figure 12. Public and private bike users share the protected bike lane along Guangzhou’s BRT corridor Figure 13. Small-sized public bike station in residential area, connected to a separated bike track 9 11 13 12 10 41   Cyclists & Cycling Around the World In 2008, Hangzhou (Zhejiang Province) was the first Chinese city to implement a public bike system. After its success, many cities followed suit. Currently 45 cities in China operate 51 public bicycle systems with more than 220,000 bikes in total, including China’s big cities Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou. Every month cities across China expand existing public bike systems and open new systems. The existence of public bike systems often urges city government to expand and improve existing bike lanes as well. Guangzhou’s concept of connecting to public transport system was unique, but is now being copied in other Chinese cities. Most cities have chosen stations across the entire city or certain city districts, like Paris and Barcelona, to provide coverage for trips in any direction. Both models provide sustainable transportation and greatly improve cycling conditions for its residents. A revitalized cycling culture Despite government neglect in the preservation and improvement of cycling conditions in Chinese cities, some cities have started building high-quality cycling infrastructure. With greenways and a public bike system, Guangzhou has shown that cycling is an integral part of city life and urban transport. There is a long way to go to improve and expand Guangzhou’s greenways and public bike system, and make them convenient for all to use. But what can be seen is the revival of a cycling culture as a result of these projects. The successive rapid dispersion of greenways and public bike systems in other Chinese cities, after Guangzhou’s successful projects, gives hope for the preservation of China’s cycling culture and its image as a bicycle kingdom. Bram van Ooijen bram@itdp-china.org 43   Cyclists & Cycling Around the World Further Development of Cycle Culture - Amsterdam continues to pave the way for cyclists By Ria Hilhorst – City of Amsterdam, Department of Traffic, Transport and Infrastructure, The Netherlands There is almost no city in the world where people cycle as much as in Amsterdam. The Amsterdam inhabitants cycle to work in the morning, they take their children to school on bicycles and do their shopping on bicycles. For the residents of Amsterdam cycling is an ordinary, everyday affair. Everywhere in the world, other cities see Amsterdam as a good example of how a city can be both mobile and pleasant to live in. What did Amsterdam’s city council do to reach this point? Which factors contributed to make Amsterdam the number one cycling city? The answers are given in this article. Amsterdam, the cycling capital: a short introduction Amsterdam has a population of 780,000, whereas there are over 2.2 million inhabitants in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area. Almost half of all trips (up to 7.5 km) in Amsterdam are made by bicycle. This means that every day the cyclists cycle 2 million km. Cyclists in Amsterdam are 50% female and 50% male. Of the cyclists, 40% are between 30 – 44 years old, 70% have a higher education and 75% have an average to high income. Please note: most inhabitants are 30-44 years old and have a higher education. So these numbers have to be seen in that context. You can find more facts and figures about the bicycle in Amsterdam in the text under the pictures in this article. The pictures in this article also show how Amsterdam looks as a cycling city. 44   Success factors for growth of bicycle use The success of the bicycle in Amsterdam is due to several factors. 1. Historic structure of Amsterdam makes cycling attractive Amsterdam was made for horses and carriages and that seems also to be the perfect scale for cyclists. It has a very compact city centre with narrow streets, a lot of canals and narrow bridges. The city centre has many facilities and amenities within a short distances of each other. Moreover, Amsterdam is flat and has a mild climate in summer and winter like the rest of the Netherlands. All these factors make cycling agreeable. The historic structure makes a large part of the city unsuitable for large traffic flows. Many streets offer insufficient space for parking cars. This is another reason to use the scarce space as efficiently as possible. The bicycle fits perfectly here because, compared to the car, it needs relatively little space, both when moving and when parked. Amsterdam’s residents cycle 2 million km every day. Modal Split Amsterdam Bicycle Car Public Transport 45   Cyclists & Cycling Around the World Amsterdam paves the way for cyclists: there are 500 km separated bicycle lanes, which are safe, comfortable and fast. Change in the 1970s: from cars to bicycles and public transport Plans from the 1960s to realise major breakthroughs in the old city for the benefit of the strongly growing car traffic have been rarely implemented. Early 1970s increased the resistance to such plans. Residents protested because their homes had to be broken down. Others stood up for the preservation of the cultural-historic value of the monumental city. Simultaneously the environmental movement was gaining momentum. This protested strongly against the effects of the overwhelming growth of car traffic, which was affecting the quality of life, green environment and traffic safety. They regarded the bicycle as a good alternative to the car. At the end of 1970s, a new generation of young politicians in the city council took over these ideas. They laid the basis for a different traffic and transport policy, aimed at making and keeping the city accessible, liveable, traffic safe and healthy. From that moment on, the use of public transport and bicycles was stimulated and the use of cars discouraged. That has remained the case to the present day. Bicycle parking on bridge railings 46   2. Political choice of the city council for the cyclist is essential The aims of the traffic and transport policy are – in short - to keep the city of Amsterdam accessible, liveable, traffic safe and healthy. To reach these aims an integral policy has been developed, stimulating the use of public transport and bicycles and discouraging the use of cars. Traffic safety is priority number one for the city council of Amsterdam. Therefore it is an essential part of the bicycle policy. Since the end of the 1970s safe, separated bicycle lanes, separated from car traffic, have been built. To be able to realise this not only has the number of parking spaces on the street been reduced but also the growth of car traffic has been stopped. The introduction of paid parking in 1990 was a very effective instrument: - parking for visitors in the city centre nowadays costs € 5 per hour; - residents need a paid permit to park their car on the street. At this moment, there is a waiting list of four years in the historic city. Since 1990, car use in the city has decreased by 25%, while bicycle use has increased by almost 30%. The car has been replaced by the bicycle. Choosing in favour of the bicycle means that the car has to make way for the bicycle. To take these measures requires political willingness and courage, because less space for cars is also politically sensitive in Amsterdam. Cyclists in the historic city centre of Amsterdam 47   Cyclists & Cycling Around the World 3. Cycling contributes significantly to achieving the aims of the traffic and transport policy The bicycle policy is an essential part of the traffic and transport policy, because it contributes significantly to achieving the policy objectives. The population and especially the number of jobs in Amsterdam over the past 25-30 years have been growing considerably. So, mobility over long distances has also increased proportionally. Due to the growth of cycling, the traffic in the city does not got stuck and the city remains liveable. Outside the city, public transport should absorb the growth of traffic. But many commuters cycle to the railroad station over the short distance and take the train to their job over the long distance. The last 10 years, this kind of commuting by bicycle and train has increased from 10% to 50%. Bicycle as pack mule 48   The municipality has adopted an active and integral bicycle policy, which currently comprises the following components: - Traffic safety - Bicycle network all over the city - Bicycle parking facilities in the city and at railroad stations - Traffic education and bicycle exams at primary school - Campaigns and communication. The city council considers all these components important for stimulating bicycle traffic. The municipality started the bicycle policy at the end of the 1970s with traffic safety and bicycle infrastructure. Later on, Amsterdam developed a policy for bicycle parking (including prevention of bicycle theft), education and promotion of bicycle use. In this way the bicycle policy has been developed into the integral policy it is today. There are 650,000 – 700,000 bicycles in Amsterdam. 75% of Amsterdam’s residents (over the age of 12 years old) own one or more bicycles 49   Cyclists & Cycling Around the World New developments require new responses. That is important in every policy field, also for bicycle policy. This is necessary to continue encouraging the use of the bicycles. 4. Structural and continuous investments in bicycle facilities are necessary Making a choice in favour of the cyclists not only requires political courage, but also structural focus on the bicycle. The ‘bicycle’ must be included in all new traffic and transport projects and new spatial developments. Structural and continuous investments are needed for this, not only for the realisation and construction of new infrastructure (bicycle paths, parking facilities), but also for proper management and maintenance. Realisation of one or two bicycle projects would not solve this problem. During the last decade, Amsterdam has invested structurally in bicycle facilities, but even we must continue to invest in new facilities for continuing to stimulate bicycle traffic. Bicycle Network Amsterdam: routes should be fast, traffic safe, comfortable and secure. Bicycle lanes are laid in red asphalt. Traffic education: Bycicle exam for children of 11 - 12 years old. 50   5. Left and right wing politicians acknowledge the importance of cycling Cycling has many advantages in various fields, politicians from left to right endorse the importance of cycling. The bike is a fast and flexible means of transport over short distances (up to 7.5 km) and thus keeps the city accessible, liveable, safe, clean and healthy. Cycling is a local solution to a global problems. It improves the quality of life, because it produces zero emission and it is silent. Cycling keeps people healthy. Daily cycling to work, school and shops reduces the risk of obesity and makes the gym redundant. People who cycle daily, have less stress, less illness, live longer and remain healthy longer. Absenteeism from work among cyclists is lower than among non-cyclists. And cyclists cost society less with regard to health expenses. It also contributes to overall fitness and personal wellbeing. Furthermore a bike requires less space compared to a car. Ten to twelve bicycles can be parked in the same space as one parked car takes. Cycling is cheap, because a bicycle is not expensive to purchase and to maintain. And cycling facilities are relatively inexpensive compared to the requirements for car and public transport. So investing in the bike is attractive to politicians. Bicycle parking: increase of bicycle use requires investments. In the ‘boxbike’ to school 51   Cyclists & Cycling Around the World 6. Role of Dutch Cyclists Union and advocacy groups The Amsterdam branch of the Dutch Cyclists Union (DCU) is continuously campaigning for better cycling conditions in Amsterdam. From the start of the new bicycle policy, in the late 1970s, the DCU has been involved in the development and implementation of urban cycling policy. Partly due to this Union and to other advocacy groups the new generation of politicians was inspired to change to a different policy: the bicycle in the city was considered as a good alternative to the car. Through its extensive network of volunteers the Cyclists Union still maintains its role as ‘eyes and ears of the city’. The DCU advises the city council on all kinds of traffic and transport plans (like construction and reconstruction of roads). From the perspective of cyclists they evaluate those plans for road safety and flow of cyclists. They also advise on the adjustment of traffic lights for cyclists and give input to plans for major new urban projects. The council is committed to the discretion of the DCU. Sometimes there are differences in opinion between the municipality and the DCU, leading to discussion. But, by using the expertise and opinions of the DCU, the city council increases support for the bicycle policy. The municipality also involves residents, businesses and civil society organizations in the planning process. The city council considers it important to be informed about their needs, experiences and ideas, in order to improve the plans and to get the widest possible support. Of course, it is the responsibility of the municipality to make a good balance of all interests. Parked bicycles: 225,000 parking facilities in public space and 13,000 parking spaces in guarded bicycle garages in Amsterdam. Priority for cyclists 52   7. Dutch bicycle culture Bicycles are very Dutch. They are a part of the Dutch culture. In the Netherlands, one cycles almost daily. Amsterdam is not different. At the age of 3-4 years children learn to cycle. People from all classes cycle. It is part of everyday life. The bike is no ‘poor man’s vehicle’. Highly educated people use bikes even more. Inhabitants with a non-Dutch background do not cycle much. It is a challenge for Amsterdam to let them experience how fast, funny and healthy cycling can be. 8. Cycling is more than transport The bike is a social vehicle. On the bike you are part of the city, you are approachable, easy to get in contact with, you are not disconnected from the life around you; you are not trapped in your own car. A bike is more than a vehicle. Cycling gives you a sense of freedom and joy. It makes living in a city enjoyable. Cycling is part of life in the city. Traffic safety: designated area for cyclists where trucks can see them well. Learn to ride a bike. 53   Cyclists & Cycling Around the World Ria Hilhorst r.hilhorst@ivv.amsterdam.nl Photo credits Edwin van Eis Doriann Kransberg Marcel van der Meer Cycling brightens up Amsterdam. Amsterdam loves bikes 55   Cyclists & Cycling Around the World Socio-Economic Impact of the Cycle - A gendered social perspective of cycling in India By Dr. Anvita Arora, Managing Director and CEO of Innovative Transport Solutions (iTrans) Background The cycle and its many variants like the three-wheel passenger cycle rickshaw and goods trolleys, and the four-wheel vendor carts are an important mode of transport in Indian cities. Bicycle use in medium and large Indian cities varies from 7-15% in large cities to 13-21% in medium and small cities. Its high ownership, low cost and easy use attributes make it a desirable mode of transport for students and low income workers. A large amount of utility cycling is present in Indian cities because the bicycle is the most affordable form of transport available to low income households. Most of the medium and large cities in India have about 56% to 72% trips which are short trips (below 5km trip length), offering a huge potential for bicycle use. The close vicinity Girls cycling to college in a small city of Raipur (They cover their face against the sun and pollution) Photo: Gerhard Menkoff 56   of academic institutions (mostly 3-4 km), easy ridership, no license requirement and no fuel requirement are all factors which make it an attractive mode of travel for students. Parking facilities, safety and ease of travel are some of the most important factors which seem to govern female bicycle ridership. One of the reasons for the small share of bicycle trips in large cities is the presence of hostile conditions for cyclists. Who is cycling? The picture of a cyclist in India is not of a athletic young male on two wheels weaving aggressively through the traffic in full cycling gear or going for a weekend ride through the green countryside for health. The cyclist in India is service provider from the formal sector (postman, electricity line repairman) or the informal sector (gardener, domestic worker, mason, security guard). The cyclist is a delivery man – delivering milk, restaurant food, mineral water, cooking gas cylinders; a street vendor – selling vegetables, groceries, sweets. Pictures of the cyclists in India, delivering furniture, kerosene and milk! 57   Cyclists & Cycling Around the World Even the cycle is not always the two-wheeled bicycle. It is often adapted to 3 or 4 wheels to carry passengers (passenger rickshaw), to ferry goods (goods rickshaw), or to sell stuff (vending trolley). A cycle is not only a means of transport to access livelihood, it is a means of livelihood by itself. Conflict for space The manner in which the road space is shared is a reflection of the power and identity struggles of the society. The fact that the big SUV is offended if a small car overtakes it, the car pushes the motorcycle, and the motorcycle runs the cyclist off the road is the kind of road user behaviour that acknowledges the marginal position of the cyclist in the order of things. The cycle is in conflict with all other modes of transport including pedestrians for space on the road, some conflicts leading to lowered speeds and abuses but some leading to the death of the cyclists. Conflict on the left (slow moving) lane of the road 58   Gender and poverty dimensions of mobility Understanding of gender issues in the transport context is of vital relevance, since women are estimated to account for 70% of those living in poverty worldwide (UNDP, 1995). The growing literature on women and transport has also clearly shown that they tend to have different travel needs deriving from the multiple tasks they must perform in their households and in their communities (Greico and Turner, 1997). Low-income women tend also to be much less mobile than men in the same socio-economic groups. They are more dependent on walking and tend to have less access to any bicycles or motorcycles in a household. Social restrictions hinder women’s mobility in many cultures (Gopalan, 1998). Efforts to increase the mobility of poor women may face stiff resistance from those who feel threatened or offended by such direct empowerment of women (UNDP, 1998). Sexual harassment (and worse) in streets and on public transport is a common occurrence. Since many more women than men are the care-givers of frail or elderly people, people with disabilities and of children, the transport problems of these disadvantaged groups also impact disproportionately on women. Poverty, of course, compounds each of these disadvantages. Accessibility is a major barrier to the upliftment of women, especially in a country like India where the socio-economic constructs ensure that women are the last persons to have access to the mode of transports in the households or money to travel. Added to this, the indifferent public transport services and the safety risks that women incur on the streets ensure that women are unable to travel to access their primary needs of health, education and livelihood. Sustainability can only be achieved by preserving diversity. Development experience world-wide shows that gender based policies become all inclusive. If the mobility policies too are gender-centered they will target the mobility of the entire society. This can be equated with the UN education slogan ‘educating one woman will educate the entire family’. A research study (Singh & Anand, 2001) showed that women’s greater domestic responsibilities coupled with their weaker access to household resources have significant consequences for their transport and travel status. The women of lower income households experience greater transport deprivations as compared with men. Women were to be found as the users of the less expensive and slower modes of transport when their intensive household schedules (women are time-poor as compared to the men) would be better served by access to faster modes. The survey results indicate that women spend more time traveling on slower modes − the faster and more flexible modes being more expensive. Their time-poverty forces them to look for work at shorter distances from their home thus decreasing their choices and opportunities. The survey results illustrated that women lack mobility in the city due to gender-based restrictions, 59   Cyclists & Cycling Around the World inferior access to transport means, high dependence on low quality public transport, lack of availability of affordable modes of travel, and that lack of mobility is inextricably linked to poverty of women in so much that: - It is caused by their poverty (of both time and resources) - It becomes the indicator of their poverty (as illustrated by their work force participation and the nature of jobs they are able to access) - It causes their poverty (by becoming a disabling factor to their access to livelihood) The study also showed that while the bicycle was the mode of transport for the poor, where distances exceeded walking limits and bus fares were too expensive in relation to their income, not one woman bicycled to work. The women constituted 25% of the working population and mostly walked to work or used buses even though the fares were too high. Why do the women not bicycle? Patriarchy: patriarchy is an overarching concept influencing local power relationships and cultures. It is therefore directly related to the gendered division of labour in both modern and traditional societies, with the household (or family) unit as the central perpetuator of the societal system. Men, in their superior power position within the household hierarchy, tend to appropriate the most efficient means of transport for themselves. In this interpretation, cars, motorcycles, bicycles or animal carts are mainly seen as household assets and resources over which men, as the most powerful members of the household, would obviously seek to maintain control. Given the lower levels of overall motorization in less developed countries, power struggles are more likely to occur even over non-motorized forms of transport. Woman cycling on the side of a truck on unpaved shoulder Photo: IDS, 2005 60   No dignity for the cyclists: bicycles, in India, are invisible modes driven by people who are invisible in the city. So government policies and plans do not provide space for cyclists on the roads. Over the last few years, however, efforts are being made by organizations such as TRIPP, IIT, Delhi to redesign road spaces to include the non-motorised. They have done a lot of work in sensitising the planners and the policy makers toward the need and importance of the non-motorised modes of transport. However, what is difficult to combat is the low image of the bicycle. Bicycles are the mode of the poor and cyclists are captive riders in India – that is, they have no choice. So issues of equity and dignity are closely linked to the bicycle use on our roads. No space on the road: the reality today is that cyclists have no space on the roads, especially in the bigger cities. They are forced to compete for space with larger, high speed motor vehicles (refer figure 1) increasing their vulnerability to accidents and road rage. Since there is no legitimate space for the cyclists, some men on the bicycles may be to adapt to aggressive/defensive driving to survive (though their exposure is no less), women find it tougher to undergo this struggle on a daily basis. Gender biased infrastructure design: there is very little infrastructure existing for cyclists in general in Indian cities and it is all designed for the anthropometrics of young male cyclists. Women cycling with children and shopping bags may need more width of the track and safe space at parking areas where they can unload children and bags comfortably. They would have longer acceleration times and need longer leads at green phases of the signals. Uncomfortable bicycles: the male cycles, more easily available in the market, especially second-hand, are completely unsuitable for women. If they are wearing skirts or saris Young girl cycling back from work on a hot afternoon in Panjim, Goa to avoid peak hour congestion later 61   Cyclists & Cycling Around the World then it is impossible for them to ride them. The cheapest ladies bicycle is more expensive than the cheapest male bicycle. If the household wants to buy bicycles they will buy the male bicycles that all the males in the house can use rather than a ladies bicycle which a man will never ride on for fear of ridicule. Harassment and abuse of women: the entire transport infrastructure of our cities, be it the badly lit subways, unusable overhead bridges, absurdly high sidewalks, uncomfortable bus shelters, badly lit walkways, roads in a state of disrepair; all contribute to a very hostile street environment for the women which actively disables their mobility. Cycling in these badly lit roads with potholes is an invitation to jeering comments and abuse for the women on the road. In fact, as is with the car drivers (the behaviour of male car drivers towards their female counterparts), male cyclists will always try to overtake and ridicule female cyclists, to establish their dominance on the road. Experiences from the field In 2005, with the Institute for Democracy and Sustainability (IDS), we concluded a year-long study on the bicycle users and non-users in the city of Delhi. Of the total of 2000 people interviewed across Delhi, 1000 people were interviewed from the low-income working class section of the populace, and of them only two bicycle users were women. Amongst the non-users several of the women knew how to bicycle and had bicycled in their home towns or villages, but they stopped cycling after migrating to Delhi. This argument is borne out by the fact that there is a higher percentage of women bicycling in smaller cities and towns (which have higher share of both male and female cyclists). Alwar, a small city in North India, with a population of less than 3 million, claims Girls cycling in Alwar on an unsafe intersection. They would rather cycle then subject themselves to the harassment of bad public transport 62   to have an 80% share of bicycling. Figure 6 shows girls cycling in an arterial street, a common sight in Alwar. In the year 2005-2006, under the aegis of a fellowship from the Environment Equity and Justice partnership (EEJP), we conducted a small pilot study in a low-income settlement in South Delhi amongst a group of domestic workers. These women had the unique characteristic that they bicycled to work. The studies showed that they had been taught bicycling by their husbands so that they could go to more apartments and do housework rather than wasting time in walking or money in taking the public transport. The survey results showed that the increased mobility had increased their income and hence their bargaining power in the households and the community. It had given them more confidence and freedom to work and educate their children. The study tried to understand the problems and barriers these women face on the road and in the community. Box 1 is the transcription of an interview with a domestic worker, Uma Muniyan who bicycles to work. Her narrative highlight several issues raised in this paper. Interview of Uma Muniyan Be it morning or evening or the afternoon – the major intersections in Vasant Kunj, New Delhi see a continuous stream of small groups of women – some on the bicycle and some on foot. One of these women is Uma Muniyan, a Bengali woman of 30 years. She is originally from Hoogly in Bengal. She still finds it difficult to speak Hindi fluently and rides her bicycle to work wearing her sari. She says “I have been working for the last year as a maid-servant. I used to walk to work earlier and was very tired by the end of the day. The flats of Vasant Kunj are far from Shankar camp (the informal settlement where she lives) and there is no public transport system connecting them. We are forced to use personal vehicles. There is no option but to walk or bicycle. We do not earn enough to buy a scooter. So, for us, the best option is to buy a bicycle. That is the reason I bought a bicycle 3 months back.” “Why did you not buy a bicycle before this?” “Because of lack of funds. Today I work in two flats, earlier I worked in only one. My husband, Swadesh Muniyan, cleans cars belonging to the flat-owners. He also earns 1000-1500 Rupees (1USD= 55 Indian Rupees) a month. I earn 1300 rupees a month – 700 from one place and 600 from the other. So, we have to really plan our savings and expenditure” 63   Cyclists & Cycling Around the World “What does the bicycle mean for your future?” “Earnings increase with owning a bicycle. The bicycle makes it easy to work in 2-3 places. If the flats are located far apart, then too it is not difficult to manage. On foot, even working at one place leaves one very tired at the end of the day.” “Do feel any hesitation or discomfort in cycling?” No, I do not feel any hesitation. Though, men still do not like to see women cycling, but the circumstances pressurize the men to teach their women to cycle. They know that if we work at more flats, we will be able to earn more, and a bicycle is necessary for that.” “Did you learn bicycling after coming to Delhi?” “No, I learnt to bicycle at a very young age. The learning at that time is helping me now.” “Being a woman, do you face any problems while bicycling?” “No problem at all. The ladies cycles are comfortable to ride on even with saris. With regard to the safety of women on the roads, the bicycle has very little to do with it. Men who make abusive comments will keep on doing that – whether the woman is on foot or on the bicycle or on a bus. While working in these flats we have to be alert – who knows what is there in anybody’s mind.” Uma Muniyan 64   The increasing urbanization is leading to changes in lifestyle for the families. In traditional joint families there was always somebody staying at home, especially women. So some people went out for jobs and business and the rest helped with the household chores. Now the situation has changed completely and both men and women are so busy with their jobs and businesses, that they do not have time to do their household chores like washing clothes and utensils, getting vegetables and milk from the market etc. They then need these maid servants, who help to make their daily lives comfortable and convenient. These maid-servants come from far-off areas of the country and often belong to the very poor and tribal sections. Some of them live in the houses they work for. However, most maid-servants (like Uma Muniyan) work part-time. They work in one or more households. Usually they work for 2-3 hours in the morning and 2-3 hours in the evening. Most of these maid servants live in the slum settlements and, according to their affordability, distance from home to work, availability of transport etc., decide on which mode to use to travel to work. The bicycle empowers them with independent mobility, freedom of choice and enables them to better their economic status. Apart from access to livelihood, the bicycle gives them efficiency in handling their daily chores too. Anvita Arora anvitaa@gmail.com or anvitaa@itrans.co.in Domestic worker doing her household chores like fetching water on the bicycle 67   Cyclists & Cycling Around the World 2 Liveable and Bikeable Cities 69   Cyclists & Cycling Around the World 2. Liveable and Bikeable Cities This chapter deals with the local and global environmental problems confronting our world today as well as the challenges we are facing to develop our cities into places fit for the citizens to live in. The five articles illustrate a broad range of initiatives being taken to create liveable cities as well as describing the variety of benefits cycling offers in terms of city life, the environment and health. In his article The benefits of cycling, Gil Peñalosa calls for urgent action to generate global and individual well being. Gil has written an inspirational article, where he sees the global problems we are facing not only as unique challenges but also as fascinating opportunities to transform our cities into great places for people to live in a sustainable way. He emphasises the city’s relentless search for quality of life, placing cycling at the centre of urban development. He calls for public engagement and political will to make riding a bicycle safe for all citizens. He mention two key actions to increase the number of cyclists, reducing the speed limit in all residential areas and building a network of protected bikeways on all arterial roads. He also looks in some detail at the benefits of cycling as well as its political, bureaucratic and organisational aspects. In her article Sustainable mobility, Tanja Ballhorn Provstgaard describe two cases, commuter cycling and city logistics in Copenhagen. Tanja raises the question as to how we choose which form of transport we are going to use when going about our daily business. She explores how a sustainable form of transport can be implemented in Copenhagen by instituting a consultative process with various stakeholders such as local citizens, local committees, interest groups, trade associations and universities, surrounding municipalities and the state. How can more people be encouraged to cycle? The answer is to introduce Cycle Super Highways, which will ensure commuter cyclists feel safe and arrive at their places of work or study by a direct, fast and comfortable route. She looks too, at how the inner city can be made more sustainable by the introduction of an innovative logistics structure for goods delivery to reduce considerably the amount of heavy traffic in the congested city centre. 70   In his article Quality of life and bicycles, Fábio Duarte recounts how Curitiba has become one of the world’s most liveable cities. Since the 1980s, Curitiba has created a vast network of bike paths in order to improve the quality of peoples’ lives. Fábio adopts a statistical approach to urbanisation, cycling and quality of life. He shows how the rapidity of urbanisation in South America is posing a number of problems. The rapid rise of car ownership is producing a number of effects, both short term as well as long term. Fábio explores various aspects of the promotion of cycling, including its relationship to the public transport system. He looks at creative ways the city of Curitiba has used to develop its cycle network and ends his article by taking a historical as well as a current, positive look at the situation with regard to cycling in Curitiba. In his article Cities for people, Lars Gemzøe describes the method, Copenhagen Studies in Urban Life, which was initiated 40 years ago by the architect Jan Gehl with a team of students and researchers from the School of Architecture in Copenhagen. The studies were a recording of the pattern of public life based on observations in the old main street in Copenhagen after it was changed in 1962 to a pedestrian street. These studies have been repeated every ten years and the data shows that the result of quadrupling the number of car-free square meters was almost four time more activity. City life has blossomed and is now a brand for the city “people in motion”. Lars describes the significance of reliable data for urban planning and the political process and shows how the collecting of data for pedestrians and also for cyclists has influenced the transformation process from a city full of cars to a city full of people. In his article Cycling and health, Philip Insall states that public health experts recommend more cycling. Philip makes an overwhelmingly strong case for the advantages of cycling with regard to public health. Pointing out the increasing obesity in England and what it will ultimately cost the government to foot the medical bill, he shows how cycling can combat this problem as well as providing many other advantages to public health. Philip has two recommendations to public health policy -1. change the physical environment, thereby making it easier to walk and cycle and restrict private motor transport -2. shift in public investment priorities from expensive road projects to walking and cycling facilities. He emphasises how important it is that professionals in transport work together with those from public health, because each can help the other. Such collaboration has been very successful in Bristol, where the Director of Public Health appointed urban planning, sustainable development and transport specialists to his team to ensure that physical activity, including cycling, is written into the city’s strategies and plans. 71   Cyclists & Cycling Around the World The Benefits of Cycling - Global and individual well being By Gil (Guillermo) Peñalosa, Executive Director, 8-80 Cities, NGO based in Toronto, Canada Since 1817, human beings have had a means of freedom through individual mobility, consisting of what initially began as a wooden frame with two in-line wheels. However, amidst the drive for capital and economic prosperity, this symbol of independence and joy has been transformed into one of last resort, unfortunately frequently associated with poverty. Within the last 50 years or so however, some leading global cities have come to realise the value of cycling, not only for the sake of mobility, but as a way of life. Some would argue that with the current economic crisis, there is no room for bike-oriented societies. On the contrary however, it could be argued that with the storm we are now facing, the plummeting economy, ever-growing health crises, together with global warming present not only a unique challenge, but a fascinating opportunity to transform our cities into great places for people to live in a sustainable way. Yes, we are at a critical juncture demanding urgent action. Hundreds of cities worldwide are thinking and talking about ways in which we can create world-class, people-oriented cities by focusing on the development of adequate infrastructure to foster environments that encourage the use of bicycles. There may be a lot of talking and thinking but there is not enough doing. Almost all of the major cities in the world are being faced with rapid growth and higher urban density as larger proportions of the population leave rural areas. The US population will increase by 100 million in the next 25 years for example and the world population by 2.5 billion by 2040. During these radical changes, cities should keep one thing in mind: their citizens’ wellbeing. We must grasp the opportunity to transform our cities into places where priority is given to the individual person over the car; where everybody can mobilise in an easy, efficient, and human way: by walking, by using public transport and also by using their bikes. 72   We must overcome barriers, real and imaginary Many of the “thinkers and talkers” claim that there are far too many insuperable barriers. “Our city is no Copenhagen or Paris, we don’t have a bike culture”, they say. Climates may be different, cultures may not be equal, but people are the same; we are all social animals. As for comparisons, we are not creating sim-cities on our computers - we cannot “copy and paste” but we can and should “adapt and improve”. Every city is different, with unique challenges and prospects, but all have the potential to be wonderful places to live in. Before the transformation of Copenhagen, there was a lot of resistance in the city to creating cycle tracks and pedestrian streets for social mobility. In fact, the Danes used to say, socializing through means of mobility was for the Italians, as they seemed to like public spaces and spending time on streets, sidewalks and piazzas. In fact however, once the streets were transformed into pedestrian promenades, the Danes became “more Italian than the Italians” and enjoyed them seven days a week, all year long. Ciclovia in Bogota, Colombia. Over 1 million people bike, walk, skate, “watch people” every Sunday of the year. “Bike-pooling” kids to school in Utrecht, Holland 73   Cyclists & Cycling Around the World Cycling and walking is great for local stores as people purchase goods for two or three days whereas people going to shop by car buy for two or three weeks and end up shopping at big out-of-town supermarkets. So, despite the many challenges and doubts, Copenhagen is now one of the world’s leading cities for cycles, where more than 36 out of every 100 trips are done by bike. In order to create cities that foster an environment where people feel safe enough to use their bicycle for daily trips, we need public engagement to demonstrate to the decision- makers how citizens want to live, what makes their people happy. It is not surprising that the major predictors of a city’s success nowadays include happiness and quality of life. Every city’s main goal must be how to retain its best people as well as how to attract great people from other places. This is done through creating great quality of life. Riding bicycles in Copenhagen, Denmark. “There is no such thing as bad weather, it’s bad clothing”. Consistency in Copenhagen, Denmark: always on the right side, always unidirectional and always physically separated from cars when car’s maximum speed is above 30 kph (20mph). 74   So, in order to overcome these barriers, we need to prioritise the general interest over the particular. Change is hard and if we want it to be accepted unanimously we need to dilute it so much that it would no longer be change. We must keep asking ourselves “how do we want to live” and then make the necessary decisions to move in that direction. It is clear that the barriers are neither technical nor financial, they are political. Key actions There are many cities who claim that they want to be “cycle friendly”. Unfortunately, most of these focus on doing things right but not on doing the right things. There are a number of actions that actually improve conditions for existing cyclists without getting many additional cyclists on the streets even if they are “done right”; for example, signage, sharrows, education, bike parking and lockers, racks on the buses, painting lines on the pavement, etc. Bike racks on buses are “visible” but do not get “non street riders” to begin riding. Vancouver, Canada 75   Cyclists & Cycling Around the World There are however, two key actions which will increase the number of cyclists: lowering the speed below 30 kph (20 mph) on all residential streets and secondly, building a network of protected bikeways on all arterial roads which have more than 5,000 cars per day or speeds higher than 30 kph. With regard to the first action, it has been demonstrated that lowering the speed to below 30 kph (20 mph) saves lives and is not only good for cyclists but also creates great communities, walkable, safe for all. If a person is hit by a car going at 30 kph there is 5% probability of getting killed, while if the car is going at 50 kph the probability of getting killed increases to 85%. With regard to the bikeways, they must have a physical separation between the cyclists and pedestrians and especially between cyclists and motor vehicles. The message is clear; politicians need to create networks of protected bike lanes. This is not done by painting a line on the pavement; actually if they approve the difficult part by providing the space on the street for cyclists, then they should go one step further and build “enhanced bike lanes” adding the physical separator which is a must in order to attract new riders and to make it safe for all. The line by itself might make it more comfortable for existing cyclists but will not attract those who do not bike for fear of getting run over by cars. The goal is to make riding a bicycle safe for all: including children and older adults and novice riders. When bike lanes (lines) do not work, it provides politicians unfriendly to bicycling “an excuse to show that cycling is not part of their culture” and bike lanes are removed. Protected bike-ways in New York, USA. A painted line on the pavement is not safe enough; it needs a physical separation like the one shown in the photo. 76   The benefits of cycling Far too often, people speak about cycling as a means, focusing strictly on the precise action, as opposed to the benefits, the ends. Once we discover the benefits that cycling provides, we can begin looking at overall lifestyle in a far more desirable manner. After all, there are many reasons why, despite their high economic development, the Danes choose the bicycle as their preferred means of mobility, but let’s summarise under the acronym E.A.R.T.H. Environment Although inherently associated, the relationship between cycling and the environment deserves further attention and support. The use of a bicycle as opposed to a car, greatly reduces pollution, gas emissions, noise and traffic congestion. Economic Activity Having citizens ride bicycles benefits the economy in many ways. For example, the cyclists can carry groceries for only two or three days while the car drivers carry for three Vancouver, Canada has begun building great bikeways, physically separated from cars and pedestrians, safe for all. 77   Cyclists & Cycling Around the World or four weeks; the cyclist buys local while the car driver buys at big supermarket. A second benefit is the disposable income. According to the American Automobile Association the annual cost of an economy car is $7,500; if a household can downsize from two to one cars, all of the sudden there will be substantial savings to spend on other goods or services, thus improving local economy. Recreation Cycling provides recreational opportunities for everybody, regardless of economic, social or ethnic background. This recreation is in addition to utilitarian cycling, it’s just fun. Obviously the division of cycling for recreation and for transportation is not always clear; we might use the same bikeways in the morning to ride to work while in the evening to go to the movies or to visit friends. Transportation Cycling plays a double role in transportation: as a way to move from points of origin to our destinations as well as a means to connect with other modes, such as public transit. Unfortunately no large or medium size city has solved the issue of mobility through the Seville, Spain built a grid of over 150 kilometers interconnected and cycling increased from less than 1% to almost 7% share in four years. Great for cyclists and for business along the grid. 78   private car. The only solution is to have public transportation. Most cities are investing large sums in public transit but busses or trains will not pick us up in front of our homes or drop us off at our destination. Here is where cycling can play a key role - as a connector to and from public transit - as long as we build the proper infrastructure of safe bikeways connected into a coherent grid as well as networks of bike parking. Health There is growing, global concern about public health and there is a very clear correlation between physical and mental health benefits and cycling. The obesity rates have increased geometrically over the past two decades to a point where in countries like Mexico or the USA one in three citizens is obese. The lack of physical activity along with the obesity is producing many health problems and illnesses. The key to meeting the 30 minutes a day of physical activity recommended by the World Health Organization is to make walking and cycling a normal part of everyday life. The situation is clear: countries where cycling is part of everyday life have very low levels of obesity. With heart disease being the number one cause of preventable deaths, the cycle lifestyle represents the pivotal lever between life and death. Furthermore, clear links have been cited between daily exercise and decreased levels of depression, anxiety, attention deficit disorder etc. Thousands of bicycles parked at the main transit station in Amsterdam, Holland. Riding bicycles improve mobility by itself as well as a connector to other modes. 79   Cyclists & Cycling Around the World How to move from talking to doing Once we realise the many benefits of cycling, we must create broad alliances to represent all those interests. This process is like a three legged stool where one leg is the elected officials from the municipal, state / provincial and national levels. The second leg is the public sector staff, including the obvious like transportation and planning as well as others directly related to benefits like public health, environment, economic development, parks and recreation. This change process must take into consideration: Political will: politicians must understand that the general interest must prevail over the particular in such actions as eliminating car parking to allow a bikeway to be safe. Doers in the public sector: people working for the government must keep in mind that every week the citizens are paying them to get things done and not to have 20 reasons why they cannot be done. They must always look for solutions to the problems and not problems to the solutions. In New York, USA, they created a very successful Ciclovia / Open Street program called Summer Streets. It showed