Themes » Planning for Cycling

Planning for cycling

Planning for cycling addresses the definition of the infrastructure requirements to support an adequate, efficient, and sustainable development of cycling in all the SPICYCLES cities. By infrastructure, it is here intended the range of physical components supporting cycling services, such as cycle lanes, signals, parking racks and lanes, communication technology, etc.  As such, this kind of appraisal is one of the underpinning elements of any operational cycling policy in that it quantifies and localises the need for additional or improved infrastructure and addresses them setting in motion interventions apt to promote, facilitate and service cycling activities.

Task 5.1 calls for the following actions:
  • Definition/appraisal of the local strategic plans for cycling development, with an emphasis on the infrastructure activities thereof;
  • Illustration of the criteria leading to the identification of the chosen infrastructure, their quantification, localisation and prioritisation, including the role played by decision-makers, stakeholders and citizens;

These actions will represent the key reference for an adequate planning of cycling strategies.

In SPICYCLES, Barcelona Municipality proposes to fully implement the cycle monitoring programmes for 2006 and 2007, and to compare this monitoring activity with those realised in the other SPICYCLES cities. The Municipality also proposes to utilise the new information coming from the monitoring programme so as to assess and review - for the first time - the infrastructure planning. The count information will facilitate a gathering of intelligence such that those routes that carry most (and least) traffic can be assessed, and the relative usages levels of different districts can be interpreted in terms of statistics concerning population and levels and quality of route provision.

Together with the other sites, key findings will be determined and recommendations made for a best practice concerning the use of monitoring for assessment of infrastructure planning.

The Berlin demonstration in this task will focus on one side on the development and optimisation of a Second Level Bicycle Route Network for one of the boroughs and on the other on the assessment of parking needs and consequent planning of parking infrastructure.

The outcome will be an exemplary Second Level Bicycle Route Network in one of the boroughs. It will be successful on one side, if cyclists accept and use this network intensively and if other boroughs imitate this new approach on the other side. There is a risk in budgetary restrictions. A cooperation of the Senate of Berlin and the borough administration will be able to solve this risk.  

The outcome of the Bicycle parking infrastructure will include several exemplary parking facilities. This demonstration will be successful, if other retailers, housing societies and private companies imitate this example. There are risks in budgetary restrictions, witch will be solved by a cooperation of the Senate of Berlin and the borough administration and a PPP approach.  

Within SPICYCLES, Göteborg aims to make an extra effort improving the quality of already existing highly frequented cycle lanes, bicycle "highways". Alongside these "highways", services and excellent facilities, like air-filling stations, service-stations and information, will be provided, in order to improve the attractiveness for cyclists. In order to increase cycling and the status thereof, the following is forecasted:
  • Assessment of the existing cycle network supply in close cooperation with traffic planners;
  • Identification of potential scope for improvement.  

Another way of improving the image of cycling, is to show that cyclists are seen, focused on and as a prioritised group. At the already existing travel centre at the central station, buses (regional and local), trains, and car parking are available, but there is no focus on cycling today. A modern cycle centre will therefore be established in Goteborg and will be located at the central station during the project.

Within SPICYCLES, Rome will pursue the following:
  • Design and development of the full range of technical and administrative activities required by the elaboration, submission, approval and adoption of the Municipal Cycling Action Plan (Piano Quadro della Ciclabilit?);
  • Preliminary and final elaboration of a study for the improvement and equipment of cycling paths leading to public transport exchange nodes;
  • Coordination and supervision of detailed traffic planning for what concerns cycling.

The specific cycling services will be addressed in Ploiesti. A research study will be made in order to find the opportunities of expanding the cycling routes (that will be realised by CIVITAS SUCCESS project) to other areas, in order to create a real network.

In Ploiesti, a special attention will be offered to the cycling facilities in the central area (subject to an access control policy), Carino and Hippodrome development areas and other areas in which cyclists can be given higher priority.  

In the study that RATB intends to develop in Bucharest within the SPICYCLES project, the main infrastructure needs according to bikers' needs will be assessed. On the other hand as a PT operator, RATB intends to study the possibility to adapt its vehicles for biker usage. The vehicle improvements could contribute to a raise in the modal split of public and bicycle transportation.

Specifically, the work will entail:
  • A technical study to be carried out in order to identify the Bucharest's biking conditions;
  • A better signalisation and more information about the positive aspects of improved bike infrastructure will result out of this assessment
  • An analysis on the opportunity  to create a biking lane network correlated with the major PT corridors and other major traffic projects
  • A study to determine ways to adapt PT vehicles for bike transport.
  • Guide for improving the byke conditions in the city, as a decision tool for local decision makers.
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