Newsletter.June 2012

Content

Shared (parking) space for cars and bikes

Cycle cities awarded bicycle counters

Cycle Super Highways to generate more cyclists in Great-er Copenhagen Area

Danish cycle experts heading to Velo-city in Vancouver, B.C.

Published by Cycling Embassy of Denmarkwww.cycling-embassy.org

By Niels Hoé, Atkins Denmark

In cities where space is in short

supply, you need to think outside

the box to make room for every-

one. When it comes to a cycle city

like Copenhagen, with its count-

less cyclists, you also need to

allot parking space for both cars

and bikes.

Copenhagen and many other

Danish cities are increasingly

transforming car parking spaces

into bicycle parking. Such a solu-

tion of course limits the number

of car parking spaces, but this is

not necessarily a negative thing.

Rather than saying ‘either/or’, the

City of Copenhagen, in coopera-

tion with consultants from Atkins

Danmark, decided to say ‘yes’ to

both bikes and cars, and in turn

developed the concept of flex

parking.

Using the same space twice

In order for flex parking to work,

it is crucial that the two user

groups – cyclists and motorists

– are in need of parking space at

different times. Take, for example,

the Ingrid Jespersen high school

in Copenhagen, a test site of flex

parking. As is the case at most

other educational institutions in

Copenhagen, many people bike

there, and the students are only

in class for a limited period of

time during the day. The school is

located in a residential area with

many car owners. At night, the

need for car parking increases as

people come home from work.

Precisely this combination of a

need for bicycle parking during

the day and car parking at night

made it possible to use the same

space twice.

How does flex parking work?

The asphalt of the original car

parking space is signed with the

flex parking logo and a text, and

there are signs indicating the time

span allotted for bikes and cars

respectively. Cyclists can use

the space between 7 AM and 5

PM, and car parking is allowed

between 5 PM and 7 AM. In

order to ensure that time limits

would be respected, a pamphlet

was distributed to all students

and residents in the area so that

both cyclists and motorists were

familiar with the new initiative and

knew how to use it.

The biggest challenge comes

around the times when the area

switches from car parking to bicy-

cle parking and vice versa. A few

times, a car or bike has not been

moved, but this has not caused

any problems or accidents.

Flex parking may not be 100%

ideal for cyclists, as there are no

bike racks; nor 100% for motor-

ists, who have to respect the time

limit. But on the positive side,

both parties – not just one of them

– get a parking option. Without

flex parking you can only have car

or bicycle parking, which is only

used for one third of the day.

The test has shown that it can

be done. Yes, bikes and cars can

share the space.

Car parked in the flex parking area

Poor accessibility before the trial period

Students parking their bikes in the flex

parking area

Shared (parking) space for cars and bikesCan bikes and cars share the space?

By Marie V. Magni, VEKSØ.

A bicycle counter was recently

presented to each of the three

German cities of Offenburg,

Karlsruhe, and Freiburg in the

Land of Baden-Württemberg. All

three cities have been officially

nominated as cycle cities by the

German Ministry of Transport on

the grounds that “a bicycle coun-

ter is a visible proof of a dedicated

effort to strengthen cycling.”

The new bicycle counters have

quickly become a landmark of the

three cities. Professionals, politi-

cians, and the press closely fol-

lowed the opening in April 2012.

As the massive media coverage

indicates, the bicycle counters

both recognise the work that has

been done, and highlight the work

that lies ahead. The title of ‘Cycle

City’ is valid for five years. Then,

the cities will have to pass a new

test: What results have the city

achieved since nomination, and

are they still worthy of the title?

The bicycle counters will serve as

a daily reminder to the responsi-

ble city planners and politicians

to continue the good work in

the name of sustainable mobil-

ity. Most importantly, the bicycle

counters will show cyclists that

every single citizen who chooses

to transport themselves on a bike,

counts.

Marketing boost

Besides counting cyclists and

keeping track of the status of

cycle traffic, the counters are a

useful marketing tool that calls at-

tention to cycling traffic and helps

make visible the city’s efforts to

increase bicycle traffic. The coun-

ters also serve as an encouraging

boost, complimenting the many

people who already cycle, while

motivating those who want to

cycle but haven’t yet jumped in

the saddle. Even though the three

cities already have many cyclists,

they all have a stated target to

further increase the modal split

of cyclists. Hopefully, the bicycle

counters can help demonstrate

to all citizens that their cities

consider cycling an important

focus area. Perhaps, the bicycle

counters can also be a role model

for other German cities that want

to focus on cycling.

VEKSØ and Urban Cycling Solu-

tions

The bicycle counters are provided

by VEKSØ, one of the co-found-

ers of the Cycling Embassy of

Denmark, which produces a list

of services and products for the

bicycle-friendly urban space,

including bicycle parking, air

pumps, water fountains, and

more. VEKSØ developed its first

bicycle counter more than ten

years ago for the city of Odense

when the city bore the title of

Denmark’s National Cycle City

in the period 1999-2002. Since

then, VEKSØ has provided bicycle

counters for a number of Danish

and foreign cycle cities.

Moreover, VEKSØ has just begun

a collaboration with Eco-Counter,

the market leader in terms of

developing counting systems

and data processing of active

transport.

For further information about

VEKSØ Urban Cycling Solutions

and bicycle counters please con-

tact Joel Mulligan at

jtm@vekso.com or visit: www.

vekso.com

Read what the press wrote at:

www.cycling-embassy.org/?p=4789

Minister of Transport for the Land of Baden-

Württemberg, Winfried Hermann, and Mayor

of Karlsruhe, Michael Obert, at the opening

on 26 April 2012. The counters are a clear

and very visible way of showing citizens that

the city is focussing on bicycle traffic.

Cycle cities awarded bicycle counters

In Freiburg, all cyclists going on Wiwili-Brücke in direction of the Jazz House are now counted. And only cy-

clists are listed in the statistics – by registering speed, amount of metal, and the distance between the wheels,

the bicycle counter can distinguish between a bicycle and other wheeled objects, such as prams or skateboards.

By Søren Bom und Lillan Clemmes-en, City of Copenhagen.

Commuters keen on cycling to

their place of work or education

in the Greater Copenhagen area

have just gotten their first route in

what will become a whole network

of world-class cycle routes. Den-

mark’s first ‘cycle super highway’

between the suburb Albertslund

and Copenhagen’s City Centre

opened in April. With few stops

and a high level of comfort, the

cycle super highways will make it

fast, easy, and safe to reach more

destinations.

The first cycle super highway in

the Greater Copenhagen area is

now open. A temporary orange

line, permanent air pumps, and

green-light waves are just some of

the perks that are intended to get

more people to bike to their place

of work or education on the route

named ‘C99 Albertslundruten’ [the

Albertslund route]. The route runs

between Vesterport Station in

central Copenhagen to the suburb

Albertslund , 17.5 kilometres away

and is the first piece of a new

network of 26 routes, making up

more than 300 kilometres of cycle

super highways.

”If we can get more people to

park the car and jump on the bike

instead, it can curb congestion.

For a long time, we have seen the

potential in getting more people

to bike to and from Copenhagen,

so it is great to see the project

realised. Collaborating with our

neighbouring municipalities and

the Capital Region of Denmark

about the cycle super highways is

the best offer to cyclists since we

built the first cycle tracks more

than 100 years ago,” says Ayfer

Baykal, Mayor of the Technical

and Environmental Administration

in Copenhagen.

The partnership behind the first

cycle super highway consists

of the Capital Region of Den-

mark and the Municipalities of

Albertslund, Glostrup, Rødovre,

Frederiksberg, and Copenhagen.

According to the plan, two more

routes will open this year, called

‘Farumruten’ and ‘Vestvoldruten.’

More than 200 cyclists participat-

ed in the opening of the first cycle

super highway, which had been

announced in newspaper ads and

on Facebook. Orange bike bells

and a taste of Copenhagen City

Hall’s famous pancakes served as

encouragement and fuel.

The object of the cycle super

highways is to get more people to

bike further than usual, as surveys

indicate a great potential there.

Today, a third of all trips to one’s

place of work or education in Co-

penhagen are conducted by bike,

and most of these trips are less

than 10 kilometres long. The cycle

super highways can potentially

increase the number of cyclists

by 30 percent, corresponding to

15,000 more cyclists on the whole

cycle super highway network.

This will save about 7,000 tons of

CO2 and about 300 million DKK in

health costs per year.

The cycle super highways project

is a multi-annual project. The

partnership consists of more than

20 municipalities and the Capital

Region of Denmark, all of whom

participate in the planning and fi-

nancing of the routes. The project

has also received a state subsidy.

Read more at:

www.cykelsuperstier.dk

Typical traits of a cycle super

highway

• A high and consistent level of

maintenance along the entire

route, despite its transcending

municipal boundaries.

• Constructing level crossings that

help secure cyclists from traffic to

and from byroads.

• Green light waves, LED Lane

Lights, and countdown traffic

lights so cyclists can adjust their

speed and avoid having to make

a full stop.

• Improved safety in high-traffic

intersections.

• Light on the route and in tun-

nels.

• In many places, new cycle

tracks and surfaces have been

constructed to ensure a high level

of comfort and traffic safety.

Cycle Super Highways to generate morecyclists in Greater Copenhagen Area

Air pumps every 1.7 kilometres are one feature of Denmark’s first cycle super highway.

When Vancouver, B.C., opens its

cycle tracks to Velo-city Global

conference goers from across the

globe this June, the Danes will

be on the spot. A delegation of

15 from the Cycling Embassy of

Denmark will cross the pond to

share knowledge and search for

new inspiration.

Velo-city Global 2012 will be a

hub of cycling expertise. With a

list of presentations, including

several keynote speakers, and

a stand at the exhibition, the

Cycling Embassy of Denmark are

aiming to make a strong showing:

“The Velo-city Global conference

is the place to be this June. You

have a massive amount of cycle

knowledge gathered at one place,

so it is the perfect place to share

your best ideas and be inspired.

We hope to have many visitors

at our stand at the exhibition,”

says Frits Bredal from the Danish

Cyclists’ Federation, a member of

the Cycling Embassy of Denmark.

What is the Cycling Embassy of

Denmark?

The CED is the world’s first

cycling embassy, currently count-

ing 17 members (municipalities,

private companies, NGO’s),

and aims to make Denmark the

world’s leading cycling country

and the primary source for knowl-

edge, dialogue, and innovation in

the field of cycling.

In recent years, the interest in

everyday cycling has been grow-

ing slowly but surely all over the

world. This has made foreign city

administrations and NGO’s look to

countries such as Denmark (and

Holland), where the cycling

mode share is high. As a result,

the Cycling Embassy of Denmark

is increasingly organising master

classes, excursions, and courses

for foreign visitors.

“We are simply trying to copy

what they are doing in Copenha-

gen,” said Michael Bloomberg,

Mayor of New York City, upon re-

ceiving an award from the Cycling

Embassy of Denmark for his city’s

work to construct one thousand

kilometres of cycle tracks. Cities

like Los Angeles, Melbourne,

London, and Bogotá have also

“copenhagenized,” a.k.a., built

bicycle infrastructure and fostered

bicycle culture, with Copenhagen

as a model.

For further information, please

contact Frits Bredal, phone (+45)

29 47 67 04, frb@dcf.dk, or visit

www.cycling-embassy.org.

Meet the Cycling Embassy of Denmark at

Velo-city Global 2012:

• Frits Bredal, Danish Cyclists’ Federation,

presenting “Bicycle Tourism – Version 2.0”

• Jens Loft Rasmussen, Danish Cyclists’ Fed-

eration, presenting “It starts with the children”

• Anja Larsen, City of Copenhagen, present-

ing “How to optimize the capacity on cycle

tracks - lessons learned in Copenhagen”

• Niels Tørsløv, Director of the Traffic Depart-

ment, City of Copenhagen; Keynote speaker

• Ayfer Baykal, Mayor of the Technical and

Environmental Administration, City of Copen-

hagen; Keynote speaker

• Dorthe Gyldenlund Råby, City of Odense

• Steen Møller, Mayor of Culture and Urban

Development, City of Odense; Keynote

speaker

• Jesper Kinch Jensen, Politician and Mem-

ber of the Culture and Urban Development

Committee, City of Odense

• Lone Andersen, City of Frederiksberg

• Joel Mulligan, VEKSØ

• Marianne Weinreich, VEKSØ; present-

ing “Around the World in 80 Days - Getting

children cycling through new tech and an

old story!”

• Dea Seeberg, VEKSØ; presenting “11

Municipalities on 2 wheels in 3 years - How

to ensure political and organisational owner-

ship and prioritization of cycling in small and

medium sized municipalities”

• Niels Hoé, Atkins Danmark; presenting “Can

we do without cycle parking?”

• Aske Wieth-Knudsen, Head of Strategy,

Communications and OSH, DSB S-train;

Keynote speaker

• Troels Andersen, City of Fredericia; present-

ing “Bike Score – How can Electronic Chips

Boost Cycling?”

Danish cycle experts heading to Velo-city in Vancouver, B.C.