Today, Friday 3 June, is World Bicycle Day, and to celebrate the occasion the European Cyclists’ Federation is hosting a webinar convening numerous cycling and sustainable mobility advocates from around the world. 

We have been celebrating this day every year since the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution in 2018 to annually commemorate the bicycle. Now, governments and individuals across the globe are finally starting to reflect on how our chosen modes of transport are affecting the planet, our societies and the places where we live. 

In light of this newfound enthusiasm for cycling, this year’s World Bicycle Day feel particularly momentous. So don’t miss out, register for our webinar now!

1. Creating a more liveable planet

Our long-held desire to create new transport technologies to take us faster and farther – regardless of the costs to our environment, climate, societies and our health – has caught up with us. Pressures on our planet from the climate crisis, particularly those created by our dependence on fossil fuels and motorised transport, are now inducing a widespread demand for effective transport alternatives. One of the most effective of these is the bicycle – and the science is there to back it up.

Cycling has been proven again and again to be one of the most environmentally friendly modes of transport available. The IPCC Sixth Assessment Working Group III Report released in April recognised that fundamental changes to transport systems, and the demand-side options they provide, can have a major role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. According to the authors, “Demand-side options and low greenhouse gas emissions technologies can reduce transport sector emissions in developed countries and limit emissions growth in developing countries,” and that “investments in public inter- and intra-city transport and active transport infrastructure [such as bike and pedestrian pathways] can further support the shift to less GHG-intensive transport modes.” 

Importantly, the report’s authors made a clear case for prioritising car-free mobility by walking and cycling as a way to significantly save on emissions, writing that “meeting climate mitigation goals would require transformative changes in the transport sector” with, among other actions, “the provision of less car-dependent transport infrastructure.”

These assertions mean that cycling has the potential to become as transformative as ever for our planet in the years to come, and public authorities across the planet need to see the bicycle as a way to solve numerous societal and economic problems and challenges. 

2. Creating more liveable cities

The bicycle has an enormous potential to improve our lives individually and collectively. Getting more people to cycle, and swap their car journeys for bike journeys, leads to cleaner air – and this is not a minor point. 

In fact, the Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health just updated its findings to show that pollution is responsible for approximately nine million deaths per year, which is one in sixth deaths worldwide. The Lancet commission also found that deaths from modern pollution risk factors, “which are the unintended consequence of industrialization and urbanization,” have risen by 7% since 2015 and 66% since 2000.  

Transport pollution is a significant contributor to these deaths. Exhaust-pipe emissions account for up to 30% of fine particulate matter in urban areas. Motorised transport is the largest source of nitrogen dioxide and benzene emissions in cities.

Another major effect of more cycling in cities is the improvement in road safety. The implementation of 30 km/h speed limits in various cities across Europe is slowing down motor vehicle traffic and leading to big reductions in road deaths. One great example is Brussels, where there has been a 50% reduction in road fatalities since the implementation of 30 km/h speed limits. These practices open opportunities for people to cycle, because one of the main barriers for people to cycle is their perceived threat of danger on the roadways.

3. Creating a more liveable future

Ultimately, the places where we live have been over-designed for motorised vehicles. Thus, it is no wonder that most people drive as the dense and predictable road network makes it very convenient to do so. 

This needs to change. Politicians, policymakers, urban planners, academics and civil society advocates need to plan for a redesign of cities that make active and sustainable modes of travel – walking, cycling, public transport – the easiest and thus most preferential option for inhabitants. 

Doing this will lead to a more equitable system of mobility for everyone, a system in which the bicycle plays a leading role. It will lead to a future where people will not be forced to acquire expensive motor vehicles to move around – a future in which people can walk or cycle to local shops, schools and workplaces without fear of being hit by drivers of larger vehicles. 

It will be a future in which people reclaim the streets for play, social gatherings, for business, for mobility, and for all the activities that form the web of vibrant communities. 

Join us today, Friday 3 June for the ECF World Bicycle Day webinar, where we will discuss further with high-level cycling advocates from around the world how the bicycle will shape our cities, planet and future. Registrations available here.

L’article World Bicycle Day 2022: How will the bicycle shape our future? est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has forced European governments and citizens to rethink our collective dependence on fossil fuels for Europe’s energy needs. Dependence on fossil fuels for transport alone produces 20-25% of Europe’s total carbon emissions. Thus, it is of crucial importance that we recognise the need to do things differently when it comes to transport and mobility, and to create the right frameworks that can enable more people to cycle towards energy independence.

On Friday 13 May, the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF), Cycling Industries Europe (CIE) and the Confederation of the European Bicycle Industry (CONEBI) published a joint manifesto outlining eight effective recommendations for how the European Union, national governments and individuals can decrease their reliance on fossil fuels through cycling, whilst also making significant savings on fuel expenses.

“Cycling is the fastest opportunity in mobility to make progress on the EU’s climate goals in its Fit for 55 package. We estimate that one-eighth of Russian oil imports to the EU used for road transport can be removed by transition to more cycling, with comprehensive co-benefits in emissions reductions, health, congestion, road safety and economic growth.” said Kevin Mayne, CEO of CIE.

The coalition’s first recommendation is for the EU to formulate its anticipated REPowerEU plan to maximise cycling’s potential to save fuel. REPowerEU, announced in March 2022, is the European Commission’s plan to make Europe independent from Russian fossil fuels and to access energy securely, sustainably and affordably. This is a chance for the Commission to truly incorporate sustainable mobility solutions – through more cycling, as well as walking and public transport – into policy and financial frameworks that enable national governments to import fewer fossil fuels and for individuals to achieve significant savings. 

“Many people want to use their cars less and travel more sustainably and affordably. We saw as much in the research that has emerged about the frequent use of cycle lanes and infrastructure cities through Europe installed during the Covid-19 lockdowns. Individual actions are important, but the EU and national governments need to come through to provide the right infrastructure and fiscal and financial incentives to enable the shift to more cycling and greater energy independence,” stressed Jill Warren, CEO of ECF.

The manifesto also recommends that national governments make cycling more financially attractive, build more cycling infrastructure, embrace cycling for business, goods and services, reduce motor vehicle speed limits and institute more frequent car-free Sundays. Current commitments to cycling in national allocations for the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility should be doubled. Financing for cycling for national climate plans and EU structural funds should be increased. Rapid injections of financial investment in measures that get more people to cycle – in safe infrastructure, direct financial incentives – is one of the quickest ways to reduce our collective reliance on fossil fuels for transport,” said Manuel Marsilio, General Manager of CONEBI.

L’article How Europe can cycle to energy independence est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) has recently published a report on national cycling strategies in Europe. The report, titled “The state of national cycling strategies in Europe”, reveals that eight EU member states have made clear references to EuroVelo, the European cycle route network.

A big step forward for EuroVelo, its inclusion within these national cycing strategies highlights its importance as an essential element of the cycling infrastructure across Europe. According to Matej Zganec, ECF’s Policy Intern and one of the report’s authors, the role of the EuroVelo network in the national cycling strategies is critical for improving cycling conditions across the continent.

1. What is a national cycling strategy and what’s in it for EuroVelo?

A national cycling strategy is a multi-year plan that establishes a global vision aimed at coordinating policies, objectives and actions for cycling. It sets clear interventions, instruments and precise goals for the development of cycling at the national level. In short, a national cycling strategy ideally consolidates all policies taken at national level in support of cycling, hereby sending a political signal that cycling matters and that it should therefore be supported systematically by public authorities, businesses, academia and civil society organisations. 

In a recent report, ECF looked at 47 countries in the pan-European region, and found that 23 of them have at some point adopted a national cycling strategy. The most common themes found in these documents are the promotion of intermodality or legal changes to the countries’ highway codes, however, EuroVelo has been included in eight national cycling strategies, namely those of Austria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Slovakia and Spain.

2. Recognising the economic benefits of cycling tourism

Cycling tourism contributes more than €44 billion to the European economy every year. A study commissioned by the European Parliament estimates that the EuroVelo network itself, once finished, will generate €7 billion of direct revenue each year. This enormous potential is slowly but surely being recognised by national governments.

The main focus of the Latvian national cycling strategy is to fully harness the economic opportunities that cycling tourism has to offer. In fact, the stated goal of the Strategy is to tie up to 20% of the total tourism offer in Latvia to cycling. Much of the effort is placed on developing the attractive coastal routes of EuroVelo 10 – Baltic Sea Cycle Route and EuroVelo 13 – the Iron Curtain Trail, as well as the national “Green Ways” cycling routes. Additionally, the State level shall promote EuroVelo routes and cycling tourism more generally through its promotion and marketing tools.

The German strategy sees cycling tourism as an important part of regional economic development in rural and structurally weak regions. To achieve its stated goals of more German citizens cycling for leisure as well as more foreign cyclists on domestic cycling routes, the Strategy aims to upgrade and expand the German sections of the EuroVelo network.

In its own national cycling strategy, Spain recognises that the local EuroVelo routes are clearly lagging behind other national and regional cycling routes in the country, such as the high quality “Caminos Naturales” and “Vias Verdes”, as well as neighbouring countries’ EuroVelo infrastructure. For this reason, one of the strategy’s “Blocks” is dedicated to the design, planning and development of a general network of multilevel cycling routes. These would create and interlink local, regional, state and European (EuroVelo) routes. Subsequently, public administration bodies should carry out an informative role based on a clear strategy to promote EuroVelo routes. Such action is expected to result in a considerable boost to cycling tourism in Spain.

Hungary set as its goal the development of 700 km new national/European cycling routes and their maintenance. The main beneficiaries are local EuroVelo routes in addition to the Budapest-Balaton route and the Balaton Cycle loop – pearls of Hungarian tourism and part of EuroVelo 14 – Waters of Central Europe. Ensuring more safety, convenience and attractiveness of the routes are top priorities stated in the Strategy.

3. More promotion through digitalisation

In some instances, countries have gone the extra mile to ensure better promotion of their EuroVelo routes by utilizing digital tools. The Austrian national cycling strategy plans to integrate EuroVelo 13 – Iron Curtain Trail into the popular online route planer “Alpstein”.

At the same time, the Czech strategy intends to leverage analytical data to better incorporate its cycling routes into the urban and landscape planning documents. Ultimately, the Strategy outlines a more ambitious marketing plan in order to boost the awareness of the four EuroVelo routes that span through the Czech Republic. By adding national coordinators on top of existing voluntary associations and by introducing a unified Cyclobarometer, which would track cyclists’ figures and movement patterns along the routes, EuroVelo segments will be able to benefit from more complex marketing.

4. Standardised signalisation and delineation of competences

A near universal feature included in the eight national cycling strategies is the broad instalment of standardised signing along their respective EuroVelo routes. On the other hand, few national cycling strategies have opted to outline in them the body/organisation responsible for the coordination or development of local EuroVelo segments.

5. EuroVelo advocacy and other approaches

One very positive and extremely relevant addition to the content of national cycling strategies comes from Czechia. This strategy openly advocates for the integration of EuroVelo cycling routes into the TEN-T network. It is exactly ECF’s view that the integration of EuroVelo into TEN-T would release European financial resources for implementing the missing sections of the EuroVelo network and directly contribute to meeting the TEN-T objectives. Currently, the major deterrent to the further development of EuroVelo routes in Czechia is the ineligibility of municipalities for state subsidies to cycling infrastructure. Cases like this underline the importance and urgency of such a decision.

In conclusion, we highlight one of the six outlined characteristics of a good cycling network according to the Danish national cycling strategy. It is understood that cycling routes need to begin and end in places that constitute natural cycling stops – traffic hubs, service facilities and possibilities for experiences. This is why the Strategy prioritises interlinking all national cycling routes with the EuroVelo network, as a prime example of a natural traffic hub. In Denmark, as elsewhere in Europe, the EuroVelo routes act as a backbone to the growing national, regional and local cycle route networks.

L’article How can EU national cycling strategies promote EuroVelo and sustainable cycling tourism? est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

You would be correct to guess that both are transport maps. Both depict major transportation routes that crisscross Europe – lifelines for millions of Europeans who depend on these routes to commute to work, for their businesses, for deliveries of major goods, for leisure and tourism.

One could argue that both maps depict what makes the European Union truly great: that anyone can travel to most of the countries on the map without a passport and a border control. But these maps also display an unmissable opportunity for the EU’s most sustainable form of transport – cycling.

Let me explain. The map on the left is the EU’s Trans-European Transport Network, or TEN-T. It is EU’s primary network of roads, railway lines, inland waterways, ports, maritime shipping routes, airports and railroad terminals. TEN-T is coordinated by the European Commission together with national governments and is supported with hefty amounts of EU money. It is the EU’s flagship transportation policy.

The map on the right is EuroVelo, a network consisting of 17 distinct long-distance cycle routes that stretch across the continent. EuroVelo is coordinated by the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) together with partners in EU member states, is supported with very little EU money and presently does not figure at all in the EU’s flagship TEN-T policy.

This is despite the fact that EuroVelo consists of over 90,000 km of cycle routes that cover 42 countries and, when fully realised, will accommodate 60 million trips every year, generating up to €7 billion in direct annual revenue.

However, EuroVelo isn’t just a collection of nice routes to ride a bicycle. It is an integral part of the backbone for how people in Europe move about. As such, ECF is working hard to persuade the EU institutions to integrate EuroVelo – and cycling more generally – in the EU’s flagship TEN-T policy, so that this impressive cycle route network is recognised as the major piece of European transportation infrastructure it is.

Not only does EuroVelo already facilitate local, national, regional and continental travel, but it does so in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way, perfectly in line with the objectives of the European Green Deal, making it a potential key tool to combat the climate crisis. Realistically, this is an opportunity we cannot afford to miss.

1. EuroVelo and TEN-T: A close friendship

Placing the two maps on top of each other, anyone can immediately see how complementary they are and how closely they follow each other. We have identified almost 8,000 locations across Europe where EuroVelo routes run along or across roads, railways or inland waterways that are part of the TEN-T network. In fact, the total length of sections where a EuroVelo route overlaps with a TEN-T route adds up to nearly 10,000 km.

Why are these numbers important? Because they show that by not integrating EuroVelo into TEN-T, the EU is missing out on a network that forms a substantial part of how people transport themselves across the continent.

2. EuroVelo is a backbone for TEN-T

Cycling is a massively growing form of transport in Europe. It has boomed during the COVID-19 pandemic, where people discovered during city and nation-wide lockdowns that the bicycle afforded them a means to enjoy their surroundings in a safe and healthy way.

Annual sales of electric bikes are growing at an exponential rate, with a projected 17 million units being sold by 2030, making the e-bike the fastest-selling zero-emissions vehicle in Europe right now and for the foreseeable future.

For EuroVelo, the benefit would come first from being able to access a massive pot of EU money that would fund infrastructure upgrades and the development of new sections, which would encourage even more people to cycle and generate more direct financial revenue for businesses and services along EuroVelo routes. Secondly, the network would benefit from the EU being involved in its coordination rather than only by an NGO – even one as committed as ECF is.

For TEN-T, the network would benefit by being bolstered with an extensive new transportation network to match its roads, railways and inland waterways. A viable cycle route network would enable the EU to shift traffic away from roadways and to prioritise TEN-T road segments that are truly needed for motorised traffic.

TEN-T roadways in urban agglomerations – the kind that is most used by local traffic – would also benefit from having adjacent cycling infrastructure, which would encourage people to drive less and cycle more, freeing road space and easing congestion.

Above all, the EU would truly score a global first by incorporating a cross-continental cycle-route network into its flagship transport policy.

In which other continent in the world is there a similar cycle-route network that enables inhabitants to cycle for local journeys and for international holidays? Nowhere. It doesn’t exist anywhere else. EuroVelo is a truly homespun creation, unique in the world.

Why wouldn’t the EU want to show EuroVelo off as one of its best ways to move people and fight climate change?

Click here to read more about cycling and TEN-T.

L’article Cycling, EuroVelo and TEN-T: European transport’s unmissable opportunity est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.