Analysis: How global cities are raising their cycling infrastructure ambitions

A group of global cities are rethinking their relationship with the bicycle. An analysis of applications submitted for the Bloomberg Initiative for Cycling Infrastructure (BICI) shows how.

Children riding bicycles in Tirana, Albania, a winning city in the Bloomberg Initiative for Cycling Infrastructure. (Photo: City of Tirana)

July 25, 2018

While cycling lanes have been essential infrastructure in many cities for some time, an analysis of applications submitted by 275 cities from 66 countries for the Bloomberg Initiative for Cycling Infrastructure (BICI) shows that an ever-widening group of global cities are viewing it as a fully-fledged piece of the mobility puzzle. The applications show these cities are thinking of cycling infrastructure investments not just for the environmental benefits that can be delivered, but as central to transportation ecosystems, right alongside cars and other forms of public transit. Here are four ways that global thinking about future cycling infrastructure investments is evolving, with examples drawn from the ten winning cities. Creating new efficiencies for residents As a whole, the applications showed global cities are now including cycling infrastructure in their policy and planning processes. When asked how they have addressed challenges such as motor vehicle dominance, unsafe roads, and low resident uptake of cycling in the past, at least one in three cities talked of developing strategic plans or creating dedicated task forces. While cities may have entered the planning process thinking of cycling as a greener and healthier alternative to motorized transport, one in five applicants want to establish it as a preferred mode of transit. In the Kenyan city of Mombasa, where most residents walk to commute, it is hoped that a protected cycling network will help significantly cut travel time. Meanwhile, Quelimane, Mozambique, plans to integrate cycle lanes, crosswalks, sidewalks, signals, and bike-taxi parking, allowing for easier transitions from walking to cycling. Pimpri-Chinchwad, India is showcasing how cycling can be paired with other innovations to make living in a city more convenient for residents. The city’s “Harit Setu” (green connectivity) Master Plan is focused on improving connections between residential, commercial, and other properties. Cycling lanes will underpin a pilot “15-minute city” project, where residents can access most amenities within a short bike ride. Linking historically disconnected communities More than half of the applicants proposed ideas that would fill gaps within existing cycling networks, often connecting excluded communities to economic centers. Cycling infrastructure was viewed by some cities as an investment into local equity, allowing residents cut off by rail tracks or highways to safely access schools, jobs, or recreational amenities. Cycling can also act as a uniquely affordable and quick-to-implement mode of transit to bridge gaps between communities. In the winning city of Lisbon, Portugal, for example, new infrastructure will be rolled out with the intention of encouraging more children, youth, women and the elderly, to ride. Increasing road safety for young people When asked about what challenges motivated their projects, around a third of the applicant cities pointed to improving road safety as an important focus, and many are now embedding cycling infrastructure in their planning to make roads safer. Road crash injuries are a leading cause of death for children and young people worldwide and applications showed how this issue is top of mind for a number of global cities. For its winning project, Milan, Italy, plans to connect 40 schools through a cycling network, providing a seamless and safe route for students to commute. Meanwhile, Bogotá, Colombia, has identified a highly-motorized neighborhood where a large proportion of residents feel endangered by speeding vehicles. Here, the city will co-design new cycling infrastructure in partnership with children, ensuring that their sense of safety and well-being is at the forefront. Deploying infrastructure that meets local needs Cities are now centering residents in the design and deployment of cycle lanes. From giving communities an opportunity to share ideas and voice concerns to consulting local cyclists and working with them to test and iterate on designs, the applications affirm how cities around the world are intentionally putting cyclists and would-be cyclists at the heart of the process. Bogotá’s approach is just one example of these efforts. Another is in Wellington, New Zealand, where the city council is co-creating and seeking input from the indigenous community in their winning project’s implementation to ensure their needs are reflected in future cycling networks. These efforts are setting a new norm of inclusivity to design and deploy cycling infrastructure in a way that aligns with residents’ behaviors.