Like Amsterdam, Copenhagen is a city with an extensive cycling network.
Discovering a city by bike is nice, it gives you a certain freedom. For me it looked like they cycled so much faster than me and my classmates, but the Danish think the same about the cyclists in Amsterdam. In a strange city you always have to figure out the road you need to take and in your own city you don’t even have to think about how to ride to work.
Copenhagen is very innovative in the field of cycling.
For example, the green wave. The first green wave for cyclists was established back in 2007. Since then, the concept has spread further throughout the rest of Copenhagen. ‘The idea is simple. Coordinate the traffic lights for cyclists so that if they ride at a speed of 20 km/h, they will hit green lights all the way into the city in the morning rush hour’ (copenhagenize.com)
On average, bicycle users in Copenhagen cycle about 16km/h. A wave of 20 km/h stimulates some cyclists to drive up their speed, while others take up a slower pace in order to benefit from the green lights.
Copenhagen is a city with the ambitious goal to be the first CO2 neutral ‘capital of the world’, in 2025. The Green Wave 2.0 was launched in 2013. Currently, version 2.0 is in its testphase. It has sensors that are able to register a group if citizens riding together. At the intersection that they’re approaching the lights will be kept on green a little longer.
The Green Wave is not the only initiative for cyclists in Copenhagen. At a number of intersections, footrests and railings have appeared, taking away the irritation of having to hop off the saddle or put a foot down while waiting for the light to change. In addition, all over the city garbage cans have been placed so that cyclists can throw the trash while cycling.
Photo: Zepha de Roo
On June 29, Copenhagen launched the bicycle snake or ‘cykelslangen’, an iconic and important logistical mobility link. The long bridge connects two parts of the city with a 220 meter long bypass road and is exclusively for cyclists and pedestrians. Everyone in Copenhagen is very excited about the snake. It is a classic Danish design and has a functional, practical value.
Outcomes
Copenhagen is Europe’s safest capital. The percentage of accidents involving cyclists remains low due to the innovations. There is no orange in the traffic lights and red is really red there. In the Netherlands we sometimes cycle trough red, but in Copenhagen it rarely happens.
It also has financial benefits:
– The cost of 1km of cycle track is paid off in five years by the health benefits of users getting more exercise.
– Car traffic drops by 10% on these stretches and cycling increases by 20%.
– The 41% of the population who arrive at work or school by bike contribute a whopping €235m (£185m) a year to the public coffers.
-Re-allocating space from less cost-efficient transport forms like cars to modern, cost-effective bicycles makes sense.
(link)
– The number of CO2 emissions is reduced.
In Holland, we are also innovative in the field of cycling. For instance, the hovering bike roundabout in Eindhoven. Cyclists can ride completely seperated from the motorized traffic by cycling on an extra ring above the intersection.
Links:
http://www.copenhagenize.com/2014/08/the-green-waves-of-copenhagen.html
http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/oct/16/copenhagen-cycling-innovation-lycra-louts-green-wave-bike-bridges
photo’s
http://www.sharingcopenhagen.dk/media/215017/16-groen-boelge.jpg http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/12/09/business/copenhagen2/copenhagen2-articleLarge.jpg
http://cdn3.gbtimes.com/cdn/farfuture/28EsI7lzpydiQZOiFRhggXQ6hwPVY6wASy8xVulB-w/mtime:1398156987/sites/default/files/styles/1280_wide/public/2014/04/22/cph_tilted-bin_cyklistforbundet-mikkel_ostergaard.jpg?itok=XuVF7W6O
http://www.dac.dk/Images/img/1920x1200M/(50713)/50713/cykelslangen-08.jpg
http://www.designdiffusion.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/IMG_9033.jpg
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