Cycling for Everyone: Lessons from Europe
Abstract
This paper investigates how bicycling can be promoted as a safe and feasible means of transport for everyone and for all trip purposes. The policies and programs needed to encourage a broad spectrum of social groups to cycle are the same policies and programs that encourage high overall levels of cycling: extensive systems of separate cycling facilities, intersection modifications and priority bicycle traffic signals, traffic calming of neighborhoods, safe and convenient bike parking, coordination and integration of cycling with public transport, traffic education and training for both cyclists and motorists, and traffic laws that favor cyclists and pedestrians. To show how this multifaceted, coordinated approach actually works, the paper focuses on cycling trends and policies in the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany. The national-level comparative analysis is supplemented with case studies of large and small cities in each country.
Get full access to this article
View all access and purchase options for this article.
References
1. European Conference of the Ministers of Transport. National Policies to Promote Cycling. Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris, 2004.
2. National Bicycling and Walking Study: Ten-Year Status Report. FHWA, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, D.C., 2004.
3. National Household Travel Survey, 2001. FHWA, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, D.C., 2003.
4. German Federal Travel Survey 2002 (MiD). German Federal Ministry of Transport, Berlin, 2003.
5. Dutch Ministry of Transport. Cycling in the Netherlands. Public Works, and Water Management, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 2006.
6. Dutch Bicycling Federation. Continuous and Integral: The Cycling Policies of Groningen and Other European Cities. Fietsberaad, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2006. www.fietsberaad.nl. Accessed Oct. 20, 2007.
7. Tolley R. Ed. Sustainable Transport: Planning for Walking and Cycling in Urban Environments. Woodhead Publishing Ltd., Cambridge, United Kingdom, 2003.
8. McClintock H. Planning for Cycling: Principles, Practice, and Solutions for Urban Planners. Woodhead Publishing Ltd., Cambridge, United Kingdom, 2002.
9. European Cycling Federation. Bicycle Research Reports. www.ecf.com/37_1. Accessed Oct. 20, 2007.
10. Zegeer C. FHWA Study Tour for Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety in England, Germany, and the Netherlands. FHWA, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, D.C., 1994.
11. Kunert U. Kloas J. and Kuhfeld H. Design Characteristics of National Travel Surveys: International Comparison for 10 Countries. In Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 1804, Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, D.C., 2002, pp. 101–116.
12. National Travel Statistics. National Statistical Office, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2005.
13. Transportation Statistics. Statistics Netherlands, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2005.
14. City of Berlin. Urban Transport in Berlin: Focus on Bicycling. Senatsverwaltung fuer Stadtentwicklung, Berlin, 2003.
15. Hass-Klau C. The Pedestrian and City Traffic. Belhaven Press, New York, 1990.
16. Pucher J. Bicycling Boom in Germany: A Revival Engineered by Public Policy. Transportation Quarterly, Vol. 51, No. 4 1997, pp. 31–46.
17. Langenberg P. Cycling in Amsterdam: Developments in the City. Velo Mondial, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2000.
18. Ride Your Bike: National Bicycle Plan. German Federal Ministry of Transport, Berlin, 2002.
19. International Road Traffic Accident Database. Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris, 2007. www.bast.de/htdocs/fachthemen/irtad. Accessed Oct. 20, 2007.
20. Jacobsen P. Safety in Numbers: More Walkers and Bicyclists, Safer Walking and Bicycling. Injury Prevention, Vol. 9, 2003, pp. 205–209.
21. The Dutch Bicycle Master Plan. Ministry of Transport, Public Works, and Water Management, The Hague, Netherlands, 1999.
22. Promoting Safer Cycling: A Strategy. Danish Ministry of Transport, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2000.
23. Noland R. B. Perceived Risk and Modal Choice: Risk Compensation in Transportation Systems. Accident Analysis and Prevention, Vol. 27, 1994, pp. 503–521.
24. Andersen T. Odense: The National Cycle City of Denmark. Presented at Bicycling Federation of Australia Annual Conference, Brisbane, Australia, 2005.
25. Pucher J. and Dijkstra L. Promoting Safe Walking and Cycling to Improve Public Health: Lessons from the Netherlands and Germany. American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 93, 2003, pp. 1509–1516.
26. City of Berlin. Fahrradverkehr—Bicycling in Berlin. Senatsverwaltung fuer Stadtentwicklung, Berlin, 2007. www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de/verkehr/radverkehr/index.shtml.
27. City of Amsterdam. The Amsterdam Bicycle Policy. Dienst Infrastructuur Verkeer en Vervoer, Gemeente Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2003.
28. Cycle Policy. City of Copenhagen, Denmark, 2002.
29. Verkehrsplanung in Muenster—Transportation Planning in Muenster. City of Muenster, Germany, 2007. www.muenster.de/stadt/stadtplanung/index_verkehr.html.
30. Key Figures. City of Groningen, Netherlands, 2007. www.groningen.nl/assets/pdf/kerncijfers_2006_engels.pdf.
31. National Cycle City (Cycleby). City of Odense, Denmark, 2007. www.cykelby.dk/eng/index.asp.
32. Jensen S. Rosenkilde C. and Jensen N. Road Safety and Perceived Risk of Cycle Facilities in Copenhagen. Trafitec Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2007. www.Trafitec.dk.
33. Webster D. C. and Mackie A. M. Review of Traffic-Calming Schemes in 20-mph Zones. TRL Report 215. Transport Research Laboratory, Crowthorne, United Kingdom, 1996.
34. Morrison D. Thomson H. and Petticrew M. An Evaluation of the Health Effects of a Neighbourhood Traffic-Calming Scheme. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, Vol. 58, 2004, pp. 837–840.
35. Herrstedt L. Traffic-Calming Design—A Speed Management Method: Danish Experiences on Environmentally Adapted Through Roads. Accident Analysis and Prevention, Vol. 24, 1992, pp. 3–16.
36. Impacts of 20-mph Zones in London Boroughs. Transport for London, London, 2003.
37. Public Transportation Fact Book. American Public Transportation Association, Washington, D.C., 2007.
38. Nivola P. S. Laws of the Landscape: How Policies Shape Cities in Europe and America. Brookings Institution Press, Washington, D.C., 1999.
39. Pucher J. Urban Passenger Transport in the United States and Europe: A Comparative Analysis of Public Policies. Part 1. Travel Behavior, Urban Development and Automobile Use. Transport Reviews, Vol. 15, 1995, pp. 99–117.
40. Banister D. Unsustainable Transportation. Routledge, New York, 2005.
41. Bratzel S. Conditions of Success in Sustainable Urban Transport Policy: Policy Change in “Relatively Successful” European Cities. Transport Reviews, Vol. 19, 1999, 177–190.
42. Special Report 257: Making Transit Work: Insights from Western Europe, Canada, and the United States. TRB, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 2001.
43. Schmidt S. and Buehler R. The Planning Process in the U.S. and Germany: A Comparative Analysis. International Planning Studies, Vol. 12, 2007, pp. 55–75.
Cite article
Cite article
Cite article
OR
Download to reference manager
If you have citation software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice
Information, rights and permissions
Information
Published In
Article first published online: January 1, 2008
Issue published: January 2008
Authors
Metrics and citations
Metrics
Journals metrics
This article was published in Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board.
VIEW ALL JOURNAL METRICSArticle usage*
Total views and downloads: 1503
*Article usage tracking started in December 2016
Altmetric
See the impact this article is making through the number of times it’s been read, and the Altmetric Score.
Learn more about the Altmetric Scores
Articles citing this one
Receive email alerts when this article is cited
Web of Science: 0
Crossref: 133
- Modal disparity in commuting efficiency: A comparison across education...
- Wheels of Progress: Investigating Factors Shaping Yogyakarta's Low Car...
- The effect of fuel price fluctuations on utilitarian cycling rates: A ...
- Green Promotion and Marketing Communication
- Gender differences in cycling motions: On objective functions for urba...
- Exploring the elements of effective public cycle parking: A literature...
- Understanding prospective and actual users of campus-based electric mo...
- A barrier too far: Understanding the role of intersection crossing dis...
- Scaling up active transportation across North America: A comparative c...
- Understanding preferences for bicycling and bicycle infrastructure
- Cycling in older adults: a scoping review
- Bikes! Camera! Action?: Exploring the Everyday Behaviours of Urban Cyc...
- Patient-Reported Mobility, Physical Activity, and Bicycle Use after Vu...
- Virtual Bike Lanes for Smart, Safe, and Green Navigation
- Safety-critical events in bicycle lanes in Jongno, Seoul
- Cycling to work and making cycling work: What makes committed utility ...
- A Preliminary Effort to Develop a Framework of Distance Decay Function...
- Urban resilience and livability performance of European smart cities: ...
- Rower w pojeździe publicznego transportu zbiorowego – studium zasad pr...
- Evaluation of Posted Speed Limits Reductions on Urban Roads with a Hig...
- What is a good design for a cycle street? – User perceptions of safety...
- Do Safe Bike Lanes Really Slow Down Cars? A Simulation-Based Approach ...
- A Tale of Two Cities: Understanding Children's Cycling Behavior From t...
- The Association of Helmet Use with the Occurrence of Maxillofacial Inj...
- COVID-19 as a window of opportunity for cycling: Evidence from the fir...
- Low-Carbon Transport
- Low-Carbon Transport
- Cycling and socioeconomic (dis)advantage
- Achieving ‘Active’ 30 Minute Cities: How Feasible Is It to Reach Work ...
- Princípios Para o Desenho de Ciclovias Seguras - Atendendo às necess...
- İstasyonsuz Bisiklet Paylaşım Sistemlerinin Yükselişi ve Düşüşü Üzerin...
- Accessibility Mapping through Linking Land-Use Development Potentials ...
- How does the individual perception of local conditions affect cycling?...
- Assessing the economic benefits of active transport policy pathways: O...
- Nitrogen Dioxide, Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Transportation in Urban...
- The Go2School project for promoting cycling to school: A case study in...
- Bicycle ownership and utilization in Tamale Metropolis; influencing fa...
- Mining crowdsourced data on bicycle safety critical events
- Climate Change, Air Pollution, and Physical Inactivity: Is Active Tran...
- Using Data on Bike-Sharing System User Stopovers in Smart Tourism: A C...
- Women cycling in Queensland: Results from an observational study
- Transport Modes and Cities
- Safe Bicycle Lane Design Principles: Responding to Cycling Needs in Ci...
- Whose Lane Is It Anyway? The Experience of Cycling in a Mid-Sized City
- Re-claiming the responsivity gap: The co-creation of cycling policies ...
- Instrumented bikes and their use in studies on transportation behaviou...
- Local mobility culture as injunctive normative beliefs – A theoretical...
- Who cycles to work and where? A comparative multilevel analysis of urb...
- The Influence of Jam Density and Merging Cyclists on the Queue Dischar...
- Dependence between travel distance, individual socioeconomic and healt...
- The spatial spread of dockless bike-sharing programs among Chinese cit...
- Augmentation Concepts with HUDs for Cyclists to Improve Road Safety in...
- Du « grand piétonnier » au projet urbain et métropolitain : atouts et ...
- Van “grote voetgangerszone” tot stedelijk en grootstedelijk project : ...
- From pedestrian area to urban and metropolitan project: assets and cha...
- Cycle training and factors associated with cycling among adolescents i...
- Cyclist-motor vehicle collisions before and after implementation of cy...
- More Cycling, Less Driving? Findings of a Cycle Street Intervention St...
- Estimating Parameters of Demand for Trips by Public Bicycle System Usi...
- Food Delivery Using Cargo-Bikes with IoT
- Using Clustering Algorithms to Identify Recreational Trips Within a Bi...
- Transport and health; an introduction
- Optimal design of transit networks fed by shared bikes
- Bicycle parking: a systematic review of scientific literature on parki...
- Sistema de avaliação de cidades de referência em transportes e mobilid...
- Measuring the Destination Accessibility of Cycling Transfer Trips in M...
- Associations between overhead-view and eye-level urban greenness and c...
- Integrating Communication with Conspicuity to Enhance Vulnerable Road ...
- The developing benefits of the advance space line (ASL) systems for pl...
- Comparison of National Cycling Networks Abroad and in Slovenia
- Wprowadzenie roweru publicznego jako element rozwoju transportu w gmin...
- Biking to Ride: Investigating the Challenges and Barriers of Integrati...
- Reconsidering the Victory Bike in World War II: Federal Transportation...
- The role of the natural and built environment in cycling duration in t...
- Influence of childhood and adulthood attitudinal perceptions on bicycl...
- Joint consideration of energy expenditure, air quality, and safety by ...
- Analysis of the Bicycle-Sharing Economy : Strategic Issues for Sustain...
- Do Australian drivers give female cyclists more room when passing?
- Do buses hinder cyclists or is it the other way around? Optimal bus fa...
- Chapter 11. Providing for Bicyclists
- Examining associations between urban design attributes and transport m...
- As atitudes e o conhecimento sobre práticas de vida saudáveis de uma a...
- Estimating the safety benefit of separated cycling infrastructure adju...
- Du « grand piétonnier » au projet urbain : atouts et défis pour le cen...
- Assessing the impacts of deploying a shared self-driving urban mobilit...
- On the effect of networks of cycle-tracks on the risk of cycling. The ...
- Built environmental correlates of cycling for transport across Europe
- The Dutch road to a high level of cycling safety
- Toward a Green Transport System: A Review of Non-technical Methodologi...
- The economic contribution of public bike-share to the sustainability a...
- Which environmental factors most strongly influence a street’s appeal ...
- Impact of offering cycle training in schools upon cycling behaviour: a...
- Cargo bikes as a growth area for bicycle vs. auto trips: Exploring the...
- Measuring multiple impacts of low-carbon energy options in a green eco...
- The health impacts of traffic-related exposures in urban areas: Unders...
- The mortality impact of bicycle paths and lanes related to physical ac...
- Creating Cycling-Friendly Environments for Children: Which Micro-Scale...
- Incidence and costs of bicycle-related traumatic brain injuries in the...
- Dutch Cycling: Quantifying the Health and Related Economic Benefits
- Effects of e-bikes on bicycle use and mode share
- The safety of electrically assisted bicycles compared to classic bicyc...
- Estimated and forecasted trends in domain specific time-use and energy...
- Associations between the frequency of cycling and domains of quality o...
- The Europeanization of Development Planning in Valencia
- Dispersion Effect in Left-Turning Bicycle Traffic and Its Influence on...
- Bicycling Choice and Gender Case Study: The Ohio State University
- CicLAvia and human infrastructure in Los Angeles: ethnographic experim...
- Build It. But Where? The Use of Geographic Information Systems in Iden...
- The safety of urban cycle tracks: A review of the literature
- A Computer-Aided Approach for Planning Sustainable Trips to Large Trip...
- A bikeway network design model for urban areas
- Route Infrastructure and the Risk of Injuries to Bicyclists: A Case-Cr...
- Using a Bicycle–Pedestrian Count to Assess Active Living in Downtown W...
- Travel trends among young adults in Germany: increasing multimodality ...
- Relating Transportation Systems Management and Operations Strategies t...
- Strategic Considerations for Low-Speed Transportation Systems in Urban...
- A bi-objective cyclist route choice model
- Cellular automata simulation of traffic including cars and bicycles
- Investigating Behavior of Active Cyclists...
- Benefits of shift from car to active transport
- A Statewide Analysis of Bicycling in New Jersey
- Improving health through policies that promote active travel: A review...
- Research Article: Evidence on Why Bike-Friendly Cities Are Safer for A...
- Bicycle Use in Germany: Explaining Differences between Municipalities ...
- Day-to-Day Choice to Commute or Not by Bicycle
- Bicycle Parking Analysis with Time Series Photography
- Are Cycle Centers Effective Transport Interventions?...
- Europeanization as Discontinuous Adjustment: A Düsseldorf Court's Impa...
- Bikesharing in Europe, the Americas, and Asia...
- Multimodal Travel Choices of Bicyclists...
Figures and tables
Figures & Media
Tables
View Options
Get access
Access options
If you have access to journal content via a personal subscription, university, library, employer or society, select from the options below:
loading institutional access options
Alternatively, view purchase options below:
Purchase 24 hour online access to view and download content.
Access journal content via a DeepDyve subscription or find out more about this option.
