Cycle Stories from Denmark
Free Press Material
Free Press Material In this binder you will find a number of articles on cycling. We hope the articles will inspire you, and you can feel free to use the information, the articles and the photos - without cost.
Contents Bicycle Account creates better bicycle conditions Bicycle parking - to do or not to do! Cycle City 2.0 Cycle Summer School Cycle tracks that come to you as you go Cycling children are nealthy children; healthy children are happy children Cycling for a good cause Digital tool makes it easier to be a bicycle tourist GPS-tech makes cycling fun! How to: Create safety for cyclists in Denmark Turn - bump - tilt - splash - braaake - GO!
Published by Cycling Embassy of Denmark www.cycling-embassy.org info@cycling-embassy.org
Articles & photos Free press material from the Cycling Embassy of Denmark is available at: http://www.cycling-embassy.dk/?p=4125
TV packages The European Broadcasting Union, Danish TV2 and Wonderful Copenhagen offer free packages for TV. These include video stock, trailers, shot lists and text material for inspirational use, for background and for speaks. All copyrights are cleared with the original holders. Available for download at: http://www.wonderfulcopenhagen.dk/media
Bicycle Account creates better bicycle conditions The City of Copenhagen has just published its Bicycle Account 2010, which shows the advances in cycle traffic in the Danish capital - and where there is room for improvement. Photos: Troels Heien / Monoline Available at: http://www.cycling-embassy.dk/?p=3886 By Steffen Nørregaard Rasmussen, Danish Cyclists’ Federation
Since 1996, every other year the City of Copenhagen has issued a bicycle account that, in dry figures, analyses the development of the city’s cycle traffic. The account is made by collecting different pieces of information about the conditions for cyclists in Copenhagen. In addition, it focuses on the number of accidents, economic and environmental gains, sense of safety, and new initiatives.
Greater sense of safety triggers more cyclists More than 1000 of the capital’s cyclists have participated in the analysis answering questions on their level of satisfaction on a number of areas. One of the goals of the City of Copenhagen is for 80% of all cyclists to feel safe. In 2008, this number was only 51%, but the latest bicycle account shows that now 67% feel safe on the cycle tracks. Moreover, never before have cycling Copenhageners covered more kilometres per day. In 2008, Copenhageners cycled 1,17 million kilometres per day, while in 2010, they covered 1,21 million kilometres per day, which is a daily increase of
40.000 kilometres. These are just some of the numbers you can find in the Bicycle Account, and according to Ulrik Djupdræt, Traffic Planner in the City of Copenhagen and co-author of the Bicycle Account, the account helps make the city’s work to promote cycling more transparent and makes it easier to estimate where extra effort is needed. “The citizens of Copenhagen and other interested parties can see
what we are doing, and the politicians can monitor if the declared goals have been reached or if they are reachable. Furthermore, the bicycle account makes it easy for us to pass on information in-house between our different departments,” he says.
Get started! Copenhagen was the first city to make an actual bicycle account, but gradually more Danish cities have followed suit. And according
to Ulrik Djupdræt, there is nothing to do but start if you want to make a bicycle account in your own city: “Just get started. The first one doesn’t have to be big and fancy. What is important is to get started on the process, which is first of all the collection of data. When that is up and running, making the bicycle account becomes much easier and more natural,” he says.
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In 2008, Copenhageners cycled 1,17 million kilometres per day, while in 2010, they covered 1,21 million kilometres per day, which is a daily increase of 40.000 kilometres.
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You can read the City of Copenhagen’s Bicycle Account 2010 here: www.cycling-embassy.dk/?p=3886
Bicycle parking - to do or not to do! Cities all over the world are committed to getting more people cycling for the benefit of the climate, the cities, and the health of the individual. But where do the bicycles go when they are not in use? Many planners, architects, and entrepreneurs forget to consider this problem.
By Marianne Weinreich, Head of Mobility, Veksø
The result is often a chaos of bicycles that are both an eyesore and a nuisance to everyone! Every bike ride begins and ends with a parked bicycle. Therefore it is very important that there are functional, attractive, and sufficient bicycle parking facilities in the right places - in the city, at centres of public transport, schools and childcare institutions, work places, cultural institutions, shopping centres - in short: everywhere people go! This requires planners, architects, entrepreneurs, etc., to incorporate and establish bicycle parking facilities on an equal basis with car parking. But in many places this is not customary, and there are no guidelines for how to establish good bicycle parking facilities. The result is often too few and poor racks in ill-considered locations for the cyclists’ destinations and needs.
Make demands! Local authorities can make demands on entrepreneurs regard-
ing the establishment of bicycle parking: 1. The solutions must ensure that the necessary area and number of parking spaces are made available during development and renovations 2. Bicycle parking facilities should be located and laid out to encourage use 3. The solutions must ensure order, system, and balance In other words, the solutions should signal that the city, the municipality, the company, the organisation, and the entrepreneur value the cyclists’ choice of their means of transport.
The Bicycle Parking Manual The Danish Cyclists’ Federation offers a bicycle parking manual which can be the basis of such guidelines for establishing good bicycle parking. In the book, a group of Danish bicycle parking experts present both what to do and what not to do with regard to bicycle parking. There are examples of both good and bad solutions in Denmark and the rest of the world, as well as a
series of principles for establishing good bicycle parking facilities that will be used.
The principles are: 1. Attract attention - guidance on how to raise the necessary positive awareness of bicycle parking 2. Choose the right location guidance on the location of the bicycle parking facility and its visibility in relation to the pattern of movement and destination of cyclists 3. Outline a solution that works - guidance on space requirements and accessibility 4. Make sure there are enough spaces - guidance on how to ensure that the number of racks and stands meet the current and future demands for parking 5. Identify the right racks and stands - guidance on choice of good racks and stands for various purposes 6. Make parking safe - guidance on how to design a bicycle parking solution which is safe and secure for the cyclist and
the bicycle 7. Consider operation and maintenance - guidance on how to ensure that the bicycle parking facility continues looking good 8. Spoil the cyclists - guidance on choice of design and other facilities.
Download the entire Bicycle Parking Manual in English and get a list of good advice on how to establish good bicycle parking facilities that will be used at www.cycling-embassy.dk/ ?p=1902
Cycle City 2.0 The Danish cycle cities are continuously working to brand themselves. Just recently, Odense has started a comprehensive process. This has involved a change of name, a payoff, and a whole new visual identity. By Connie Juel Clausen, City of Odense
Cycling isn’t just about traffic and road regulations. It has just as much to do with pleasure and lifestyle, and this has changed the way in which the Danish cycle cities brand themselves. The purpose of the massive branding of Danish cycle cities is very simple: to make more people cycle. Because if a municipality wants to sell itself as a cycle city, it is no longer enough to invest in kilometre upon kilometre of asphalt, you need to invest in communication too.
City of Cyclists - Odense The physical framework for cycling in Odense has been good for many years. The city was formerly known as, Cycle City Odense - the city with many cycle tracks and ditto cyclists. Under the new name, City of Cyclists, Odense has upgraded its brand both visually and communicatively. The first larger branding exercise has just been completed - including a film and massive outdoor marketing - all of which is part of a larger and more general branding strategy.
Step 1: the visual identity A flexible and vivid visual identity is crucial for a successful branding. So, Odense’s new visual identity contains a number of isolated elements: stylized bike parts, a cloud,
In the beginning of June 2011, City of Cyclists launched a Facebook profile, which received over 1800 “likes” in the first two weeks. and a fixed range of colours. The elements and colours can be combined in numerous ways and can be used in all media from film and living images to print and web. It is an identity that is always recognizable - despite the fact that is has great flexibility. And on top of being very simple in its expression, it goes well with images from the real-life City of Cyclists.
Branding that gets you recognized on the street The purpose of the massive branding is to make people familiar with the visual identity, so they
will recognize it when it is used in campaigns and other activities later on. So Odense is facing a long strategic haul. Over the next three years, this will increase Odense citizens’ awareness of the city’s many opportunities for cyclists. More than ten years have passed since Odense created their former brand, Cycle City Odense. Much water has passed under the cycle bridge since then, so it was time to revise the brand and re-launch the cycle city, 2.0 - this time under the name, City of Cyclists.
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Odense’s new visual identity contains a number of isolated elements: stylized bike parts, a cloud, and a fixed range of colours. The elements and colours can be combined in numerous ways and can be used in all media from film and living images to print and web.
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Cycle Summer School This summer, the City of Odense staged its first cycle summer school. And it is safe to say it won’t be the last! simply thinking of the activity they were going to.
An eye opener During the week, the children grew increasingly better at keeping their balance, breaking, and listening to the adults while they were out in traffic. But the cycle summer school had a positive effect on more than the students’ cycle skills. One boy who, according to his parents had been very inactive, was now impossible to get off his bike, and he had even joined the other kids playing soccer on the street where he lived.
popular summer activities. Attendance was obligatory, and students had to be at school from 9 AM to 3 PM. The week was full of fun activities to make it attractive to the children, but at the same time the option of full-day childcare made it a good offer to the working parents.
that consisted of a list of familiar children’s games converted into cycling games. They all have in common that the child has to focus on something other than cycling, while cycling. And by learning this, the child becomes a more secure cyclist when out in traffic. In addition, the children went on a number of excursions to practice and test their skills in traffic. They biked into the city to see a mime play, to a playground, to a bicycle playground, to traffic school, and they went orienteering in the woods. The children didn’t stop to think of the bike ride, as they were
But if parents do not teach their children to cycle, who will? Odense tried a different approach.
The first day saw a visit by a bicycle mechanic who not only checked the children’s bikes and helmets but also installed cycle computers on all bikes. By the end of the week, the cycle computer was evidence of a busy week: all children had biked more than 100 km - significantly more than expected. The cycle computer turned it into a sport to see who could cycle the most, and breaks during the day were often used to bike more kilometres!
Why a cycle summer school?
Cycling games
The week-long cycle summer school was to be an alternative to soccer camp, swim camp, or other
The week was based on the concept of cycling games developed by the Danish Cyclists’ Federation
By Connie Juel Clausen, City of Odense
The idea came about because the number of children who bike to school has dropped in recent years. When students are driven to school, it creates chaos and potentially dangerous situations in front of the school, which in turn makes parents afraid to let their children bike to school. Gradually, this creates a vicious spiral that not only influences traffic safety around the schools, but also has a negative effect on the children’s well being, their learning ability, their motor skills, and more.
What was especially interesting, however, was the reaction of the adults at the cycle summer school. Initially, being responsible for children aged 8-10 in traffic had caused concern. But already on day four, everyone was comfortable enough to bike with the children along the most heavily trafficked street in Odense. By the end of the week, insecurity had changed to a firm belief that it is indeed possible to bike with students in primary school.
What’s next? The success of the cycle summer school will definitely be repeated next year, and the city of Odense will offer to arrange cycling games at the schools so the adults can come to feel safe taking even the younger students cycling.
» The week-long cycle summer school was to be an alter-
native to soccer camp, swim camp, or other popular summer activities. Attendance was obligatory, and students had to be at school from 9 AM to 3 PM.
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Cycle tracks that come to you as you go What is it that makes the Danes cycle so much? A fundamental trait is that people who cycle experience a long list of advantages in their daily activities.
By Lars Gemzøe, Architect, Gehl Architects, Copenhagen
It is, quite simply, easier to move around the cities by bike than by any other means of transport; in addition, with a bicycle almost anybody can be mobile of their own accord from childhood to old age. Cyclists can run errands on the way to their destinations, and can stop and talk to others without any problems. No one needs to drive their children to school or afterschool activities, because they can get there on their own. In effect, the Danes cycle across their differences in age and income. The background for all this delightful everyday cycling is that over many years a fine-meshed network of cycle tracks has been constructed along with other measures that prioritise bicycles. It is all easy to use, and cycle tracks aren’t something you need to look for: They come to you as you go. Perhaps the journey begins in a traffic-calmed residential area where bicycles and cars share the space and move at low speed. The trip continues through a high street, and a cycle track appears, giving comfort and safety as the journey continues. One takes a short cut through a one-way street where bicycles are allowed in both directions. At the next big intersection, cyclists get 5-6 seconds of green time before the motorists, so they can move swiftly and safely across the intersection.
The advantage of the Danish model The cycle tracks are part of a simple and user-friendly system, where the municipality can easily add or extend cycle tracks according to need. The typical cycle track is designed to be the same in its position in the street profile from one street to the next. First comes the footpath with its own curb; on the outside of this is the cycle track also with its own curb; then, the
parked cars, followed by the moving traffic. This is the formula of the ”Copenhagen style cycle tracks”, which in recent years have served as an inspiration to both New York and Melbourne, Australia. The cyclists feel safe and have the feel of an invitation-only audience on the cycle tracks because they are segregated from the traffic lanes by a curb.
Surveys of the cycle tracks in Copenhagen from the 1970s to after the turn of the millennium (1) show that every time the municipality has established a cycle track, the number of cyclists (2) in that street increased by 18-20%, and the number of cars fell by 9-10%. Cycle lanes that were marked with a white stripe on the asphalt in the same placement as the cycle track
had no effect on the number of cars, but still resulted in a 5-7% increase in the number of cyclists. During the last ten years, the number of people who cycle in Copenhagen has almost doubled while the number of serious accidents has been cut in half. No wonder the citizens are happy about their cycle tracks and that the outside world finds them inspiring!
» It is, quite simply, easier
to move around the cities by bike than by any other means of transport; in addition, with a bicycle almost anybody can be mobile of their own accord from childhood to old age.
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Cycling children are healthy children; healthy children are happy children The number of lifestyle-related diseases is on the rise. However, socio-economic studies show that there is a lot to be gained by learning healthy transport habits from an early age - both in terms of fitness ratings and good spirits.
By Malene Kofod Nielsen, COWI, and Connie Juel Clausen, City of Odense
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that in 2020, 70% of all diseases will be lifestylerelated diseases. Habits and action patterns are established in childhood, and it is thus important that children learn good habits early on so a good foundation for a healthy lifestyle can be laid. For the past 30 years, the share of children who are driven to and from school in Denmark has increased by almost 200%. The consequence is greater insecurity for other children on their way to school, as well as the foundation of a bad habit with significant consequences for the child’s health and well-being.
Illness, fitness rating, and self-esteem Lars Bo Andersen, Professor at the University of Southern Denmark, studied exercise habits among a
large group of children, the results showing that the children who cycle to and from school has a markedly better fitness rating than the children who are driven to school. Being fit is important because people out of condition have a vastly increased risk of ill health. Interestingly, the study also showed that the children who cycle to school are more physically active during the remainder of the day. COWI has made some socio-economic analyses of cycle initiatives. The effect of cycling on health and a longer life has been calculated in a number of cases in Copenhagen. The average health effect of cycling adds up to 5.5 DKK per km for people more than 16 years old: In light hereof, one can also expect positive effects for children. In addition to the obvious advantages in terms of health, a number of surveys show that inactive children perceive themselves as less happy, more helpless, more tired,
and lonelier than children who get exercise. Active children, moreover, have a higher stress threshold as well as a better power of concentration and memory than inactive children.
Getting there Several Danish municipalities have focussed on the children’s school routes for many years. Despite good conditions for cycling and a long-standing focus on children’s cycling habits, there is a tendency that fewer parents cycle with their children to school or let their children cycle on their own. This is often due to a perception of it being unsafe, rather than an actual risk. In Odense, efforts to secure the children’s school routes in terms of the physical design are seasoned with other initiatives as well. For example, they are in the process of developing a “cycle summer school” where incoming school children - incoming cyclists - can
learn to cycle their route to school before the school term starts. Thereby, children can learn to cycle securely and confidently, and their parents will get confirmation that their children can manage on the route to school and know how to handle various situations. Other fun initiatives include a Christmas workshop with a course where you can train to be Santa’s cycling helper. The aim of the many initiatives is to give the children good experiences, teach them to master a bicycle, and lay the foundation for good cycling habits at an early age so they will cycle to school - and hopefully also their whole life through.
did you know that:
did you know that daily exercise can reduse:
· the share of children driven to and from school has increased by almost 200% for all age levels during the past 30 years? · the number of children who cycle to school has dropped by 30% during the past 15 years?
· · · · ·
Source: National Institute of Public Health, National Board of Health, Denmark, and WHO.
The risk of cardiovascular disease by 50% The risk of developing type-2 deabetes by 50% The risk of developing obesity by 50% The risk of hypertension by 30% The risk of hypertension by 30%
Cycling for a good cause Cycling as a sport has grown increasingly popular in Denmark over the last years, as more and more people jump in the saddle for the sake of exercise. But many people don’t just cycle to get the exercise; they also do it for a range of good causes.
By Connie Juel Clausen, City of Odense
This summer, 45 riders in “Team Odense Integration” joined the Tour of Denmark, and 15 riders from “Stjerne fra Vollsmose (The Star of Vollsmose) cycled around the island of Funen. Exercise is not the sole purpose of the two cycling teams, though. The Star of Vollsmose teaches girls aged 12-18 about healthy diet, exercise, and Danish culture, and of course it has introduced the girls to the bicycle as a means of transport. To “Team Odense Integration”, the major aim is to promote integration and show that no matter where we come from, we need to be able to accept each other’s differences and cultural backgrounds. The team also focuses on the health benefits of cycling, both physically and mentally, and on showing nonethnic Danes the advantages of the bicycle in contrast to the bus or car.
It all started when… The number of cycling teams in Denmark has exploded in recent
years. It all started 10 years ago in the town of Ringe on Funen. Eight riders cycled to Paris with Team Rynkeby, and since then the team has generated an increasingly large profit that is donated to the Children’s Cancer Foundation. Today, Team Rynkeby consists of 13 teams from Denmark and Sweden, and more than 1,000 riders are on the waiting list to join the team’s trips to Paris. Not everyone can go, so many people create their own teams.
Team Odense Integration Three years ago, the man behind the idea for Team Rynkeby, Knud Vilstrup, got the idea for “Team Odense Integration”. The project focuses on mutual integration. It is not only the non-ethnic Danes who are taught about Danish culture, it is equally important that the Danish members on the team learn about foreign cultures. The team practices twice a week and has lessons in correct diet and bike maintenance so everyone can be ready for the trip around the country.
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This year, “Team Odense Integration” went on the Tour of Denmark for the second time. After the tour, several team members joined a cycle club, which in Denmark is integration on a high level precisely because participating in association activities is considered very Danish.
The Star of Vollsmose On last year’s Tour of Denmark, two riders from “Team Odense Integration” got an idea for yet another project - this time directed at young non-ethnic girls from a part of Odense called Vollsmose. The girls have been practicing twice a week since early spring, and a large part of the project has a social and cultural aim. Among other things, the girls have learned that they are an invaluable part of a group. In addition, the parents have been very involved in the project, which is considered a special success because many of these parents don’t even attend parent-teacher conferences, but this project was followed with interest. The tour around the island of Funen also became somewhat of a media
The Star of Vollsmose teaches girls aged 12-18 about healthy diet, exercise, and Danish culture, and of course it has introduced the girls to the bicycle as a means of transport.
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event in Denmark due to the girls’ untraditional outfits: veil, cycle shorts, and a specially-designed long skirt. The greatest impact of the tour, however, has been on the girls themselves who, in addition to the experience of really seeing the island they live on, have gotten more self-esteem from the trip. Previously, several of the girls were taken to school by car. Now they go by racing bike. Do we need to mention that the boys from Vollsmose are jealous? Another positive but unexpected effect has been that the girls’ mothers have begun to ask for cycle training. So in a way, the girls have become role models for their mothers. On a final note, it is worth mentioning that on day two of the project, one of the girls wrote in her journal that her happiness was as great as the sea! There is no better way to describe a project’s success.
Digital tool makes it easier to be a bicycle tourist Since February, the Danish Cyclists’ Federation and about 70 bicycle-keen volunteers have been working on merging map data and local landmarks. Now, the route planner is here. By Nicolaj Willemoes,
In Switzerland, bicycle tourists have a similar tool called schweizmobil. ch at their disposal, which has been a huge success. “The Swiss example has made it easy to bring the bicycle on your vacation and easy to combine exercise with cultural sights and experiences of nature. It has really set the bicycle wheels in motion,” Claus Rex says. “And now, we are doing the same thing, and there is no doubt that there is a huge potential - especially among the German bicycle tourists.”
Danish Cyclists’ Federation
Remember to: · Check the weather report for the next couple of weeks · Call the train station and ask about timetables and stops · Check with Peter: is the beach he mentioned good for the kids? · Where can we find a nice restaurant close to the camping ground? · Important: Find campsites and hostels and and and and… This was once the checklist before a family went on a cycling holiday in Denmark.
Only for those in the know The Danes are avid cyclists - at least as a daily means of transport. But apart from a group of hardcore bicycle enthusiasts, who also use the two-wheeler during vacations, recreational cycling is a lot less widespread. A substantial part of the explanation can be found in the fact that the necessary information about routes, gear, and accommodation has been difficult to find. And when you have finally found it, you have to combine information from a number of different websites in order to plan your trip. There hasn’t been one collective site, and thus few people have been able to navigate in this rather diffuse landscape. It has quite simply been too difficult to be a bicycle tourist in Denmark.
It has to be easier - NOW And it has to be markedly easier if we are to attract the tourists - both
The user interface of the route planner is still being developed.
Danish and the foreign ones. “We will see bicycle tourism exploding,” predicted Minister for Transport (Liberals), Hans Christian Schmidt earlier this year in the newsletter, Cykelviden. He also encouraged the municipalities and the tourist organisations to sit down together and decide how best to better the facilities already there. “But it is also about simply making it easier for the cyclists to plan their vacation,” says Claus Rex, Head of Tourism at the Danish Cyclists’ Federation. He is at the head of the development of a new digital cycle-route planner that has been available at cyclistic.dk since June this year although in a limited edition. “The idea is to have a high-quality and nationwide tool that can easily show the cyclists the best routes
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that combine nature, accommodation, sights, and bicycle repair shops - if the bike needs a little extra love and care on the way,” he explains.
German potential In other words, Cyclistic is to replace the old-fashioned guidebooks that used to gather the most important information. The guidebooks were easy to carry with you - but details regarding campsites, ferry crossings, child-friendly routes, etc., often proved to be outdated when you needed them. An internet-based gateway like Cyclistic can be continuously updated so you can depend on it. Right now, the development is still under way, but Claus Rex estimates that it is about halfway there, and that the gateway will be complete and fully functional before the spring season begins in 2012.
The idea is to have a high-quality and nationwide tool that can easily show the cyclists the best routes that combine nature, accommodation, sights, and bicycle repair shops - if the bike needs a little extra love and care on the way
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GPS-tech makes cycling fun! Kids are increasingly being transported on the back of their parents’ car instead of riding a bike. Many Danish municipalities wish to change this development. One way is to combine new technology with an old story! they can use them in next year’s campaign.
Results that rock
En route to Beijing. The campaign website makes it easier to keep track of the class position in the competition. By Marianne Weinreich, VEKSØ & Morten Riisgaard-Dam, Aros Kommunikation
The cycle campaign ”Around the World in 80 Days” targets 12-13 year-old school students and, to go straight to the point, the idea is for the students to compete together as a class to see whether they can ‘cycle’ around the world in 80 days. The students take turns at cycling with a GPS, which registers the number of cycled kilometres. Next, they upload their results on the campaign website. For every kilometre they cycle, the circumnavigator, Dr. Glob, moves one corresponding kilometre on his trip around the world on his flying Mondovelo. On the campaign website, the students can keep track of Dr. Glob’s progress and of how far the other classes have cycled. The challenge is: Can the classes circumnavigate the globe in 80 days - or in other words, cycle 40.000 km in 80 days? Every time the students pass one of the sprint cities along the route, Dr. Glob sends them a postcard with funny stories from the city he is visiting. This way the students learn about different places in the world, and the teachers can integrate it in
class if they want. Mette Olsen, who is class teacher for the winning class in Helsingør in 2011, is very enthusiastic about the campaign and believes that the use of GPS-technology has a large part in motivating the students and getting the support of the parents. “We haven’t cycled during school hours, but the students and their parents could keep track of the results on the class smartboard during the entire campaign. The students have cycled together on many trips - especially long trips in the weekends, so they have also benefitted a lot on a social level. At the same time, the parents have really supported them by accompanying them on the long trips,” says the class teacher, who is herself a born competitor and has encouraged the students to continue cycling for Dr. Glob for the entire campaign.
Competition powers up the pedals The competitive element and the idea that all the participants are assisting Dr. Glob becomes an engine that keeps the students motivated for all 80 days. However, the students are also motivated by cold cash, too: the class that cycles
most kilometres wins money for a class trip so the students can celebrate their victory. In addition, they can win smaller amounts during the campaign if their class sends Dr. Glob into the various sprint cities. The student in the class who contributes with the most kilometres wins the GPS, or the municipality can choose to collect them so
The setup of the campaign makes it possible to reach a group that can be difficult to influence - and to keep their attention for a longer period of time. So far the campaign has run in the municipalities of Aarhus and Helsingør. Evaluations show that 2/3 of the students cycled more during the campaign than usual, and that about 40 % cycled on trips where they would normally have been in the back of a car. The results of the campaign have also called forth a marketing award on the grounds of the campaign’s outstanding method and its ability to create results and behavioural change with the target group. The assessment also highlighted the use of the GPS devices as a central and motivating tool. See more at www.80dage.dk/ helsingor or contact Marianne Weinreich at maw@vekso.com or Morten Riis-Damgaard at mrdam@ aroskommunikation.dk for further information.
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Evaluations show that 2/3 of the students cycled more during the campaign than usual, and that about 40 % cycled on trips where they would normally have been in the back of a car.
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Student from the winning class uploads her cycled kilometres to the campaign website.
How to: create safety for cyclists in Denmark In Denmark, as in many other countries, the bicycle is used during leisure time, for sports, and to a great extent also as a means of transport in connection with home-work trips and short-distance transport during working hours, etc. By Connie Juel Clausen, City of Odense
When there are many cyclists on the road, it increases road safety because it increases the other road users’ awareness of them: Motorists expect cyclists on the road network and watch out for them when driving, including during right turns. This awareness ensures great safety because both parties expect and respect each other’s presence and are attentive towards each other. This is not to say that accidents involving cyclists never happen - but viewed in the light of the number of road users, the number of conflicts is small.
Traffic safety work in Denmark For many years Danish road management practice has used multiple resources to continuously improve traffic safety for cyclists. The initiatives can be divided into three main elements: 1. Control The control element is handled by the police and typically encompasses control of compliance with basic right-of-way regulations, such as not cycling though a red light, not cycling in pedestrian crossings, signaling when turning, use of bicycle lights at night, etc.
2. Behavioral change Behavioral change primarily consists of various types of campaigns that aim at compliance with the traffic regulations, use of bicycle lights, use of bicycle helmets, etc., plus campaigns directed at motorists’ attention, for example, to cycling school-children. Road safety classes in the schools supplemented with competitions and tests are likewise a substantial part of behavioral change, in addition to parents’ active participation in training their children’s cycling skills. Finally, many of the initiatives focus on promoting the bicycle and
encouraging use of the bicycle for everyday activities.
the traffic favors the vulnerable road users, i.e. cyclists and pedestrians.
3. Physical improvements of roads and tracks At junctions there are different initiatives depending on whether it is a signalized crossing or a rightof-way regulated junction. In signalized crossings, one or more of the following approaches is often used to ensure safety for the cyclists: • Blue cycle markings and variants of these • Stop lines for motorists are retracted five meters from the stop lines for the cyclists • Shortening of the cycle track where traffic mixes • Traffic lights for cyclists: the light turns green before the light for the cars • Right-turn shunts leading cyclists around the traffic light
The great awareness of the presence of the cyclists is thus mostly there in urban areas, at junctions, and on less frequented streets. On busier city streets and streets with a speed limit over 50 km/h, cyclists are often protected with cycle tracks so they are physically separated from the motor vehicles. Here there is not the same need for a great awareness of the cyclists’ presence, and the separation is more important. In rural areas conditions are different, as the number of cyclists often is small. Here the cyclists are significantly more exposed, as often they are not protected by a cycle track, speed levels of cars are high, and not least because the motorists do not expect cyclists. Motorists’ and cyclists’ awareness of each other is thus central to traffic safety, and this awareness grows the more cyclists are on the road network - it is a positive spiral.
In the right-of-way regulated junctions, cycle tracks or cycle lanes are often established on the busier road sections where the traffic normally favors the motorists. On road sections without cycle tracks, initiatives for cyclists are rarely established as these sections are often less frequented streets where
Turn - bump - tilt - splash - braaake - GO! Children of Copenhagen to open Denmark’s first mobile bicycle playground during the UCI Road World Championships.
By Nicolaj Willemoes, Danish Cyclists’ Federation
When Danish children learn to cycle, mom or dad is usually walking behind them steadying the wobbling bike with a broomstick attached to the luggage carrier. And although they have chosen a quiet street for the trip, it almost always ends with the child having a couple of scrapes and being that much wiser. That’s the way it should be.
More than just a championship And the professional racing cyclists who convene in Copenhagen in September to find out who is going to be the world champion on two wheels might have started the same way. That the Danish capital has been selected to host such a large-scale sporting event is inextricably linked to the bicycle culture which has made Copenhagen and Denmark famous around the world. Here, cycling is not just about the professionals’ battle against time and each other. It is also about bicycles and conditions for cyclists being of high priority. “When such a world event comes to Copenhagen, it is important that
it becomes a celebration which includes the Copenhageners and not just the thousands who will come for the sporting event, says Lord Mayor, Frank Jensen (Social Democrats), to the Danish Cyclists’ Federation. During the week of the World Championship, a huge bicycle parade will move along the route of the individual time trial, and a sidewalk café will be appear in one of the busiest intersections in Copenhagen which will be closed off during the championship. All around the city, a long list of events and competitions have been arranged to make the Copenhageners, both high and low, jump in the saddle.
Bicycle culture - kids’ style In the city centre at Israels Plads, 2500 square meters will be turned into an obstacle course for the very youngest. Here, the more or less experienced cycle kids can play their way through Denmark’s first mobile bicycle playground. The challenges have been designed specifically for the small cyclists and vary in level of difficulty. So the children will practice coordination, timing, and balance - and speed when the parents are not looking.
And best of all: they train their cycling skills almost without noticing because they are just playing and having fun. And this makes safe and enthusiastic cyclists.
Confidence comes on its own According to Trine Juncher Jørgensen from the Danish Cyclists’ Federation, the many bumps, seesaws and mounds provide a safe arena for the children to learn the basics of cycling. “The children get a sense of freedom on the bicycle that they don’t get to experience many other places. At the same time, it is a possibility to challenge yourself what can you and what can’t you do on a bike? It is about balance, coordination, and play. The interest for the bicycle playground has been overwhelming, so
we can guarantee that it will be full of happy kids all day long. “They think it is so much fun! The less we adults are there to interfere, the more they play, and the more they develop their games in completely unexpected directions all the while making the children more secure cyclists. Perhaps even more secure than their parents,” she says.
• Alongside the World Championships, the national campaign, Bike to School, is running. Here, close to 150,000 kids compete riding the bike to school. • The material from European Broadcasting Union (EBU) contains photos of cycling children. • For further information contact the Danish Cyclists’ Federation or the Cycling Embassy of Denmark: Head of Communication, Frits Bredal: (+45) 2947 6704.