B-Track-B (Bike the Track, Track the Bike) is a European wide concept currently being rolled out in several cities across Europe. It aims to get more people cycling using technology. ECF project manager, Henk Hendriks explains what it is all about. 

The B-Track-B concept makes use of dedicated software, database, with several possible registration methods for the registration, monitoring, promotion of cycling and communication. The technical part of the project is built around three levels of available technology, GPS tracking, RFID and manual registration. Next to the B-track-B App, the website is an important communication and campaign management tool.

Each B-track-B partner builds its local marketing and communication plan around the common B-track-B concept, yet is fully free to select its own campaign name, leisure generators, intermediaries, supporting events, and technologies used. An evaluation methodology, risk and quality mapping help to manage the campaign locally and observe obtained behavioural change in favour of leisure cycling.

An RFID tag on the wheel of a bicycle in Denmark

The B-track-B concept is designed in particular for cities with a relatively high and average modal share, and fully flexible to any local context situation. The B-Track-B concept is based on a combination of previous successful experiments executed by the project partners in Denmark (city of Frederica, cycle registration systems, GPS tracking), Italy (cycling among young people), Slovenia (involvement of cycle associations, and coordination between cycle actors) and the Netherlands (the “Ride2Scool” campaign in Rotterdam) and new marketing and promotion possibilities offered by present GPS tracking techniques, social media and interactive Internet 2.0.

The general aim of B-Track-B is to reduce the focus on the family car as the primary tool used for travel to urban leisure activities.  The B-track-B concept uses a broad definition for “leisure trips”. Only home-school and home-work trips are excluded, as well as sports (speed) cycling with a competition element. The B-Track-B concept combines cycling, game elements and new but available social media. It includes RIFD and GPS tracking technology to boost present bicycle use to, from and during leisure activities.

In addition to the tracking B-Track-B technology, large campaigns, and smaller leisure cycle side-events will influence the leisure mobility behaviour of the whole family, and all the families in the city. We have a primary focus, yet not exclusively, on families with children in the age group from 9 to 15. They are the group that is most used to the private car, due to their in general complex lifestyle (work, school, leisure). The second main target groups are the leisure industry actors at the B-Track-B sites and the third target groups are other European cities to join in, and become a follower.

The aim of the concept is not only to make the directly involved families bicycle, yet also how to use them as an example for the other families in the cities.  In each B-Track-B site it is recommended that a number of local stakeholders are assisting the main responsible partner. These can be divided in so-called “leisure traffic generators” and “intermediaries”.

Are you interested in starting the concept of B-Track-B in your city? If you are send me an email. We only have a limited number of cities that can participate, so get on board while you still can. 

About the Author

Henk Hendriks currently works at both Fietserbond, the Netherlands’s national cycling association and the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) as the project manager for B-Track-B. He has worked for 11 years internationally in community development and education before joining Fietsersbond 5 years ago. His work at Fietsersbond includes policy and lobby projects targeted to improve urban planning for cyclists.