Cities actions are key to cycle through and beyond the crisis

By

Agathe Marie

07 Apr, 2020

Cities’ initiatives promoting cycling are popping up everywhere in the world and it feels like it’s just the beginning. We have seen in the “Cycling against COVID-19” article that the benefits of cycling these days are many: respecting social distancing, avoiding contacts, contributing to physical and mental health, among others. Many cities are convinced about these benefits as well, and are making the necessary changes to be cycle friendly.

Bicycle commuting is the new trend

Commuters are replacing their usual trips by public transport with cycling to work. In Paris, “even if buses are less crowded than usual, it’s still the best way to keep its distances”, said a Parisian commuter, as reported by Le Parisien. Same observation in Germany, in a joint statement, Zweirad-Industrie-Verband (ZIV) and dealer cooperative Zweirad-Einkaufs-Genossenschaft eG (ZEG) expressed that “Millions of people will follow the advice of Health Minister Spahn and will use their bikes instead of buses and trains. The bicycle will be the most important form of transport next to the car in the next few weeks, as it is infection-proof and can be used by everyone.”

Bike sharing registers a huge hype

New York's City Bike trips grew to more than half a million in February, and from 1st to 11 March there was a demand surge of 67%. Same observation in Chicago, with city shared bicycles used two times more, compare to the same period last year. Cities and bike sharing operators are replying to this high demand, offering new options and solutions. In Berlin, nextbike’s bicycles can now be used free of charge for 30 minutes several times a day.

Other operators also show their support to first-line workers: in Lisbon, the city’s shared bicycles are made available to facilitate food and medication delivery services. In New York, London and Glasgow, operators are letting a free access to their fleet to essential workers and the same goes Bogota for Bogota, with its 400 MUVO e-bikes fleet. The city even created a partnership with MUVO to make them available for free to city’s 24 local boroughs.

This surge in cycling allowed by city’s great efforts also translate into a huge commitment from bicycle operators to ensure strict hygiene protocols, from contactless paying methods, intensive cleaning of their fleet, to dispensing clear recommendations for their users.

Cities are making place for bicycles

Many cities are adding temporary bicycle lanes to face the surge and allow safe cycling. In New York, Polly Trottenberg, city transportation commissioner, said her agency was even reviewing additional measures to accommodate the increased number of cyclists. For example, replacing some car traffic lanes with temporary bicycle lanes; or adapting some plazas and pedestrian areas in bicycle parking. Berlin did it on key commuters’ roads, and a pilot project launched on March 30 works on implementing new bicycle traffic facilities in other areas. In Bogota, it’s hundreds of car lanes that have been temporary replaced by cycle lanes, expanding the 550km of existing bicycle infrastructure by 76km in a first stage, increased to 117km as of 17 March. Mexico City may follow the same initiative, multiplying by four its bicycle paths.

Will cities keep better and more infrastructures for cyclists afterwards? Safe cycling provides equitable access to more places for more people. This pandemic is creating a momentum to acknowledge the major role that cycling can play to enable us to safely and resiliently navigate our cities. As former Olympian cyclist and current walking and cycling commissioner of Manchester, Chris Boardman said: “Pick a crisis, and you’ll probably find cycling is a solution”.