Doubling cycling in the EU in the next ten years calls for the development of a European cycling strategy. To obtain political support at the highest level, the European Cyclists’ Federation together with the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Slovakia to the EU and the European CHIPS project kicked off the process with an expert meeting on infrastructure and more specifically cycle highways.

In combination with the growing number of e-bikes, cycle highway innovation can effectively get commuters out of their cars for commuter distances of 15km and more. “‘Encouraging more people to cycle more often’ across the EU has the potential to unlock socio-economic benefits worth billions of Euros. We call for political commitment to develop an EU Cycling Strategy and we are delighted to see the high-level response in the first of many meeting to that direction focused on infrastructure”, said Adam Bodor, ECF Director of Advocacy.

The meeting was attended by high-level guests such as Bernd Bievert, Deputy Head of Cabinet of the Commission Vice-President Šefčovič, Martin Eder from the Austrian Ministry of Environment representing the PEP Partnership on Cycling Promotion and the Pan-European Masterplan for Cycling and Olivier Heiden, Administrator of the COTER Commission in the Committee of the Regions, reported on the added value of an EU Cycling Strategy at an international level.

Topics discussed included the need for a common methodology on cycle highways across Europe, similar to infrastructure designed for motorized road transport, and the potential development of an EU minimum quality criteria for cycling infrastructure across member states.

The next step for the EU Cycling Strategy is getting the endorsement of local, national and EU officials at the CIVITAS conference 2016 in Gdynia, Poland. 

About CHIPS: CHIPS (Cycle Highways Innovation for smarter People Transport and Spatial Planning) will develop and promote cycle highways as an effective and cost efficient low carbon solution for commuting towards and from urban employment poles. CHIPS will demonstrate that, especially in combination with the growing number of e-bikes, cycle highway innovation can effectively get commuters out of their cars.

Project partners from Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK will develop solutions that will help regions and mobility stakeholders to:

• Position cycle highways as a new mobility product
• Overcome physical and behavioural barriers that keep commuters from using cycle highways
• Maximize synergies between cycle highways and trains, buses and cars
• Upgrade cycle highways to key structuring elements in future spatial planning
• Monitor performance and assess impact

About the EU Cycling Strategy: Encouraging more people to cycle more often’ across the EU has the potential to unlock socio-economic benefits worth billions of Euros. Stakeholders from diverse backgrounds have therefore joined forces to develop a blueprint for an EU Cycling Strategy which will recommend objectives and define actions falling within EU competence. Published at the Velo-city 2017 conference in June it will then be submitted to the European Commission as a new inspiration for action. More info on: www.cyclingstrategy.eu

Check out the agenda and the speakers' presentations

Part 1: Welcome

• Dr Bernhard Ensink, ECF Secretary General
• Dr Bernd Biervert, Deputy Head of Cabinet of the Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič

Part 2: Towards an EU cycling strategy

• Martin Eder, Austrian Ministry of Environment: THE PEP Partnership on Cycling Promotion and the Pan-European Masterplan for Cycling
• Oliver Heiden, Administrator of the COTER Committee in the Committee of the Regions: The added value of an EU Cycling Strategy
• Adam Bodor, ECF Director Advocacy and EuroVelo: The EU Cycling Strategy: Developing a blueprint for an EU Cycling Strategy

Part 3: Towards EU standards for cycle infrastructure?

• Lessons learnt from 3 cycle highway projects from across Europe

Confirmed Speakers: Martijn Post, Province of Gelderland, Joris Van Damme, Province Flemish Brabant, Erik Štefanek, MRC Slovakia

• Dutch institute for mobility (CROW) Hillie Talens: Design standards: Straitjackets or ticket to freedom?
• Panel discussion: Do we need an EU recommendation for cycle highways? And do we need EU minimum quality criteria for cycling infrastructure for projects co-funded with EU money?

Confirmed Panelists: Miklos Berencsi (Hungary Transport Administration), Kristína Marošová (Slovak Transport Ministry), Klaus Bondam (Danish Cycling Embassy), Ellen Townsend (European Transport Safety Council),  Joris Van Damme (Province Flemish Brabant).

Moderation: Geoff Meade

Check out here all the photos of the event.