Author: Toño Peña
E: biciclistas@gmail.com

The Erasmus+ project “Sustainable Mobility, Sustainable Community” organised its third international learning, teaching and training meeting in Copenhagen from October 6^th to the 11^th 2019.  Three ECF associations participate in this inspiring project:  Biciclistas de Corella (Spain); Green-Schools An Taisce, collaborating closely with Cyclist.ie – the Irish Cycling Advocacy Network (Ireland); and Foreningen Frie Fugle, Denmark. And additionally, LAG Suduva (a rural development association from Lithuania) and a high school from Spain (IES Alhama), the project coordinator.

This European initiative promotes social inclusion, inter-generational relationships (specially via CWA, Cycling Without Age), environmental values and, last but definitely not least, sustainable mobility with a special focus on cycling. The previous international meetings were held in Corella, Spain, in March 2019 and in Dublin in June 2019, and the next one will take place in Lithuania in 2020.

The program, made up of the five European partners, has covered all the objectives of the project and added the ‘Sustainable Development Objectives’ proposed by the UN for the period 2015-2030. 40 students and 16 adults from the four participating countries have collaborated in environmental workshops, have cycled all during the week across the city, have visited landmarks and experienced high-level cycling infrastructure design.

One of the most special days was Wednesday, October 9^th, when the whole group enjoyed a theoretical-practical workshop with CWA pilots taught by Ole Kassow, founder of this international movement, and Pernille Vederso, a Frie Fugle member who promotes CWA around the world. Currently, there are 1,600 cities and 42 countries with tricycles and thousands of volunteers worldwide.

The enthusiastic participants in ‘Sustainable Mobility, Sustainable Community’ Erasmus+ project have used almost all possible means of transport: taxi, train, plane, car, boat, bus, subway, walking... However, what characterises this project and especially the city that they have visited, Copenhagen, is the use of bicycles. 49% of daily trips to work or school in the Danish capital are made by bike. The excellent and safe bike lanes allow urban cyclists to travel much faster than cars, they take up far less space compared to moving large motorised vehicles, they don't pollute, and they save lots of money for themselves and the whole society. Obviously, the bicycle has made commuting in Copenhagen easy, cheap, fast, safe and sustainable for the project participants.