The #VisionaryCities Series is a collection of best practices and success stories from local authority leaders in Europe working for better, safer and more common cycling. This edition was written by Jana Červeňáková, Officer at the Transportation Department of the City of Prague. 

Earlier this year, Metropolitan Prague announced plans to invest hundreds of millions of Czech crowns (CZK) into cycling transport. These expenses will focus on infrastructure connecting existing cycle paths in the city, allowing for seamless crossovers and network expansion, while also giving cyclists more road space by segregating them from cars and public transport.

With the investments, Prague is aiming to effectively enhance safety and comfort for cyclists in the city, with hopes to build on from 2020’s dramatic increase in cycling levels and improve the city’s carbon footprint and urban mobility.

This year’s budget for cycling infrastructure in Prague is currently €4.8 million (CZK 122 million), which will be dedicated to the development of 7 km of new cycle paths in the city. As well as this, City Hall has also approved subsidies of €9.7 million (CZK 247 million) for another 31 projects through the city districts. Seventeen projects are due for completion in 2021, creating almost 14 kilometres of new trails. The subsidies will also be used for studies and design work to build 8 km of new trails in 2022.

The rise of cargo bikes: a big step towards green city logistics 

The construction of cycle paths is not Prague’s only cycling-related initiative, however. In November 2020, the city’s first ”cyklodepo” cargo bike depot opened at Florenc, enabling bicycle deliveries of consignments around the city centre. In less than six months of operation, couriers have already delivered more than 30,000 shipments and covered more than 13,000 kilometres. Prague is preparing another bike depot in Anděl in the city’s Smíchov district following the success of this pilot project.

Source: IPR Praha

“The delivery trends during the pilot operation of the bike depot confirmed our assumptions – this is a landmark project; it makes sense to continue and to keep developing it,” said Adam Scheinherr, Deputy Mayor at Prague City Hall and tasked with transport sector coordination. “We are currently preparing a new microdepot, which we will locate at Anděl. If all goes well, we’ll open it by the end of the summer holidays.”

“Our experience so far in Prague shows that microdepots in the city centre contribute to streamlining logistics, ensuring that goods travel via as short a distance as possible.”

There are currently eight logistics companies operating in the Florenc bike depot, making a significant contribution to the quality of life in Prague. They are directly reducing the carbon footprint and increasing safety by reducing automobile traffic in the city centre. Thanks to the pilot operation, these logistics companies were able to test sustainable ways of delivering with cargo bikes and even pedestrian couriers.

Source: IPR Praha

Onside with local business

The development of cargo bike deliveries has been well received by several local businesses, who commend its eco-efficiency and health benefits.

“Thanks to the five bicycle couriers and one pedestrian courier, we delivered more than 13,000 parcels emission-free from the Florenc cargo bike depot, saving 2.27 tons of CO2 emissions. With this composition we will be able to save 8.75 tons of CO2 emissions per year,” said Miloš Malaník, Managing Director DPD (Czech Republic).

Kateřina Ovesná, Sales and Marketing director at MESSENGER a.s., is glad to see the bike depot project implemented in Prague: “Its prime location in the city centre lets us transport consignments in D+1 mode, going the first and last mile on cargo bikes. Thanks to our partnering with the CityChangerCargoBike project, we know that projects like this have set up successfully in recent years in other European cities. Cargo bikes can handle more than 50 percent of the journeys, improve air quality and contribute to better living conditions.”

“We regard Mikrodepo Florenc as a successful project and are happy to continue for a second year with our services – delivering consignments with our cargo bikes in downtown Prague,” said Luděk Drnec, Managing Director, DHL Express (Czech Republic) s.r.o. “We are meeting the aims outlined in our current DHL Mission 2050 strategy: Zero emissions, for protecting the environment and our living spaces. We hope to stay on the right track with projects like the Florenc bike depot.”

Source: IPR Praha

Following the success of the bike depot and Florenc, Prague has decided to put the new bike depot in Anděl into operation this year. Anděl is a central location in the Smíchov district of Prague and gives easy access for delivery vans to offload, as the new depot is located directly beneath the city inner ring road. Couriers can thus easily serve the opposite side of the river. For Prague, the use of e-cargo bikes is a huge step towards a sustainable city.

​Prague is a member of ECF's Cities & Regions for Cyclists Network (CRC). CRC brings together local and regional administrations, actively working to promote cycling as a mode of transport and leisure. For more info click here.

Cover photo source: Hynek Moravec