Benchmarking Bicycle climate test supported by www.trendy-travel.eu The sole responsibility for the content of this publication lies with the authors. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union. Neither the EACI nor the European Commission are responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.
How do cyclists feel in their city? Just like most decisions, the choice of a means of transport is primarily based on the way that things are perceived and felt and not on the actual reality of the situation. The Bicycle Climate Test is a barometer or seismograph for these perceptions of the cyclists in European cities. Within the framework of Trendy Travel 9 cities from 8 different European countries carried out such surveys at the beginning, 2008, and at the end of the project in 2010 to compare the results. Highlights of the evaluation The evaluation of all results shows both, positive as well as negative deflexions of feelings connected with cycling. The question if cycling stands for fun or stress brought the most positive answers. Undoubtedly, European cyclists associate cycling with fun this is a great prerequisite for a sustainable and continuing promotion of bicycle traffic in European cities. Bikers reckon the bike to be more comfortable than public transport and they feel safe. This perceived safety is probably a very important criterion with regard to the choice of the mode of transport. Urban decision makers could strengthen this fact even further by improving the objective safety factors for cyclists. Cyclists for instance view the driving speed of motorised traffic as inappropriately high. Here, conditions for cyclists could be critically improved with the implementation of speed limits paired with an efficient enforcement of these limits. A speed limit of 30 km/h (with the exception of main roads) in the entire road network implemented in Graz can be very effective and helpful in this respect. The discussion about the introduction of a compulsory requirement to wear a bike helmet on the contrary surely has a counterproductive effect. It can lead to a situation where people view cycling as something dangerous and that they consequently will cycle less often. The most negative deflexion could be observed in the area of bicycle theft. The theft of bicycles, as the biggest problem of cyclists not only has a monetary but also a transport political effect. - 2 -
French studies proved that many people stop cycling after the third theft of their bike. Often bike theft is caused by a lack of high quality bicycle racks in sufficient number and at convenient locations. However, it is also necessary to raise the awareness about the importance of good quality bike locks. The second most frequently mentioned issue on the negative side refers to the possibility to transport bikes on public means of transport. A further point that was regarded as negative is the fact that the police and other members of the public administration rarely use bicycles. This means that they are not setting a good example. The already mentioned high speed of motorists forms the fourth negative aspect of this area of the survey. A promotion of bicycle traffic therefore has to go hand in hand with a taming of motorised traffic. Changes since 2008 The evaluation demonstrates positive developments throughout. The assessments have improved substantially in eight areas and only got worse in one. It shows a trend that users are more content and satisfied, independent of the very different frame conditions that prevail in the examined cities. Fig. 1 Changes since 2008 Cyclists are taken seriously average Police officers and civil servants use bikes frequently Cycling is promoted in everyday life It is easy and inexpensive to tramsport cycles on public transport There are plenty of cycle paths or cycle lanes Cycling is more convenient than using public transport Sign posts for cyclists are frequent and adequate Politicians and decision makers make it easier to travel by bike then by car Cyclists are taken seriously n rather agree n rather do not agree -0,20 0 0,20 0,40 0,60 But of course these improvements started at very diverse starting positions, as can be demonstrated through one question. - 3 -
Fig. 2 Newspaper reports The newspapers report positively about cyclists 1 0,5 0-0,5 Martin Bolzano Graz Györ -1 Plovdiv Naturally it was the aim of this EU-project to exchange experiences and to learn form good examples. In the area of media work for instance it was evident that the connection of child & bike and in particular of cycling & kindergarten children achieved very positive media reactions. Lessons learnt: Fig. 3 Lessons learnt Cycles are hardly ever stolen It is easy and inexpensive to transport cycles on public transport Police officers and civil servants use bikes frequently Cars are traveling at a speed that is appropriate for cyclists Cycling feels safe Cycling is more convenient than using public transport Cycling is fun n rather agree n rather do not agree -1-0,5 0 0,5 1,0 1,5-4 -
The bicycle climate improved in the period from 2008 to 2010. The three most positive points were: 1) Cycling is fun 2) Cycling is more convenient than Public Transport 3) Cycling feels safe The most negative points were: 1) Bicycles are often stolen 2) Bad conditions to take a bike on PT 3) Not enough police and civil servants on bikes 4) The car traffic moves too fast The method: The Bicycle Climate Test is an instrument to easily and without much effort evaluate the satisfaction of bikers in a particular town or region with regard to the existing hard and soft measures for biking. When carried out on a regular basis this test should provide an insight into the satisfaction of the bikers over the years and with the implementation of pro-biking measures. It only requires that around 200 300 cyclists are interviewed per survey. This is easily done with a street survey. The guidelines for carrying out the survey as well as the survey itself can be found in 8 languages on the Trendy Travel website (www.trendytravel.eu) and can be downloaded for free. It is recommended to carry out the survey once a year of every second year in order to be able to recognise changes in the biking climate early and to be able to react accordingly. - 5 -