Oresund as a cycling region CYCLING IN THE ORESUND REGION A benchmark study
ORESUND - A CYCLING REGION? What is the cycling situation like in the Oresund Region - What can be done to boost cycling further? If you want to improve, you need to know where you stand. That is the basis of this benchmark study of the Oresund Region. We have studied the cycling situation in the various cities and municipalities of the Danish Capital Region and in Scania in order to get a more accurate picture of what cities and municipalities are doing to promote cycling throughout the Oresund Region. The primary aims of this booklet are to present the survey and to propose further measures for promoting cycling throughout the region. A comparison of the cycling situation in the Oresund Region with the regional cycling situation in neighbouring countries gives a good indication of how the Oresund Region rates as a cycling region. It can also provide inspiration for how cycling can be promoted regionally. a complex geographical region The Oresund Region is defined in this context as consisting of Scania in Sweden, and just across the Sound, the Danish Capital Region, exclusive of Bornholm, and the Danish municipalities of Køge and Roskilde. The Oresund Region is a complex area including densely populated urban areas in Copenhagen and Malmö, a number of larger market towns, smaller towns, and actual rural areas. The Oresund region compared with selected german and dutch regions People cycle a great deal in the Oresund region and there is a strong cycling tradition in both Denmark and Sweden. A comparison with one German and one Dutch region shows that the cycling modal share of daily journeys is no larger in the Oresund Region than in those regions. In the Oresund region and in Schleswig-Holstein, including Hamburg, the cycling modal share is around 15% of the total number of journeys. In Noord-Holland including Amsterdam, more than one out of every four journeys is a cycling journey. An average cycling journey is about 3 km in all three regions. Whereas cycling in the Oresund region is primarily an urban phenomenon the cycling modal share falls as the population falls - it is not significantly affected by the size of the city in the two other regions. In Noord-Holland cycling has been successfully extended to the entire region so there is no great difference in the amount of cycling in Amsterdam compared to the rest of the region. In Schleswig-Holstein the cycling modal share is generally low, both in the cities and in the country. In the Oresund region Copenhagen notably stands out, with a DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL NUMBER OF JOURNEYS ACCORDING TO TRANPORT MODE Oresund Region Noord-Holland Schleswig-Holstein Copenhagen Amsterdam Hamburg Bicycle Walking Car Public transport 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 0% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 0% 2
ORESUND REGION ÄNGELHOLM HELSINGBORG HELSINGØR HILLERØD LANDSKRONA HØRSHOLM LUND KØBENHAVN MALMÖ ROSKILDE K ØGE TRELLEBORG KRISTIANSTAD 0km 50km 0km SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN FLENSBORG KIEL NEUMÜNSTER LÜBECK HAMBORG 0km 50km 0km NOORD-HOLLAND DER HELDER ALKMAAR IJMUIDEN HAARLEM HOORN PURMEREND ZAANDAM AMSTERDAM HOOFDDORP HILVERSUM 0km 50km 0km 4
CYCLING IN THE ORESUND REGION IS PRIMARILY ASSOCIATED WITH THE LARGER CITIES, BUT THE EXAMPLE OF NOORD-HOLLAND SHOWS THAT THIS NEED NOT BE THE CASE. A FOCUSED REGIONAL EFFORT CAN CONTRIBUTE TO MAKE THE BICYCLE THE NATURAL MODE OF CHOICE FOR DAILY JOURNEYS. cycling modal share equivalent to Amsterdam s. Compared with Hamburg, the residents of Copenhagen bike twice as often. cycling goals, strategies and policies In Scania, the Swedish Transport Administration and the Regional Council of Scania have entered into a collaboration to develop the regional cycling infrastructure. The vision is to create a network of cycle paths linking the cities. The Capital Region of Denmark has no equivalent regional cycling strategy but the majority of the municipalities are collaborating on the bicycle superhighway project aimed at creating a high quality network of commuter routes into Copenhagen. BICYCLING INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS ( PER INHABITANT) The Regional Council of Scania 8 The Capital Region of Denmark 11 The netherlands 24 In the Netherlands, national targets have been established for the cycling development. All provinces draw up individual regional bicycle plans and distribute state resources available for municipal cycling projects. This gives the regional authorities an overview of bicycle traffic planning, thereby enabling them to ensure continuity in the planning and to incorporate bicycle transport into the general traffic planning. Approx. 400 million are invested annually in the cycling infrastructure in Holland, the equivalent of 24 per inhabitant. By far the greatest part of this, 75 %, is financed by the municipalities. The provinces and the urban regions together contribute 15 %, and the rest comes from the State. Per capita investment aimed at extending the cycling infrastructure is more than twice as high in the Netherlands as in the Oresund Region. In Germany, the regions play a lesser role. In Schleswig-Holstein the objectives set forth in the regional development plan focus on recreational cycling and bicycle tourism. In addition, collaborations have been established between Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg to develop and coordinate the cycling infrastructure, including promoting the integration of cycling with public transport. According to the recent German national cycling plan of 2012, the ambition is an annual per capita investment of -20 in the cycling infrastructure. 5
BICYCLE TRAFFIC IN THE ORESUND REGION Bicycles play a major role in the daily transport in the cities of the Oresund Region, particularly in the region s major cities, Copenhagen, Malmö and Lund. Where do bicycles matter most? In the major cities in the Oresund region 19 % of all journeys are carried out by bicycle. In Copenhagen almost one out of every three journeys is a bicycle journey, and Copenhageners actually ride their bicycle more often than driving the car. In market towns and smaller towns the cycling modal share is somewhat lower: -15 %. In addition, fewer people use public transport, which means that the car accounts for more than 60 % of all journeys. In the country and in villages the car is even more predominant. Only 7 % of journeys are cycle journeys whereas 75 % are by car. Although the number of times people get on their bikes varies widely, the average bicycle journey is approx. 3 km regardless of place of residence within the Oresund Region. There s not much difference between Swedish and Danish cities when it comes to frequency, length and purpose of cycle journeys. Rather, the size of the city determines the number of cyclists. Since the cities in Scania are typically smaller than on the Danish side of the Sound, there are more rural Swedish municipalities where cycling plays a less significant role. The cycling modal share in Helsingborg is significantly lower than in the other large cities, which may be explained by the city s many hills. Who bikes? Women cycle more than men and cyclists are generally better educated than the population as a whole. It is true for the entire region that there are twice as many people with a higher education on the cycle paths as their share of the population warrants. Cycling in the Oresund region is for all age groups; the age distribution of cyclists by and large reflects the population distribution although there are slightly more cyclists in the 40-59 year age group. The elderly over the age of 69 use their bicycles somewhat less frequently. Why do they bike? Commuting to work or education is generally the main purpose of cycling, comprising about 40 % of all journeys regardless of place of residence. Shopping and leisure each account for slightly less than 25 % of the journeys. DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL NUMBER OF JOURNEYS ACCORDING TO TRANSPORT MODE Large cities Market towns Smaller towns Rural and villages 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 0% The municipalities of Copenhagen and Frederiksberg Copenhagen environs Large cities (Sweden) 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 0% Bicycle Walking Car Bus Train 6
CYCLING MODAL SHARE OF TOTAL NUMBER OF JOURNEYS IN ORESUND MUNICIPALITIES IN PER CENT The number s size reflects the population size of the Cykelandel af samlet municipality s largest city befordring i kommunen 00 Large cities 00 Market towns 00 Smaller towns 00 Villages 5 8 7 11 11 14 12 4 12 14 8 12 8 12 6 11 15 15 18 20 21 18 16 20 21 2318 31 1216 24 23 14 24 5 7 26 11 31 17 9 4 12 9 6 24 9 5 8 7 14 9
NUMBER OF BICYCLE ACCIDENTS, FATALLY AND SERIOUSLY INJURED CYCLISTS PER 1 MILLION BICYCLE JOURNEYS Large cities Market towns Smaller towns Rural and villages Bicycle accidents Fatally injured cyclists seriously injured cyclists 2,22 2,36 3,43 3,90 0,04 0,08 0, 0,14 0,87 1,11 1,58 1,75 8
What are the municipalities doing for cyclists? There is a connection between the municipal resources spent on cycling and the size of the municipality. For example, Copenhagen invests 24 per capita, more than the average Danish municipality in the Oresund region. Malmö invests 38 per capita compared to a mere 8 for the region taken as a whole. This means that when it comes to formulating goals for bicycle traffic development and drawing up strategies and plans for increasing bicycle traffic, it is primarily the larger municipalities that take the lead. The larger municipalities also lead when it comes to systematically working towards behaviour change and on organizing cycling campaigns. Two thirds of the larger and medium-sized municipalities in the Oresund region have a bicycle strategy or action plan for municipal bicycle traffic. The larger municipalities also employ more resources in planning of the cycling infrastructure. The City of Copenhagen states that it has 9 full-time staff members to deal with cycle planning, followed by Malmö and Lund with 7.5 and 3.5 full- time employees, respectively. What are cycling conditions like? Malmö has the largest cycle path network (495 km of cycle path) of all the cities in the Oresund region. It s followed by Copenhagen (412 km of cycle path) and Helsingborg (353 km of cycle path). In Danish cities a cycle path on both sides of the road is the norm whereas two-way cycle paths are standard in several larger Swedish cities. In Malmö it was decided to establish two-way cycle paths on both sides of the road in newly built areas. Renovated existing areas sometimes need to settle for a two-way path on one side of the road. One way of rating cycling conditions in a given city is to find the ratio between the number of kilometers of cycle path and the total road network. The typical ratio is between 0.2 and 0.8. However, in some municipalities the cycle path network is so extensive that there are more km of cycle path than km of roadway. Good parking facilities are also crucial to cyclists. It is difficult to compare the municipalities of the Oresund region as only a few municipalities have an overview of the number and standard of bicycle parking spaces in their area. It may be noted, however, that Malmö has the greatest number of bicycle parking spaces, approx. 60,000, which may be compared with Copenhagen, which states that there are approx. 48,000 publicly administered bicycle parking spaces. Many municipalities offer cyclists various services, such as bicycle pumps, cycling maps, drinking fountains, etc. Several municipalities also provide locked bicycle parking facilities at stations. safety on the cycle path Within the past 5 years in the Oresund region on average 358 cyclists annually have been seriously injured in traffic, 18 of them fatally. Calculated per capita, most accidents occur in large cities, but since inhabitants of large cities also cycle more, the risk of injury facing a cyclist is only half as great as in the rural areas where significantly fewer people bike. HAS THE MUNICIPALITY DRAWN UP A BICYCLE STRATEGY OR A BICYCLE ACTION PLAN? WHAT SERVICES DOES THE MUNICIPALITY OFFER IN CONNECTION WITH THE CYCLE PATH NETWORK? 8 6 4 2 0 67% 33% 67% 50% 40% 33% 20% % 80% Larger Medium Smaller Village Municipalities Yes No Don t know Manned bicycle parking facility Hand or foot rest at intersections Cycling maps Drinking fountains Bicycle service stations Bicycle pumps 0 3 6 9 12 15 Number of municipalities Village municipalities Smaller municipalities Medium-sized municipalities Larger municipalities 9
WHAT CAN BE DONE TO PROMOTE CYCLING IN THE ORESUND REGION? Giving a greater role to regional cycle planning could boost cycling throughout the entire Oresund region, providing a broader perspective. Experience from the Netherlands show that cycling can be promoted, not merely in the large cities but also in smaller towns and rural areas The good examples There are several good examples of collaboration within the Oresund region. In the Danish Capital Region a network of so-called bicycle superhighways is being planned. These are high class cycle routes that create excellent, fast commuter links from the surrounding communities into central Copenhagen. The routes are planned and implemented in a broad inter-municipal collaboration backed up by the Danish Capital Region. The aim is to increase the cycling modal share on longer journeys to and from the workplace. The Scania regional cycle route plan and signage plan, administered by the Swedish Transport Administration and the Regional Council of Scania, ensure the continuing development of the cycle route network in Scania. A focused effort is being made to link all major cities in Scania via a sign-posted cycle path network in order to cater to cyclists. The border between Sweden and Denmark presents a challenge A special challenge facing the Oresund region is that it extends across a national border. Although there are several cross-border collaborations, for recreational cycling and bicycle tourism, for example, no organization is in charge of integrated regional bicycle planning. If the idea is to go from being a region with a few high profile cycling cities to becoming a true cycling region, it is crucial to address bicycle planning from a regional perspective. Alternatively, rather than following an integrated Oresund strategy each country can focus on an autonomous regional strategy. integrating bicycle traffic and public transport can unlock the cycling potential, regionally as well If cycling is to be encouraged regionally throughout the Oresund region, an obvious choice is to promote the combination of cycling and public transport. This applies both to transport across the Sound and internally in Scania and Zealand. The main attraction of cycling as a means of transport is for shorter distances, but if cycling can be combined with the bus or train a wide vista of opportunities opens up for longer regional commuter journeys. Inspiration from the Netherlands The Amsterdam region in the Netherlands is working on drawing up goals and objectives for bicycle traffic and public transport as a whole. The current objective is that 70 % of journeys should be carried out either by bicycle or public transport. Precisely this holistic approach, i.e. integrating bicycle traffic and public transport so that the two transport modes supplement each other rather than compete for the same customers, can be taken as an indicator of a good cycling region, offering a sustainable solution to regional transport needs. investments boost cycling Experience from the Netherlands shows that major investments in the cycling infrastructure increases bicycle traffic. The Netherlands invests twice as much per capita as the Oresund region.
HOLISTIC STRATEGIES AND JOINT INITIATIVES BOOST REGIONAL CYCLING INITIATIVES MUST BE FOLLOWED UP A STRONG CYCLING REGION MEANS HEAVY INVESTMENT IN THE CYCLING INFRASTRUCTURE BETTER INTEGRATION OF CYCLING AND PUBLIC TRANSPORT OPENS UP NEW OPPORTUNITIES it is vitally important that municipalities follow up on cycling initiatives Public involvement and collaboration with special interest groups are a major factor in several municipalities in the Oresund region when it comes to bicycle planning. However, it is primarily in the large municipalities that cyclists can make themselves heard through citizen satisfaction surveys, such as the Bicycle Accounts. Bicycle Accounts are a useful instrument Bicycle accounts, which at suitable intervals measure a number of indicators relevant to cyclist satisfaction, can be an important tool enabling municipalities to follow developments in bicycle traffic volume as well as citizen satisfaction with municipal initiatives. In addition, publishing the bicycle accounts is an excellent means of rendering the initiatives visible. The benchmark study shows that relatively few municipalities carry out registered bicycle traffic counts. This includes municipalities with approved, explicit goals for bicycle traffic development. Useful knowledge can be gained by continually following up on the initiative; the knowledge gained can be put to use in bicycle planning and in initiative prioritisation. Benchmarking can be inspirational The benchmark study can serve as an inspiration to municipalities as it contains an overview of what the different municipalities in the Oresund region are doing to promote cycling, for example, how many resources are used and especially: what are the various municipal transport situations like? In other words you can compare your own performance with that of other, comparable municipalities. 70% AMSTERDAM OBJECTIVE FOR THE CYCLING AND PUBLIC TRANSPORT MODAL SHARE OF TOTAL NUMBER OF JOURNEYS 11
ABOUT THE PROJECT The project and its partners Oresund as a Cycling Region is a collaboration between partners from Scania (Sweden) and Zealand (Denmark) to promote cycling throughout the region by means of a number of concrete activities involving partners on both sides of the Sound. The project is part of the European Union Interreg IVA programme. The aim is to create a noticeable regional cycling identity, whether you live in the region or come as a visitor or tourist. The project addresses many aspects of cycling: cycling to work, to shop, leisure cycling and bicycle tourism. The benchmark study A benchmark study was carried out within the framework of the Oresund as a Cycling Region Project, providing an overview of cycling throughout the Oresund region. Hopefully, it can inspire the regional authorities and others in charge of creating optimal conditions for cycling. Two benchmark analyses were performed: an internal benchmarking within the Oresund region and an external benchmarking comparing conditions in the Oresund region with conditions in selected regions in Germany and Holland. Theoretical questions of methodology were addressed, as well as the practical implementation of the benchmarking process. Since benchmarking will often be a continuous, repetitive process in which a number of performance indicators are defined and whose development is closely followed, a methodology was drawn up and described for future use. The project report is available at www.oresundsomcykelregion.nu. The website also includes reports and results of the other activities. The project was carried out by Tetraplan and Trivector. Danish photos Ursula Bach (cover, 3, 8 and 11). Swedish - Mats Persson (page 4-5) THE EUROPEAN UNION The European Regional Development Fund Project partners: Regional Council of Scania (Region Skåne), Lead partner, The Capital Region of Denmark (Region Hovedstaden), The Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket), Sustainable Mobility Scania (Hållbar Mobilitet Skåne), The City of Copenhagen (Københavns Kommune), City of Malmö, (Malmö stad), Municipality of Helsingborg (Helsingborgs stad), Municipality of Lund (Lunds kommun), Municipality of Roskilde, (Roskilde Kommune), Municipality of Kristianstad (Kristianstads kommun), Municipality of Helsingør (Helsingør Kommune), University of Kristianstad (Högskolan Kristianstad)