Bicycles

Cycle highways and bike sharing: Safe infrastructure to encourage active travel

There are many benefits to encouraging bicycle use and improving city infrastructure for cyclists as well as pedestrians. Less space is required compared to car infrastructure and the transport system's carbon footprint is reduced. In addition, cycling and walking has economic benefits, as both increase the possibilities for shopping. Of course, the health benefits of active travel modes are also well documented.

Consequently, urban planning should focus on encouraging cycling and walking to meet the fast growth of cities worldwide and the associated challenges in terms of sustainability, accessibility and liveability.

In the Urban Insight report "Urban Mobility on a Human Scale – Promoting and Facilitating Active Travel in Cities", Sweco experts examine ways to enable and encourage active travel in urban areas. This is a short summary; please read the full report for detailed information, additional examples and conclusions.

 

Improving the situation for cyclists and pedestrians

In many cities, the current infrastructure for pedestrians and bicycle users could be greatly improved. When planning greenfield projects or improvements of existing urban spaces of any type, plans for active travellers need to be included from the outset. The challenge lies mainly in identifying the best division of space among different user groups.