Dr. Bernhard Ensink, ECF Secretary GeneralVeloforum conference - Kiev, 4 June 2011

PRESTO Project: Strategies and practices for‘starter' cities in developing cycling infrastructure

• About PRESTO• Implementation strategies for Starter, Climber,

Champion cycling cities• PRESTO toolbox• Recommendations for Starter cities• Cycling promotion in Zagreb: VIP’s pedelecs

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Presentation

About PRESTO

• PRESTO is an EU project focusing on competence building in cycling policies

• Duration: May 2009 - January 2012

• Partnership: 12 European partners

• Approach: set of tool for policy makers and city planners

• Local activities in 5 cities

• E-learning course on implementing cycling policies for Starter cities

www.presto-cycling.eu

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Promotion of cycling• Develop a cycling culture• Targeted campaigns• Cycling events and festivals

Infrastructure planning• Practical and safe infrastructure• Network planning• Bicycle plans

Promotion of pedelecs• Untapped cycling potential• Comfortable cycling for everyone

PRESTO three pillars

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“Every city has to find the right balance between

infrastructure measures and promotion measures.

Depending on the level of development, the focus is more

on infrastructure or more on promo. But you always start

and end with important infrastructure measures”.

PRESTO approach

1. STARTER CITIES, modal share of cycling <10%

2. CLIMBER CITIES, modal share of cycling 10 – 20%

3. CHAMPION CITIES, modal share of cycling >20%

GOAL: make cycling possible/comfortable, safe

GOAL: convince more people to use the bicycle

GOAL: keep people cycling

Three levels of cycling in cities

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Starter, Climber, Champion cycling cities

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Implementation strategies for cycling in cities

safedirect

safedirect

safedirect

coherent

coherent

coherent

comfortable attractive

comfortable attractive

comfortable attractive

encourage

encourage

encourage

convince

convince

convince

rewardreward

reward

STARTER CLIMBER CHAMPION

Infrastructure efforts

Promotionefforts

Make cycling possible, safe and respectable

Get more people on a bicycle

Keep people on their bicycles

Neighbourhood City-wide network

Infrastructure and Promotion:

• Go hand in hand

• In a varying balance

• With varying focus

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STARTER, CLIMBER, CHAMPION cities

PRESTO toolbox

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EnglishFrenchGermanItalianPolishCroatianHungarianLithuanian

25 Implementation Fact sheets

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•Overview•Background/Objectives(function, scope...)

•Implementation(signage, require road width, design recommendations)

•Considerations (strengths, weaknesses, alternative options)

Exemplary fact sheet “Contra-Flow Cycling“

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Three E-learning modules for Starter cities

1. ‘Bike to work’ campaigns

2. Intersections and roundabouts

3. Pedelecs in your community

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Starter cities approach

Cycling is unsafe and not respected because:•traffic is simply too heavy and too fast to cycle safely•road design is car-oriented •there is little or no cycling provision

Why are there not more daily urban cyclists?

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• Significantly improving cycling conditions is an indispensible first step. In this sense, infrastructure is the best promotion.

• By giving cyclists room in urban space.

• Still, promotion will be needed to publicize the infrastructure improvements and stimulate people to start using them

Policies mixesHow to turn things around and make people cycle more?

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How to provide for cycling?

The ideal cycle network should consist of routes that are:

• Safe (mixed with quiet traffic or on well-designed specific provision)

• Direct (taking cyclists to their destinations via the shortest and quickest routes)

• Coherent (connected into a city-wide network) • Comfortable (smooth surfaces and kerbs, well-lit etc.)• Attractive (taking cyclists through agreeable environments)

A good starting point for designing your infrastructure: the Dutch Sustainable Road principles

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A local area approach is likely to be an effective way to start:

•Take stock of streets and areas where it is already largely safe to cycle, away from heavy traffic

•Provide invisible infrastructure (traffic reduction and traffic calming instead of cycling specific provision, such as lanes or tracks)

•Provide on-street parking , especially in busy areas and at major public transport hubs

From cycle neighbourhood to cycle cityCities should start by making selected high-potential

neighbourhoods cycle-friendly

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Promotion will be most effective if it tries to encourage those who just need a slight push to start cycling or to cycle more.

Cycling promotion

Encourage your community through a range of tools:

•Advertise your efforts for improved cycling conditions and visible results

•Develop awareness raising and information tools

•Organize cycling activities and events which allow people to try out cycling and be personally involved

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Why? • Create new bicycle news• Raise awareness of cycling as a

daily transport mode• Raise awareness of different

types of bicycles • Make people aware of

advantages of cycling

Pedelecs for VIPs in Zagreb

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What was learnt?• (Perhaps surprisingly) pedelecs in starter cities are an

appropriate bicycle (more attractive than ‘normal’ bicycle) to use for promoting cycling because:• They are innovative;• They are “cool”; and• They have the potential to attract people who normally

would never consider getting on a bike. • “Try before you buy” important for pedelecs (more than just

15mins; testing for a week) • Tips on how to run pedelec testing events

Pedelecs for VIPs in Zagreb

Thank you for your attention!

For more information on PRESTO:www.presto-cycling.eu

Or contactDr. Florinda BOSCHETTI

PRESTO Project Managerf.boschetti@ecf.com