The urban bike magazine

Politics & Urban planning

A visual representation of bicycle traffic in Graz

Graz is known throughout Austria as a university city. With approximately 45,000 students and around 300,000 residents, young academics influence the city and flow of traffic. Bikes are the most favoured form of transport amongst students. They are affordable, convenient and fast. The Bike Citizens app has been available in Graz since 2012 and accompanies hundreds of cyclists each week as they travel around the city. Thanks to the new “Bike Citizens Analytics” GPS data analysis tool, anonymised data can now be evaluated for urban planning purposes.

Faster at your destination: New data planning tool for bicycle traffic

German cities have plenty in the pipeline over the next few years when it comes to bicycle traffic: inner city bicycle lanes are being built, express lanes such as the RS1 Ruhrschnellweg are facilitating more commuter traffic on bikes and there is a general move towards increasing modal split of cycling. The National Bicycle Traffic Plan (NRVP) in Germany will provide 3.2 million euros until 2020 towards bicycle traffic projects. But which improvements do these measures bring? A bicycle lane where no one rides their bike, missing connections and long waiting times at crossings are only half effective.The newly developed “Bike Citizens Analytics” data analysis tool will assist with bicycle traffic planning in future.

Embassies and organisations that keep the world spinning

Cycling embassies and organisations co-ordinate cycling initiatives within countries or cities. This article presents a cross-section of nations and their respective organisations.

Luminescent paint lights up cycling paths around Europe

The trend is moving away from grey concrete and towards luminescent designs. Glow-in-the-dark bike paths make it easier for cyclists to see and be seen, while also making for a more enjoyable and cooler looking cycling experience.

€2.4 million for cycling paradise on the Weser

After the bike boulevard comes the bike district, or rather the “bike model district” as the project is officially called. The city and the University of Applied Sciences of Bremen are receiving funding from the German government for the district’s bicycle-friendly conversion.

PING if you care – changing Brussels at the push of a button

Improving your city by pushing a button, that is the idea behind the new ‚PING if you Care‘ project. Starting end of May 2017, cyclists will be able to mark Brussel’s unsafe or unsatisfying traffic situations by pushing their PING button. This is a Bluetooth-enabled device which maps the marked spots. At the end of the pilot phase, all the information will be analysed and presented to the city of Brussels to enhance infrastructure planning.

The past, present and future of Helsinki’s bike sharing system

Last Autumn, the Finnish capital of Helsinki made many international headlines when it reported glorious results from their new bike sharing system Kaupunkipyörät (“city bikes”). For 2017, Helsinki has almost tripled the system’s capacity for the upcoming season, starting in May. Let’s have a look at the past, present and future of bike sharing in Helsinki.

Radbahn could become Berlin’s first covered cycle path

A team of specialists from different fields wants to transform the area under Berlin’s elevated U1 rail line into a covered cycle path. Despite the project "Radbahn Berlin" coming on in leaps and bounds, there are still some hurdles to overcome.

Have these cities found the magic ingredient to become a future bike town?

More and more cities nowadays are making plans to improve their cycling conditions. With sustainability becoming increasingly popular, cities are looking for green transport solutions, and the bicycle fits perfectly in that image.

How Perth managed to increase bicycle commuting by 28,6 per cent

The 1890's were a boom time for bicycling in Australia. Western Australia (WA) was amidst a gold rush, which attracted many hopeful prospectors seeking their fortune. Bicycling was the key form of transportation and led to the world's largest network of bicycle paths ever created. The gold rush was short lived and many of these paths no longer exist today. The use of the bicycle plummeted throughout the twentieth century. More than one hundred years later, things are changing. In the age of the hybrid car, WA policy makers are managing to renew interest in using healthy and green transport alternatives.